Can we have a politics section please?

[Québec]

Must admit I do glance at a few but soon lose interest. Everyone has a view on things and 99.9% of the time that view will never be changed and arguments just ends up going round in circles. All a bit pointless really so yes, put my vote in for a seperate section

 

Must be one of the .1% :-)

 

Despite my initial enthusiasm, I'm swayed by the fact that I, like most on here I suspect, simply go to 'View New Content' and see the topic subjects as they come in, or are answered. Whether they're in the Equipment section or the VP is irrelevant. The sections DO become relevant when searching for a particular topic, but even then something like 'blacking' will turn up in all sorts sections, and posts aren't always posted in the most appropriate sections anyway.

 

ETA re: RLWP's latest post....if you want to restrict the forum only to canal related issues then we need to demolish the VP methinks. Or is it just the overtly political threads you wish to ban from the bar?

Edited October 29, 2014 by Québec

[RLWP]

Or is it just the overtly political threads you wish to ban from the bar?

 

This one, and I want to discourage them not ban them. Why discuss politics here? There are many political forums to do that in which will produce a wide group with more diverse opinions and presumably better debate

 

Canal politics are different and belong here

 

Richard

[Higgs]

 

This one, and I want to discourage them not ban them. Why discuss politics here? There are many political forums to do that in which will produce a wide group with more diverse opinions and presumably better debate

 

Canal politics are different and belong here

 

Richard

 

 

When I first joined, I was a boat painter and made a fair amount of contribution to that topic. Fewer now, as I become more removed, by time, from the profession. This is the only forum that I belong to, and I live on the canal. I don't remember ever hijacking one of your threads, for whatever reason; or others, because I don't drink.

 

If you have nothing to offer a thread or interest, please don't feel any pressure to enter.

[Québec]

Why discuss politics here?

 

Richard

The trite answer would be 'Why not?', especially in the VP?

 

And as an infrequent contributor to some overtly political forums, I can tell you they frequently degenerate even quicker into abuse and counter-abuse.

 

A reasons for the 'mushrooming' of political posts might be:

 

a) there's a hell of a lot of 'big stuff' got on both in the UK and beyond.

b.). there's a limit to how many times one wishes to read yet another thread on 'how do I black my boat?'

 

I also think that many posters feel more comfortable posting here, on any topic, where there is certainly a sense of a virtual community, as well as an actual community with many people actually knowing each other.

 

If the rule or guidance is going to be 'only canal related stuff', even in the VP, I suspect there'll be a reduction in traffic...which may well be welcomed by some.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Québec

[YamYam]

Must be one of the .1% :-)

 

Despite my initial enthusiasm, I'm swayed by the fact that I, like most on here I suspect, simply go to 'View New Content' and see the topic subjects as they come in, or are answered. Whether they're in the Equipment section or the VP is irrelevant. The sections DO become relevant when searching for a particular topic, but even then something like 'blacking' will turn up in all sorts sections, and posts aren't always posted in the most appropriate sections anyway.

 

ETA re: RLWP's latest post....if you want to restrict the forum only to canal related issues then we need to demolish the VP methinks. Or is it just the overtly political threads you wish to ban from the bar?

 

Much like you I do the same but still haven't been persuaded to cassette yet :-). IMO I think a virtual pub is what it says on the tin. Lots of beer, banter and the odd ciggie outside. If I walked into a pub and everyone was sat at tables with lap tops asking for links, facts and figures to support their policital views I would be out of there like a shot. If I wanted that I would join a policital party and go to their shindigs. Not that there's the remotest chance of that you understand but hopefully you get my drift. Just as a slight aside I occasionally drink in the Crescent pub in Salford which is now where a bunch of students hang out having a good time which after all in my tiny world isn't that the point of a pub, real or virtual?

[madcat]

Politics is bad enough in real life without it intruding into our downtime leisure free time or whatever. I've taken to staying out of the political threads mostly.

[David Schweizer]

 

This one, and I want to discourage them not ban them. Why discuss politics here? There are many political forums to do that in which will produce a wide group with more diverse opinions and presumably better debate

 

Canal politics are different and belong here

 

Richard

 

The problem I have with your suggestion is differentiating between politics, and Politics, if you get my drift, As you suggest some canal related issues inevitably involve politics (with a small p), for example:- any Cart proposal to instuitute a new procedure or enforce existing regulations etc. (I believe that you have actually been involved in some of these meetings) I feel that It would be inapropriate to ban these subjects, or relegate them to a section where few people might read them.

 

The real problem is the apparent need for a (very) few prolific posters (we all know who they are) to routinely scour the Daily Mail for a contentious National Political (with a large P) issue, and start a provocotive thread on it without ever offering any view of their own (I call it Cukoo posting) If a way could be found to curtail that habit , which I am sure is driving some people away, I would support you. In the meantime I feel that ignoring those threads is the only proactive approach we can take.

Edited October 29, 2014 by David Schweizer

[Guest]

Would get too complicated for reasons already stated. I suspect the mods feel they have enough to do.

If we see things that don't interest us, we don't have to read them. I am told that many people find canal boating boring and assume they would avoid the CWDF altogether, same as fishing doesn't interest me so I stay away from fishing forums. Seems the logical thing to do in my world.

"Politics" are a fact of life that we have to face up to from time to time, regardless of the hobbies that we pursue.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Guest

[cotswoldsman]

I really do not understand why it can not stay in VP. In the real world I debate politics with my friends in the pub. We can be in the most heated debate and then it is my turn to buy a round. I enjoy discussing politics with my friends

[MtB]

Dammit I know I don't have to read threads that I have no interest in, but I had to read this thread to the end to find out I've lost interest.

 

 

MtB.

[RLWP]

The real problem is the apparent need for a (very) few prolific posters (we all know who they are) to routinely scour the Daily Mail for a contentious National Political (with a large P) issue, and start a provocotive thread on it without ever offering any view of their own (I call it Cuckoo posting) If a way could be found to curtail that habit , which I am sure is driving some people away, I would support you. In the meantime I feel that ignoring those threads is the only proactive approach we can take.

 

You have put your finger on it - thank you. It is, in particular, the Cuckoo posts I object to. In a way, it has some of the characteristics of trolling in that it is raising a contentious subject to get a reaction.

 

Richard

Edited October 29, 2014 by RLWP

[David Schweizer]

Would get too complicated for reasons already stated. I suspect the mods feel they have enough to do.

If we see things that don't interest us, we don't have to read them. I am told that many people find canal boating boring and assume they would avoid the CWDF altogether, same as fishing doesn't interest me so I stay away from fishing forums. Seems the logical thing to do in my world.

"Politics" are a fact of life that we have to face up to from time to time, regardless of the hobbies that we pursue.

 

And that is the problem, I find talking about dogs boring, and avoid any thread which has "dogs" in the title, Unfortunately quite a few thread routinely seem to drift onto the subject, so I stop reading the thread. One of my interests/hobbies is the collection and historical research of early woodworking planes, I rarely, if ever, talk about that, not even on subjects about boat carpentry, because it would bore 99.99999% of all readers.

Edited October 29, 2014 by David Schweizer

[Québec]

And that is the problem, I find talking about dogs boring, and avoid any thread which has "dogs" in the title, Unfortunately quite a few thread routinely seem to drift onto the subject, so I stop reading the thread. One of my interests/hobbies is the collection and historical research of early woodworking planes, I rarely, if ever, talk about that, not even on subjects about boat carpentry, because it would bore 99.99999% of all readers.

OFF TOPIC: David, do you mean tools like the ones I'm looking at right now?

 

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/q84/p960x960/10710471_10152857723467959_1407428859065817119_o.jpg

[RLWP]

OFF TOPIC: David, do you mean tools like the ones I'm looking at right now?

 

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/q84/p960x960/10710471_10152857723467959_1407428859065817119_o.jpg

 

That's just the start of it - the last thread we had was on stale planes

 

Richard

[David Schweizer]

OFF TOPIC: David, do you mean tools like the ones I'm looking at right now?

 

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/q84/p960x960/10710471_10152857723467959_1407428859065817119_o.jpg

 

Well a sort of qualified yes, mine are in much better condition than those two, and much older.

 

 

That's just the start of it - the last thread we had was on stale planes

 

Richard

 

Come on Richard get the teminology correct "Stail Engine" If you must call it a plane it is a "Rounding Plane"

[Québec]

Well a sort of qualified yes, mine are in much better condition than those two, and much older.

 

Come on Richard get the teminology correct "Stail Engine" If you must call it a plane it is a "Rounding Plane"

I'm sorry I started this. I'll stick to politics, it's on a different plane.

[Guest]

 

And that is the problem, I find talking about dogs boring, and avoid any thread which has "dogs" in the title, Unfortunately quite a few thread routinely seem to drift onto the subject, so I stop reading the thread. One of my interests/hobbies is the collection and historical research of early woodworking planes, I rarely, if ever, talk about that, not even on subjects about boat carpentry, because it would bore 99.99999% of all readers.

Damn I am one of the 0.00001%

I find old woodworking and other types of tools very interesting. It is my friends fault as he had all of his Grandfather's equipment, who was a wheelwright.

(I love dogs too, got three at the moment )

Edited October 29, 2014 by Guest

[Paul G2]

 

Well a sort of qualified yes, mine are in much better condition than those two, and much older.

 

 

Can you match 5,000 - 10,000 years old? I have a collection of stone woodworking tools that I dug up from an ancient boat works that was on a Puget Sound island between 5,000 - 10,000 years ago. Some of the butterfly drill bits are almost identical to the steel ones we use today. They are just a head though, apparently meant to fit into a wood shank. When you think about how much work it took to fashion tools from stone, these things are really quite remarkable.

[RLWP]

I didn't know Bosch had been trading that long

 

Richard

[boathunter]

I get sucked into political threads sometimes, but at the same time I'd rather they were not there.

 

There used to be a sying that there are two things you should never talk about in the pub - politics and religion. For good reason - a pub is supposed to be a happy relaxing place where you go to take a break from the real world for an hour or two.

 

Another forum I use has a no politics rule, though of course if something "big" happens it's quite natural that the rule is ignored and this happens without comment or moderation.

[system 4-50]

I don't mind the odd bit of politics, what I do mind is the aggressive stance of some contributors.

What I would like is not greenies which do very little but reddies. If any poster gets too many reddies then they can only post in the VP, for a period of time until their reddies count has been reduced by some process of diminution by time. This would be Moderation by the membership.

It would also be necessary to limit each user to one reddy per offending poster to prevent victimisation.

[cotswoldsman]

I don't mind the odd bit of politics, what I do mind is the aggressive stance of some contributors.

What I would like is not greenies which do very little but reddies. If any poster gets too many reddies then they can only post in the VP, for a period of time until their reddies count has been reduced by some process of diminution by time. This would be Moderation by the membership.

It would also be necessary to limit each user to one reddy per offending poster to prevent victimisation.

ever thought about a job with CRT on enforcement?

[Barry]

I don't mind the odd bit of politics, what I do mind is the aggressive stance of some contributors.

What I would like is not greenies which do very little but reddies. If any poster gets too many reddies then they can only post in the VP, for a period of time until their reddies count has been reduced by some process of diminution by time. This would be Moderation by the membership.

It would also be necessary to limit each user to one reddy per offending poster to prevent victimisation.

 

 

 

 

We had reddies when the greenies came in but they were taken away

 

I like your idea though....ish.... it has problems because they can still be used vindictively

 

Which is maybe why they were taken away in the first place

Edited October 29, 2014 by Bazza2

[jenlyn]

Politics, or RLWP humour things? Hmmm, politics please :-)

[Ray T]

There are still the odd redies about, or to give them their name "reputation points."

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showuser=12228

 

Any way back on topic. It is often said there is an equivalent of an off switch, i.e. don't open the thread. I find occasionally there is a need to know what is going on.

 

In some of these threads a poster may be being attacked unfairly and on the verge of leaving the forum when they have a lot to offer. I have PM'd folks who have been in this situation and persuaded them to stay. If you don't know you can't help. Not everybody is comfortable with "robust discussion" which can lead to mud slinging.

 

I tend to stay away from accusative threads "Political, Racist or righteous pseudo racism, Religious, Homophobic etc because a great deal of hurt can come out of them. One which sticks in my mind was one where a poster mentioned the "probable" race of some accused of "stealing" fish. The unnecessary flack he got was to me, unbelievable. That sort of flack is the content CWDF can well do without. That wasn't even in the VP. I did reply because I felt on that occasion the OP needed support.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Ray T