Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I'm not including a poll...we have enough of those already.

My vote is for Politics. Very little 'discussion.' Same people making same arguments. I think reading it actually makes me angry (regardless of point of view).

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

Worse than World Poker Tour?

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

The partisanship on 2+2 right now makes the forum very hard to read if you don't like flame wars.

If I was mod of this forum, I'd probably delete half the threads on the front page.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

On a serious note, I think it lacks diversity of opinion. The conservatives seems to agree among them on most issues as well as liberals. A few eurowhackos like me post and we generally agree on most things too. I am not posting much anymore, since I feel I am just repeating myself since it is the same issues everytime.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

Internet forum. Unless you really want to get into depth about "online poker is rigged". Though these conspiracy posts about 9/11 being some American/Israeli conspiracy make we wonder if the political forum is much better.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

what worries me is the fact that the wild conspiracy theory posts are the ones that are most read.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

Don't worry, I'm here now

-Matt (Porsche N Guns)

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
My vote is for Politics. Very little 'discussion.' Same people making same arguments. I think reading it actually makes me angry (regardless of point of view).

[/ QUOTE ]

I bolded what I think is far and away the worst aspect of the Politics forum.

Copy & pasted, 20k word articles with follow up comments from the poster that read like "See?! Anyone who disagrees with this is a retard, ipso facto that this article exists and I posted it here! Now discuss" are also annoying.

But, IMO, the politics forum is annoying simply because politics is annoying.

A relatively famous study of public opinion is done every election cycle by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan; one constant finding of the study is that among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal government, Congress consistently enjoys the lowest approval/favorablity rating of the three. The study concluded that it had little to do with which party was in control of Congress, or what Congress had recently accomplished/not accomplished.

What the study did conclude was that Americans just hated disagreement. Most had little patience for, or understood the rationale behind a body that spends a great deal of its time incapacitated by debate. The typical respondent involved in the study just assumed that answers to complicated policy questions were obvious, and that most rational people frequently come to a clear consensus when faced with a policy question. Political debate, according to most survey participants, is just relatively pointless partisan wrangling.

I can’t locate a link to this study; but I was able to locate this article from The Hill ; here’s an excerpt that refers to what I’m getting at:

“Voters see Congress as consumed with partisanship, which they understand to be an unprincipled battle for political advantage. Debate, they believe, is not philosophical disagreement, but an ominous sign of social dysfunction. Americans have faith in the notion that reasonable people, motivated only by the public good, could easily agree. Debate itself is taken as a sign that pernicious influences have entered into the decision making process.”
-----------------------
My point in this: I think this forum, and politics in general, gets people so angry because some just have a relatively small threshold for disagreement and debate.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Don't worry, I'm here now
-Matt (Porsche N Guns)


[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing personal, but your post titled something like "Republicans are HateMongering Racists" was exactly what makes this board terrible. 20k words that look C&Ped from some blog (my apologies if its not) plus some links. There's 10 minutes of my life I'm never getting back.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

Hate replying to my own post.

First, I posted in the wrong forum. I was going to bring this up in OOT, but lost track of where I was. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Second, it actually had a GOOD unintended side effect. I was happy to see that there are Politics surfers who are just as displeased as I. I enjoy good debate--in fact, I like reading posts where I think I at least learn someone has a different perspective.

I'm not going to point fingers. The left and right 'standard bearers' on here have absolutely ruined this. It's the 2+2 version of the talking head..."I'm right, I'll always be right, and you are a commie/fascist if you don't agree with me."

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I don't have enough sample size, but I have traveled quite much and have ended up discussing politics quite a few places.

French, Pakistanis and Americans have one thing in common. If you put an opinion that differs from theirs they start to defend themselves instead of openly discussing. Brits, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans and South East Asian are more ready for an openminded discussion.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

In defense of the politics forum, see Grey's post on the Estate Tax as an exemplary illustration of what a great post here can be.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I know. And I'm trying to argue against it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

lately i am learning the most on the politics and computer help forums.

still waiting for the typing, spelling, and gramma forum.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
lately i am learning the most on the politics and computer help forums.

still waiting for the typing, spelling, and gramma forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, it's spelled "grammur." [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I try not to post in a topic unless I know at least a decent amount about it therefore I will not post in the spelling and grammer forum. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

As I learned through my own mistake, this forum is essential to funnel the inevitable opposing political views and debates, that would otherwise clutter up and ruin the other forums. So, from that perspective, I would have to say that this is one of the most useful forums.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

Well played. Couldn't we have an offshoot forum.

"Politics" will have actual debate.
"Pompous Asses Post Here" will cover what is currently 70% of the Politics forum.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
"Pompous Asses Post Here" will cover what is currently 70% of the Politics forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where do I sign up?

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well played. Couldn't we have an offshoot forum.

"Politics" will have actual debate.
"Pompous Asses Post Here" will cover what is currently 70% of the Politics forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the "Pompous Asses Post Here" forum. We had to change the name because no one knows they're a pompous ass.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I think I would post in both forums depending on my mood at the time.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
lately i am learning the most on the politics and computer help forums.

still waiting for the typing, spelling, and gramma forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Although the signal to noise ratio can be pretty low on this forum at times, I found that I have learned a lot reading this forum. Yeah there is alot of chaff to sort though but there are some really good discussions too. Its by no means the most worthless forum on 2+2. I think WPT gets my vote.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

As a former NFO myself, don't ever use the term "Signal to Noise Ratio" again.

I'm having horrible flashbacks now. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
As a former NFO myself, don't ever use the term "Signal to Noise Ratio" again.

I'm having horrible flashbacks now. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

But see only a guy like you would have negative reactions to the term. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] What did you fly? (hows that for a hijack?)

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I'll PM.

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

If the answer is 'politics', it is because there are so few moderates posting here. Too many posters with a strict ultra-liberal or ultra-conservative agenda - not very many open minded moderates, who can credibly claim to be listening to the arguments presented (rather than posting a pre-programmed knee-jerk reaction.)

Worthy thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
Most worthless forum on 2+2? My vote is for Politics.

[/ QUOTE ]

You realize that, the way you phrased it, you are saying that there is more than one worthless forum in 2+2, right?

Also, worthless means having a value of zero. How do we compare two zeros?

...See how much you can learn in the Politics Forum, if only you make the effort? [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

[ QUOTE ]
If the answer is 'politics', it is because there are so few moderates posting here. Too many posters with a strict ultra-liberal or ultra-conservative agenda - not very many open minded moderates, who can credibly claim to be listening to the arguments presented (rather than posting a pre-programmed knee-jerk reaction.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I consider myself a moderate. But I have strong feelings one way or the other about most subjects, and I would guess that most moderates do too. So I may be lumped in with liberals in the minds of conservatives when it comes to most threads I've seen here lately, but bring up a thread on illegal immigration or entitlements (for example), and all the liberals will think I'm a conservative.

I agree this forum seems like a polarized mess, but I'll bet the moderates are here; it's hard to spot us because we don't post "I'm right down the middle on this issue".

-ptmusic

Re: Worthy thread..uh oh..!!!
 

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]..you just did a real no-no cyrus

you expected someone to make an effort....do you not realize how insensitive that is...the next thing is that you will actually expect someone to work and pull his own weight..

not gonna happen..

gl

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Re: Worthy thread..uh oh..!!!
 

You need to post more Scalf.

-Zeno

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?..%%
 

"Polarized mess"

sounds like a good description of u.s. politics

lol

jmho

gl
[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Re: Most worthless forum on 2+2?
 

I think reading it actually makes me angry

Simple solution. Dont read it, not worth getting angry about. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]