Forum Guidelines

[+Sol seaker]

I was reading another forum, elsewhere, the other day.

 

I read their guidelines and was impressed to find that they stated in their guidelines that discussions of religion and politics were not allowed.

They said that there are plenty of forums elsewhere for those.

 

The fact is that religion and politics just incite riot.

 

I keep off the topic with relatives and anyone I want to have good relations with that I know has differing views than mine.

 

In this forum we have people from every background there is.

In general, people tend to get along alright in here.

 

But especially bring up politics, and a mess ensues.

 

I think it would be great to have that guideline in these forums.

 

It's a great thing when geocaching can bring together people from all different backgrounds.

 

It's a real shame when discussions such as politics tear us all apart again and destroy the great bridges that geocaching has built.

[+tozainamboku]

Outside of the off-topic forums discussion of religion or politics is generally off-topic. Of course we get threads from time to time on religious tracts in caches or carrying firearms when caching. These are tightly moderated and get locked quickly when the discussion begins to sway from how this related directly to geoaching.

 

There are already guideline here that deal with courtesy and respect and these are strictly enforced. These really allow the moderators to control the sort of issues that other forums have with religion or politics - even in the off-topic forum where these threads are allowed.

 

There is also an agenda guideline for the forums. Threads that promote a commercial, social, political, or charitable agenda insofar as the agenda does not reasonably relate to the activity of geocaching or GPS usage are not permitted. This of course leaves thread with a political agenda of "Stop Lightsquared, what was the FCC thinking?" But for the most part we can't have threads promote a particular stance on a political or religious issue.

 

Of course, I would oppose a no mention of religion clause because I like to refer to those who insist that there is some rule that you must sign a log to post an online found log as puritans. Invariably some will complain that I am dissing their religious beliefs. Of course I am careful to point out that I don't capitalize puritan and therefore am not refering to any Protestant sect or their religious beliefs, or to any other Christian denomination that sees itself as the successor to the Puritans. I use the lower case puritan as it has become commonly used to refer to anyone with an excessive concern with following "rules" which may or may not be widely adhered to by others. Still under a no religious discussion guideline, the religious origin of the term may cause it to be banned in the forum. (And since I already can't use the work cupcakes if there is a chance that someone might think I'm refering to part of the female anatomy, I fear that Groundspeak may try to silence another word in my vocabulary. Soon toz's posts will be a normal length as there won't be as many words I can use).

[+Sol seaker]

:laughing:

 

Well we'd certainly hate to see a short Toz post. We'd all begin to fear the world was coming to an end!!

 

:laughing:

 

Seriously, I would be very happy with a clause about "no political content". That has caused most of the unrest in the forums. I really haven't seen arguments on religion here.

 

If people really did follow the politeness rules I would not be suggesting this.

The moderators do their best, but they can't read every post in every thread.

 

Politeness has not been upheld in political threads.

[+BlueDeuce]

 

I read their guidelines and was impressed to find that they stated in their guidelines that discussions of religion and politics were not allowed.

They said that there are plenty of forums elsewhere for those.

 

I've found that gc.com will say that when necessary. Moderation by the volunteers and staff do well of enough to manage the occasional drift.

[+Dgwphotos]

Sorry, but that reads too much like censorship. As long as it stays in Off Topic, then its fine. To ban it completely even in Off Topic, is in my opinion, censorship.

Edited January 17, 2012 by Dgwphotos

[+Sol seaker]

Sorry, but that reads too much like censorship. As long as it stays in Off Topic, then its fine. To ban it completely even in Off Topic, is in my opinion, censorship.

 

 

But the forums are already heavily censored. This is a private forum.

 

Many things are already censored here: profanity, abuse, name calling, certain pictures, sexually explicit remarks, etc. etc.

Adding politics to that list would cut down on the moderators work considerably. It would create a more peaceful forums.

 

Heck the main forums are censored of anything not related to geocaching. You can't stop censorship in private forums. All of them have some or chaos may and does ensue in many places (elsewhere).

 

When we have chaos here it seems to be around the political threads.

People become abusive.

 

Or perhaps maybe moderators need to keep a tighter reign on the political threads, because current rules of name-calling, etc. seem to be overlooked in those threads.

 

perhaps because there's so much of it in those threads it's hard to keep under control.

Well in that case, perhaps we should just not have political threads.

[+GeoBain]

Dear Sol Seaker,

 

I was recently advised to read the forum guidelines. While I thought I was somewhat familiar with them already, I took the advice and gave them another read.

 

It seems something new was added that might be of interest to you.

 

8. Commerciality and postings with a larger agenda: It is Groundspeak's desire to maintain forums for the purpose of promoting the activity of geocaching and GPS usage. As a result, we intend to limit forum discussions that promote a commercial, social, political or charitable agenda insofar as the agenda does not reasonably relate to the activity of geocaching and GPS usage. Therefore, threads or posts perceived to have been made with the intent of promoting any of the above agendas will not be permitted. Please note that our Volunteer Forum Moderators are authorized to exercise their discretion in providing some reasonable latitude for forum discussion postings relating to local events and issues in local discussion forums. Notwithstanding the above, Groundspeak reserves the right to include or permit the inclusion of limited commercial content in this forum, in its sole discretion.

 

I believe that if the political threads cannot be tied into geocaching or GPS usage that you might be able to have them locked in the future.

 

I did wonder about the fact that most of these threads appear in Off Topic. But the forum guidelines speak to the whole forums and where exceptions for certain sections are made, they are specifically noted such as personal classified advertising being permitted specifically in the 'GPS Garage Sale' forum and Geocoin Discussions forums.

 

Good luck in your endeavors,

 

Sincerely,

 

IANAL

 

And when I checked Off-topics' Rules For The Off-topic Forum I discovered that the only exception made for Off-topic is that threads do not have to have anything to do with geocaching. I do not see an exemption for political threads.

[+Sol seaker]

Dear Sol Seaker,

 

I was recently advised to read the forum guidelines. While I thought I was somewhat familiar with them already, I took the advice and gave them another read.

 

It seems something new was added that might be of interest to you.

 

8. Commerciality and postings with a larger agenda: It is Groundspeak's desire to maintain forums for the purpose of promoting the activity of geocaching and GPS usage. As a result, we intend to limit forum discussions that promote a commercial, social, political or charitable agenda insofar as the agenda does not reasonably relate to the activity of geocaching and GPS usage. Therefore, threads or posts perceived to have been made with the intent of promoting any of the above agendas will not be permitted. Please note that our Volunteer Forum Moderators are authorized to exercise their discretion in providing some reasonable latitude for forum discussion postings relating to local events and issues in local discussion forums. Notwithstanding the above, Groundspeak reserves the right to include or permit the inclusion of limited commercial content in this forum, in its sole discretion.

 

I believe that if the political threads cannot be tied into geocaching or GPS usage that you might be able to have them locked in the future.

 

I did wonder about the fact that most of these threads appear in Off Topic. But the forum guidelines speak to the whole forums and where exceptions for certain sections are made, they are specifically noted such as personal classified advertising being permitted specifically in the 'GPS Garage Sale' forum and Geocoin Discussions forums.

 

Good luck in your endeavors,

 

Sincerely,

 

IANAL

 

And when I checked Off-topics' Rules For The Off-topic Forum I discovered that the only exception made for Off-topic is that threads do not have to have anything to do with geocaching. I do not see an exemption for political threads.

 

Thanks very much Geobain.

I appreciate this. I guess I have not read the guidelines in a while. I know they are constantly changing, so I should.

 

So I guess the grey area here would be whether it promotes a particular political interest. That's a tough call.

There have been thread owners who have posted something inflammatory, and then shot down everyone who has tried to offer another viewpoint. I would think that would qualify, yet they do not get closed. Hmmm.

 

I do not know when these changes were made to the forum guidelines. Perhaps this was added after those threads were written.

 

I appreciate the input!!

[+GeoBain]

Thanks very much Geobain.

I appreciate this. I guess I have not read the guidelines in a while. I know they are constantly changing, so I should.

 

So I guess the grey area here would be whether it promotes a particular political interest. That's a tough call.

There have been thread owners who have posted something inflammatory, and then shot down everyone who has tried to offer another viewpoint. I would think that would qualify, yet they do not get closed. Hmmm.

 

I do not know when these changes were made to the forum guidelines. Perhaps this was added after those threads were written.

 

I appreciate the input!!

 

Hey, don't thank me. Thank Keystone for kicking me out of the Feedback section for a week and suggesting that I read the forum guidelines.

[cezanne]

 

Heck the main forums are censored of anything not related to geocaching.

 

But politics is in many ways effecting geocaching. Think e.g. of issues like environmental protection, ban of geocaching from certain areas, geocaching as a means for motivating people to get physically more active etc. Even the decisions of Groundspeak are some form of politics. There are not many aspects in life that are not connected to some form of politics.

 

You might want to check this article as a short and simple introduction about the term politics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics

 

 

Cezanne

[+Sol seaker]

Thanks for the input Cezanne.

 

Perhaps that's why the forum guidelines read as they do, because they, as I, are most interested in keeping things from getting out of control and people insulting others and other angst ridden activities.

 

I'm not interested in keeping out politics for the sake of politics; I'm interested in keeping out angst, and things that pit people against each other.

 

Many people from all walks of life geocache. I think it is wonderful that we can all get together and relate and have fun together on these forums. We can relate to people here that we'd never talk to in our regular lives. We can get along with people who we'd never think to have any kind of relationship with in our normal lives. That's one thing I really like about these forums.

 

I hate to see all this good-will destroyed by certain topics that tear people apart and set them at one another's throats, so to speak.

 

Politics is one of the big ones.

 

I am not talking about the politics of hiding micros' in the woods either.

[+kantear]

http://www.quotegarden.com/censorship.html

 

... i could argue the mere location of landmarks as political OR religious propaganda ...

 

the offense is not in stating what you think, but in being told you are wrong... what's even funnier is ... you may be.

[+Sol seaker]

http://www.quotegarden.com/censorship.html

 

... i could argue the mere location of landmarks as political OR religious propaganda ...

 

the offense is not in stating what you think, but in being told you are wrong... what's even funnier is ... you may be.

 

I disagree.

 

I see the offense as not listening to others and seeing that they may have a valid point also.

Even when on opposite sides, sometimes both opinions can be right.

 

When one insists they have the only valid viewpoint and everyone else on the planet is wrong, that's when it can get offensive.

 

You may be correct that landmarks can be political. But are they offensive?

 

You can argue that anything is political.

I argue that the problem is when people discuss the kind of politics that makes everyone argue. Not just anything that is political will create angst in a forum.

 

If you bring up the president, the house, senate and taxes and you're going to see some fire happen. Mention the words "republican", "democrat", and what you think they stand for and we're sure to see some major problems in here.

 

Is it worth the division?

Is it worth tearing apart what geocaching brings together?

Is that what these forums are for?

 

Thanks for taking part in this discussion.

It's good to hear a lot of viewpoints.

[+kantear]

interesting you should argue about what i've said, when i've given both ends of the argument from either direction.

 

that being my diagnosis, i disagree with this thread and think it belongs in "off topic"... while discussions of politics and religion tend to be highly volatile, people will argue for the sake of arguing, regardless of the topic.

[+Sol seaker]

interesting you should argue about what i've said, when i've given both ends of the argument from either direction.

 

that being my diagnosis, i disagree with this thread and think it belongs in "off topic"... while discussions of politics and religion tend to be highly volatile, people will argue for the sake of arguing, regardless of the topic.

 

Thanks for stopping by and checking in.

 

Anyone else have any input or opinion?