Should we continue to allow political discussion?
 

NeuroTalk is first and primarily a neurological and related conditions support and information-sharing community. Having said that, I'd appreciate your input as to whether during the Presidential election season here in the U.S., you believe we should continue to allow the kind of extended political discussions we've been allowing in the Social Forum. This is an exception to the Community Guideline which suggests members in general should limit such political discussion.

Your community, your vote. Thank you!

DocJohn

Since there are so many hundreds of other places and ways to hold these heated discussions, it feels wrong to me here. It's hard to watch those I usually respect, and even admire, reduced to pointless bickering at one another. It would be nice if it didn't happen here, I'm not comfortable with how it might look to someone considering membership for support and friends.

When it's finished, the next round will be how unjust the election system is and about how it's a crime that candidate X was elected.

Thanks for addressing this, Doc, and for allowing us this opportunity to weigh in on the decision.

Gee, this is so tough...
 

I myself am not much of a political person, and even I feel the
pull during this election, to vent some.

I can only imagine how others feel.

But then, politics is a very volatile subject. I visit another forum, which is non medical, but has an Election 2008 forum. It started out this year during the primaries, and the moderator there put in the stickies, that she was FED UP with moderating it, and would only intervene when something really awful appeared.
But you know, in the last two weeks she is back moderating like mad! Things get really tense there, judgemental and sometimes insulting. I rarely post there, but I have used the links shared by others, most of which are very good on both sides.

I think you should listen first and foremost to your moderation staff. If they feel this subject takes up too much time, and is destructive and it is their time and effort spent there to the detriment of other tasks, then I'd not allow it.

It is very generous to get all the posters opinions here, tho.
I think most people TRY to stay within guidelines, but sometimes the subject just gets away from us. I don't think posters here mean to get carried away, but this election is really over the top IMO and hard to be reasonable about.

So I would vote for limited political type posts, but not long discussions. For example sharing a good link, like the 60 Minutes link for people who missed the show, that type of thing, could be helpful.

The many other forum places on the net are very highly
charged and becoming rather obnoxious IMO. It can be hard to visit those places and stay sane! :rolleyes:

Thanks for asking us. That is really considerate and generous!

You are very generous even to offer us the opportunity to have a say-so in this! Thank you!

I hate political discussions, which almost always deteriorate into arguing and mean-spiritedness, and tend to avoid them at almost any cost, whether online or in "real life".

That said, I wonder if it might be difficult to determine what constitutes a political discussion, as opposed to a "political comment" or a comment that's simply CONSTRUED as being political? As much as they tend to upset me personally, I vote to keep the political discussions (properly labeled) and continue to trust the wisdom of our moderators to keep things from going over the edge. Thank God for our moderators!!

One of the nice things about this community is that we CAN talk about what's on our minds and hearts, whether it be politics during this election year, or something as personal as our relationships, our fears, our faith.

the last thing I want to do is censor open and civil discussion and debate here.

and I commend the vast majority of members for maintaining that civility, even when in disagreement.


I would like to just also present something from the mod side....

we try to be fair, neutral and unbiased when it comes to modding political threads (all threads for that matter), and to only intervene when things move into the realm of violating NTs guidelines on member to member interaction

but

it does seem that we inevitably have members from both "sides" getting upset and accusing us of being biased toward the other when we intervene in any way:(

for that reason I my vote is to return to only having very limited political discussion.

I realize it will still be hard to determine where the "limit" is.....but I care deeply about the members who are getting upset by the many political topics on the social forum, and felt things were beginning to focus too much on the negatives and personalities, and not enough on the issues and facts.

I will without question abide by whatever the majority decision is from the membership on this, and continue to apply the guidelines fairly and without partiality

:grouphug:

Thanks, Doc John, for giving us a say in the decision. That's very generous and considerate of you. That's what separates this board from all the others....there's really no comparison! :hug:

Oh, my knee jerk reaction was let us continue to talk about it....it's almost over...but then I read AMN's post and she's right...we'll all have to rehash who shoulda, coulda...blah blah blah.

And Chemar...well we all know that she's just a saint who's middle name is fair.

Getting to vote on the decision is such a wonderful reminder that this is a "home" we should all be proud to be a part of.

And Mrs.D..I had missed 60 min show so because of you...I got to see it. *grin

Thanks Doc John. I guess I'll vote...

I some times read the political views, but rarely, actually never post. I've seen many members get upset, feelings hurt and then there is the rehashing after the election as AMN stated.

I also feel the community team has plenty to read without having to worry about being a referee on political issues. Then again, like I stated I don't post on certain subjects simple reason being...

My parents taught me never to discuss, politics, religion and the right and wrongs of the world. lol

I'm confused. Are we talking about threads on politics or the election 2008 subgroup? If it is a subgroup, can it be limited to just those who want to be involved in the discussion?

first and foremost ... my hat is off to all moderators .. i believe they are doing a wonderful job ...

i have placed my vote ... i just have one small comment to make ... i am wondering just how the bickering looks to the newbies who are viewing our site for the first time ... just because we dont see their post doesn't mean they dont see ours ... is bickering how we want to portray our community??? i thought the whole idea behind our community here was to be open-minded ... informative ... helpful ... supportive ... im sorry but how can we be these things if we are bickering amongst ourselves ???

thanks for allowing us to vote doc ...

Doc hats off to you for at least allowing it so far, but what are you going to do when prime ministers are being elected in Canada France England and Downunder?

Like Cindy mentioned there are a number of places to go and debate for who you feel is the right choice, I have barely ventured into any of these sites, I normally don't because people i like sometimes get a bit tiffed and say things that aren't nice.

you have been kind enough not to boot some of us for killing the data feed last month, lol. and you have given us a place to have a nice time get to meet people and even casual chats about light bulbs, great ideas:) ect.......

My wife Deb was talking to me here, what about newbies coming and reading some of those heated arguments, they need us, and thats what we all are here for not to just be helped but to in turn turn around and reach out and lift someone else up that is down.

by allowing it to continue are we scaring some of them away, if you notice when most join its late at night, wouldn't doubt if apprehension plays a part in that, and or they have a night like a lot of us no answers no clue and no one to reach out to. I feel this place is a godsend to all of us and should be respected as thus


My dad rest his soul, told me a long time ago, if you want to keep certain friends your fiends, don't discuss politics or religions, i have follow his advice whole heartedly

Hi
and thanks for asking that important question

we are voting here *only* about the political threads posted on the forums NOT the political subgroups

the election 2008 subgroup would be welcome to continue just as it is, nomatter the outcome of this poll

Thanks DocJohn,

I voted yes. I know there are other forums, but the people I care about are not at those forums. I like to discuss these things with the people who matter the most to me. I hope I haven't hurt anybody's feelings with my posts. I'm not normally so politically involved. This particular election is so especially important given the state of our nation.

I voted no.

I personally believe that this is not the forum for political discussions. There are certain things that bring out the worst in people and politics and religion are two of them.

We do not benefit from attacks on the nominees or NT members who post their opinions. We are not going to change each others minds. We are all old enough to make our own decisions on who we will vote for President.

I have seen more snide remarks and bickering in the last few days than I have seen since I joined NT in January.

Thank you Doc John for starting this thread so we can have our say about the political thread.

DocJohn,

I tip my hat to you for allowing us members to have a say in this. It show's how much us members at NT mean to you and the hard-working, diligent moderators.

I voted for limited political discussion. I understand that politics are a topic that can get very heated and very personal, very quickly. Though I personally enjoy good heated debates and discussions, I know that a place like this, NeuroTalk-- where many of us have some serious things going on with our health-- the added stress of political discussions is probably not in the best interest of this board.

Though, maybe it's not so much those who are participating as it is those who are just lurking and reading. Those trying to mentally 'escape' for a few moments at a time, getting really upset by the words sitting in front of them?

I know that with my illness, trying to reduce stress is the #1 rule of thumb.

Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion on the matter. I really enjoy your board, either decision. :)

Thank you Doc John for looking out for your members. And, thank you Mods for doing the same. I agree w/AMN whole heartedly. *if you tell her, I'll deny it*

(grin)

I have tried to shy away from posting on political threads, as ~~ well, people who are otherwise friendly online, tend to get upset w/each other's comments and/or candidates. Is there a right or wrong answer??? I dunno!

I vote NO. Let's just vote to get along and respect each other!

whoever wins we have live with that choice and who we vote for

whats so great about being an ostrich and denying what these candidates have said and what they stand for ?then let the chips fall where they will

i think we are adults to figure this all out , so whats the problem?

if you dont like politics then go read something else get used to the fact there are other opinions than your own

i have family members for obama and i dont hate them,but some of my" friends" seem to ignore me i think

Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in on this.
 

While I understand how many people like to shy away from discussions about politics and religion, one certainly can't deny they are among the most important, and far-reaching, aspects of our lives, and certainly worthy of discussion.

I think, as long as the section in which most of this discussion goes on is seperate, available to those who want to go there, but arranged so that those who want to avoid it can, such discussion is fine, even if high-spirited. I would extend the same line of reasoning to other hot button issues, such as the economic situation.

After all, the whole idea of our country is that there shall be no "official" censorship, either from without or within. That hasn't always been the way things have worked at times, but that's supposed to be the ideal. As long as the communication is not slanderous or libelous, it's supposed to be free to take flight.

(My opinions on this are well--sweeping things under the rug only lumps up the rug, and people trip over lumps, sunlight is the best disenfectant, etc. But I have no objection to their being a certain specific place for these discussions to occur, so those who wish to avoid them can.)

Hi Glen
yes politics is an important aspect of our lives, and especially so this year. That is why Doc eased the normal restriction calling for only "limited" political discussion here and allowed more extensive ones

Not sure if you have been following the political threadshttp://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/im...b/politics.gif on social forum over the last few months, but some have been getting very heated. And not just those posting have been getting upset by it....many who just read them have too, as they saw their board buddies argue etc. Many confess that it is hard not to retort when someone posts something that denigrates their party or candidate. Something about political discussion seems to turn even cool heads into hot heads sometimes:winky:

That was why some members have formed the Election 2008 subgroup to discuss politics. Only those who choose to go there can and the discussion is open and forthright.
Here is a link to that group
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/group.php?groupid=10

By voting "NO" in this poll one is *not* voting to close that group! Only to limit politics on the *other* community boards, especially social forum.

So, by possibly keeping the in depth political discussion in the social group settings here at NT, maybe the social forum can return to just be a place for chit chat and other non medical discussion, where members can relax more. Currently many are avoiding it because of the P icon threads. We wouldnt be prohibiting all political mention there if this poll goes in favor of option 1.....only returning to limiting it there, while the in depth debating takes place in the political subforum.



so this poll is NOT about censoring political discussion here but rather is about voting to keep it limited on the main forums and focused more in the groups

Thanks, Chemar. :hug:

I've been torn on how to vote. Your post helped me to decide.

Wiz echoes my thoughts exactly. There really is no way to keep 'political stress' out of our lives right now. I also want to thank Doc John and the mods for giving us this opportunity :). I feel that we are all adults here and this is such an important issue right now. We need somewhere safe to discuss our thoughts and feelings to relieve some of our stress over this election. I know that it helps me a great deal :). Couldn't we have a political sticky to keep things in one place? If you don't want to be involved it's pretty easy not to, IMHO.

Hi Joellelee:)

not sure if you saw my post above but there is already that one place for politics.....it is a Political social group here at neuroTalk that would not be restricted even if the vote goes to limit politics on the main social forum

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/group.php?groupid=10

DocJohn,
Thank you for this site and all you do to keep it running.

I rarely post due to my "fogbrain". I do read a lot, however, and in my time reading others experiences and opinions, I have never seen the need for a moderator to remind folks how to behave...until now. I am terribly upset that a sweet, hardworking soul that is Chemar should have to reprimand people repeatedly over this topic. My internal unease extends to the fact that you have to be troubled to deal with this nonsense.

A lot of posters I regarded as Ladies and Gentlemen have led me to believe otherwise. To be fair, a lot of Ladies and Gentlemen have remained the same, bolstering my spirits with their calm, mature responses to posts I couldn't believe I was reading.

Special shout-out to Chemar and Cindy on all this.

My vote is "no".

And bless you and the mods and all the other voices of reason.

Kind Regards,
Jeff

Jeff for someone who doesnt post much, Well said sir,

I just don't think this is the right venue to have such heated discussions.

I personally stay away from any kind of political forums and I know everyone has the right to their own opinion. I just don't think this is the proper place for it:)

More on the Social Groups -

There is also a "Current Events 08" Social Group, and here is the link to all Social Groups -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/group.php

You can also find them on your UserCP left side list.
or on your profile page on the left side.

they are very easy to set up, if you'd like to make one of your own.
they can be set for public, moderated & invite only.

:bump:

just keeping this bumped up so all get opportunity to vote

:rolleyes:this was an easy one for me.. Thanks for giving me the chance to vote!

What a gracious offering! I like political discussion - it's part of my life. I'd welcome it on the board, so long as it doesn't become a drag for moderators ...and board members feeling sensitive remember to stay away if they need to (as opposed to pleading for everyone 'get along'). LOL

:)

I voted and I am keeping my vote secret. lol

Thanks Doc John for asking our opinion and to the mods for doing a great job!

i wasn't planning on posting on this thread, but just thank everyone for expessing their views.

but i'm yappy and couldn't help myself. :p

you hit it right on the nose becca. it can be a drag. it's hard. it's not fun. we care about ALL of you.

when we have to step in because of the name calling or the bickering and hurt feelings, it hurts us too. deeply. :(

we have worked so hard to make this a caring, informative support site. for even one person to be hurt over political posts...it's just not worth it imo.

i stayed away from nt after being sick for this very reason. people i have come to know and love have been hurt. i don't feel good about that. :(

i think there are solutions. the social groups being an excellent one.

no matter how the vote turns out, just know that i care about each and everyone of you. :grouphug:

perhaps...
 

we could suggest our thoughts about US health care,
example:

if you are a medicaid
patient in my state - they have zero medicaid insurance coverage for dental?
and if you are on state aid, you have nothing extra for toiletries - clothing or food, let alone dental care?
we may wish to compromise abit...
put our ideas in one big post, and send them to the ADA in DC?
just a thought?

All things considered, this type of discussion wouldn't be such a bad idea :cool:

Hiya Tena

yes, what you are suggesting is what we call "limited political discussion" and that would be fine. The NO vote here would *not* stop such discussions from occurring

as example there is an acceptable thread on social re the bailout at present and there the discussion has remained on topic and without bickering or political back and forth or upset. Just relevant input from members on the mortgage crisis and bank bailout

thankyou!
 

dear chemar,
and all you lovely people...
thank yooouuu!
http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...grli2vrnuh.gif

Ok, I'm sticking to the social group for Election 2008. I'll stay out of the political discussions to try and cut down on the mod's work and keep my own blood pressure in check. :thud:

:hug: (((((((( wiz))))))))))

Just a reminder, the poll will close on 9/29/08

I'm still in awe that we were even considered in this decision! What a wonderful group of moderators and admin there are at Neurotalk.....I've belonged to other boards in the past and a discussion of this nature would have been unheard of.

I'm just thrilled and so appreciative to be able to be a part of this group. :You-Rock:

pretty cool huh. did you know we even had a poll to name the forum? :D