Political Threads

[zfreeman]

I understand that we run the gamut of most topics, given the purpose of a forum. I'm not demanding we adhere strictly to gaming-only subjects. I only wanted to comment that I think the political subjects are not worth the effort of having them.

The initial discourse may possibly be constructive, but it quickly devolves into ad hominem attacks and immature hyperbole, with mods having to get involved almost every time. I think these conversations are only causing bad blood between members, instead of finding common interests between strangers.

This should be a place to have fun, contribute, discuss, and make friends. Political threads seem to run counter to GBAtemp's ethos. I think all parties would benefit by having these conversations on other sites.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

The main reason we finally decided to add the forum in the first place so it was all in one area and isn't being posted elsewhere on the site. For the most part, it's worked as intended, we no longer see most of those shit threads outside that particular section. I do agree they pretty much always devolve into inane arguments and shitposts, but it's better than the alternative of it being elsewhere.

I'd much rather have a section dedicated to these shit threads than having them pop up in GOT or USN and the like as they had beforehand. If you don't like them, then just don't go there, simple as that. I haven't been in that section basically since it's been added, and thus I have no issues with these types of threads so long as they stay there.

 

[SecureBoot]

The main reason we finally decided to add the forum in the first place so it was all in one area and isn't being posted elsewhere on the site. For the most part, it's worked as intended, we no longer see most of those shit threads outside that particular section. I do agree they pretty much always devolve into inane arguments and shitposts, but it's better than the alternative of it being elsewhere.

I'd much rather have a section dedicated to these shit threads than having them pop up in GOT or USN and the like as they had beforehand. If you don't like them, then just don't go there, simple as that. I haven't been in that section basically since it's been added, and thus I have no issues with these types of threads so long as they stay there.

Yeah, the day I could press one button to block that entire side of the site was vindicating

 

[The Catboy]

I kind of wish the staff would actually ban some of the obviously harmful members, like those spreading White Nationalist/Neo-Nazi conspiracies and talking points. I really hate how often it seems like staff either ignore these members or even say something dismissive towards those reporting them. I am not sorry to say this, but members posting anti-LGBT+, borderline racist, and sexist comments are creating a hostile environment, the staff needs to actually deal with them.

 

[Creamu]

The main reason we finally decided to add the forum in the first place so it was all in one area and isn't being posted elsewhere on the site. For the most part, it's worked as intended, we no longer see most of those shit threads outside that particular section. I do agree they pretty much always devolve into inane arguments and shitposts, but it's better than the alternative of it being elsewhere.

I'd much rather have a section dedicated to these shit threads than having them pop up in GOT or USN and the like as they had beforehand. If you don't like them, then just don't go there, simple as that. I haven't been in that section basically since it's been added, and thus I have no issues with these types of threads so long as they stay there.

That is very interesting. Brilliant design and a strong argument for the politics forum.

 

[godreborn]

I kind of wish the staff would actually ban some of the obviously harmful members, like those spreading White Nationalist/Neo-Nazi conspiracies and talking points. I really hate how often it seems like staff either ignore these members or even say something dismissive towards those reporting them. I am not sorry to say this, but members posting anti-LGBT+, borderline racist, and sexist comments are creating a hostile environment, the staff needs to actually deal with them.

I feel the same way. I get agitated so much by certain people on these sites/in these scenes who essentially pollute them.

 

[LainaGabranth]

I kind of wish the staff would actually ban some of the obviously harmful members, like those spreading White Nationalist/Neo-Nazi conspiracies and talking points. I really hate how often it seems like staff either ignore these members or even say something dismissive towards those reporting them. I am not sorry to say this, but members posting anti-LGBT+, borderline racist, and sexist comments are creating a hostile environment, the staff needs to actually deal with them.

This. People whose lives revolve around making the lives of minorities worse should not be welcome in any space.

 

[Creamu]

This. People whose lives revolve around making the lives of minorities worse should not be welcome in any space.

If you think letting them talk is bad, wait what happens when you silence them everywhere.

 

[LainaGabranth]

If you think letting them talk is bad, wait what happens when you silence them everywhere.

Worked pretty well for Milo and Lauren Southern.

 

[Creamu]

Worked pretty well for Milo and Lauren Southern.

Those are clowns. Don't do that with large clusters of the populus, it's a bad idea, but if you want to discuss this, open a dedicated thread and feel free to tag me.

 

[LainaGabranth]

Those are clowns. Don't that with large clusters of the populus, it's a bad idea, but if you want to discuss this, open a dedicated thread and feel free to tag me.

I don't, so I won't.

 

[Marc_LFD]

This community is called GBATemp, as in the one and only Game Boy Advance and everything about gaming, but politics were allowed in. :-/

If people really want it that badly, there's Twitter, Facebook, whatever. I created a poll thread to see how that'd end up.. and much as expected (although I never replied as I was interested in the votes solely).

Worked pretty well for Milo and Lauren Southern.

Milo is still popular? Lauren Southern?

Lauren still has a group of simps who praise her, but the rest criticize her for various aspects. Also, she's not blonde anymore. lol

 

[LainaGabranth]

Milo is still popular? Lauren Southern?

Lauren still has a group of simps who praise her, but the rest criticize her for various aspects. Also, she's not blonde anymore. lol

Neither of them are particularly popular, Milo is only mentioned like he's dead, since he was only notable in GamerGate. Lauren has been irrelevant save for attempts to get into Twitch politics through DesTiny, but that hasn't really worked out super well either.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Neither of them are particularly popular, Milo is only mentioned like he's dead, since he was only notable in GamerGate. Lauren has been irrelevant save for attempts to get into Twitch politics through DesTiny, but that hasn't really worked out super well either.

Destiny is now known as DesTiny?

That guy was very weird.

 

[LainaGabranth]

Destiny is now known as DesTiny?

That guy was very weird.

He's Schrodinger's Manlet; the more people you ask about him the shorter he gets.
But yeah, Destiny is fucking unhinged. He rose to popularity after he debunked that one game dude's racist shit, but ever since he's just been increasingly more of an intellectual deadweight.

 

[FAST6191]

This community is called GBATemp, as in the one and only Game Boy Advance and everything about gaming, but politics were allowed in. :-/

They were never disallowed though. Go back as far as you like/can and you will find examples.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/abortion.86018/ from 2008 if we want a parallel to the ripped from the headlines equivalent to today, and that predates the vast majority of the active userbase or without checking those that liked things all that have been in this thread.

 

[Marc_LFD]

They were never disallowed though. Go back as far as you like/can and you will find examples.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/abortion.86018/ from 2008 if we want a parallel to the ripped from the headlines equivalent to today, and that predates the vast majority of the active userbase or without checking those that liked things all that have been in this thread.

Sure, but it didn't have its own category which gave it more power than it should.

Politics? I'm just glad this isn't ResetEra, thankfully.

 

[Maximumbeans]

I agree that it's a shame, and I wish we didn't have to see it here. That having been said, I do think it's kind of inevitable. People come in all sorts and there will always be rude, obnoxious, I-know-better-than-you conspiracy theorists and regressive luddites polluting civil discourse. I don't say that to patronise anyone here, I say it because we have to acknowledge that you cannot shut people like that out. It's all but impossible, so containing it to a specific section is good.

But I am also discouraged to see certain members flagrantly say bigoted shit and get away with it, and I suspect they do so because they're emboldened by the lack of any comeback. People on Twitter have learned how to dance around what they're trying to say so that they aren't just throwing out blatant report bait, but here it seems some members can just openly insult specific groups.

 

[Creamu]

I agree that it's a shame, and I wish we didn't have to see it here. That having been said, I do think it's kind of inevitable. People come in all sorts and there will always be rude, obnoxious, I-know-better-than-you conspiracy theorists and regressive luddites polluting civil discourse. I don't say that to patronise anyone here, I say it because we have to acknowledge that you cannot shut people like that out. It's all but impossible, so containing it to a specific section is good.

But I am also discouraged to see certain members flagrantly say bigoted shit and get away with it, and I suspect they do so because they're emboldened by the lack of any comeback. People on Twitter have learned how to dance around what they're trying to say so that they aren't just throwing out blatant report bait, but here it seems some members can just openly insult specific groups.

Yes, I have also thought about ways to make discourse more cultivated and polite. There is a diverse spectrum of conigtions and shutting people out because you can't tolerate their way of thinking is a realy unfrotunate route to take. I think it is best to have tolerance for diverse cogintions, or to just ignore them if that is not possible for you.

The politics section is a really elegant solution. It keeps all the mess contained in one place (more or less) and if you don't like it you are free not to go there at all. What is the argument against just ignoring the politics forum if you don't like it? Taking others expression away because you can't stop yourself from going into the politics section is a really weak position.

 

[Viri]

Political forums are there to be a containment section, so people would stop bringing it up in video game sections.

As for rules, there should only be a rule against spam, and ad hominem/personal attacks, imo. Everything else should be fine. If you don't like it, then don't go there. Nobody has a gun against your head, forcing you to go there.