Political Forum
 

Today I came across The Villages political forum, thinking it might be a good place for some intelligent discussion of the extremely important issues that face us as we prepare to vote for president. Instead, all I see is angry, childish, insulting posts with no coherent arguments one way or another. Does anyone really believe name calling and vulgarity is a good way to present one’s case? Differences of opinion are what makes America great. Belittling those with differing views does nothing but to invite belittling responses. I always felt that we Villagers were a fairly intelligent lot, but I guess I was wrong.
This is not a place for any kind of exchange of ideas, but just a dumping ground for the worst elements of both sides of the political spectrum. It should be avoided by all thinking Americans.
On the other hand, we have the right to speak our minds, no matter how callously. This is one of the many things that makes America great. Just be prepared for the worst should you venture onto that forum.

P.S. Polar Bear-Thank you.

Many members of TOTV are not residents of The Villages.

I agree with your comments regarding the tone and content of the Political Forum. It is an embarrassment to think all TOTV Users might be associated with the school yard behavior found in that forum. I go to that section, like you hoping to find an intelligent civil discussion. But alas it is always the same. Vulgar name calling.

Don

You are most definitely wrong. The statement while perhaps your opinion to which you are entitled you are in fact wrong.

You have fallen prey to the modern day sickness of extrapolating the isolated case or the minority representation to sound like a general condition when it is not.

The other 95% of us who are the intelligent lot and the majority are proof of your error.

You make some excellent points. :thumbup:

When I first went there, I actually thought discussion of the issues, with legitimate links to bolster your position, was what the forum was supposed to be about.

I quickly learned however, that since my views do not mirror the majority...that's not the case.

Constant vulgar personal attacks and dogpiling...seems to be the modus operandi of the majority.

Of which, and I include myself, it is all to easy and tempting...to respond in kind. :(

Although on one level I understand the reason that everyone is labeled as 'guest' (it gets around the site rule of 'no personal attacks,' since no one is actually identified) and that there is no moderator button to report the extremely sexually vulgar, racist and misogynist posts, the anonymity also emboldens those who don't want folks/their friends upstairs...to know what they're really like.

Although showing user names would, IMHO, immediately bring a little civility to the forum, as a compromise it would really be nice if each guest were given a number so that when discourse is exchanged...a person knows to with whom their posts are being exchanged.

And it would also identify the worst offenders, so that a better handle on the real % of those types could be determined. :shrug:

And while I have been very generic and haven't mentioned a single name in this post, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if what I stated above...quickly bled over into this thread and proved me correct. :ohdear:

Flame suit on. :D

A good point. Obviously that forum is not representative of most Villagers. But the few who do comment there seem to be boorish, crude and narrow minded. I thank you for correcting me on the fact that they are not the majority of the Villagers.

Yung dum:

Please do not paint with too wide a brush. Do you read all the posts or scan a few? I have learned that a few posters never seem to read other posters comments and are more anxious to respond.

There are a number of posters to Polticial Talk with civil tongues and respectable IQ. These same posters have begged Admin to remove the epsilons and trolls from this forum but the pleas seem to have gone unanswered. So it has become a no man's land

I love to discuss both politics and religion but I found that some folks believe name calling is their argument. So I ignore the attacks and focus on the subject matter. Perhaps what the Political Talk needs are more people like you that will benefit the group and if we got more like you we my be able to suffocate out the epsilons and trolls

Personal Best Regards

I've been over there, more out of curiosity than anything else, and on one of my visits the names of posters was shown. Quite an eye opener to see the manner in which they post here and the filth they post there! However, I do think there are a number of trolls who use the political forum just to vent and stir the pot.

It's been my personal observation, that the term 'troll' is all too often incorrectly used to describe someone...simply because they do not appertain to the majority.

Conversely, when someone's posts are consistently of a racist/misogynist/bigoted/sexually vulgar/xenophobic/homophobic/etc. nature...then the term is much more apt.

Stopped viewing that "Forum" months ago.

There is no answer to it apart from moderation.
However that soon becomes self defeating, as posts that are quite innocuous to most, get deleted on a whim, then the whole thread becomes impossible to follow because of all the missing posts.
I post on another popular village forum with my full name, which is supposed to be required, but I bet 50% of other posters use a pseudonym.
It is a bit like the law. No enforcement, then do as you please.
My rule is never print, what I would not say to a persons face.

What I noticed the ONE time I made a comment on the political forum was that when I received an email from Admin that someone had responded to my post, the email gave that person's name even though if I looked at the person's post on the forum, it only said "guest."

The other thing I noticed was that people's signatures are included at the bottom of their posts, and some of the signatures are very recognizable. It's been a long time since I went onto that forum, so maybe things have changed since then (about a year, maybe).

There was rarely good discussion on that forum.

I try to provide links on the Political Forum. However there are a couple of extremely racist, misogynist, anti-immigrant people on there whom I get very tried of hearing from. I do wish there was an ignore button for these posters on the Political Forum.

Nothing has changed.

I find it hilarious

From one of the urban dictionaries...

"A Troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, simply for their own amusement."

It's rampant in the political forum.

Kinda like our secret ballots.

No. I don't see a corollary. You don't SHOW your secret ballots. Being anonymous and mean is ugly.

Actually, it looks like it is only about five or so anonymous posters on the Political Forum who are throwing many personal insults out at one another. Most of the other people do try to help people make their minds in an intelligent manner.

A real troll doesn't necessarily believe what s/he is saying. They're just saying things to start an argument.

Some people on the political forum mean the ugly things they say. Same as with the unmoderated online news comments.

I think there's a difference. The trick is to tell which is which.

Actually I was trying to be politically current without being political. Didn't work, sorry
:throwtomatoes:

GG: some voters are very open about the identity of their candidate of choice. And perhaps while being anonymous and mean is ugly the better man always takes the high ground.

Posters periodically begin a thread concerning their impression of Political Talk and too often they give those few trolls too much attention. There are a number of posters on Political Talk that will ignore trolls and conduct point counter point discussion

I find it sad.
--
Bob C

I'm not faint of heart. I just find wallowing in the sort of trash that's rampant in that forum to be a total waste of time and so, I rarely bother to look in there anymore.
--
Bob C

I'm with you. Well said.

Have an acquaintance that has a Trump Sign. He was paired with another couple and when they saw his sign they got in their cart, went back to the golf shop and got their money back. This is a polarizing year and feelings are strong on both sides. Since I have no way to poll the majority here, I don't know how anyone can state how the "majority" are, intelligent, troll or whatever. I know about 100 people and in this place, even if I knew a thousand people, there is no way I would ever presume to say "the majority of". That is the same as politicians saying "The American People want". Lets let the political discussions remain in the forum and have the exchange of ideas face to face wth the people we know....it would be so much more productive.

Totally agree.

To those who think it's "not for the feint of heart"...don't flatter yourself. It's unrestrained childishness.

:agree:

I would not have done what your acquaintance did. However, if the subject of politics came up, I would have cut it off at the pass. We have many friends, some from decades ago, who are politically opposite from us. We just agree to leave politics alone. I treasure these people. I also welcome the opportunity to make new friends on levels other than politics. I doubt half the people we play pickleball with are of our same political bent. Yet we really like these people on other levels.

What I wouldn't do is participate in a group the majority of whom were of opposite values or political opinions from mine and were vocal about it. But to be paired up with someone on a golf course and refuse to play because of his politics? I think that's awfully narrow minded.

:agree:

Well, thankfully, one way or the other, it will all be over soon and then we can all go back to saying how awful the President is!

Life will goes on ad nauseum and some will be happy and some will be unhappy and there is absolutely NOTHING anyone can do about it!

My real concern in all this is the amount of money that is spent every four years to elect a President - I think I heard that it is going to be close to $10Billion. With that money we could wipe out hunger and poverty worldwide, it would go a very long way to defeating Isis and probably Terrorism in general which would be money well spent, a lot better spent than on an election every four years. But, that's just my foolish thinking;)

Have to add that it has been pleasant to have an almost normal discussion without it turning inflammatory.

I agree. And everytime I see an ad (and change channels) I think of the enormous amount of money that could be put to good use.

True, we'd certainly all like to see an end to world hunger and poverty which is dreadful.
But I do appreciate that in North America, we get a chance to vote on who governs us.
As a sidenote, can you believe that 100 years ago women weren't allowed to vote?

........... and think of all the women in the world that still cannot vote, cannot leave an abusive partner, cannot be educated. We are incredibly fortunate to live in a world where we can achieve anything. Now, on that note, I have to go do the dishes and clean up from dinner!

LISNOWBIRD I do like wise.

I don't swear well only in my mind never from my lips and I try and avoid hateful and derogatory terms. So I find it curious when some posters goes off..."what could possible create such an unchecked emotional response?" Is this poster sincere, believes s/he is being playful, simply acting out or just mindless?????????? One thing is perfectly clear such posters keep missing the beat

The one advantage to Political Talk is that it breaks the monotony of some of the routine threads (ie poop round abouts etc. )

I do read some of the Political Forum posts and some do start out as a pathway for logical discussion. However, within a couple of posts, they degenerate to name calling and worse.

The Political Forum should either be discontinued OR not be an anonymous "guest" posting. The removal of anonymity would take away the vast majority of vile bigoted posts that show up when talk of equality comes up.

Yes, there are First Amendment rights but that forum gives a bad outlook to those who may want to move to The Villages.

Many do not want to "discuss" politics, they want to "argue" politics.
Not a good way to exchange ideas.

sandtrap: The simple solution is to boot out the trolls. Admin has a policy of no personal attacks and all they need to do is follow their own policy and it will resolve the situation. I do not care about the usernames all being "guest"because I am responding to the posters comments not the poster.

Actually it makes it more objective. As you will note on the general forums friends usually take sides with friends. I prefer to speak to the comments. heck I often disagree with my wife and she's my best friend. We owe each other honesty.

jdmiata In my view politics has always equated with argument because in that mode we find passion and in passion we find commitment. The problem arises when argument is abandoned and replaced with name calling, especially when one believes name calling is their argument

Personal Best Regards:

Hmmm - political forum? why? Must be a boring place these days. I mean isn't it an off-election year and nobody is running for nuthin'?

Yes, I live in The Bubble. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I miss much news or such. I try to keep up with current events, but some may have slipped by.

Have no idea what you folks are talkin' 'bout.

:shrug: