Lady Sidhe's User-Hosted Forum

[Lady Sidhe]

Hi, everyone....

I posted a question concerning how to get my own forum, and subsequent to advice from that thread, made a request to Undertoad for said forum....however, my request seems to have provoked a cascade of responses asking me to justify my request. I wasn't aware that the request had to be justified to anyone except the person bequeathing the board, but I decided to accede to lumberjim's suggestion and post a poll.

So here it is: I'd like to have my own user-hosted forum in order to, among other things, debate controversial opinions. It's my hope that the forum will cause people to think about why they believe the things they believe, and think the way they do, through spirited discussion with others with equally strong, perhaps opposing, opinions.

I would hope that the threads posted on my forum would initiate interesting debate. Just because you bitch about something because it pisses you off doesn't make it insignificant or irrelevant. I'd hope that the things people talk about would be controversial, things that get people thinking and debating...

For instance...I've posted things such as opinions on abortion, prostitution, gay marriage, and the like on other boards, but got no response either agreeing or disagreeing. It was as if people didn't want to touch the subjects. I like to see how people think, and I believe that controversial subjects get people thinking about, well, what they REALLY think. That's what I'd like to do with this forum, among other things. I'm sure it would evolve over time, but it has to start somewhere.

Sidhe

[Kitsune]

my hope that the forum will cause people to think about why they believe the things they believe, and think the way they do, through spirited discussion with others with equally strong, perhaps opposing, opinions.

Um, I haven't been around here too long, but isn't that what all of The Cellar is about?

[Sun_Sparkz]

I dont see why not, if your willing to devote the time and effort to patrol your own forum then why not have a go. If worse comes to worse I'm sure its easy enough to wipe it off the cellar again.

[Michael Roth]

Originally posted by Kitsune
Um, I haven't been around here too long, but isn't that what all of The Cellar is about?

If the controversial already gets noticed in The Cellar, is it necessary to have another forum to do it in?

How do these topics vary from current events? Or from politics and philosophy? What could possibly stray from the stew that is home base?

If people want their own forums...perhaps this is the route to go:

http://www.howtocorp.com/cgi-bin/web...rames/read/626

[wolf]

Like many polls, your choices are skewed.

There are OTHER responses possible, including a simple "no" vote, without the backhanded slap AT the responder.

You have posted the poll equivalent of asking the question "How long has it been since you stopped molesting your children?"

Frankly, I don't see the value of a "bitch" forum. If you want and desire such a thing, there are plenty of vanity blogs out there where you can go and play with such things.

[lumberjim]

Originally posted by wolf
Like many polls, your choices are skewed.

There are OTHER responses possible, including a simple "no" vote, without the backhanded slap AT the responder.

You have posted the poll equivalent of asking the question "How long has it been since you stopped molesting your children?"

wow. i was gonna say exactly the same thing, but i was gonna use " do you still beat your wife?" as an example. good thing i read the whole thread first, or id have sounded redundant, like i was repeating the same thing over and over and over, by saying what someone already said before i said what i said, that was the same as what they said. but they said it before i said it because it came before i said what i said....




lady sidhe:

I would like to vote yes. I do, however, resent having my answer led. I am forced to abstain.

[juju]

Originally posted by Lady Sidhe
So here it is: I'd like to have my own user-hosted forum in order to, among other things, debate controversial opinions. It's my hope that the forum will cause people to think about why they believe the things they believe, and think the way they do, through spirited discussion with others with equally strong, perhaps opposing, opinions.

I would hope that the threads posted on my forum would initiate interesting debate. Just because you bitch about something because it pisses you off doesn't make it insignificant or irrelevant. I'd hope that the things people talk about would be controversial, things that get people thinking and debating...

I agree with Kitsune. This is what the entire board is for.

But you don't really need our permission in order to get the forum. UT has already said that he would grant a forum to anyone who wanted one.

[Torrere]

I vote no. I don't see those subjects as controversial; they are the floating gunk that people talk about which doesn't concern me much (I am neither gay nor Christian; neither April nor Christian; and neither a bankrupt girl nor Christian). I have a vague opinion on those subjects (yes to gay marriage, yes to abortion, no to prostitution), but I don't really care about them - they have not yet been made real to me and I haven't been indoctrinated in them.

A few months ago some people wanted to start a debate forum, but the steam ran out and it didn't happen. The problem is that The Cellar is already a debate forum. If we had a specific debate forum, then it would need to be differentiated by a formal structure that no one strode forward to devise (I attempted to create a similar forum several months ago, which faltered for the same reason).

If you have something interesting to say, then say it here on the Cellar. If you say it well and other people find it interesting, you will get responses. If you wander across the path of someone who strongly disagrees with you, you will have controversy and debates. Maybe you will learn something.

[Beestie]

My impression is that this forum is analagous to pitching a tent in someone else's front yard. The ground you seek to claim is already claimed by the other topics in the Cellar - this forum as you have proposed it amounts to little more than a cellar within the Cellar and would serve only to fragment discussion.

I'm not sure what to make of your point that your previous attempts to discuss controversial topics withered on the vine. I recall a several hundred post thread about gay marraige a while back. If your post didn't glean many responses in another topic header (e.g., Current Events) then why do you think it will be any different here? I don't understand the expectation that Cellarites are going to act differently in your forum and tackle topics differently here than they do on the main boards.

Its exciting to claim a corner of the internet but to do it here I think you need to come up with a theme that hasn't already been covered.

Just my $.02, tho.

[Lady Sidhe]

Originally posted by wolf
There are OTHER responses possible, including a simple "no" vote, without the backhanded slap AT the responder.

Alright...I was attempting to inject a little humor into it, but I see it wasn't well received. It wasn't meant to be a "backhand slap at the responder." SORRY.

If I knew how to change it, I'd just go ahead and stick a "yes" or "no" instead of the others, if that would make everyone happy.

I'd like to have this forum, and not due to any "vanity..." I'm truly interested in WHY people think the way they do, and it would be nice to have a specific area for controversial subjects. Everything from the subjects mentioned in the first post, to religion, to politics....things that really get people's blood up, things they think they have firm beliefs on. I want to know how people think, and why. Call it an ongoing observation of the origin and evolution of individual opinions, on my part. Ultimately, THAT'S the reason I'd like to have this forum.

If you don't like the idea of me having a forum, well, simply don't post there. Some of the regulars seem to be acting as if I've personally offended them by requesting my own forum, citing reasons why they believe it's not a good idea...everything from "I thought you had to prove yourself, first" to "If you want your own forum, find something NEW as a topic."

Well, there AREN'T any new topics. EVERYTHING is talked about SOMEWHERE. This forum would be an interesting little roundtable, and I really don't see why some of the regulars have such a big problem with it. Undertoad didn't seem to have a problem with it when I told him my idea, so it can't have been abysmal....and like I said...the forum would evolve, but it has to start somewhere.

Sidhe

[Lady Sidhe]

And the reason I wanted a forum HERE is because I LIKE it here. I thought that the people here seemed to be more open-minded and more inclined to think about their opinions, their responses, and why they think the way they do.


Sidhe

[Undertoad]

I was in favor of the idea at first but I like the debate about it and the vote about it. I think in future we should vote on these sorts of things all the time. Democracy!

Let's just agree to the YES or NO vote and set aside the other text in this vote, and just vote, folks.

[lumberjim]

Toad, if we set the other text aside, then you'll not be able to enjoy the debate any further. plus, I'm learning about what people take from the cellar.

Lady sidhe, when i said I thought you had to prove yourself, I really DID think you had to prove yourself. It was news to me that there had previously been a blanket invitation. Don't get your feelings hurt. Since you've brought it up, I have been thinking a little about hosting one too. Not to be a copy cat, but I was thinking it might be a good way to record some stories and some photos for posterity and keep them organized. Then I was thinking that some one is paying for hosting all of this info, and I have not yet had the spare cash to contribute to the tip jar, so I felt a little awkward about it. I'd like to see you have your forum, if for no other reason than to meter your success. I'm gonna go back on my earlier post and switch from abstention to a yes vote. Did you put a timer on the poll? At what amount of votes do we call it a completed study, and enjoy the results?

Good luck, sidhe.
Jim

[juju]

Originally posted by Lady Sidhe
If you don't like the idea of me having a forum, well, simply don't post there. Some of the regulars seem to be acting as if I've personally offended them by requesting my own forum, citing reasons why they believe it's not a good idea...everything from "I thought you had to prove yourself, first" to "If you want your own forum, find something NEW as a topic."

I don't think anyone's offended. You asked our opinion, and we gave it. It's nothing personal. Don't be all defensive now... you asked us!

[Lady Sidhe]

Lumberjim and Sparkz:
Thanks for the yeses. MUCH appreciated.

JuJu:
I wasn't getting defensive. I was merely wondering why my request caused such a negative response. I figure if there's little enough response, it can be taken down, so why not let the experiment run to see how it does? It might sizzle with interesting debate, or it might go down in flames. Only one way to find out.

And I'm not trying to "pitch my tent in someone else's yard." I really do like it here. I like the people, I like the fact that they seem to consider their responses before posting them. I'd like to have a forum here because these are the kind of people I'd like to debate with.


For the record, I'd like to cast my vote as a yes (if I can vote for myself, that is)

I really don't have a time limit for the poll. I figure Undertoad can decide when to make his decision .

Sidhe