Community Chat

[QueenDanceALot]

If people can't discuss their differences how can they ever reach common ground?

I do recall how nasty the exchanges got during the last elections when politics were still allowed here, and if people think political discussions online are any more civil elsewhere, then good luck finding them!  I've been on a few other political forums and they are ALL nasty.  Some boards just allow it to go on (their choice).  They are just a reflection of the contentious political climate that we are living in.

[SoX]

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@LilacTree wrote:

We post here, so we're stuck with discussing minutiae.

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But the beauty of it is ... we don't have to post here.  Nobody's making us do it.

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[PenneyT]

I can see why the Q doesn't want to host political discussions. This is, after all, a public chat room. What is posted here is easily read by anyone. I found this place while looking up handbags, lol!

Comments like "I hate bellbottoms but love capris" or "I feel that dogs are better than cats" etc., who cares, but if you start mentioning candidates, that might bring embarrassing, easily searchable quotes that this company would rightly shy away from. Too quickly companies can get an undeserved reputation from items posted that they have no control over. This is just a guess, but if it were my shopping company, I wouldn't want anything controversial equated with my name. There are plenty of places for that.

[SoX]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

If people can't discuss their differences how can they ever reach common ground?

I do recall how nasty the exchanges got during the last elections when politics were still allowed here, and if people think political discussions online are any more civil elsewhere, then good luck finding them!  I've been on a few other political forums and they are ALL nasty.  Some boards just allow it to go on (their choice).  They are just a reflection of the contentious political climate that we are living in.

@QueenDanceALot  ...

That's just it, Kitty ... it's been my observation that you just won't find any civil discussions on politics ... we have become a polarized society and the current crop of candidates are feeding this frenzy.   I don't want any part of it ... here or on any other forum.

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[Plaid Pants2]

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

If you all want to discuss current events and politics, go to LV.

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What is LV?

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Las Vegas, Nevada.

It's a website run by a yankee.

[jaxs mom]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@Kalli wrote:

I wish we could have productive political discussions but some folks just can't contain their extreme dislike for those who hold opinions they don't like.

There have been times I've seen those who argree with each other put someone else down for a differing view and have a discussion back and forth about how stupid that other person is, poking fun at the other person for holding that viewpoint.  They cross the border of disliking the views to blasting the person who holds that view.  

I understand Q's desire to keep politics off here.  

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I've seen this too, and it is allowed to go on in areas other than politics.

It happens in health related topics (vaccines), it happens in 'science' related topics, and others. I guess my point is that it goes on, and is allowed to stand by the mods quite often, on topics other than politics, so I guess I don't see why, if they aren't going to stop it in those areas, the decide that politics are the place to draw the line.

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It really doesn't matter if anyone "see's why" or agrees. It's their house, they make the rules and if someone doesn't like it no one is forcing you to post here.

[GingerPeach]

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@PenneyT wrote:

. . .

Comments like "I hate bellbottoms but love capris" or "I feel that dogs are better than cats" etc., . . .

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The highlighted portion illustrates just one of the reasons discussion often fails.  Comparisons could be made without resorting to the black/white or either/or argument, but all too often they are not.

For example, why not just say what you're going to say but leave off the part that explains how much worse you think the "other" is.   

I get that it is tempting, but it is not necessary. 

This is probably irrelevant, but I used to know someone who, whenever I'd say I was in favor of something (whether a type of dog, a shade of color, or almost anything), she would immediately tell me that that she liked the "other" and made the assumption that someone could not appreciate both.  How that makes sense is beyond me.  Is it possible people are that limited?

[SahmIam]

No, not really.

[DJP]

No

[Moonchilde]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

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@PenneyT wrote:

. . .

Comments like "I hate bellbottoms but love capris" or "I feel that dogs are better than cats" etc., . . .

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The highlighted portion illustrates just one of the reasons discussion often fails.  Comparisons could be made without resorting to the black/white or either/or argument, but all too often they are not.

For example, why not just say what you're going to say but leave off the part that explains how much worse you think the "other" is.   

I get that it is tempting, but it is not necessary. 

This is probably irrelevant, but I used to know someone who, whenever I'd say I was in favor of something (whether a type of dog, a shade of color, or almost anything), she would immediately tell me that that she liked the "other" and made the assumption that someone could not appreciate both.  How that makes sense is beyond me.  Is it possible people are that limited?

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It's entirely possible that people are that self-centered and opinionated. We have to deal with them in real life, as well as on every BBS and discussion forum everywhere.

There are many people for whom there is only ONE ("right") way and it's their way or the highway. They are "honest", they "tell it like it is", etc. They have learned to spout what they feel are acceptable excuses for their communication disabilities.

The fact that such people are everywhere, don't see or feel the need to change and aren't going to stop, is the reason that just about any discussion on just about any topic on all but the most strictly moderated forums has the potential to degenerate into name-calling and insults, and often does. Add in those who do it deliberately, getting the warm fuzzies when they "score" what they think is a clever insult/put-down, and you have instant ugliness.