Why dont we have a place on this forum where we can debate? Political, social, world view(so on) issues. Its done alot on other forums, and when moderated well, with rules set down, it can be friendly. I know many people who enjoy debating issues (I am one of them) and I think it helps us get to know one another better.

The political debating ban wouldnt have to be lifted from the whole forum, we could just have one forum where we can discuss issues and stuff.

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Missing Charlie already!

I would absolutely love to be able to have those...well I think we should call them "discussions" rather than debates (so it's not necessarily debating but sharing ideas) but I don't think it will sit well with the mods. I wish, but there would need to be mods constantly making sure things don't get ugly. My assumption is that there have been bad experiences in the past with politics and such, and that's why they want to keep if off limits.

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}

I would also love to share my opinions on world views, but would be surprised if the mods gave it the ok.

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^Thanks Gily!
<By Bubble Black

Well, to be fair, some of the mods have wanted a debate section. The others, I don't know about.

However, I feel that a debate section would be highly divisive and hard to keep friendly. Come on, on the old forum the biggest split/falling out was caused by a stupid debate about what truly qualified as punk music. Yes, I know that most of you are good debaters and respectful of others' opinions, but even if you make up 95% of debaters, that other 5% can make things miserable and hard to moderate. There have been threads that aren't explicitly about politics or religion, but even so, when they've veered off in that direction, things have gotten a little tense.

I also think that taking on controversial issues has the potential to unconsciously make us label each other. If you get into a heated disagreement about some issue, it's going to carry over into our more innocent threads and things might not be so friendly as they are right now.

I don't know how many of you frequent Council of Elrond, but if you do, do you remember back in the presidential election of 2004 when CoE posted two successive articles concerning politics and LotR, one from a liberal viewpoint and one from a conservative one? They must have gotten about 200 comments on each article, with people who had been friends before literally at each others' throats over these issues.

So, in a nutshell, I don't think it would work well having a debate forum.

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I do agree, Arwen. My friend has a forum, and there was a thread that she put up around the time of the president's election over here in the USA, and she later told me that she almost closed the forum with how awful things turned out between people. The same thing happened when she tried to put up a religion thread, a civics thread, and the like. Eventually, she stopped putting up "debate" threads as well. And I must say I think it was for the better.

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^ Made by Orry! Be jealous, be very jealous...

^ *sniffles* Thank you all so much! I'm so...so honored...*dabs at eyes*

Like the Meaning of Life thread? I didn't find it tense at all, but maybe that's just me.

I understand your concerns, but for me talking with the people on this forum, the majority with very different views than me, helps me have less prejudice against them. I want to discuss these things with people that have a different opinion. In real life I honestly don't have anyone right-wing, religious to debate with. So I end up with a one-sided view. I think it would also be beneficial for them to hear the opinions of someone like myself or Erulisse.

Now, this is if the meaning of life thread is any indication of how these discussions would go. Of course, someone will come and be less respectful in the debate but it's unfair to remove it because of a couple of people.

Still, religion and politics should be off limits everywhere else on the forum, and have very clear rules, to be respectful and such in that section.

Ooo, you could make it that in the guidelines post it says write "pickle" before all your posts to show that you have read the rules and you are keeping them in mind when posting. That would keep it light...lol I dunno just a thought.

*waddles off*

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}

Also it helps when the dabating issues and such are kept to one part of the forum. If a forum is watched closely by mods. Of course rules need to be set down.

I thik that if we have an out line for them, such as bounderies, and limits, and such, I have seen that it can bring people on the forum closer together.


And of course Arwen, How will we know if we dnt try? I mean, if it doesnt work out, then we can always delete it right?

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Missing Charlie already!

Well...I don't want to disappoint a bunch of people, but I'm just not comfortable with the idea. I've seen too many non-political/religious debates around here and other forums get ugly It makes sense theoretically that if we set down rules to keep it lighthearted, we wouldn't have any problems, but I've found that the A-U rules that are already down get broken all the time (sig rules, double-posting, warnings about getting into religion too much, banners involving politics, clubs getting started without approval, etc.).

Sorry!

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If you're not comfortable with it then alright, Arwen. It is your forum, it's just too bad for those of us that aren't breaking the rules. (okay, I'm guilty of getting into religion too much )

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}

Yeah I understand.

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Missing Charlie already!

hello, um what are we debating?

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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/galadhrim378/princeofmirkwood8pu.jpg" alt="">

Whether or not we should be allowed to debate

But I think Arwen's decided, so this thread can now die.

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}

Its a pity things have gotten so ugly in the past. I like debating.

Arwen, if there ever is a day where you change the rules, I will be glad to moderate it.....and for those that debate on that forum, beware of Jo, she has magical acorns to throw at you.

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We're one world, one people weather we like it or not.. we can pretend we're divided into races and countries.. But the reality is that it is one world and it is one people.

I think a lot of us are...

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^Thanks Gily!
<By Bubble Black

o okay os its dying? Okay.

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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/galadhrim378/princeofmirkwood8pu.jpg" alt="">

We just love to discuss it...it's hard not too.



*whimpers away from the acorns*

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}