New Forum Request

[Sparky-Watts]

I invited a friend from work to join the forums a couple of weeks ago, having bought a Jeep for the first time. Yesterday, he told me the site "wasn't quite what he was looking for". Ok....why not? "Too much bs about politics." Ok. I agreed.

So, due to the often angry threads about politics, religion, differing beliefs about other people's cultures, another member is gone before they joined. What I am proposing is a new forum, separate from the "General Chat" forum for all of the whiney, gripey, XXXX-bashing threads that tend to pop up all to often. Maybe place it at the bottom of the "Forum Home" page. When you think about it, this being a Jeep site, the first thing people see when they come to our little corner of the web is the "General Chat" forums, and the headlines there read like a smorgasbord of non-family-friendly rants against everything under the sun! Definitely a turn-off to new members, and even to some regular members. Why not have the tech forums first, then the events forum, then the general chat, then the bashing forum?

Terry, it's your site.....are these the first things you want your prospective members to see?

 

[mud4feet]

My vote was "yes"..................then I'll know where to avoid.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

My vote was "yes"..................then I'll know where to avoid.

Yup....me too. I'd be interested in seeing a running tally of folks who have either left the site or decided not to join because of the BS. I'm thinkin' it'd be pretty darn scary. :roll:

 

[TwistedCU]

Controversial? I don't understand...

J/K. I voted no.

Any topic that's non-Jeep related goes there and may or not involve opinion. Any opinion could be a controversay.

General Chat - If it doesn't fit anywhere else, post it here

 

[Sparky-Watts]

But if we had a separate forum, say the "Angst Forum", then it would fit somewhere else besides in the General Chat. Perhaps we could call it the "General Spat" Forum.

 

[slo-wrench44]

i voted yes at the least i would put the general chat on the bottom. i see it first and i dont use it much . my own opinion. but then again if a little politics in the genreal chat made one person stop and say "i wont join" how far into the other fourms did they get??? obviously they werent looking for the ton of info for a yj that is available. just a thought.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

but then again if a little politics in the genreal chat made one person stop and say "i wont join" how far into the other fourms did they get??? obviously they werent looking for the ton of info for a yj that is available. just a thought.

He admitted that the site has some good info, but since he and his son are working on the Jeep together, he didn't want his son to have access to that kind of crap. Believe it or not, there are other Jeep sites out there with a lot more info and better info, and NO bullsquat. Sites with technical discussions only, no off-topic forums whatsoever.

 

[OutOfStep]

Sounds boring; how many times can you discuss what size lift you need for 33" tires on a TJ or how to change a U-joint :lol:

 

[Jason4x4]

Question: If your friend is coming here for advice/tips/help with his Jeep, then why doesn't he just stick to the tech sections?? I mean, just because there are BS threads in the general section doesn't mean he has to click on them. It's usually pretty easy to tell which threads to avoid by the titles . To each his(her) own, but I think things are fine the way they are. My .02.

 

[TwistedCU]

I always click "New Posts" and get a list of threads no matter where they are posted.

Moving it down isn't a bad idea but I don't think there's a need for any changes in my opinion.

BTW, what would differentiate gen chat topics from ones to go into this new forum? It would be a headache for the mods... they'd probably have to move topics around frequently if it were something worth doing and enforcing.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

It's a 'general' forum, where everything not fitting of other forums falls. This, to me, includes the political and other controversial BS. Those that don't like it should just not open the thread. Works for me.

You can generally tell the type of thread to avoid by the title or first few sentences. To me it's not enough wasted time to warrant creating a new forum.

 

[jay79cj7]

Seems to me that if someone wants to avoid BS, they should probably push themselves back from their computer and stay off the internet! Seriously though, I have no use for the political, hot-blooded, name-calling crap that goes on here from time to time and it would be fine with me if it didn't show up here, but it seems to me that "general" is supposed to be a catch-all, and by definition, include this.

 

[Gone&DoneIt]

Wow,... I like the fact that the content on this board varies so greatly. I don't think we need a seperate forum for controversial issues. So far the majority of content isn't offensive, just expressions of differing opinions. If you make a "controversial" forum, I would think the content would be anything goes, and I'm thinking the posts there may well go far above and beyond what anyone if comfortable with.

In addition, most of the "non-Jeep" threads are still family friendly. I haven't seen anything that crosses the line as far as subject matter is concerned. Politics, Social Issues, Critiques,... I wouldn't have a problem with my nieces and nephews reading them. Now rant's that cross over into innapropriate subject matter, as indicated in the "rules" are innappropriate no matter where you put them. To be honest, I think it is nice that we have a board with intelligent members. Sure, sometimes a post or two gets my blood boiling, but there's nothing wrong with that is there? They are also always thought provoking and informative.

If something needs to be done, drop the forum down to the bottom, that way it isn't the first thing, as Sparky suggested. I just worry about the precident a "Controversial" forum might set. One or two rants about race, or women, or God knows what, and I gaurantee the membership will plummet.

Just my .02

 

[OutOfStep]

You've got a good point; if there's a "controversial" forum i'm gonna finally be able to post the pics of me wheelin in the nude :shock:

 

[TwistedCU]

You've got a good point; if there's a "controversial" forum i'm gonna finally be able to post the pics of me wheelin in the nude :shock:

OMG please NO!!!!!!!!

urple:

 

[Sparky-Watts]

So far the majority of content isn't offensive, just expressions of differing opinions.

There are a couple of threads right now that both Jews and Muslims would find offensive, I guarantee it.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

You've got a good point; if there's a "controversial" forum i'm gonna finally be able to post the pics of me wheelin in the nude :shock:

No, that would belong in the "Events" forums.....

 

[Green97TJ]

Is this going to turn into a controversial thread about having a controversial forum?? lol

 

[TwistedCU]

There are a couple of threads right now that both Jews and Muslims would find offensive, I guarantee it.

Is that like when Joe Namath guaranteed victory?

Well if they are offended, then I'm offended that they're offended.

The best offense is a good defense... or is it the best defense is a good offense?
:-|

 

[TerryMason]

I totally agree with the need for a separate forum for this stuff. I tend to think that religion and politics should not be on a Jeep site, and if they are, they should be in another forum.

I think that we loose alot of people due to what appears to be bickering (not to say that it is, but it at least appears to be).

For those that are interested, we aren't really loosing popularity, but aren't growing by leaps and bounds either: