# Time to consider closing the politics subforum



## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

The election is over. 

Both sides are trending away from discussing the issues and are solidly in the flag-waving category, and some are skirting the personal jabs line.

--Carlos V.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I say leave it. If it isn't there, then the fighting will just come to Happy Hour. Even though it isn't supposed to, it will. That's how it always was before that forum was created.

I haven't been to the political forum since 2-3 days after the election. TCF has been just fine since in my opinion. I don't see any of the political non-sense spilling into HH. If you don't like seeing fighting over politics, stay out of the political forum.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

I'm in the vote for close it, the users and attitudes have spilled over into other threads even though supposedly it shouldn't.


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## keirgrey (Nov 20, 2001)

I agree with dianebrat.


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## BrettStah (Nov 12, 2000)

The cool thing is that the new forum software allows for entire sub-forums to be ignored/hidden. So if you hide/ignore the Political Forum (and choose the correct options when doing so) you should not see it or any new posts from it anywhere. 

You will need to stop watching any threads that you're already watching. You could hide/ignore them but since you would have already done so for the entire sub-forums, there's no need to do so.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

BrettStah said:


> The cool thing is that the new forum software allows for entire sub-forums to be ignored/hidden. So if you hide/ignore the Political Forum (and choose the correct options when doing so) you should not see it or any new posts from it anywhere.
> 
> You will need to stop watching any threads that you're already watching. You could hide/ignore them but since you would have already done so for the entire sub-forums, there's no need to do so.


This is what I do. I see nothing about the political forum. If you don't like what's going on in there, then ignore it. I honestly don't see it spilling into HH either. HH is much better with the political forum around.

If the political forum is closed, then we'll start seeing all kinds of political threads and comments in HH. Sure, the threads might get moved to the TC Club forum, but that never happens quickly.


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

How about defaulting everybody to ignore/hide the forum, and then require people opt-in to it with suitable disclaimers against being whiny annoying forum visitors if they do. And if someone who opted in complains, the response should be to opt them out and be done with it.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Having been involved in many forums that attempted to firewall partisan political discussions, I would say to those who say "it won't spill" are overestimating the general populous' ability to compartmentalize. It will spill.

--Carlos V.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

I've been cruising the tech. subforums the past weeks and haven't seen _anything_ political in them.


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## BRiT wtfdotcom (Dec 17, 2015)

I doubt it will spill over because ignore lists are site wide.


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

If I were running things, I'd close it. But it's not up to me.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

Unbeliever said:


> Having been involved in many forums that attempted to firewall partisan political discussions, I would say to those who say "it won't spill" are overestimating the general populous' ability to compartmentalize. It will spill.
> 
> --Carlos V.


If it spills now, things are still better than they were when there was no political forum. People were constantly starting threads that turned political. Political comments were constantly being made. I knew very well what a lot of people's political views were. I feel like I rarely see that kind of thing in Happy Hour these days. Maybe I'm just avoiding the threads it happens in.


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## Markman07 (Jul 18, 2001)

Why? If you don't like it stay out of it. Why close it down for everyone else just because you aren't a fan of it? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

It's how I get all of my political information/news


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Markman07 said:


> Why? If you don't like it stay out of it. Why close it down for everyone else just because you aren't a fan of it?


Personal experience on member harmony. Having been staff on several forums (and owning one, too), that tried to firewall political discussions, after a while, the personal grudges that build up and spill to the other forums. The longer it's open, the more likely it is to happen.

Then there are folks that specifically join and ONLY participate in the political subforum, as they see it as another place to wave their flag.

Over time, the politics subforum grows, and the rest of the site withers. We see a minor example here where there are whole subsets that only participate in Happy Hour, and not the other subforums.

The only forums that have recovered are the ones where the politics subforum was closed, and staff was draconian about killing political comments in the general forums.



Markman07 said:


> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Your fly is open.

--Carlos V.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Unbeliever said:


> Then there are folks that specifically join and ONLY participate in the political subforum, as they see it as another place to wave their flag.
> 
> Over time, the politics subforum grows, and the rest of the site withers. We see a minor example here where there are whole subsets that only participate in Happy Hour, and not the other subforums.


And so people who came here only to participate in the political subforum (who somehow found it to begin with, it being the major Internet call that it is, at a tech. site) suddenly will be posting about replacement TiVo set Western Digital red drives and pyTiVo install issues? And likewise, should Happy Hour be closed, soccer moms and dads posting about the best high-energy fruits to serve their teams are going to turn to alternate TiVo box power supply threads?

I would think that providing these groups a sandboxed place in which to play would provide nondestructive eyeballs and welcome revenue to TCF, including for the benefit of those inquiring and posting about red drives, pyTiVo, and Roamio OTA alternate power supply sources.


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## David Bott (Jan 1, 1999)

Hi...

As was mentioned when the section opened, it was not going to stay public after the election. As such, the political forum will be moved into the club member forum on January 1st which is where we have a political area already. We left it open after the election based on the political impact the entire year was having and did not think we should close it right after the election.

Thanks all.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

David Bott said:


> Hi...
> 
> As was mentioned when the section opened, it was not going to stay public after the election. As such, the political forum will be moved into the club member forum on January 1st which is where we have a political area already. We left it open after the election based on the political impact the entire year was having and did not think we should close it right after the election.
> 
> Thanks all.


With the greatest of respect, I never understand this moving of threads to the club member forum jazz. From my limited perspective, all it seems to do is deny access to contributors, tick them off, and get them to leave, leading to fewer eyes and ad revenue. Simply a thought, having gone through this previously.


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## Mike Lang (Nov 17, 1999)

I told everyone this would be happening from the start. See my thread stuck to to the top of that section that everyone was to read prior to participating.



Mike Lang said:


> This *temporary *political sub-forum will be open to all users who use it respectfully and responsibly. The goal is to allow it to remain open until after the presidential election at which time the contents will be rolled into the existing TCF Club political forum. All other aspects of the Forum Rules remain in place. Problematic posts are to be reported to staff and never to be replied to in kind. This is not the area for you if you're easily angered by these topics, unwilling to report violations, or unable to refrain from replying to problematic posts. Users who become an issue here will be suspended site-wide, not just from this forum.


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## David Bott (Jan 1, 1999)

It is either that or remove it all together. So we choose to keep the content as a lot of club members also posted in that temporary section. We do not allow for political chat in general but open such sections as things happen that are important. So we open sections and remove them later or put them somewhere else. We have always done this.


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