Hyperpolarization and internet forum behavior

[TwitchKitty]

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=206469

This is borrowed from another forum because I like what it says:

Effective immediately, the Political Discussions forum will be closed to all new threads and posts for a period of one week.

Few things in life are ever black and white. However, if one formed their impressions about our planet from this Political Discussions forum, they might be led to such a conclusion.

I've posted here in PD for close to three years now, and lurked here some while longer. I've been at various times a PD moderator as well as the administrator 'responsible' for PD. During my tenure here, I've seen and have participated in my share of arguments, and I can attribute many of my currently held positions to their effects.

With that said, I must share that my fellow administrators and I have observed a disturbing and disappointing trend develop over the last year or so: Hyperpolarization.

PD has long been known for its (at times a little too) spirited debates and strongly held viewpoints, but in recent times the forum has evolved from generally benign and innocent debates on subjects to outright hyperpolarized shout-fests.

It seems like every viewpoint these days is presented as indisputable fact and anyone who differs from said viewpoint is part of 'the enemy' and is an open target to be vilified, slandered, or put down.

This is most obvious in subjects such as liberal versus conservative and socialist versus capitalist, but the extent to which the hyperpolarization lies is so deep it is manifested in nearly every thread in this forum.

There appears to be no middle ground in this never ending warring of the extremities; the lack of such defines PD as hollow and empty.

Due to this, my fellow administrators and I have elected to shut down PD for one week, so that its users can step back from the constant bickering and find said perspective.

We will be sorting through the top several pages of threads and locking any discussions that don't live up to our standards. Upon reopening, we will do a better job at trying to uphold the standards for discussion found in other forums here at IIDB.

This decision does not come lightly on our parts; holding PD to a higher standard is a requisite for staying true to our mission.


A discussion thread regarding this closure can be found here: link.

Thank you for your understanding,

IIDB Administrators.

[Hatterasguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRr7QAFBNA

Still says it best...

[Skid Row Joe]

Twitchy, is there a Nobel Prize?

[t walgamuth]

Actually, I think we do a fairly decent job of responding to each idea individually. I can think of many times when I agreed with (fill in the blank) about one particular issue while being the exact opposite of them on many things.

I am always impressed when someone I usually disagree with chimes in on an issue and agrees with me.

Now there are a few trolls who really piss me off.....but they are being dealt with by the mods usually after it is clear that their purpose is simply to disrupt and not discuss.

Not a bad motto....."here to discuss not disrupt".

Tom W

[cmac2012]

Originally Posted by TwitchKitty

This is borrowed from another forum because I like what it says:

Good essay. I accidentally stumbled upon the Sean Hannity forum and got drawn in (how could that happen ).

The degree of certainty and readiness to heap contempt on THE OTHER there is pretty intense. Sorta like Hannity himself.

[Matt SD300]

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Good essay. I accidentally stumbled upon the Sean Hannity forum and got drawn in (how could that happen ).

The degree of certainty and readiness to heap contempt on THE OTHER there is pretty intense. Sorta like Hannity himself.

Did you call the Hannity hate line??..........

[cmac2012]

Getting on Hannity's show is not easy. I tried several times. The first time I got through, the lady said my question was not what they were looking for at the time, which I assume was someone Hannity could slap down easily as being a clueless liberal.

Once I actually got on the air, and after I made a point Hannity couldn't counter (IMO), he said "nice try," and "Oh, up against a hard break! Gotta go."

Waste of time trying to get on his show. He holds all the cards.

[Matt SD300]

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Getting on Hannity's show is not easy. I tried several times. The first time I got through, the lady said my question was not what they were looking for at the time, which I assume was someone Hannity could slap down easily as being a clueless liberal.

Once I actually got on the air, and after I made a point Hannity couldn't counter (IMO), he said nice try, and "Oh, up against a hard break! Gotta go."

Waste of time to try to get on his show. He holds all the cards.

So true!!...All media guys/gals have an agenda...

cmac, Merry Christmas................

[cmac2012]

Hey, we're supposed to be adversaries, remember?

[Dee8go]

Look, if you guys start agreeing on things, you may have to be banned . . .

[Mistress]

take it for what it is, an expression of ones ideas spewed forth into the ethers. If you wanna run with the big dogs you gotta get off the porch. Did I spell porch right?

[Dee8go]

Thank YOU, Dr. Phil(lys)

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Mistress

take it for what it is, an expression of ones ideas spewed forth into the ethers. If you wanna run with the big dogs you gotta get off the porch. Did I spell porch right?

Its Porsche, right?

Tom W

[Hatterasguy]

I have to say the discussions on some of these forums are quite interesting, much more so then in real life.

I like hearing all these view points, much more interesting then talking politic's with the wasps at the yacht club.

[Dee8go]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Its Porsche, right?

Tom W

That's right, Porch 911 Turbo . . .