Have we proven yet (in General)

that we are not grown up enough for political discussion of any sort?

Really?

How loosely are you applying "we"?

.... or 'any sort' for that matter.

if one can discuss, then all can. So "we" is pretty loose here.

Then "Yes."

indubitably

There is the capacity to discuss the problem is the fortitude to continue discussing. More often than not it degenerates from the involved parties actual intelligence to their shoe size in commentary. If we can find a way around this then yes it should be done but if only one ot two people out of one hundred can have a read debate then it is not worth it. Let those few take it to a private room or CMs.

a question i posed in another thread that no one has bothered to answer yet.

It's not driving away new players, it might drive away old players, but even before the debate/discussions thread we had those debates, they were just in Off Topic, at least now people can turn it off.

actually, political and religious discussions were frowned upon in cb1 and in the early days of cb2. they were tolerated, but only until they became unproductive at which point they were closed. this usually took less than a dozen posts.

Does debating about us being grown up enough for political discussion count?

If it does count then I can almost guarantee the affirmative case will lose this debate.

Okay, sorry dude, for the last 3-4 years they have been happening anyway :). As for losing new players, most new players leave within 24 hours. I'm sure they've had very any time to check out debate threads before even making their NP post.

Titan

* Supporter

Member since June 5, 2008

3 or 4 years? ; )

Ranger and LB have both been here since 2005, so I just assumed that 3-4 years was a conservative estimate ;).

Did Titan just admit to being a multi? O.o? =)

If you browse back through the old off-topic threads in the archive (say around 2006) the presence of political debates in CB is almost non-existent... not sure when this started to change, but it seems to have crept in.

Considering the question of whether or not these 'debates' cause people to leave I think it is unwise to focus only on vets or newbies.
Here's my take, if these debates have forced even just 5 people to leave then there is a problem, because I'm pretty sure they haven't brought anyone in.

And no, Titan did not just to being a multi...

.. at least, since he is my multi he better not have blabbed. :-0

And loch did an awful job, he didn't even get top 10 with his multi XD. As for the debates, I think would should ask old timers if they left b/c of the debates, those would be the people it affects.

The political 'debates' crept in around the time we stopped talking strategy and started concentrating on overpowered items. Funnily enough the sides you quite often see in those are the sides you see in the political debates.

There's usually similar moments in both when they switch from being debate to argument to mudslinging. Funny that.

"I think would should ask old timers if they left b/c of the debates, those would be the people it affects."

which is why i have stated what i have in this thread! i have been playing since march of '03 and i am stating that the community was much more cohesive and less polar when these type of threads were not allowed.

while i haven't left, i am still concerned about this. once again though i ask someone to tell me what allowing these discussions brings to the game or the community that makes them worth the risk?

I'm sorry, I really like the political and sometimes the religious debates, but I forget that some people take things personally when they debate. I know it can be incredibly hard to have a logical debate when someone has invested their emotions into it at some level or another.

I don't like to put the hammer down on people, because then they tend to whine and complain that they are being unfairly singled out. I guess the easiest way to solve this issue is to close threads that have devolved into little more then street-brawls.

i am not on a campaign to remove the debates (though i wouldn't mind at all going back to the days of yore on that count) but i would like one of two things to happen.

if it isn't already, make debates off by default or post a disclaimer at the top of debates threads telling users how to turn it off.

i do think they need to be moderated more and have more of a zero tolerance policy in that forum.

I think debates and links might be off by default. I believe this was how it was at least when I helped a couple people get started.