Is GD relevant anymore?

[SoCalDem]

Maybe some people don't know there is a forum called General Discussion: Politics.. My fervent wish would be for any thread/post that contained the name of a specific candidate to be automatically "poofed" to that forum..

There ARE many of us who have truly NOT yet decided . I am so fatigued at all the infighting and needless arguing over this one and that one and the other one.

I know that when someone posts about Israel or about 911, those posts get sent off to the "appropriate" forum..I just wish it would be the same for the divisive/ rah-rah/ candidate-specific posts that are currently populating GD..A pair of horny rabbits could not be populating more than these are.

Perhaps I am in the minority and am full of shit, but there seems to be no escaping it these days..

The administrators even gave individual forums for the various candidates, in addition to the "politics" GD, but the proliferation has not slowed ..to MY jaded eye, it's only gotten worse, and the cross-posting speeded up..

I am truly curious.. Has anything you have seen posted against "your candidate" or for another, ever changed you own mind?? even one iota?

It's almost as if each and every one is posted as deliberate flamebait to draw out the "arguers" and to increase divisiveness..

I hope I have not crossed any line here.. I am truly interested to see if anyone else out there feels the same way..

...now where did I set down that magic lamp?? Genie?? where are you?..I want my wishes...

[Fearless]

1. There is more to politics than next election.

[BlooInBloo]

2. I never really understood what GDP was *for*.

[sandnsea]

8. It's the original primary forum

After that, I think it was supposed to be the place for politics, while GD had social issues, crime, health, labor, current events.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Huh. Looky at that.

[closeupready]

13. Looky at what? I've got them on ignore.

I take it, for a good reason? :D

[BlooInBloo]

15. lol! No - I mean the rationale. Had no idea. Hell - I just learned about the fried chicken thread.

[SoCalDem]

16. Two words for you, Bloo.. Corn flakes

two more

Olive Garden

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

19. Laura Branigan... nt

[BlooInBloo]

25. Aw crap - more lore I dunno anything about - what's the LB reference?

[blondeatlast]

30. Here you go. Definitely not a DU high point.

What got deleted was appalling.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=1603797

[BlooInBloo]

37. Thanks!

[Bluebear]

41. Ditto

[closeupready]

3. I don't know but I do feel that DU has changed, and not for the better

over the course of the last year or so. I'm very unhappy with some of the views that have been allowed to be expressed here, and also, the fact that the people expressing those views have been allowed to continuing spreading that filth.

[mudesi]

42. In my opinion, the mods need more power

As I understand it, they have to all agree (or something like that) before any action is taken. With the volume of posts in GD these days, it seems like either there needs to be 2000 moderators, or that the moderators have to be given more power to delete, lock, etc without having to get "permission", or to have to jump through any other such hoops.

I truly believe most of the filth that gets posted here is simply overlooked due to the sheer number of people who post on a daily basis.

[sandnsea]

4. I agree, it's time

That's what the forum was originally created for, after all.

[murielm99]

5. I agree with your post.

I do not think you have crossed any lines.

I am truly struggling. If anything, all the anti-Hillary posts make me like her more, make me look at her more carefully. I was not even considering her at first.

Of course the last primary season was bad. But I wonder how many of the posters this time around are trolls, or paid by one campaign or another. That includes most of the candidates, not just the anti-Clinton posters.

[closeupready]

7. I doubt anyone is paid to post here, but there are probably

people involved in various campaigns who DO post here, and take sides because (surprise, surprise) they want their candidates to win.

[Mojorabbit]

9. I am the opposite

The rudeness of so many Hillary supporters have turned me off big time. I still have not made up my mind yet on any of them.

[emilyg]

27. Perhaps you haven't had time to read Obama supporters?

[ruiner4u]

6. Im with ya...

a year and a half ago I loved GD cause it was a great source of news... Now its just a candidate pissing contest..

[karlrschneider]

11. The more I hear about how awful my candidate is, the more I support my candidate.

Not that I could never change my mind but it would be by other means than hearing how fucking stupid I am for supporting my current choice.

[LSK]

17. yeah but your candidate cuts off the heads of kittens on Fridays

:sarcasm:

[karlrschneider]

38. ONLY kittens that are already deceased!

:P

[SoCalDem]

39. Ewww. that's worse.. Kitnecrophilia

[blondeatlast]

12. GD should be primarily focused on issues and events. I'm as undecided as they get

and pretty apt to stay that way for many months to come.

As to your suggestion that posts with candidate's names in the SL get jettisoned to GD: AB-SO-EFFING-LUTELY.

[JackRiddler]

14. KICK! Please everyone recommend to end the noise!

[LSK]

18. I would be perfectly fine if we had GD and GD:Primaries 2008

We used to do that from time to time when big events happened like fitzmas.

[SoCalDem]

20. yes.. that would be "loverly".. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

22. Yep n/t

[zanne]

21. Let's keep GD as it is...

If nothing else, it's honest. We're not all clones; we do have differences of opinion. Maybe, with time, we'll get better at expressing them in more civilized terms, but without the "candidate bashing", what would be the point of GD? It's the Primary season; we're supposed to discuss/argue about the differences of the candidates. In a world where there are very few places to vent, GD provides the opportunity. Let GD be GD!

[gateley]

23. I'm a newbie and I just automatically gravitated to GD -- and I didn't know

the between that and GD-P. Your explanations make sense and I'll follow those guidelines now.

And from my newbie perspective, I've really been impressed with the reception, dialogue and resource DU is.

I've seen MANY posts about how it 'used' to be and how it's become kind of ugly now --as I said, I can't compare.

But when I see the vitriolic posts and the heated debates -- including name calling -- I just assumed it was because we all are so desperate for a change and we feel extra passionate that only our candidate can "save" us all. I just don't read the attacks because it does get my blood boiling.

Just a newbie's perspective, as I said. And another thank you to you all who have provided me with so much education and understanding of the world politic.

[SoCalDem]

26. Welcome

:hi:

I'm with you.. I rarely click on them either :)

DU has been evolving almost daily since I got here in June '01, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.. People come and people go and then they come back :)

I knew next to nothing about politics until I found this place..so I love it here..

New blood is always welcome..I just hate to see it splattered all over the walls :)

[gateley]

35. Thanks and I'll say it again -- I'm THRILLED to be here! nt

[aquart]

24. Maybe it's time for the Primary Forum.

Although I would prefer to see that a little closer to actual voting.

[The Backlash Cometh]

28. I'm monogamous when it comes to the forums for this reason:

It just makes it easier to search articles if I stick to GD. If I cross-over to other forums, it's usually because they made it to the Greatest Page, or because it's a slow newsday and I had time to look at the "latest" threads.

[eppur_se_muova]

29. Maybe GD:Candidates would be more obvious than GDP ?

:shrug: just thinkin' out loud

[Lone_Star_Dem]

34. When I first started there used to be a sticky at the head of each forum

That mentioned what should be posted where. It may have even been stated in window where you post a thread, but on that I'm not certain. I do remember that it wasn't confusing to me to choose what went where, however.

I'm sure when the Admins feel the time is right they'll do something similar again.

[Raejeanowl]

31. I Agree

I'm tired of wading through everything that's inappropriately, and often proliferatively, posted on GD. Like a landfill. Hiding threads is not the OS-Fits-All answer. And it's genuinely annoying to keep finding the pro/anti-candidate stuff there.

[Individualist]

32. I stopped going to GDP

when DLCers took over that forum. Their BS isn't worth reading.

[Spazito]

33. I agree!

Because the primary season has been extended by the candidates themselves as well as the media, etc, GDP should become the forum for debate about the various candidates, etc.

When GD was separated into GD and GDP it worked very well during the last Presidential election, I hope that separation is again enforced soon.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

36. I've been noticing an increase of candidate related post recently

I suspect the time is near for the official separation to take place.

In my opinion it makes it easier to find what you're looking for. As it is now if I want to catch up on a candidate related issue I'm hopping back and forth between the two forums reading.

[DeepModem Mom]

40. As you know, but some may not, at a point in '04, political posts were REQUIRED to be posted in GDP.

If posted in GD, they were moved. I'm assuming that time will come, but don't know when.

[RiverStone]

43. DU has helped to shape my opinion - to vote for Kucinich!

I am truly curious.. Has anything you have seen posted against "your candidate" or for another, ever changed you own mind?? even one iota?

DU has giving me additional knowledge to help me make an informed decision. Lets just say, it is all the news on the DEM field I could ever want - in one place - at my fingertips.

To sum it up, it has confirmed that DK is the ONLY true Democrat in the bunch that consistently represents my values and concerns. For that, I thank DU :)