9-29-04 Debate forum is closed to new replies and posts. It is now "read-only" and is available now only as a resource. 8-4-04 edit: this post was originally about shutting down the Debate forum. I see now that I really should have announced my intentions and opened it up for discussion. If you care about the Debate forum, then read on:
Original post:
The Debate Forum is not helping Quoteland to grow in a positive direction. As it stands now members may reply to existing topics. No new topics may be started. Eventually it is intended to become a "read only" forum, but who knows what the future holds? I am sure it was fun for many while it lasted.
[This message was edited by thenostromo on 08-03-04 at 08:15 PM.]
[This message was edited by thenostromo on 08-04-04 at 08:20 PM.]
[This message was edited by thenostromo on 09-29-04 at 10:09 AM.]
quote: The Debate Forum is not helping Quoteland to grow in a positive direction.
And the moderators who, constantly, verbally assault members is helping us grow?
Smart.
Another batch of members lost. Sigh.
________________
i believe that harmonies are colours every time i paint it sharpens my harmony. yesterday i tried to paint you, but the colours weren’t beautiful enough. ~Beyonce Knowles.
What pray tell us do you mean by positive direction? If having a leftist stance in debate causes a site to move in a so-called negative direction... then, I must say I will have to follow Ladon's suit too.
quote:originally posted by TN:
I sincerely hope that the presence of the wink meant that this is a joke. If it isn't then this surely is going to be adios.
EDIT : On a slightly exagerrated leftist note, shutting debate down is like saying why don't we shut down Corporate America, after all it is not (forget helping) letting the world move in any positive direction.
I'd love to say further, It was certainly no fun while it lasted.
-
much love, light and laughter, ananya. (aka mumbaichi porgi)
*~Come play with my children feel the peace and Scatter some joy.~* ~*Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make your's burn any brighter.*~ *** Who put these fingerprints on my imagination? -- Elvis Costello ***
[This message was edited by Ananya on 08-03-04 at 03:03 PM.]
Posts: 6207 | Location: India | Registered: 07-03-01
This site Philosophy Forums, has a broad and ecclectic representation with varying debate topics. Of course the focus is into philosophy but there are also sections which pertain to political issues. Moreover, the stock and capacity of P.F.'s members far exceeds the debating capacities of present QL membership.
Many members including myself have moved over there or came from there: Myself, Twister, Apokryphos, and AKG.
In addition, the debate forum has become a wasteland of intellectual pursuits and more of a forum which people converse with contempt.
I see this change as a forward move for quoteland. Returning the focus towards literature, quotes, and writing.
I thank TN for doing this finally and hope that QL's future goes well for all who are a part of it.
But since my main contribution to QL has been primarily in the DF. Without the DF, my presence is no longer needed.
~Ciao
********************* Post-structuralism is like cotton candy: light, fluffy, and has no value whatsoever.
Posts: 3788 | Location: California then Vermont | Registered: 09-13-01
In regards to this and all previous Quoteland battles
Sigh. From the moment I saw this, even before there were any replies, a little black bead developed in my stomach. I had a feeling that this would cause another great divide of Quoteland, causing even *more* good members to leave then have already been lost due to previous internal brawls. And it has, and will continue to do so.
I, as many others I'm sure, come here as a break from the stress of everyday. I have enough problems and things to deal with in the flesh, so I do not choose to take part in these battles regardless of what I may feel. In addition, for the most part, I have no idea that something is going on until every one is in the thick of it and virtual mud-slinging is abundant. I don't like to stick my head in these things, because I'm not very big on conflict in such large doses. So, along those lines, this will likely be the only thing I include in this before it really starts rolling.
I just wanted to express my disapointment - for the members we are sure to lose, the harsh words to be said, and of course, the loss of the debate forum. As rarely as I dipped my feet into that pond, I did (and do) enjoy it being there.
I think it's wonderful when people of differing beliefs can share their ideas (preferably with a hint of peacefulness). It's how we learn and grow as humans and individuals; by learning not everyone thinks as we, ourselves, do. Hopefully learning that in some cases, things aren't always *wrong* just *different*. Personally, the world has leaps and bounds to go when it comes to accepting, respecting, and working with differences.
Just a few cents of mine tossed into the bank. Sorry if I went a bit off topic.
-Emily (goes back to her peaceful corner)
e t a k e a l o o k a r o u n d a n d b e i n s p i r e d
Posts: 504 | Location: the City | Registered: 08-06-02
You can't make people be nice in debate, that's the problem. Either let people be un-nice or shut it down, those are the options.
Personally, I have no intention of being nice, and I'm sure others feel the same. So what can Nostromo do? Either let us be rude or lock it all down. C'est la vie.
Posts: 1382 | Location: United States | Registered: 03-31-01
I have to agree with Ladon on this. Tableist, your posts do not add to constuctive debate, which is the reason for the debate forum. If we can't prevent personal attacks then I believe this was necessary. I don't completely agree with the decision, but it was a necessary one. I will follow suit and move to the Philosophy Forums. (Thanks to Ladon for the suggestion)
I, unfortunely, have been here far too short to be able to get into the swing of things in the DF, but I am happy I got to participate at all.
And I don't want to start something in here, but I cannot allow TheTableist to believe that what he contributed to the F 9/11 thread was at all constructive.
quote: And the moderators who, constantly, verbally assault members is helping us grow?
Smart.
Another batch of members lost. Sigh.
I'm with Concerned Brotha on this one.
Peace Out.
"Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things." -Russell Baker
I wish I had more time on me hands but unfortunately I have a huge courseload this semester
(with all due respect)
Just one question to TN: why does it always have to be a bunch of pathetic losers who screw everything up for everybody else. Quoteland is a community, the DF is a huge aspect of QL. I mean, why does everyone have to pay? Don't let yourself be engulfed under a rut of silly excuses these people make, you are the administrator, mate!
Please, consider again the decision of either "phasing out" or "shutting down" the DF. Thanks.
To everybody else:
In the light of recent incidents, all I can say is truth is purely subjective and nothing else. Everybody has an opinion, and to exercise that, everybody has to accept what other people believe in (however stupid they very well may be). I mean come on people, this is like saying history repeats itself, how can you let a debate turn into a subject of personal enemity!!! YET AGAIN!?!?!
And stop bloody chosing either sides!!!
I hope people stop behaving like frogs in a well.
****
Edit: hmm, I was typing this when TN was typing his previous post, apologies.
Edit #2: *hugs Pixidear* You are the coolestest everest!!!!
life's a waste of time, time is a waste of life so get wasted all the time and have the time of your life.
[This message was edited by D_w on 08-03-04 at 09:10 PM.]
Posts: 3196 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 06-26-03
Thank you sir, I am so glad you have a change of heart. I agree fully with one of the prodigies, Ladon but unlike him, I will never leave this site if I didn't get force to.
Debate is thinking sir. Yes, it could become something nasty, but most of the time, we have many intellectual conversations. There is another side to writing and that is thinking. How can we become a great writer if we can only see our point of views? This value tremendously to people in QL. If you want to become a better writer then first you should become a better thinker. It broadens people's knowledge, not just about facts but also about opinions, believes, reasoning and logics. I posted a thread in DB "what's the point in debating"? I think you should have a look because, many comments in that thread were very valid about debating.
By the way, what will the moderator Dav does anyway? I think he shines the most in debate forum. I think it would be a waste of his talent to limits him on GD, poetry, or any other forums.
I was just about to post something about ‘juvenile delinquency and jail’ in that forum. I think that it is important to have a topic like that. Kids are the future of this country/World. We need to have thinking hat on to make this world a better place. A lot may disagree because you can’t change any real laws and the real World anyway. What happens here doesn’t mean jack to the World. I beg the differ sir, we are all a part of the society. That’s like saying; "I will not do anything good to this world at all because it’s all going down the drain". If we can change one mind out of time toward the better, the world will be a better place.
The way we think is the future of this society.
"It's not premarital sex. If you don't plan on getting married" From a guy who love his single status.
I knew it. TN, I wish you'd quit insisting that the constitution still pertains to this place -- it is not so.
Out of the blue, the admin can now shut down a forum. No dialogue, no warning ..just "it will soon be read-only".
And wtf does "positive direction" mean? That it isnt a one-sided freeperville like it used to be? I'm with Ananya on this, too. Something tells me that if that forum was all Surgeon/Tableist rightwing crap everything would be okay (like at Word Distillery) because, you know, lefties wouldn't complain, and if they did like Twister has done, then, well, let's just blow it all up.
I don't approve of what the Tableist said to Twister (though it's not the tone I object to, it's the content), but he has a powerful point here when he says that you can't make people be nice.
I agree.
And weathering mud-slinging, I feel, is a better price to pay than dealing with artbitrary notions of "respect" that are handed down from above. Ladon, don't you remember how you and euphorion were shafted via the respect clause? Especially since the constitution has been effectively nullified by the new admin?
You simply can't forbid mudslinging in a debate forum. You can curtail the worst of it by banning certain expletives, and having an "on-topic" rule, but if people want to go ad hominem, they will, and moreover, that option should always be availiable IN THAT FORUM ONLY, which makes it analogous to a steam valve: people WILL be angry with each other, and abhor each other's beliefs. Better to comparmentalise this factor into the DF only, than pretending it doesn't exist, which then will allow it to pop up in other forums, leading to surgeon50-like abuses all over the site.
There is a very well organized debate forum website that I have visited a few times for the past nine or ten months. Although debates ON religion are not allowed, they have a link to a specific place for that. Each forum is very specific... ex. debates on the war on terrorism, current events, domestic issues, election 2004, history debates, constitutional, etc etc etc. Another thing, they ARE very strict about personal insults and mudslinging, and they have a strike system to keep people in line. ALso, their policies apply to everybody, including admin and moderators. So if anybody is interested, just email or PT me and I would be glad to give you a link.
Posts: 1169 | Location: united states | Registered: 03-10-02
I, for one, am actually glad the debate forum is getting the axe. I know, I know. People will always be mad at other people for their beliefs and ideas and whatnot. But debating always seems to bring out the worst in people. So, do away with it. All DF does is mix and muddle the info we have already. No one ever changes their views, people! You must know that. DF never solved anything. It just grew resentment, pridefullness, and harbored grudges.
---- "Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy." - Albert Einstein ---- "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And if the second time you don't succeed...just give up. You suck." - iron_scimitars
In the not too distant past I made the following statement to the moderators:
quote:Awards International may own this place, but it belongs to the members, and we are the custodians.
Remembering that remark has helped me to loosen my grip on a firm decision I had made to eliminate the Debate forum. As it stands right now I just need to give my mind a rest from this. For anyone that participates on Debate, be advised that any hint of a "three stikes" rule around Quoteland is going to be removed. If I make a determination that the rules of conduct have been violated, access rights will be removed.
For those who doesn't want debate forum, the choice if yours. Don't go there! Nobody is holding a gun on you. If you are easily offended then don't go there! You really don't have to. If you don't like it because it's worthless, again, don't click on Debate Forum!
There are so many who thing highly of the forum. I am one of them. For me it's not a heart or soul of quoteland but it's the brain of quoteland.
"It's not premarital sex. If you don't plan on getting married" From a guy who love his single status.
