CNN covering this type of story is a fairly new development. Kudos to them.

State sponsored terrorism?

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/17/middleeast/us-saudi-yemen-bus-strike-intl/index.html

My thoughts were more directed at the specific context. Yes, it's great to have an area where people can make causal comments about politics, but what happens when all the politics or major politics happens in the lounge, including discussions which would involve a context which is going in-depth? People shouldn't be able to circumvent certain standards regarding political posting just by taking a discussion to a casual area. — TheWillowOfDarkness

The point of taking it to the Lounge was to take it away from the more serious political discussions due to the nature of its OP. Have you read the OP? Anyway, it had become too dominant, but that was more by accident than design, and it's more the exception than the rule I think. As is Trump himself.

Hiding the lounge might have an impact on this, if it stops people getting pulled into discussing politics in the lounge. — TheWillowOfDarkness

That's the idea.

I guess my point is I don't think a community can say: "Well, this is a casual area. People don't have to make an effort." The community may use leeway in casual areas and find themselves only in a forest of low quality. — TheWillowOfDarkness

I think the community can say that though. That's the whole point of having a casual social-orientated area. The official description of the Lounge is somewhere you can have a "blether about kittens" (or rant about Donald Trump), and that's how it should be. But it's precisely the issue of the casual becoming too dominant on the front page (and in poster's minds) that you raise here that is the reason we've tried to deemphasise it a bit. So, give it a little time and then let us know what you think.

And having just looked through the political discussions in the politics and political philosophy categories, I don't see such major issues, and we do mod those more strictly. Anyway, criticisms noted. I'm optimistic you'll see some improvement in the near future.

The Trump discussion is in the lounge not in politics for a reason, and it's contextualised by its OP like all discussions. So, it's not against the rules to rant about Trump there. However, we've just made it a lot easier to avoid, which is probably a good thing. And though, given its context, its unlikely we're going to mod it any more harshly, some of us *ahem* are realizing the pointlessness of going on about Trump and will be directing our energies elsewhere.

A lot of us probably spend too much time on politics, discussions of which tend to be more contentious and less charitable than other areas. But what do you suggest we change about the site in terms of policy to deal with that (other than what we've done)?

Or take the piss like Banno. That can work too...

OK, I know you really have a lot on your plate at the moment.

Political discussions tend to be tense and contentious, Tiff. That's their nature. If you choose to become involved, expect people to speak their mind. If you find that too stressful, just avoid them.

I think it should have been left open for another nine posts. — Banno

Q.E.D. :D

I thought you were listening to "members"... — ArguingWAristotleTiff

I am.

Can you quote the part of your post that explains that? As far as I can see, no matter what we do on this some people are going to like it and some are going to not like it. I don't see it causing a mass exodus either way.

It was a perfect example of @Banno taking the piss.

We didn't initiate the idea of changing. That came from members. We responded by polling and making suggestions, and that process led here. The community as a whole are apparently for change. It just happens it syncs with thoughts we've had for a long time concerning the dominance of the Shoutbox.

Pleasantly surprised to find this up on the tubes:

I've added the following though to the welcome message for new members:

Please note: Lounge category posts are not included on the default front page, but you can navigate there using the sidebar.

Unfortunately, that minor irrationality is baked in as far as I can see. Let's charitably call it a quirk and hope no-one notices.

I expect it will stay as is with the change in place for the foreseeable. I have swapped the category positions of the Lounge and Feedback though, as you suggested above, to make the former a bit more highlighted (and it seems more logical to me anyway). Hope this is some compensation. Overall the change is relatively minor, and I'm sure everyone will get used to it (except @Sapientia who's just a little crybaby).

Banned @wellwisher for low post quality. The camel-spine rupturing straw being a post from which here follows an excerpt:

"Since these two sets of feelings are conflict, the natural writing process is tricked in separating one law memory into two locations in the brain. So if we try to do good by the law, the evil side of the coin is repressed. It does not go away, but becomes unconscious as a shadow affect. Sin taking opportunity though the commandment produces sin of every kind. The unconscious side of the coin can become autonomous in an attempt to merge the memory back to neutrality. The result is impulsive evil behavior inductions to merge the memory.

Love your enemy was a way to disrupt the divided mind, due to law tricking the writing process. Forgiveness of sins was a way to change the emotional tagging on the dark side of law memory, in attempt to restore a natural neutral writing process. Jesus was way ahead of his time based on science 2000 years in the future. The atheist position is not based on science, but comes from the dark side of the law memory consolidation, symbolic of Satan. "

:lol:

Follow the yellow wig road...

Ya welcome :up: And this is looking like the way it will stay (keeping the lounge at the bottom of recent discussions isn't possible with this software). Personally, I love the lounge and the social element here, but the site is primarily about showcasing philosophy, and catering to those that want to do it, and that's what the front page should reflect.

This discussion was merged into Donald Trump

Well, I've just unpinned the latest fundraiser as it's run its course. I feel like we should make the presence of the lounge apparent anyhow, especially to newbies. Got an alternative way to do that?

Would it be too much to pin a notice — StreetlightX

I was thinking of doing that actually.

I didn't know it was either until our resident IT whiz kid Michael suggested it might be.

Voting for categories as a default homepage would go some way to making it organized similarly to old PF.

In the end, it looks like it's going to come down to categories vs. some exclusions (being test-run now), and it will be up to jrob to choose which. Hardly anyone seems to like the exact status quo much, which is as I expected. What did you vote for?

This discussion is not intended to be a debate on any particular poster. If it were, and that poster was Street, I'd say he's one of our best. But it's not, so let's try to keep this about general ways to improve the site. All feedback on that welcome. Future personal criticisms of posters will be deleted as will any posts not about site improvements. This is intended as a constructive rather than a contentious discussion.

Oh, it looks like we've already implemented the third option — jamalrob

Yes, test running that. Categories is ahead on the poll though.

The thing I don't like about using the categories is that the individual active discussions are not listed. I think this is pretty bad for a forum home page. — jamalrob

Yes, and doesn't seem to be any option in the settings to deal with that.

Anyhow, if we do implement this, I personally hope it will help in encouraging me to post less about the orange-faced circus freak some people have the misfortune to call President. Can't remember his name. Must be working already... :)

Last thing we need is more bloody feedback, eh? :naughty:

I've gone with option three for now.

(I meant to write 'categories' not 'categoried' for option 2. Thanks phone! But it still makes sense, so I'm not doing the whole thing over again.)

OK. Apologies to those who voted. Please revote. Option three regards excluding the lounge only. I believe that's the main offender for drawing energy from more serious discussions. If you think more should be excluded, choose option 4 and specify.

Too late to adjust the poll, but feedback on the Michael option (now being test run) welcome.

And as per my reply, good idea. Test running it now (lounge category excluded) .

Actually, yes, now that I've had a poke around under the hood. I've just given it a test run. That may be a good solution to keeping the Shoutbox in particular more low profile. Thanks.

I miss Paul. I hope he's doing well — Caldwell

Yes. And it wasn't his fault. Just picked the wrong guy to sell to.

I think it's a good idea (and it can be changed any time actually). Just out at the moment, but will put a poll up later. Final decision will then be down to jamalrob.

He registered and posted a couple of times, but he didn't migrate as in post regularly.

Also, I'm really disappointed to discover that Paul is not Bitter Crank, which I thought for whatever reason was the case. I'm actually a bit fuzzy on the transition to this site. What happened to Paul? Why the change? — John Doe

That is fuzzy. :) Short version: Paul, after selling PF to someone called Porat, who turned out to be a shyster, stayed on the mod team of the old site until it went down. Those of us who didn't trust Porat left immediately and set this one up (luckily jamalrob had the know how). Paul never migrated over here though most of the other regulars, including mods, did.

No worries. Appreciate all the good suggestions. Keep them coming.