Politics threads

EDIT: I moved a bunch of posts asking about politics threads here, as they were derailing other threads. - Jeff, Site Admin

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I ask this in humility.
Welcome.

I will be direct: Can the Politics Thread, often filled with great wit and fun stuff harmful to NOBODY, along with its weird/fascinating sociology, be reinstated?

One guy poisoned that thread. One guy took it to Creepytown.

Please give us a fresh chance. Please let working professionals discuss the current events that affect our lives and times. Please treat us as professionals, scant though we may appear, and allow us to interact.

Respect,
Fart

 

Jeff, it's a better and more courteous answer than any we've gotten. Thanks and take it easy.

 

Congratulations, Jeff. In just one day, you've managed to do the impossible.

No one else has ever been able to get 3OF to do anything with humility.

Also, does it make anyone else chuckle that such an impassioned plea to be treated as professionals is signed "Fart"?

 

Hi, Jeff. Consider the thread in your decision on politics discourse: http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/92290/

Rampant and accepted sexism and (less obviously) racism has been a much bigger issue than political difference.

 

This board polices itself pretty well, with or without the mods. The Politics thread is not for everyone, but anyone who goes there knows what to expect. It's wide-open debate, arguments and -- yes -- inflammatory situations at times, but Welcome to America, eh?

It's also brilliant, fast-paced discussion every day, at a much higher level than you'll find most anywhere else, and there's a huge void left when we can't engage this topic every day, and week to week. Suspend those who go too far -- for a week or a month, whatever -- but don't deny us the Politics thread in an open forum as good as this board is.

 

My mother raised me to return respect that is shown to me.
And yes, I am a professional. This board is not real life. You do know that, I hope.

 

Politics is the adult professional's sport like college football is the blue collar fanboy's sport.

I excused myself from being emotionally invested in either of them many years ago. No point in wasting my time getting upset, excited, angry, happy, etc. over a bunch of bullshit.

I could care less if politics is ever discussed here or anywhere. You won't see me involved in it.

 

Jeff - a serious question / observation: If the idea is to create more page views in hope of generating
more revenue then why ban political threads? It seems counter productive to your goal.

If you look at past history political threads typically had more page views than most threads.

If increased revenue is your goal then removing the politics ban is going to get you there a lot quicker.

As a quick study just go look at some of the "quasi" political threads that have been allowed like Ferguson
discussion.

 

This is a really disappointing answer. It negates any other improvements you may make to the site.

On a popular, fast moving thread, it's just a major pain in the ass. I end up spending half of my time loading new pages. And, if I'm looking for a post I saw earlier that I'd like to respond to or quote, it will now take me four times as long to find it.

Most disappointing is that you could make the change, but just don't want to.

Good content is what will drive page views. This is like doing a reverse stock split, and proclaiming you've gotten share prices up.

The board's been dead the last several days. Making it less user friendly will not drive page views.

It's about "stickiness". You need people to stay on the site longer. Giving me a frustrating user experience drives me away from the site, and will lead to fewer page views.

 

I come for YF (and Boom) (and because my goal is to see if oop laughs just once in his lifetime while posting) (and for reasons that I'm not at liberty to divulge) so perhaps you can indulge YF his one wish here. Afterward you'll say to yourself, you'll say, Jeff, that felt right.

Plus, he'll give you a fat discount next time you need to repair the espresso machine. Get it? Because he's just a coffee repairman!!! 11!11!!