GuitarBizarre

I think the removal of the political forum could definitely be a step in the right direction - the lounge having silly stuff in it is fine, but it *is* a bit jarring and abrasive to have hardcore politics in there, especially with how some of the more political members approach those discussions (IE: Not well, but vehemently nonetheless)

__________________

duga

I agree with everything being said about the lounge (especially the political threads).

And I really appreciate the discussion going on here. Thanks for taking this seriously, guys.

__________________
Confusion will be my epitaph...

Arya Stark

I actually agree with it too. That's why when I stupidly made that thread that had to do with both artists and politics, I decided that I just wanted it to be closed. I didn't want arguments and I didn't want politics, yet I made a thread that invited both.

There are also some threads that simply don't make sense as a discussion overall. I'm not going to name anything specific but when threads are asking you to make one decision against another, people are obviously going to argue. When the thread is asking you to talk about something that's offensive, people are going to get offended and arguments will be had.

Maybe threads like this should have some sort of "probation period" where if they seem like they're going to be problematic, they should be watched a little closer to make sure **** doesn't start. If it does, the thread should be closed or there should be a warning.

Is that a good idea or will that cause problems as well?

__________________

MB Journal.
Azucar y Especia. My blog.

Urban Hat€monger ?

No I think that's a good idea.
In some of the non political forums I've seen they'll have a news thread where people can comment on whatever is happening in the news, as soon as things start to get a little heated it's... OK that's enough move on to another news story.

__________________

Trollheart

I suppose I should admit I'm probably one of the few people here who doesn't log on to find new music. I really don't. I mean, if someone praises something I may try it (Ki, you just got me into Devin Townsend big time and I mean BIG TIME!) but that's more a product than an aim of what I'm looking for here.

Say this is sad all you want, but I live and work (as it were) at home with just my sis as most of you know, and I can't get out to the pub (not that I drink) and don't have any real friends I can see, so I come here to meet the people I have made my friends here. I'm far more interested in hearing what's going on (good or bad) in Vanilla or Unknown Soldier or Urban's life than I am really about what they're listening to; often, I wouldn't be at all interested in their music. But I like them as people.

The Lounge I frequent but there are threads I won't touch and I've become used now to staying out of discussions where I know I might blow a gasket and ignite a fire. I'm certainly guilty of at the very least contributing to some Major Drama (gotta capitalise those!) and do regret it, although I certainly would not take all the blame for any of them. But I'm aware some people find me preachy, holier-than-thou and other things. I'm not really, but I can't do a lot about how people see me; well that's stupid, of course I can. But sometimes no matter how much you defend yourself someone will see you in a certain way and you're never going to change that view.

I personally try as hard as I can not to get involved in drama, not always it has to be said successfully, but I hate having to go to the final, ultimate step of putting someone on Ignore. However, when you're logging on dreading to see a particular username I think that you have arrived at that point where this is your only option.

I used to try welcome new members, but it was really nothing more than a "Hi, welcome, stick around" message and probably came across as the equivalent of a standard letter with the signature on a rubber stamp and signed by some flunky. Still, I suppose you could say at least I tried.

Many of you have it right here: no need to be so serious. We're in all likelihood never going to meet, so even if Hermione wants to smash a chair over my head or I want to punch someone in the face, it's never gonna happen so why stress over it? It's wasteful energy and goes, and gets you, nowhere.

Trite and cliched a phrase as it may be --- and I include myself in this --- can't we all just simply get along?

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Arya Stark

I just didn't want it to be TOO censored.
Stopping everyone from making those threads seems really difficult.

You never know if each one is going to be bad or not.

__________________

MB Journal.
Azucar y Especia. My blog.

Lisnaholic

Lots of very sensible stuff being said in this thread; Trollheart about ignoring posts; GB about the conduct of debates are both spot on imo.

^ This post made me the saddest of all , although I think duga and some other members may be using rose-coloured specs to look at the MB past. I´ve occasionally dipped into some old threads, and the standard of discussion or response wasn´t noticably better than that of today as far as I could see. So I think AwwSugar makes a good point:-

I have no problem with the lounge; to quote Jerry Garcia,"Believe it if you need it, if you don´t just pass it on..."

^ I think Miss P makes a very pertinent remark about newbie mentality here. After all, what most newcomers want is a little recognition, and the lounge seems the best place to get that.

I´m sure I´m not the only one to notice the irony that this community-center thread is much hotter than the music forum threads that it intends to promote. We all like to rub shoulders in the same thread occasionally, and that doesn´t often happen in the music forums. You can post in those and be completely ignored, and I´m sure that affects newbie moral more than the ranting and drama they sometimes witness.

So, in a rather rambling post, I´m suggesting:-
i) the lounge and its policing are being done well enough as is.
ii) MB could encourage more action in the music threads. One possibility could be to re-start the weekly genre threads that Pedestrian, I think, was the last to operate. Remember those ? They were good at generating the frisson of a crowd scene in a music forum. (A variation could also be to nominate a particular forum for attention each week.)
iii) understandably, old-timers (and I don´t exclude myself from this behaviour) sometimes leapfrog newbies´ posts and just reply to their friends posts back up there in the thread somewhere... Perhaps we should be more aware of how demoralizing this may seem to a newbie.

__________________
"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

djchameleon

The lounge fits a very specific purpose. It's an outlet for side conversations and other things to happen that would end up happening regardless. When you have a conversation even if it starts out being about music. Conversations are fluid and will stray into other things/discussions. If we take away the lounge, sure there will be more discussions going on in the music area but that doesn't mean it's going to be music-related. Also, there is going to be so many more posts that need to be deleted and warnings given out for going off-topic when people are just trying to co-exist and have a conversation.

Why are people so anti-conversation?

The reason there isn't much music discussions going on is because people don't feel like talking about music 100% of the time when they log on. Sure, they may make a few posts in that area but I guess you guys just want people to log off after they talk about what little music they do. Also, people that have been here for a long time know that when you post a thread about what you are interested in or into. Majority of the time you get little to no recognition about said artist/band. We all have different tastes so when threads are focused on a specific band/artist you are into at the moment it might not get many posts because other people don't feel the same way you do about that particular artist.

__________________

Fame, fortune, power, titties. People say these are the most crucial things in life, but you can have a pocket full o' gold and it doesn't mean sh*t if you don't have someone to share that gold with. Seems simple. Yet it's an important lesson to learn. Even lone wolves run in packs sometimes.

Burning Down

We're not anti-conversation, we're anti-arguments, drama, name calling, and insults that happen in the Lounge, more specifically in the Current Events section.

djchameleon

Those things are to be expected though especially in the Current Events section. That's why that area is supposed to be followed closely by mods because things can get heated quickly. I'm pretty sure not many people have read this post.

I guess it can just be easier to turn a blind eye to it and close off the lounge so you don't have to bother regulating that area.

__________________

Fame, fortune, power, titties. People say these are the most crucial things in life, but you can have a pocket full o' gold and it doesn't mean sh*t if you don't have someone to share that gold with. Seems simple. Yet it's an important lesson to learn. Even lone wolves run in packs sometimes.