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David Eaton wrote:
>
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Frank Filz writes:
> > Well, after another few weeks of .debate, I'm really really thinking I'm
> > just going to abandon it, and honestly, more and more, I'm feeling it's
> > a waste of Lugnet resources to have it.
>
> Personally, I come and go. I lose interest in some debates, and gain
> interest in others. Occasionally I'll see something that really does peak my
> interest, and other times, I just feel like debating. As to whether it's
> actually a waste of Lugnet's resources... well, I guess that's Todd's
> call... what sort of percentages of traffic does it generate, and in what
> sorts of patterns? How much resource does it take up? etc.
>
> Personally, I'd be sad to see it go. Part of what makes Lugnet great though,
> is that if it's bugging you, you can ignore it.
I agree, I'd be sad to see it go. But what I'm really sad is that as far
as I'm concerned, it's gone now. A year ago I really enjoyed .debate.
The past few months, the time for a thread to deteriorate into one of
the two recurring shouting matches seems to be about one day.
> They do reappear a lot, don't they? But then again, I have no problem with
> them... I'll ignore most Scott/Larry debates, and I'll pop in on the
> religion one now and again, as said. But if it didn't interest me, I'd
> ignore it. Just like the political debate that was going on a while ago
> about the US voting system, etc., or whatever it was about. I didn't pay
> attention. Anyway, suffice to say, I do like to enter into the fray upon
> occasion.
Religious debate can be interesting, but it quickly gets dominated by
the Christian folks who the more I understand of their outlook, CAN NOT
debate. Their faith doesn't allow it.
To put this in a perhaps more understandable perspective to all: how
would you feel if every time you started a new thread about LEGO the
army of "LEGO brand products are toys for kids and adults have no place
playing with toys" came along and drowned out all discussion with
"Adults playing with toys can not possibly be allowed, any who argue
that it is healthy are by definition insane and should be carted off."
That is the perspective I get from the religion debate.
Fortunately such co-opting of Lugnet would never be allowed since the
purpose of Lugnet is to promote the use of LEGO brand products by
everyone, especially adults, and especially play with LEGO bricks by
adults.
Perhaps it would be possible to set rules for .debate that would protect
it, but then Todd would be seen to be discriminating against a certain
group of people.
> > I think there are interesting things to debate, but it isn't happening
> > here, and I honestly don't forsee it ever happening. One problem is that
> > too many of the folks who are interested in honest debates have given up
> > here.
>
> Maybe so. Care to debate that issue? :)
I haven't actually looked at the who is posting, but I don't recognize
many voices from old.
> > I'm also not convinced that the rancor generated in .debate will always
> > stay there. We have seen leakage several times over the past weeks, and
> > I see that leakage being a result of shouting matches building up steam
> > in people here, and not being a place for folks to let off steam from
> > hot discussion in other areas.
>
> Very true. But that's pretty unpreventable, I'd say. I mean, if people are
> going to get mad at each other, they're gonna get mad ANYWAY, whether it's
> through email, other groups, ebay feedback, whatever. If people are so
> consumed with their annoyance at each other that they can't go back and
> discuss Lego without resorting to verbal violence, well, tough noogies for
> them. Personally, I've never let it bother me. And I don't think we'll reach
> a complete absence of dislike/annoyance/whatever unless we do away with ALL
> forms of communication. Taking away .debate for such reasons (I think) would
> be a bad precedent that could lead to taking away other groups as well...
I think Larry would be less frustrated with Scott if they weren't
participating in .debate, and rancor there has DEFINITELY escaped
.debate. I'm not sure about other folks, but my opinions of folks are
certainly colored by how they participate in .debate. Of course much of
this is that those who are willing to _debate_ as opposed to shout, at
least occaisionally, have communication skills which improve all of
their posting, especially in that they are better able to articulate
their opinions, and know when it is appropriate to chime in with their
opinions and when to chime in with relevant facts and keep their posts
relatively clean of opinion. So perhaps in that sense, there is some
value to .debate. But then at least one of those folks established their
"worthwhile poster" credentials with me before I really started to get
involved in .debate (hi Larry).
--
Frank Filz
-----------------------------
Work: mailto:ffilz@us.ibm.com (business only please)
Home: mailto:ffilz@mindspring.com
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Uselessness of .debate
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| (...) Personally, I come and go. I lose interest in some debates, and gain interest in others. Occasionally I'll see something that really does peak my interest, and other times, I just feel like debating. As to whether it's actually a waste of (...) (24 years ago, 18-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, lugnet.admin.general)
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