Any leftover from monroe-unfiltered?
I agree that a more effective moderation would be a welcome thing. It is comments like that that I am growing very tired of. One doesn’t need to read more than a couple of posts to see a post intending to inflame or be a personal attack rather than a debate about the topic. Debates get heated, and that is fine, but why do so many feel that insulting people personally is in any way constructive or continues the topic debate. I am not meaning to pick on Flanders alone, there are very many that do it, and some that seem to make it primary.
The ones I think are offensive and should be reduced is the “why should I bother to read your crap, you are a moron,” or “Why listen to you, your family is all felons,” and “You (or you people) are just ____________.”
Those do nothing to spur debate, and usually are intended to be a personal insult to distract and take the topic off course, or shut down debate with wild accusations that are not answerable. When FF says things like “Republitards are too stupid to see truth,” or whatever similar it is, he shuts off the debate and usually a few pages of mutual piss off the other pages follow. I don’t like his comments and understand how people are offended, yet the same exact people have no problems dishing out the same exact crap from the right and make out like they are nowhere the same, when they are EXACTLY the same. To make it worse there is one FF to numerous opposites.
Some are on and off offensive, usually toward one other poster. That I can understand better than those that use MT as an insult factory. However, I can think of 3 right off that never contribute anything other than insults or flames.
So, I think allowing lively debate, even if it becomes a bit wild, but on topic is acceptable. Insulting or flaming just to do that is something I wish was dealt with. I don’t mean the gray area stuff, but the ones that are easy for anyone to pick, like the one sited above. The comment was not on topic and had the clear intent to be a personal insult.
I am not in favor of a shout box. I liked it, it was fun, but it was used instead of forum posts and ultimately became a bad thing.
I like the idea of a time out separate area, and don’t. It would be good to let BOTH of the offenders bicker it out and get it over without burdening the rest. Sadly, I see too much of “This is what you said in a personal message” that is horrendous. If people wanted to have it said on MT they could. They chose a private message to keep it private. I see that happening from a separate area, just unloaded on the forum after they get unbanned.
I think the other part of banning is that too often only one suffers, when it is not just the one at fault. I notice FF gets temp bans a lot anymore, yet the same repeat offenders that jump in and go after him - usually as a gang - don’t get the same punishment. Frankly, I don’t give a crap who starts it. With FF it is probably 50/50, yet still he gets the sole time off. With him, I think that is the game. Several or more gang up and dish it out then report him and they get their jollies to have silenced their supposed enemy.
But many are one on one and still only one gets banned. I am thinking of a recent one where a Fluffy made a rather innocuous comment that seemed harmless to me, yet one LGW took it personal. Looking, it very well could have been meant to be flaming, but it was mild enough it could have passed as nothing. What followed was a mess. LGW posting personal messages of other posters and admin was very wrong and deserved an instant ban just for that, but both should have gotten a temp ban for back and forth insults off topic.
But, to make it clear, if people are on topic and it is heated, then a different measure should apply. One that comes to mind is the suicide topic. BM has repeatedly stated that “suicide is cowardly”. It is a valid personal opinion, yet he is repeating it because he sees it is garnering a negative response and clearly upsetting to some. Where does that then go?
Unfortunately, all of that means someone doing it, and I don’t think Monroe Publishing wants to pay for that.
Some things that that I would like to see: One at the top is BRD’s idea of a history category. That is a winner and easy for MT to do.
Sometimes a discussion revolves around an article on the website that is a paragraph with a follow to the pay section for the rest. When it is being debated it would be good if Admin posted the full article in the topic so everyone gets it. It would probably be few and would not interfere with encouraging subscribers.
It would be great to have a guest for questions and answers. A topic opened in the regular forum and ask the Mayor, or Sherriff, or a lawyer, or Dr. or maybe Bronco, orwho knows. That could be fun.
Here is my absolute biggie though. Monroe Publishing, get your people to post. Why do I almost never see a post by a sports writer? Why, if a recent news item comes up does no reporter make a quick comment that they are checking it out, or following up. I mean something more like a twitter-like thing where they make a comment not expect a follow up from it. Reporter C says “I am headed to the H.S. to watch the game and make a report. Or, “Bad accident at 13th and Maple, story will follow on main site. Get your people to make a small comment here and there, they don’t have to debate, but make a presence. Frankly, I think the sports section could really use some help, and anything there would be a big improvement.
One that is something I thought of is that the majority of seniors read the paper for the obits. Maybe a category (so it can be blocked easily) for commentaries on obits? It might get some seniors to the forum just for that.
The other that could gain new members is the guest question and answer time. Oh, meant to say it would be scheduled and advertised for a specific time and with a concrete time limit. They tried it with the separate software and it didn’t fly because of the technology. Besides if it was on the forum then people can read the fun later. Think if Homrich did an hour answering questions this week? How about a sports person doing two hours on the tigers? How about a road commission person? Rules would have to be enforced and ensure civility, and probably an instant ban hammer to start. But it doesn’t always have to be big-time. How about a lawyer just answering lawyerly like questions? A Judge talking about what it is like to be a judge? Serious, do any of you know what a judge does day to day, what it is like? I would love to have the guy that flies the Raptor back as a guest so he can answer questions and not be harassed. That was good stuff when he made an appearance. But, like when that plane crashed at the park, a guest pilot could answer generic questions about planes, and related stuff. An auto mechanic answering questions could be filling. How about school board talking about what they do besides what we always hear as the news. What does a school board member do?
To me it seems a promising idea and would like to participate, or just read it later too. That is the value of it being forum rather than the other software.
Maybe one last thing and get people to make short posts. LOL.
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Topic: Ideas for improving Monroe Talks (Read 4590 times)
