Political Discussions on TT (Your Opinion Wanted)

[Dave2112]

Greetings folks! I Hope everyone's having a great day so far.

A topic has been broached in a recent thread of mine, the topic of having political discussions on TT. This covers a couple of discussion points, such as should we have a separate section for these discussions and even includes should we have these discussions at all?

Before I start, let me emphatically say that I respect all opinions in this thread, and I encourage everyone to share their thoughts. If you're going to comment in this thread just to have something shitty to say...please save it for another thread so we can seriously talk. I think we here at TT are capable of that.

The first thing to discuss is if TT would benefit from having a separate section for either political discussions or "Hot Topics". This has been broached before, but the discussion did not come to much of anything after awhile. Maybe it should be brought up again. There are pros and cons. So, let me give a little advice based on how the TMF got it's subforum and why.

I was a moderator on TMF during the events of 9/11. With such a world-changing event taking place, there is no way to control discussions about it. However, those topics very quickly overshadowed and sunk discussions on any other topic. We discussed it and at first thought of adding a subforum just for the discussion of 9/11. We quickly realized that this only served the short-term. Upon further collaboration, we ultimately decided upon a subforum to discuss politics in general...then widened it to religion as well...the two proverbial "hot topics". This re-opened General Discussion to things of a more "general" nature and everyone was happy.

I'll only speak for myself here...but I am all for having a subforum like this here. I've heard people speak of the downsides, and those should be addressed. Yes, a subforum for hot-point topics can be messy. People's opinions can be very strong and they tend to cling tightly to them. And, given the nature of the internet, there will...be...trolls.

What you need for one to work is good and consistent moderation. The reason that the TMF's P&R forum has gotten kinda ugly is because it is almost completely unmoderated anymore. To be honest, one of the reasons I don't even discuss there anymore is because I kinda feel a little hypocritical. My name is attached to one of the rules stickies I was asked to author...but not being a mod anymore, I can do little about the gross violations. I'd asked for it to be removed...but I really don't think anyone's paying much attention to that part anymore. My point is...it NEEDS specific moderation. I'm sure there are folks here more than qualified, and I would also offer my own services to moderate this one section. And...it would HAVE to be moderated NOT FOR CONTENT...but for BEHAVIOR. You cannot have biased moderation and expect a smoothly-flowing discussion forum.

So, let's move on to the other thing brought up in my other thread. (And a reason why I think we should have a separate section.) The statement of "I come here to have fun, I don't want to see these topics". (I paraphrase the sentiments of several over the years on this topic.) I'm not going to be hurtful and just say something blunt like "Well, why do you open them, then?" The topics are there, and maybe they DO bother some people. I completely agree that many folks come here just to have fun, talk about silly things, or fetish things or what-have-you.

That being said...I think it bears a comment on how we should proceed if TT ultimately decides NOT to have a separate subforum for touchy subjects. I think we have to keep in mind that, while respecting the "just for fun" folks, we have a "General Discussion" section at TT for a reason. It's the same reason that TMF decided to have a general discussion section, which they did not at first.

We are a varied and multi-faceted bunch of people. The very reason we even HAVE nice, safe places like TT and TMF is to show that we're not just about one thing. Tickling fetishists (and all the other myriad kinksters who come here) are not just the stereotypical guy in the basement whacking off to porn with no other life. We come from all walks of life and have many, many other interests.

Our tickling alone does not define us...it just adds to us.

We are white and black. We are blue-collar and white-collar. We are religious and scientific. We are wealthy and poor...straight, gay and bi...we like sports, read books, love our kids, go to community functions, enjoy movies and tv...

We come from everywhere.

If all we talked about were tickling...this would become a very slow place indeed. I know as someone who's been in this lifestyle for several decades...you can only talk about the same topics so much, even when trying to help out the younger folks who have questions or are confused about their interests. Even with the best of intentions at the start, you simply are not going to answer the same questions for ten years. If all we ever talked about were tickling, we'd have a million threads getting modded for going off-topic as folks converse with one another. This is how we meet, how we make friends, how we start gatherings, how we exist as a community. We talk about other things and get to know one another, decide who we like, who shares our OTHER interests. Another thing I've learned in my lifetime is that basing inter-personal relationships on only your fetishes makes for very empty inter-personal relationships. I've learned this the hard way many times. So, talking about ALL of our interests can ONLY help our community.

So, we must talk about the last point. If we don't have a subforum for discussing politics and such...what do we do about those who don't like seeing these topics take up room in General Discussion. I can completely empathize with those who just don't like these topics. It's your right. I admit, I like to post them from time to time...I truly enjoy having intellectual discussions with those who wish to take part in them. Politics is one of MY passions like the ones I mentioned above that we all have. If a few others wish to partake, I'm a happy person. Yes, some are rants (which I try like hell to throw at least a little humor in...but nobody's perfect...), but I really enjoy finding out who else enjoys what I do.

The worst thing we can do is to dissuade people from posting these topics. It's easy to say "You know, some people here don't like topics this deep or troubling or controversial...so let's keep them out of GenDis altogether." There actually MAY even be some logic to this, depending on how one would like a message board to reflect itself. But...I believe it creates a very slippery and dangerous slope. What happens when another several people come along and say "You know, I come to TT to have fun, not talk about sports." So then...we have no sports posts. Then what? TV shows? Books? It starts a cycle of restricting what people can and cannot talk about. Even with the best of intentions, I just don't think that's what's best for TT or what it stands for. So, if there is no special subforum, I implore the folks who don't like political or religious discussions to simply avoid them. Again, I don't mean that in a mean-spirited "Well just don't look!" sort of way...but it's really the only logical option. Going into hot topic threads repeatedly just to say you don't like hot topic threads only serves to make people stop posting what they feel and start feeling like they can't talk about what makes them...well...them. For myself, I know I throw some stuff out there that's kinda controversial or hot...but I'm a passionate guy about some things. It's what makes me what I am, and when others join in, it gives me some small pleasure in a pretty hectic and stressful life. I'm sure others feel the same way.

So friends...please use this thread to discuss this and give your honest opinions. There's no right or wrong, but it would serve us well to get the opinions of a large portion of our community. We're all on the same side ultimately...

...and we all have something to say. 🙂

 

[Mash]

First off, I think I should start off by saying that I do not think that the TT would specifically benefit from having a subforum like the TMF. My reasoning, as I mentioned before, is that there simply aren't enough people to require such a subforum. The TMF often has 4-6+ active threads at a time all being populated with 20+ people. In my old Science and Religion thread, it was essentially 5 people spitting at each other for the better part of two months. That's not to say that a subforum like that isn't a good idea, but I don't think that it would 'benefit' from it in the same way a very populated forum would.

A 'General Discussion' is necessary for ANY forum. As you said, tickling is only a part of our lives, and for me it is a very small part of my life. I came to this forum because of my fetish, but I've stayed here because of this particular forum section. General Discussion is the number one reason that I'm not lurking right now; discussing tickling gets boring after about the first 10 minutes.

I understand that people don't want to see those topics keep popping up...but we have to understand that they are not obligated to read them. If they read through them, and get annoyed, angry, or frustrated...then that isn't the forum's fault. Someone could post a thread about how they love the teachings of Jesus Christ, and they could recite Bible verses all damn day long, and I would not care at all about it. Out of respect, I wouldn't even post in that thread(Unless they were spewing very obvious lies that I could contradict with on-hand information).

Debates of any sort are my passion. I don't go out of my way to argue about things, but argue I will if presented with the option. I don't know if I do it out of teenage pride, or some inherent need to try and educate a non-educated population, but arguing is something that I can always be counted on to do.

 

[MistressValerie1]

Given its history, I don't think that the TT will ever prohibit political or religious topics, although I don't think that there is enough demand to create a P&R subforum at this time. As long as the threads are properly titled and the participants follow at least the spirit of the "be polite" rule, the TT should be able to accommodate controversial topics in the GenDis section.

 

[jts963]

Things are fine the way they are. There are always going to be complainers who want to change things, but they don't always have a good reason for doing so.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. :cool

 

[PurpleStyle]

I only support this idea if we can add the "Inane Chatter" sub-forum for all of the topics like this, this, this, this, this, and just about everything one poster who shall remain nameless (we all know who I'm talking about anyway) has ever posted.

Edit: I forgot this.

 

[PurpleStyle]

Actually, you don't need a new section, if you want to talk politics and all that, just post in general. Just my opinion, I really don't because I am very hot under the collar, so to speak, when it comes to things like that. I try to avoind it in the chat, but I am the first to admit I get riled about that stuff.You can ignore it in the chat room for a while, but when you hear the same thing over and over, it gets irritating. It would be different if there was an actual intelligent conversation going on, but mostly, as we all know, it's just blabbering, which makes it even more irritating. At least that's how I see it.

Actually, I think we do need a new section. How you feel about those subjects being brought up on the forum is completely different to how others may feel. Like Dave mentioned, certain people come here for certain things, and if they see the general discussions page filled with topics that don't interest them, they may be discouraged from posting. I know I get this way when I see the paged filled with inane crap like "three word story game" topics.

 

[tickletorments1]

New here, but have mixed feelings, a lot of older people always maintain never debate religion or politics in public, because its problematic, like at the hair dressers,they mean well i guess, but always its football, football,politics,religion, WORK UGHH (trying to forget that in my own time) always feel like saying (stfuah) shut the f--- up ass hole and just cut my hair.(jesus was that my ear on the floor)

The way the world is today people are bound to have concerns and it is nice to debate these concerns from time to time amongst friends and fellow fetish minded folk, so gen disussion.

I don't think the chat room or cyber tickling (heaven forbid) is the place, and i don't think it needs a sub forum, but on the other hand a sub forum would be a place for the extremists and flamers to be together leaving the rest of us mere mortals to debate the price of feathers in china.

Now a subs forum as in (dom/sub) that may be a different matter:stickout

 

[idiot756]

My word, that's a lot to read. :stickout

I'll just say this. Political talk ALWAYS gets people angry, unless everybody in the conversation happens to agree with one another. That doesn't happen often on the internet. Politics always devolve into arguments and name calling, which is why I avoided it all until recent years.

I tend to think of myself as a nice guy, but when somebody disagrees with me, my initial reaction is to think "😛issed That guy is an IDIOT!" Er, just ignore my name on this one, heheh. After I've cooled down, I state my case in an intellectual manner, and respectfully agree to disagree. Since the internet tends to be militantly liberal and atheist and bash anything that isn't, and since I have a tendency to take up for the underdog (the people that most internet users are constantly bashing), I find myself at odds with them often.

When I post in a political topic, I post my two cents and ignore it afterward, because I sometimes fear that the response to my post will lead to more arguing. I hate arguing, because nobody ever really changes their mind. People just get their feelings hurt.

 

[the_jimmy_james]

A forum I was a member of years ago, we got so sick of it that we made a new forum just so people could talk about that stuff.

I don't mean a new section.

We bought a new domain and created a new site.

It was awesome because it then spawned two other forum sites, one of them was all mine.

 

[chicag0]

There's like seven posts a day on this forum and 99.9% of them are likely tickling related versus political, so I doubt a subforum is necessary, but I don't think most people care either way. At least, I don't. If it makes things easier, go for it.

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

Yeah, there's no sense in a subforum, as long as we can all keep things reasonable and decent. And honestly, I think maybe we can. I dunno. I hate that hawk/cbarton(and possibly others) left if it had any grounds in political/religious discussions. It may not have, though. He sounded like he had a full load on the home front. Speaking solely for myself, I try to stay off the hot button(religion, politics, race, sexism, et al) issues, but that's because I've learned over the years that it's best(for me, at least) to treat message boards as sort of a virtual cocktail party amongst a bunch of relative strangers. You know, keep things light and airy.
That said, yes, I have added to the occasional thread on such topics, usually with later regret.

I'm a much better one-to-one kind of guy. I can easily overlook some difference of opinion I might have with someone on almost ANY grounds, and am able to concentrate on what unites us instead. Just as a for-instance: While I disagree more often than not with idiot756 on any number of topics, I get the sense he'd be easier to get along with in person than some with whom I share political/religious opinions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, let's have the great debates next to the silly threads and every other topic, and just try our best not to take any of it too seriously.
I mean, when you think about it: Let's say you have some big, lifelong quest to do some greater good for the world. like stamping out hunger, or curing the blind, or whatfucking ever. Is a message-board that is first and foremost about tickling REALLY the best place to actively pursue your ultimate goal?

So, you know, we should allow most posts to sink/swim on their own merits most of the time. The rest of the time, it's up to the mods to step in. As for me personally, I'll be adding my idle pratter now and then, as I've always done, and as poorly as ever.