SRL Archive - Senior Discussions and Debates

Please introduce a rule to ban ALL religious debate topics.

Do note, they don't just have to be religion. Examples of such debates:

• Religion (the obvious one).
• Politics
• Simba vs SCAR (vs Powerbot/Others)
• Intel vs AMD
• Windows vs Linux (vs Mac/Others)
• Linux Distro #1 vs Linux Distro #2
• XBox vs Playstation
• Firefox vs Chrome (vs Opera/Others)
• and other such types.

They largely consist of people expressing strongly held beliefs about something that cannot really be proven. Pretty much all of these types of debates will result in nothing (i.e. people won't change their view, so it's pretty much pointless), and will just create great tension among fellow members. These threads pretty much destroy our open discussion environment we here accept at Villavu, and frustrate the moderation team when they read over such threads (I'm sure, I know it causes me to go "oh no, not this again..").

Debates on the first page of the forum (there are a lot more):

• Creationism in School?
• What happens when we die?
• SRL Republican Primary

Please discuss.

Regards,
Daniel.

So, we're gonna preserve the "open discussion environment we here accept at Villavu", and way we'll do this is banning certain kinds of discussion?

Please give clear evidence that these kinds of discussion "create great tension" and that this tension is more harmful than the great opportunties to learn that these debates bring.

Stay away from those threads if you don't want to participate. It seems to me this is about you forcing your personal distaste of debates onto everybody else.

You're wrong to say that people have never changed opinions, I personally have changed about the following: Politics, Simba vs SCAR, Intel vs AMD, Windows vs Linux, Linux Distro #1 (Gentoo) vs Linux Distro #2 (Ubuntu), Firefox vs Internet Explorer.
I've seen countless other people have their opinions changed.
I wonder how much poorer and emptier my computer experience would be if I'd never thought about Windows vs Linux or Firefox vs Internet Explorer..

I'm with Yakman 100%.

In fact, I refuse to debate this on the grounds that you wish to end debates and therefore do not deserve to have your rule of non-debating debated.

If I may ask, are you a supporter of freedom of speech, and the Human Rights Act 1998?

-RM

I don't really think it would be a good to ban the debates but i do agree they cause tension.

Debates can be nice, until people start acting immature and ruin them. I personally like debates, it allows you to get inside the persons head and see why they think the way they do. :)

They have caused tension for 6 years now yet no one died and people kept (most of) these discussions in those threads. Why the sudden need?
Also, as you aren't the moderation team, and none of the mods really has problems with those unless there is exceptional cussing and flaming etc. which is uncommon, I don't see why you need them banned. You aren't obligated to read them!

I don't think it's needed. Most of the time these things start out with an honest question.

From: Markus
Also, as you aren't the moderation team, and none of the mods really has problems with those unless there is exceptional cussing and flaming etc. which is uncommon, I don't see why you need them banned. You aren't obligated to read them!

Nothing wrong with suggestions..
Besides, senior members do help moderate the forum.

I don't think the moderation team is frustrated and there's nothing wrong with a good debate. It's a nice way to blow off some steam.

Okay, I apologise on this topic. It's just that, as you know Yakman, absolutely nothing is gained when these threads have started out - nobody will change their opinion, and people will just keep attacking one another, with each post creating more and more tension. I've seen several posts from moderators (mostly Hobbit), which state "That's it, if any more attacks happen this thread will be closed", etc etc. Until that thread is eventually closed, but a new one is opened up with the same participants, and with the same warnings every time.

I understand not all are obligated to read it, but they're just kinda pointless IMHO, hence why I decided to bring up this topic.

And @Yakman again, those other topics are often posted on news/tech sites which actually compare the products and list their pros and cons, with non-bias in mind. Having said that, I've seen people post (not necessarily on these forums, or MITB) about Linux distros vs another, and really get into it (Puppy Linux vs Others, comes to mind).

@Rasta Magician: There will always be rules preventing absolute freedom of speech. The rules here at Villavu provide a perfect example.

I say rather keep those sorts of debates in the BBQ pit. Topics like the ones you mentioned will rapidly degrade…