IMO, DU is suppose to be thought provoking

[RethugAssKicker]

political and philosophical... These types of subjects will naturally cause some disagreements and intense debates. But, we shouldn't get upset and vow never to return...

IMO, this site is not for posts such as "What is your favorite color" or "what is your favorite book"... I'm sure there are other sites for bland non-intellectual conversations. Do you agree?

[merh]

1. Agreed.

If we all agree on everything posted, this would be a boring place. :shrug:

[insane_cratic_gal]

2. what is your fav color and book anyway?

:7

[smirkymonkey]

7. I am tired of people here bashing the color green and "The Great Gatsby"

[Dora]

9. Was that intentional?

Your choice of color and book? Or an entertaining coincidence...

I believe that TGG ended with that endless rowing rowing rowing towards the green light.

Is that right?

[insane_cratic_gal]

12. See, who says Books and color

can't stimulate a broad intelligent thought provoking conversation!

(never finished TGG so I can't comment LOL) But perhaps I will now.

[smirkymonkey]

16. No, I was being random, but you are right about the interesting

coincidence:

"Because Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is broadly associated with the American dream, the green light also symbolizes that more generalized ideal. In Chapter IX, Nick compares the green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation."

Maybe I was aware of it on a subconscious level, but I was trying to point out how we all have our "pet" issues and that it can get very specific and carried away sometimes. Thanks for pointing that out! :hi:

[AllyCat]

3. Well, yes, but the DU Lounge is for all the unrelated stuff

Other boards I frequent (political and otherwise) usually have an off-topic column, off-topic day, or something for people who all kind of "know" each other to vent about other things and find out more about each other.

[Debi]

4. Maybe considering one's favorite color is intellectually stimulating

Maybe the admins of the site should be the judge of what content the site should have and not random posters.

Maybe there are areas of this very site that offer room for both debate and non-debate.

Maybe everyone can be welcome and not judged based on what they post.

[bertha katzenengel]

5. Clearly you've never visited the lounge, or any of the non-political

groups. Your opinion or not, DU is far, far more than what you seem to think it is.

[RethugAssKicker]

11. You're right

I haven't explored those features yet.

[bertha katzenengel]

13. To me, they make DU seem less sterile, less like raging factions

within the groups protesting at a rally. It's a nice 'net community.

[Dora]

6. Yes, but

Sometimes DUers want to have these kind of discussions with other DUers. We are a community after all, and I think it's healthy to stretch our conversations to all arenas. You never know what kind of connections might be made.

The Lounge posts get crazy sometimes, and they can interfere with the "Latest" page, especially for those of us who are here for current events, opinion, etc.

If it is the Lounge posts that are beginning to annoy you, then you can edit your options to block Lounge threads from the Latest page when you're logged in. It's easy, I did it, and now I really do enjoy going into the Lounge when I do, and I spend much more time in GD than I used to.

Added on Edit: I am torn between bright sunny yellow and the blue of a mid-May sky. My favorite book when I was eight years old was Heidi. I don't have a favorite book now, but today my favorite magazine is Harpers.

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Not much rethug here for you kick

though.

[DisassemblingHisLies]

10. Agree.

We're certainly not the KoolAid, cookie cutter crowd where we have to walk a fine chalk line of opinion. We have a wide margin of opinions here, which is healthy.

I crack up at one of the Republican sites where, if an opinion is posted that merely falls outside the Republican talking points, a disclaimer is placed next to that post, then removed from the board! It's not a place for free thoughts - just a place to drone on & on about Democrat-bashing.

Btw, if you go to "options", you can block the lounge threads from appearing on your screen.

[Misunderestimator]

14. That's what the lounge is for... Or are you complaining about the lounge?

I haven't seen any posts like that here in GD. :shrug:

[RethugAssKicker]

18. No, I've seen many right here in GD

[Misunderestimator]

20. You've seen threads in GD asking about favorite colors?

You should ALERT on them... the mods will move them to the lounge. There. Problem solved.

[DeepModem Mom]

15. "Provoking" can be "intellectual," but can also be far from it. nt

[B. P. R. D.]

17. Is this thread in reponse to all the religious stuff of late?

Truthfully, most of those type of threads on GD have no thought provoking material in them. Explaining your belief system repeatedly with different wording doesn't add anything to the discussion. I would rather have some fresh ideas presented on DU instead rehashing the same tired arguments over and over again.

[DeepModem Mom]

19. "Amen" to that, B. P. R. D.!

[RethugAssKicker]

21. No, just tired of seeing

all the silly "i have a headache" type posts.

[Misunderestimator]

22. Can you point one out? I swear I have NEVER seen a thread like that...

that wasn't moved almost immediately to the lounge.

[RethugAssKicker]

24. What about this one titled:

What's your Favorite Public Enemy Song

[DeepModem Mom]

25. That post is in the Lounge forum, which is for discussions like that --

if it had been, or was, posted in General Discussion, it would have been moved by the Moderators.

[Misunderestimator]

26. That thread is in the LOUNGE.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3536755

You do know that you don't have to go to the lounge right? I thought you were saying that these threads were showing up in this forum. I didn't think so.

[RethugAssKicker]

28. I never go to the lounge

That thread was here in GD.... If it has been move since, I don't know.

[kick-ass-bob]

30. No - those were never in GD.

You seem to be confused.

You may be seeing the "Latest Threads" which go across all forums

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Agree, with qualifications.

Such questions are appropriate for the Lounge, and can help a person get a mental picture of the community here.

And if a person's favorite color is black and red, and favorite book "Mein Kampf" it gives a pretty good indication of that person's proclivities. An extreme example, of course, but you see what I'm saying.

To paraphrase Mencken, all ignorance is bad and any knowledge is good.

[dogday]

27. It just seems like there are some things

that offend. I don't believe in insulting or offending anyone who has any beliefs whether I like them or not. Just because we have Freedom Of Speech, doesn't necessarily mean we should exercise it at the cost of offending someone even when we can.

I mean don't you usually know you are going to offend? Does it not occur to a person that what I am about to post will inflame or will degrade or will insult? That is where I try to draw the line at posting. It is not about I believe and therefore your belief is void, it is about I believe and you are entitled to your beliefs and we should be tolerant of one another. If it is best not to discuss, then don't discuss, we have the option of posting or not...

[DBoon]

29. "favorite color" is very important!

how else will we cross the Bridge of Death?

[Shell Beau]

31. Most of those type threads are in the Lounge where

people like to goof off a little. Big deal! If you don't like what the post is about, then don't click on it. No one forces you to read that stuff. Sometimes lighthearted stuff is enlightening and you can learn a lot about someone in those type of threads!

[BikeWriter]

32. Sometimes inquiring minds want to know...

I have made several posts like the ones you describe and polls!

[Midlodemocrat]

33. Locking

Please address all questions about DU policy to the administrators of this site.

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Thank you.

DU Moderator