Filibuster - Closed

[Reddy]

Two thoughts:

1) Of all times to close it, 19 days before the most important election in history?
2) Of all times to close it, the offseason after one of the most boring years in White Sox history.

I still visit often out of habit - when I have nowhere else to go I type in www.so - and the rest fills in. But I'm sure that habit will fade. Sad.

[TaylorStSox]

4 hours ago, Reddy said:

Two thoughts:

1) Of all times to close it, 19 days before the most important election in history?
2) Of all times to close it, the offseason after one of the most boring years in White Sox history.

I still visit often out of habit - when I have nowhere else to go I type in www.so - and the rest fills in. But I'm sure that habit will fade. Sad.

Considering we're living during a time of relative peace and economic stability, calling this "the most important election in history" illustrates how out of wack our politics have become. Elections in the 1850's, 1920's, 1930's, 1950's and 1960's may have "trumped" them. I'm not even counting the 1910's, which challenged our resolve during a war which saw 37 million people die. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by TaylorStSox

[Y2HH]

31 minutes ago, TaylorStSox said:

Considering we're living during a time of relative peace and economic stability, calling this "the most important election in history" illustrates how out of wack our politics have become. Elections in the 1850's, 1920's, 1930's, 1950's and 1960's may have "trumped" them. I'm not even counting the 1910's, which challenged our resolve during a war which saw 37 million people die. 

This.

I lol’d at the “most important election in history line”.

#BRINGBACKTHEBUSTER

[TaylorStSox]

As Americans, we like to think the world revolves around us, but it really doesn't. The tribalism we're seeing isn't unique to America and it's not solely an American phenomenon. It's a global phenomenon fueled by technology. More people have access to information, and with that comes divisiveness. There are a ton of parallels to the advent of the printing press and how it impacted the church. In the end, civility still won out. We'll survive. 

 

I apologize for turning this thread into the Buster. 

[joejoedairy]

7 hours ago, Reddy said:

Two thoughts:

1) Of all times to close it, 19 days before the most important election in history?
2) Of all times to close it, the offseason after one of the most boring years in White Sox history.

I still visit often out of habit - when I have nowhere else to go I type in www.so - and the rest fills in. But I'm sure that habit will fade. Sad.

He did say there would be election threads. So at least there should be some discussion about whats going on. 

I thought the midterms thread you started was very good and informative. 

(i never post in buster but i did read it every day)

[southsider2k5]

As just a piece of the behind the scenes stuff.  The filibuster alone has results in more suspensions and bans than the entire rest of Soxtalk combined for a really long period of time now.  It generates more discussions between staff about problems and potential problems then anywhere else as well.  For what is supposed to be primarily a baseball message board which was created long before there were the explosion of social media options available for people who want to discuss anything under the sun, it generated a gigantic share of problems for the message board.  When it was created it was an afterthought to add a place for discussions that was a good idea at the time.  We have lost a very high amount of posters due to interactions in the filibuster over the years, again WAY higher than what we have lost due to problems in any other board over that period of time.  The political and deeply personal nature of the discussions frankly have caused too many people to lose their minds for periods of time and partake in unacceptable behaviors.  No matter the warnings and the flat out begging for that to change, it never did, and frankly probably never will (and that goes for both an individual basis as well as a collective one).  This also has been something that has been discussed for a really long time with all of those arguments, attacks, and unconventional behaviors happening in the background.  It just got to the point where the option to host those kinds of discussions was hurting Soxtalk more than it was helping it.

[kitekrazy]

3 hours ago, TaylorStSox said:

Considering we're living during a time of relative peace and economic stability, calling this "the most important election in history" illustrates how out of wack our politics have become. Elections in the 1850's, 1920's, 1930's, 1950's and 1960's may have "trumped" them. I'm not even counting the 1910's, which challenged our resolve during a war which saw 37 million people die. 

 This thread is going to to run out to be a fillibuster thread.   I never go there anyway.  I like places that are free of political stuff.  I hope mods will also remove or edit any political jabs people throw in their posts.  I've seen this happen with newer members.

[Chisoxfn]

57 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

As just a piece of the behind the scenes stuff.  The filibuster alone has results in more suspensions and bans than the entire rest of Soxtalk combined for a really long period of time now.  It generates more discussions between staff about problems and potential problems then anywhere else as well.  For what is supposed to be primarily a baseball message board which was created long before there were the explosion of social media options available for people who want to discuss anything under the sun, it generated a gigantic share of problems for the message board.  When it was created it was an afterthought to add a place for discussions that was a good idea at the time.  We have lost a very high amount of posters due to interactions in the filibuster over the years, again WAY higher than what we have lost due to problems in any other board over that period of time.  The political and deeply personal nature of the discussions frankly have caused too many people to lose their minds for periods of time and partake in unacceptable behaviors.  No matter the warnings and the flat out begging for that to change, it never did, and frankly probably never will (and that goes for both an individual basis as well as a collective one).  This also has been something that has been discussed for a really long time with all of those arguments, attacks, and unconventional behaviors happening in the background.  It just got to the point where the option to host those kinds of discussions was hurting Soxtalk more than it was helping it.

Extremely well said Mike!!! 

[Reddy]

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

As just a piece of the behind the scenes stuff.  The filibuster alone has results in more suspensions and bans than the entire rest of Soxtalk combined for a really long period of time now.  It generates more discussions between staff about problems and potential problems then anywhere else as well.  For what is supposed to be primarily a baseball message board which was created long before there were the explosion of social media options available for people who want to discuss anything under the sun, it generated a gigantic share of problems for the message board.  When it was created it was an afterthought to add a place for discussions that was a good idea at the time.  We have lost a very high amount of posters due to interactions in the filibuster over the years, again WAY higher than what we have lost due to problems in any other board over that period of time.  The political and deeply personal nature of the discussions frankly have caused too many people to lose their minds for periods of time and partake in unacceptable behaviors.  No matter the warnings and the flat out begging for that to change, it never did, and frankly probably never will (and that goes for both an individual basis as well as a collective one).  This also has been something that has been discussed for a really long time with all of those arguments, attacks, and unconventional behaviors happening in the background.  It just got to the point where the option to host those kinds of discussions was hurting Soxtalk more than it was helping it.

This is so weird to read given that you were among the biggest offenders (as was I)

[The Sir]

14 hours ago, Reddy said:

Two thoughts:

1) Of all times to close it, 19 days before the most important election in history?
2) Of all times to close it, the offseason after one of the most boring years in White Sox history.

I still visit often out of habit - when I have nowhere else to go I type in www.so - and the rest fills in. But I'm sure that habit will fade. Sad.

I recall having pretty reasonable discussions with you in the distant past (I went by God Loves The Infantry and FlySox at different points) even though we are on opposite sides. I’m genuinely curious why you think this is the most important election in history (I will be voting but there’s nothing special about it). I get it that the mods probably don’t want this thread to become the Filibuster in itself, but if you want to PM me, I’d love to talk about it.

[greg775]

8 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

As just a piece of the behind the scenes stuff.  The filibuster alone has results in more suspensions and bans than the entire rest of Soxtalk combined for a really long period of time now.  It generates more discussions between staff about problems and potential problems then anywhere else as well.  For what is supposed to be primarily a baseball message board which was created long before there were the explosion of social media options available for people who want to discuss anything under the sun, it generated a gigantic share of problems for the message board.  When it was created it was an afterthought to add a place for discussions that was a good idea at the time.  We have lost a very high amount of posters due to interactions in the filibuster over the years, again WAY higher than what we have lost due to problems in any other board over that period of time.  The political and deeply personal nature of the discussions frankly have caused too many people to lose their minds for periods of time and partake in unacceptable behaviors.  No matter the warnings and the flat out begging for that to change, it never did, and frankly probably never will (and that goes for both an individual basis as well as a collective one).  This also has been something that has been discussed for a really long time with all of those arguments, attacks, and unconventional behaviors happening in the background.  It just got to the point where the option to host those kinds of discussions was hurting Soxtalk more than it was helping it.

Let's face it, message boards are a microcosm of society. People are screaming at each other in elevators because of politics. I had a buddy at work accosted by a coworker over politics. She totally freaked out and he could have and probably should have gotten her fired. If you are an owner of a message board, I'm sure it's not worth the hassle of people freaking out and blasting other folks who use the boards. If I owned a board I wouldn't allow it either. However this board has a million moderators who kept it in check. Of course this board has moderators who are very vocal and chippy themselves. Moral of story: Smart to kill it altogether in the year 2018. Americans despise each other except in times of tragedy IMO then we do anything we can to help each other. It's a wild dynamic. Farewell filibuster, a victim of the modern era of meanness.

Edited October 19, 2018 by greg775

[The Beast]

10 hours ago, Tony said:

We’re not debating in this thread. This is exactly the point. It’s impossible to talk politics without getting into a nasty back and forth where no one changes their opinion. 

 

Maybe so but it is not impossible to have a substantive debate. I truly am curious if it would be possible to have the Fillibuster come back and have people debate the issues, not the party. Discussions on local issues and the midterms mean more than if Trump took a dump outside the White House. I hope the team here reconsiders this decision and comes up with some new rules for posting politically. The Fillibuster was more tame than Facebook and had a lot more intelligent conversation than I think people gave it credit for.

[Reddy]

38 minutes ago, The Beast said:

Maybe so but it is not impossible to have a substantive debate. I truly am curious if it would be possible to have the Fillibuster come back and have people debate the issues, not the party. Discussions on local issues and the midterms mean more than if Trump took a dump outside the White House. I hope the team here reconsiders this decision and comes up with some new rules for posting politically. The Fillibuster was more tame than Facebook and had a lot more intelligent conversation than I think people gave it credit for.

100%. The convos here were far and away better than elsewhere on the internet.

[The Sir]

27 minutes ago, The Beast said:

Maybe so but it is not impossible to have a substantive debate. I truly am curious if it would be possible to have the Fillibuster come back and have people debate the issues, not the party. Discussions on local issues and the midterms mean more than if Trump took a dump outside the White House. I hope the team here reconsiders this decision and comes up with some new rules for posting politically. The Fillibuster was more tame than Facebook and had a lot more intelligent conversation than I think people gave it credit for.

I got kicked out of the Buster years ago, but that aside, I think a place like it could be useful to clear up misunderstandings about what the other side believes. My beliefs are too complex to be summed up by nasty one-liners, and I'd reckon a lot of people on the other side feel the same way.

For instance, the constant refrain that people on the right are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, etc. I'm on the right and I don't feel like I'm any of those things. If you want to scream in my face that I am, as if you know better what I believe than I do, we're just going to be at each other's throats and places like the Buster will make everyone involved feel like shit.

Likewise, people on the left probably have stereotypes made about them that they feel are unfair. I've probably said some before, so I'm not innocent here. Again, the thread to say the Filibuster is dead likely isn't supposed to become the Filibuster, so I'll shut up now, but if you feel like any of this applies and is worth your while, I'm open to hash it out in PMs.

[Southwest Sider]

This is the right move. I applaud the staff for coming to this decision.

I have never been interested in talking politics with people, it is literally the most toxic subject you can ever talk about.

Until Americans can get over their stupid political opinions and ideals, it is 99.9% of the time a pointless exercise to even undertake such conversations. I will never understand people who actually enjoy shoving their political garbage down others throats. There's so many better things they could be doing with their time. 

[The Beast]

22 minutes ago, The Sir said:

I got kicked out of the Buster years ago, but that aside, I think a place like it could be useful to clear up misunderstandings about what the other side believes. My beliefs are too complex to be summed up by nasty one-liners, and I'd reckon a lot of people on the other side feel the same way.

For instance, the constant refrain that people on the right are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, etc. I'm on the right and I don't feel like I'm any of those things. If you want to scream in my face that I am, as if you know better what I believe than I do, we're just going to be at each other's throats and places like the Buster will make everyone involved feel like shit.

Likewise, people on the left probably have stereotypes made about them that they feel are unfair. I've probably said some before, so I'm not innocent here. Again, the thread to say the Filibuster is dead likely isn't supposed to become the Filibuster, so I'll shut up now, but if you feel like any of this applies and is worth your while, I'm open to hash it out in PMs.

This is exactly what needed to occur. I don’t think conservatives are any of those things and don’t think liberals need to be labeled either. Talk policy instead and clear up crap instead of people being jackasses to each other.

[The Beast]

21 minutes ago, South Sider said:

This is the right move. I applaud the staff for coming to this decision.

I have never been interested in talking politics with people, it is literally the most toxic subject you can ever talk about.

Until Americans can get over their stupid political opinions and ideals, it is 99.9% of the time a pointless exercise to even undertake such conversations. I will never understand people who actually enjoy shoving their political garbage down others throats. There's so many better things they could be doing with their time. 

I disagree. There are those who want to talk politics and the forum was a good place to learn from the other side, from different sources and get some perspective. I can’t get into conversation outside of my family and friends and I can’t talk about it at work since that’s frowned upon. Doing so online with those from different backgrounds is not harmful and could be beneficial. It needs to be monitored a bit, but a discussion on policy and sources is healthy. Blowhards who shove their views down others’ throats is a different story.

Edited October 20, 2018 by The Beast

[Jack Parkman]

14 hours ago, Y2HH said:

This.

I lol’d at the “most important election in history line”.

#BRINGBACKTHEBUSTER

Sorry, this election is every bit as consequential as those, if not more. The future of our country is at stake. Will we roll over and let an authoritarian despot take over the USA or will we fight back? If you want Putin as your president, continue having your head in the sand. The fact that sensible people don't understand the danger is scary. 

The end. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by Jack Parkman

[The Sir]

27 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

Sorry, this election is every bit as consequential as those, if not more. The future of our country is at stake. Will we roll over and let an authoritarian despot take over the USA or will we fight back? If you want Putin as your president, continue having your head in the sand. The fact that sensible people don't understand the danger is scary. 

The end. 

This is the sort of misinformed tripe I was talking about in my last post, and why the Filibuster is better off closed. Thanks for proving my point.

[Jack Parkman]

46 minutes ago, The Sir said:

This is the sort of misinformed tripe I was talking about in my last post, and why the Filibuster is better off closed. Thanks for proving my point.

You scare the ever loving shit out of me if you actually believe this. Someone help us all. We'll need it. It isn't hyperbole and it isn't alarmist and it isn't exaggeration.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Jack Parkman

[Reddy]

3 hours ago, South Sider said:

This is the right move. I applaud the staff for coming to this decision.

I have never been interested in talking politics with people, it is literally the most toxic subject you can ever talk about.

Until Americans can get over their stupid political opinions and ideals, it is 99.9% of the time a pointless exercise to even undertake such conversations. I will never understand people who actually enjoy shoving their political garbage down others throats. There's so many better things they could be doing with their time. 

Man who doesn't use forum saying forum is unnecessary is the hottest of takes.

[Jack Parkman]

3 hours ago, South Sider said:

This is the right move. I applaud the staff for coming to this decision.

I have never been interested in talking politics with people, it is literally the most toxic subject you can ever talk about.

Until Americans can get over their stupid political opinions and ideals, it is 99.9% of the time a pointless exercise to even undertake such conversations. I will never understand people who actually enjoy shoving their political garbage down others throats. There's so many better things they could be doing with their time. 

Politics has devolved. It is no longer a matter of opinion. It is a matter of right and wrong. It is a matter of basic human decency. Are you a sadist? Do you revel in other's misery? I'm sorry. There may have been a time in the distant past where there was opinion involved but that point has long passed. If you enjoy torturing other humans, than by all means, continue saying that there is opinion involved. I don't enjoy torturing people. 

Every person on this planet is just as important as you are. 

Until people get that through their heads, nothing will change. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by Jack Parkman

[BigHurt3515]

3 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

Politics has devolved. It is no longer a matter of opinion. It is a matter of right and wrong. It is a matter of basic human decency. Are you a sadist? Do you revel in other's misery? I'm sorry. There may have been a time in the distant past where there was opinion involved but that point has long passed. If you enjoy torturing other humans, than by all means, continue saying that there is opinion involved. I don't enjoy torturing people. 

Every person on this planet is just as important as you are. 

Until people get that through their heads, nothing will change. 

It doesn't seem like you believe this based off your posts. Not everyone thinks the way you do or has the same feelings. It is all opinions and personal preference. What might be good for you might not be good for some one in South Dakota. 

[Jack Parkman]

13 minutes ago, BigHurt3515 said:

It doesn't seem like you believe this based off your posts. Not everyone thinks the way you do or has the same feelings. It is all opinions and personal preference. What might be good for you might not be good for some one in South Dakota. 

Right and Wrong is not subjective. The minute we allow it to be subjective, it loses all value. At that point, facts no longer exists, truth no longer exists, and laws can never be broken. Total chaos. 

"Everything is subjective"  doesn't fly by me. 

People have the right to critically think. There are times when opinion really does exist. When it comes to basic human decency, opinion goes out the window. Being a decent human is non-negotiable. 

Being a decent human is objective. 

If we don't draw the line somewhere, there is no line. 

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by Jack Parkman

[Quin]

You guys can discuss the closing of the Buster, but otherwise, do not turn this thread into a mini-Buster. That's just gonna be a blanket warning to stop. Don't get into politics in this thread.