Rubber Room for politics

[Ack-Ack]

funny thing is I tried to joined but wasnt allowed .


midway

nuke probably felt that you couldn't handle the "no crying" rule.

ack-ack

[skorpx1]

I know you've never visited or joined.  It's a private forum that doesn't allow tween squeakers and you're not a member.

ack-ack

Are you taking a literal stand-point on this or no?

I have in fact been to the website, but I never bothered to register. There is the one area that you're able to get into if you haven't registered and that's where iv'e been. If you're talking about the actual forum itself then no - I haven't been there.

[phatzo]

well there ya go

maybe the link in my sig would be better

[Toad]

Lessee here.... FW is dead?

Because somebody has checked out the single forum open to unregistered visitors and didn't see many posts?

Or is it dead because FW doesn't have the Three Word Story game?











Reports of FW's death have been greatly exaggerated. It's not for everyone though. It is essentially unmoderated, therefore there are offensive posts/posters. Thin skinned and PC sensitive people probably wouldn't like it there.

There's stuff I don't like but there's an ignore feature and in the words of FWs founder:

You have to be willing to take the good with the bad though. Any moderation really boils down to a person's whimsical judgment call. I'd rather let everyone post freely and let the chips fall where they may. You will never make everyone happy no matter what you do, but I'll take freedom of expression over moderation any day.

[Mr No Name]

FW is still going strong, roughly 800 members.  I lurk here but post there.  I understand the rules here and when I am in someone elses' sandbox I obey them...  I post there because it's a great steam release valve, and I don't have to worry about offending anyone - we all dish it out, we all take it.

[bizz]

FW is still very much alive. IMO it's a great metaphor for a true free libertarian society.  The rules are so scarce that a good chunk of new members that sign up can't handle the freedom. They'll cry for moderation and call for members to get the ban hammer, but it will never come. So instead they come back here and get their fill of Nannie protection. Meanwhile the core members of FW go on with our life, calling each other names, hurling insults at the britiots, and having a great old time.

[guncrasher]

FW is still very much alive. IMO it's a great metaphor for a true free libertarian society.  The rules are so scarce that a good chunk of new members that sign up can't handle the freedom. They'll cry for moderation and call for members to get the ban hammer, but it will never come. So instead they come back here and get their fill of Nannie protection. Meanwhile the core members of FW go on with our life, calling each other names, hurling insults at the britiots, and having a great old time.

flamewarriors is a joke, the true reason for flamewarriors was never been to discuss/exchange ideas in an open manner but rather for some to put others down just for the amusement factor.  and that is the reason why a political forum wouldnt work here either, there wouldnt be any discussion but rather a place for some people to insult others just because.  it is laughable that you want to compare it to a free libertarian society as it is not.

midway

[Ack-Ack]

flamewarriors is a joke, the true reason for flamewarriors was never been to discuss/exchange ideas in an open manner but rather for some to put others down just for the amusement factor.  and that is the reason why a political forum wouldnt work here either, there wouldnt be any discussion but rather a place for some people to insult others just because.  it is laughable that you want to compare it to a free libertarian society as it is not.

midway

How would you know what the reason for FW is if you've never been a member?  I shall dub thee "SkorpX Sr."

ack-ack

[RotBaron]

Uhhh, any place where freedom of expression is COMPLETELY devoid of censorship would be the epitome of libertarian values being put in practice, I don't understand how it could be anything but in your mind. I sense that libertarian is not part of your regular vocabulary.

Stopping there, any further and...


 

[Gman]

HTC has to worry about losing customers when someone is offended by remarks on these forums.

I would be interested to know how many customers have quit because some other player hurt their feelings compared to how many have quit due to being moderated or banned from the bbs.  Skuzzy recently even posted something along the lines of him being sick of being blamed "and receiving another threatening email and losing another customer" over enforcing the rules.  I know for a fact that the FW board in question is filled with x-players, most of whom will tell you that they quit the game due to crossing swords with moderators on the bbs, and nothing to do with being disciplined "in game" so to speak for cheating or what-not.

If it's just one of the reasons they left the game, who is to say, but being told off by a fellow customer is a lot different than being disciplined by the people you give the money to in order to play their game.  Anyway, like I said, from the tone of that post SKuzzy made recently, I got the feeling that while it may not be a common occurrence, players leaving due to being subject to BBS rules certainly happens often enough for him to make special note of it.

As for the OP's wish, I doubt it'll ever happen.  Can you imagine all of the daily bbs suspensions, hundreds of players banned, and all the time Skuzzy spends on moderation all of sudden usurped by a new forum area where none of those rules apply?

[Skuzzy]

A bulletin board, without any moderation can devolve into complete anarchy.  Our board had done that. Once a certain mass has been reached, bulletin board discussions degrade.  There are people who have a need to assert themselves via posts that attract attention. These types of people are not the lion share of the public, but given enough numbers on a bulletin board they can have a negative impact on all the discussions.  The larger the board gets, the faster it devolves.

In the real world, there are natural inhibitors to bad behavior.  A normal person would not walk up to a guy three times his size and make derogatory remarks about him or his date, lest he get punched in the face.  Only an idiot, not willing to accept responsibility for his actions, would do so.

Bulletin boards have no natural barriers to prevent bad behavior.  Thus it is quite easy for them to devolve into anarchy and chaos.  Do some people get upset when they get moderated?  Yes.  Those who cannot accept responsibility for their own actions always get upset.

Is moderation an exact science?  No.  Any time anyone has to make a judgement call it will be subjected to the masses for them to judge and re-judge.  Everyone has their own perspective, on any given attempt to moderate, and they will gladly tell you how wrong you are when you do moderate a discussion.

Truth of the matter is; If there were natural barriers to bad behavior, a bulletin board would never need to be moderated.  Discussions would take place, not 'look-at-the-next-shocking-thing-I-can-say-to-get-attention-and-how-I-can-disrupt-a-discussion' posts.

Our bulletin board, whether we like it or not, is a representative of our business.  It is not in our best interests to allow it to devolve into chaos.  The unfortunate truth is, controversial topics are a catalyst for bad behavior, on large bulletin boards.  We tried everything to keep from going down the path of denying topics from being discussed, and nothing worked.

The only way our board got back to an acceptable level of civility was by restricting the topics which can be discussed.  We realize there are people who do not care about the civility of a bulletin board, but we have to as it is part of our business.

[LCADolby]

I like the idea of a politics room, I would start taking bets on when and who would get themselves PNGd... Could be a good little earner 

[Masherbrum]

I'm pretty sure that place is dead.

As for the wish, i'd love to see it - it'd take out all of the politics/religious stuff from the O'Club/General Discussion, but I don't think Skuzzy will be OK with this wish.

You aren't the brightest bulb in bunch.   FW is far from dead and you aren't even a member.   So given that fact, how would you even presume to know?


I agree with the OP.   If they can start a Kill Club Forum instead of following up on "threats of banning, if done again", make a Room for Politics, etc.   

[VonMessa]

nuke probably felt that you couldn't handle the "no crying" rule.

ack-ack

He was probably right

 

[Ripsnort]

What Toad said.
I visit FW daily.
Yes, its a very active board and yes, there is absolutely NO Political Correctness moderated there. You'll find types that are extreme right wing to extreme left wing  (Although most of latter get butthurt pretty fast and leave, thus the term 'thin skinned') and everything personality/opinion type in between those extremes.

The ignore function works fine there too, however I prefer my own filter/ignore of just not reading a post by an idiot.

I also agree with Skuzzy regarding degradation and anarchy. Although once the dust settles in an anarchiacal forum environment, it's not as chaotic as one might think. It follows the same principals as a new group of people working together in the real world, that being "Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing" but without barriers to feel that you cannot say what you think like you would in business.

It's refreshing to be able to post without fear of moderation, and its a good place to keep in touch with friends from Air Warrior, Warbirds, and Aces High when most have left the game and moved on.