Only if you can afford a full time real time moderator. People cannot speak politely on whether a play test class is OK or the worst thing ever. Politics is a tad touchier than that.
What is the thought process for folks wanting to talk politics...on an RPG site
Arguing over paladins falling got boring?
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What is the thought process for folks wanting to talk politics...on an RPG site
Some of the best political arguments I've ever had were had here at Paizo. I value and respect the opinions of the Paizo community; and as gamers we share a common ground that many of us find particularly absent in our normal daily interactions.
Much as people deride the Paizo community, I rate it well above every other online community I've ever attended.
A better question would be, "What is the thought process for folks wanting to talk politics...on an internet", but we can't explain all mysteries.
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Andrew: I see, my purpose in coming to this site is to interact with gamers about all things gaming and to goof off. If I wanted to discuss politics I would do it in person or if I was a masochist a political site.
I am firmly in the camp that politics do not have a place on a fantasy game site. However since that is not likely to change I always have the hide function.
KC: Totally agree with you on the comparison between the paizo boards and the vast majority of forums out there. However the internet is a big place with a forum for any subject. These non gifted orators can go to a multitude of sites to express their opinions.
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I can't see how the idea of a Politics section would work without at least one full-time moderator who has no other Paizo product-production responsibilities. Personally, I'd rather see those dollars be channeled into funding products and paying existing employees/artists/freelancers, not giving us yet another Internet space to uncivilly argue (at best) politics. I can't see how it won't turn into another festering Pit of Grar forever trying to leach out into the rest of the site. And woe to the poor employee(s) knighted to moderate the discussion...
No matter your political views, there are already plenty of other Internet places to better discuss or argue them. Paizo's messageboards are usually a welcome safe harbor from that storm, and I'd much rather it stay that way.
Not creating a new section is one thing. Outright banning politics is quite another. You're quashing a lot of important discussions there.
You need to get a brain, Aberzombie. And chew slower this time!
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I will admit, I expect nothing to come of this. It was simply a cathartic move on my part.
I primarily post in the Off-topic section, and dislike seeing it poisoned by what I see as the argumentative opinions of self-righteous jackasses. And I also fall into the camp of "this should be a place of fun, not a place where the aforementioned self-righteous jackasses come to vent their spleens and role play solving the world's problems".
And, yes, Brainiac, I know about the Hide function. Sadly, however, I have found that threads do sometimes become unhidden. Not to mention that these arguments tend to generate bad blood that will leak into other areas.
In the end, I would prefer this to be a happy place. Sadly, some people don't seem to be happy, and so don't want that for others.
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You need to get a brain, Aberzombie. And chew slower this time!
S$#+, kid! that link was 8 minutes long. I am not going to waste 8 minutes of my life watching pointless crap from a youngster like you. That's what I have children for.
Not creating a new section is one thing. Outright banning politics is quite another. You're quashing a lot of important discussions there.
I'm not sure anyone is talking about banning politics; that's not what I intended by my comment.
But creating a Politics section would be seen by many as a move from tacitly allowing political threads to actively encouraging and inviting all kinds of political discussion. And that would have nothing at all to do with a site whose primary purpose is/was to discuss Pathfinder products and RPGs in general. Worse, many of those participants would happily carry those viewpoints (even the ones I would agree with) outside the Politics section and undermine the inclusiveness that Paizo and many of us in the community have worked hard to foster.
Edit: Ninja'd by the stealthy zombie.
Edit: Ninja'd by the stealthy zombie.
moves through the thread like an errant breeze
My apologies. My primary goal was to respond to posters like Tin Foil Yamakah who do appear to be advocating the removal of political discussion. Sorry if you got lumped in. :P
And Aberzombie, speaking as someone who spends way too much time arguing on these threads—yes. There is value there. The divide here is that I think you're looking at "averages", and sure, "on average", political discussions suck. But not all that's there. There are some really good posts mixed in amid the mess that I think you end up missing. I'm not saying you have to wade through to find these exchanges, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. :P
I've gotten a lot out of a lot of these discussions, especially those pertaining to diversity in the media. Sometimes it's ugly. But sometimes there's some real interesting stuff being said. There are some smart people here.
S%%+, kid! that link was 8 minutes long. I am not going to waste 8 minutes of my life watching pointless crap from a youngster like you.
Just linking to explain the quote. Otherwise it just looks like I'm being inexplicably vicious all of a sudden. ;P
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My apologies.
To paraphrase The Duke - Never apologize. You look like a spineless weasel.
And Aberzombie, speaking as someone who spends way too much time arguing on these threads—yes. There is value there. The divide here is that I think you're looking at averages. You see the majority, sure, but not all that's there. It leads you to miss some really good posts mixed in amid the mess. I've gotten a lot out of a lot of these discussions, especially those pertaining to diversity in the media.
Kid, I get enough of that crap in the real world. We should all have places we can get away from the so-called "civil discourse" popular among asshats these days.
There are some smart people here.
They at least seem to think so, and have no problem telling everyone else.
A politics forum would just be a graveyard of closed threads. I have yet to see ANY controversial non-gaming/genre thread not get closed when debate got too heated or was about to.
For someone talking about how he likes his forums light and easy-going, you sure are making this place resemble a political thread.
Hulk smash Politicians! With Science!! And I-Beam!!
Yeah, that's what I figured. I think we talk about a lot of things that have nothing to do with fantasy gaming, though*—and the things we talk about that do have to do with fantasy gaming seem to get just as nasty, if not worse. Paladins, anyone?
Ugliness happens. I get the wish to wall it off, but I'm not sure Ambrosia Slaad is wrong about the potential consequences.
*Movies, books, silly OTD cults, vomit families...
OTD cults!
I'll have you know the worship of Drejk's new mattress is nationally recognized... in Petoria, which it's founder assures me is an actual country...
I left the Worshipful of Drejk's Mattress when I found it didn't accept blood offerings. What kind of lame god is that?!
Drejk's Mattress can't officially have a cult without an OTF cult thread.
Oh, was there an outbreak of politroll threads that I missed? Damnit!
Oh, was there an outbreak of politroll threads that I missed? Damnit!Just a brief climate one. It's been revived.
Oh. Well, the more you longpigs make your planet a barren wasteland, the more we goblins like it. Keep it up, pinkskins.
Humanz Out Now!
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To the original question: No.
To the original question: No.
Good decision!