threads and posts being erased

[LuciferSam]

There is, of course, nothing to prevent you from asking the original poster what their opinion is of whatever they've cut and pasted. If you're really interested.

It's silly to assume right off the bat that the poster is setting a trap for you. Bob, for examplle, often puts forth articles without including a comment--unless you look for how he's titled his post. Do that and you'll know exactly where he stands on the issues. Look for the clues before you start spouting off about posters neglecting their responsibility.

I find it a waste of time to read some long copy and paste article that in my personal opinion does not contain issues of any substance. If the poster had offered a synopsis up front, I could have made an informed decision as to whether the article was worth reading in the first place. With some exceptions I do not read such posts and I'm not going to waste my time asking the original poster what he was getting at. I'm talking mainly about the more opinionated partisan posts. I like to know in advance not only where the poster stands on the issue, but what is the issue????

 

[AlphaCrab]

There is, of course, nothing to prevent you from asking the original poster what their opinion is of whatever they've cut and pasted. If you're really interested.

It's silly to assume right off the bat that the poster is setting a trap for you. Bob, for examplle, often puts forth articles without including a comment--unless you look for how he's titled his post. Do that and you'll know exactly where he stands on the issues. Look for the clues before you start spouting off about posters neglecting their responsibility.

Excuse me, but I think you did not really understand my post. I STILL maintain it is the thread author who has a basic journalistic responsibility to the fellow Sowal readers. I think to create a thread that contains no references whatsoever as to why they are even posting it, is just wrong--whomever it is...

Sorry, I am NOT searching for clues to understand exactly why someone has posted something--this is not a game--the onus is on the thread starter. I am just saying be "upfront" as the thread author, whether you are Bob, Tom, or Santa Claus. I know Sowal is made up of a lot of people with fake names, and most of whom will never meet each other in person, but be upfront and be courteous with your threads!

It directs and drives the conversation much more efficiently which I feel most readers would appreciate.
Thank you!

 

[TreeFrog]

Personally, I'd be happy if the only politics being discussed on here were local politics. I can get my fill of national crap from national sources. That's right -- I'm in favor of eliminating discussion of national politics on SoWal.com.

Count me in with SJ.

My first reaction is that I agree completely with him. Turn on the tube or visit one of the politics forums.

Thinking a little more, though, I think dumping national politics discussions would bring more focus and activity on the local topics. SoWal provides a much-needed source of both information and discussion of local issues.

 

[30ashopper]

I find it a waste of time to read some long copy and paste article that in my personal opinion does not contain issues of any substance. If the poster had offered a synopsis up front, I could have made an informed decision as to whether the article was worth reading in the first place. With some exceptions I do not read such posts and I'm not going to waste my time asking the original poster what he was getting at. I'm talking mainly about the more opinionated partisan posts. I like to know in advance not only where the poster stands on the issue, but what is the issue????

It's also a copyright violation, and will someday come back and bite Kurt in the rear. We should all refrain from doing this by restricting article posts to a small excerpt, provide a link and hopfully some interesting commentary.

 

[RayStar]

Mtlinscomb I want to know what was your real purpose of posting this link. Was it about abortion? I truly doubt that rep. from MI can just pick up the phone and get the president's ear like he stated so casually.

 

[idlewind]

1. I do not think eliminating the political forum is a good idea. Even though some of the posts are over the top on both sides of the political spectrum, most are informational and interesting. Even if I do not agree I am challenged to think and evaluate my positions. Those who are automatically on one side or the other may not get that effect but I do.
2. I do not mind "traps" or provocative posts for the same reasons. If all the posts are vanilla and non-confrontational they are also boring and non-challenging.
3. Sometimes the posts are funny and we all need all the laughs we can get.

I am a unrepentant conservative. That sometimes leads me to positions that are at odds with the party I belong to. But I love the interaction with liberals. It helps everyone if a lively debate on the issues is achieved. I only regret that due to work I cannot participate as much as others.

 

[LuciferSam]

Excuse me, but I think you did not really understand my post. I STILL maintain it is the thread author who has a basic journalistic responsibility to the fellow Sowal readers. I think to create a thread that contains no references whatsoever as to why they are even posting it, is just wrong--whomever it is...

Sorry, I am NOT searching for clues to understand exactly why someone has posted something--this is not a game--the onus is on the thread starter. I am just saying be "upfront" as the thread author, whether you are Bob, Tom, or Santa Claus. I know Sowal is made up of a lot of people with fake names, and most of whom will never meet each other in person, but be upfront and be courteous with your threads!

It directs and drives the conversation much more efficiently which I feel most readers would appreciate.
Thank you!

Agreed. It saves people a lot of time if you give them enough information to screen their reading material. We don't all want to read everything. We don't all care about everything equally either.

 

[Andy A]

Though I admire SJ's posts very much, I certainly don't always agree with them. This is one of those times. It is my feeling that doing away with the national political and current events forum would be a travesty of epic perportions.
I don't agree with many of the posts in this forum and the downright lack of common sense is sometimes amazing. However, I learn as much from how people feel and react to different posts as I do from the particular post itself.
There is bound to be some rancor and derisive responses on the heated subjects that appear in this forum. To me, it makes the forum interesting and far from boring.
I, as others, am sometimes guilty of improper statements. But as I've said before, a poster can only be goaded so much before they respond in kind if they are so inclined.
I once had a flight surgeon who said to me, "Andy, we are all different breeds of cats." Those words say a lot about all who post if you take them in the proper context.
I am not, nor do I expect anyone else, going to change my thoughts or how I express them. The best I can promise is that I will be civil and courteous unless goaded.
One final thought. As has been said by others, if you don't like a thread or what a poster has to say, ignore it and move on. There is much to be learned here and purusal of the different threads belongs only to the individual doing so. No one is being made to do anything they don't wish to do.

 

[mtlinscomb]

Mtlinscomb I want to know what was your real purpose of posting this link. Was it about abortion? I truly doubt that rep. from MI can just pick up the phone and get the president's ear like he stated so casually.

See post #5

 

[Smiling JOe]

I just caught up on my reading, and I feel like a fellow pre-schooler at the sandbox.