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Me as a moderator. Hell, I'd settle for the ability to be able to randomly edit other peoples posts, that would be so cool.
Ahem...
A rule against fallacies would be great. Repeated use of any of the following should result in at least a warning:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
Though, almost every member of the back room, including me, would be banned after afew weeks...
Post links to your information.
Crazed Rabbit
If we stopped using all of those fallacies in our arguments, the Backroom would cease to exist! Shame on you! Why do you hate your dog?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mongoose
See the added line in the small font.
I've been to forums that have rules like that. Everyone is very careful about what they say, for fear of being flamed to a fine crisp by a mob of angry moderators and regular members...
I'd like a dollar every time I posted here, thanks.
BUT...Quote:
Originally Posted by solypsist
The Babe thread was created when you were on sabbatical leaving us to create it, rather then basking in Soly's Babe thread that previously existed.
I say add Soly's Babe thread to the Backroom.
And to prove I'm not sexist:
Prole's Hunk Thread.
BP's Ambigous Thread.
Best solution to "article syndrome" is to implement what I suggested a long time ago: the original post must contain at least as much - if not more - content in the words of the original poster as the quoted article has, if not the thread gets deleted. That would make "article syndrome" not be a problem any more.
Other than that, renaming Backroom to "Politics and Religion" would be apt considering that's all that is ever talked about here.
Making a thread about anything else is a waste of time since it won't get posted in, which is why people don't bother making them any more. Kinda like how the Frontroom got completely taken over by spam, the Backroom got completely taken over by Politics and Religion. Might as well rename them to reflect that reality.
I think that the article idea is not a great one at all. If a long explanation of a point is explained in an article, why repeat it again? If a valid point can be made in one line, why require 6 paragraphs to say it?
Threads here exist by natural selection. Popular threads live, thrive and develop, unpopular ones die. Of corse there is the occasional mod directed "act of god" when a thread dies due to other factors.
A name change might be a good idea, as that is the reality. I come here for the decent discussion on the topics that are here, and would have wandered off elsewhere if topics became the lowbrow drivel that I could find talking to those around me.
~:smoking:
Rory, for some reason I feel that you and I would hit it off famously in real life. Maybe it's because of your favourite emoticon (~:smoking:) which reminds me of some friends with whom I occasionally have the most rewarding conversations over buckets of black coffee and family packs of non-filter cigarettes. Thusly:Quote:
Originally Posted by rory_20_uk
:beatnik:~:smoking::laugh4::coffeenews::listen:
Anyway, why change a winning formula? And the Backroom is a winning formula; it is the most informative and best moderated politics forum around. Can anyone show me a better one?
Thought so.
Of course it can be argued that current affairs have little or nothing to do with Total War games, but neither do funny vids, stepmother jokes and babe pictures, and we are not going to ditch those either, are we?
I agree with Adrian (Dear God help me!!!) anyway this is a great forum and I don't think there is much more to improve it unless I can get less warnings when I tell someone that I'm going to teabag their mother.
Dare I ask: "teabag"?? :inquisitive:
I think I'm gonna puke...
:sick2: :lipsrsealed2:
~:smoking:
What, again?? You realise we are entering Indian territory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Devastatin Dave
Watch out, behind you! :indian_chief:
PM sent with explaination:laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by rory_20_uk
EditQuote:
Originally Posted by AdrianII
Oh, and my Mum sends her regards.
Don't worry, I have some small pox infested blankets for just such an occasion...:laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by AdrianII
a no hold barred mod free subforum.. you could call it the parking lot, and the usual suspects could go there and harang each other. :balloon2:
No, that's what PMs are for. If laundry is that dirty, it doesn't need to be aired.
~:smoking:
Other than the prohibition against "foul language", I can't say there's much to complain about.
Encouraged? Recently, in one of the threads, I had a very civil discourse with two people taking a conservative (i.e. opposing) stance. They were both rational and courteous. It influenced the attitude in my posts to be the same. I also took their posts more seriously.
1) Make the backroom visible to guests. (Do not wonder why the subjects are all essentially the same; the backroom needs new blood!)Quote:
Originally Posted by solypsist
2) Less Googled, Wikied, or Cut & Pasted, stand-alone "arguments".
3) Less personal attacks (although I just filter it myself).
edit:
4) Oh yeah, less thread closings for little or no apparent reasons. It would be better to just edit any offending post rather close the whole deal.
Very ambiguous. :dizzy2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Papewaio
I find that threads are rarely closed, and a reason is always given. I am sure that a quiet PM with the mod in question would answer any outstanding reasons.
Guests in the backroom? to view would be OK, but NOT to post.
Personal attacks are part and parcel of being here. Everyone can see that if an attack is based purely on maligning the other person rather than the argument it is a classic case of "playing the man not the ball" and no one is impressed with that. As all are members, repeat offenders are known to most.
Cut and paste arguments are good in that if one is showing that they are quoting conventional wisdom, then what is the point in reinventing the wheel? I hope that when both sides have broadsided each other with the blindingly obvious, either the argument will further the point, or the thread will stagnate.
~:smoking:
I see that my sig pet is being to multiply like tribbles. What made you add that to your siggy Byzantine Prince?
Back on topic: If it ain't broke. All is well. I have no prob with anyone's posting style. Use spoilers or don't, it matters not so long as a link is provided.
I don't want to see any porn here. All I need to do is google tits. The thought of teenyboppers wackin off to the backroom is just nasty.
I do think that a more liberal stance towards links would be justified. Sometimes good content is found on sites that have bad content. Removing links to sites with giant naked banner ads is still a good idea because many of us access the forums at work. But if the user needs to really dig into the website to find anything offensive, then I don't see the problem.
The topics are good. The ones worth discussing stay. The ones that are pointless ultimately die.
:help: :furious3: :shame: :sweatdrop: :wall: :balloon2: :dizzy2: :help: :embarassed: :juggle2: we need more smileys:laugh4:idea2: : :inquisitive: :no: :shame: :sweatdrop: :2thumbsup: :skull: :oops:
and a smiley of a terrorist running yelling alalalalalalala and blowing up :inquisitive: :laugh4:
I want organization. There are so many threads in here and people post so quickly that it's impossible for me to keep up with more than two or three at once. It would be nice if there were sub-forums to catagorize the topics so that I can find the debates I want to enter more easily.
For example, the sub-forums could be Politics/Diplomacy, Religion, Society/Culture, Misc News Discussion, etc. People would then post where their topic most aptly applies.
Automatic deletion of any post in which a patron uses Wiki to support their case.
Well, this is EXACTLY how nazi Germany got started!!! :furious3:Quote:
Originally Posted by TinCow
courtesy B. Fawlty
Well, they got far more leadership than organisation...
~:smoking:
The moderators should secretly edit in ad hominem insults into random members posts, just for fun.
The nazis were very well organised, that's what made them so bloody annoying.Quote:
Originally Posted by rory_20_uk