Serious Discussion Forum

[mushrat]

Ok folks, once again our fun loving HOOKAH forum is embroiled ina religious/political contoversy rapidly spinning out of control.

My take is that this section is not quite right for this forum. This is for and about hookahs. Smoking, chilling, hanging with friends. We have a friendly off topic chit chat area to talk about other fun things in our lives. Why keep an area that brings up issues that are best left to other forums.

We are a diverse group from many countries and many cultures and I think there are certain subjects that we should avoid and just keep it friendly.

What do you all think?

[Johnny_D]

I would say that it serves no purpose apart from to create further divides amoungst the forum.

Maybe we would still have KingMo around if it wasn't for this part of the forum.

Just my 2p's worth.

JD

[skiracerj1]

NO! While I agree things have gotten out of hand in the serious discussion forum, I still enjoy it thoroughly and like being able to have a little banter with folks. I would say maybe limit the topics that can be discussed or have a much lower tolerance on speech in that section (basically say if your not going to say something meaningful and keep the debate friendly and agree to disagree then shut up or get shut out) but please dont gid rid of the serious discussion section

[SanguineSolitude]

if we cant have debates about serious issues without getting them shut down due to shenanigans by forum members.... no i dont think we should keep it. You're probably right that the serious discussion section gets a bit too serious. i think one of the problems is that people dont know how to have a friendly argument anymore. it always turns into "f this and that and you."

im not quite sure why my thread got deleted, but then i didnt see what happened since last night. im hoping it wasnt anything i said that got the thread deleted. im sorry if it spun out of control but im pretty sure when i left last night it had yet to devolve. (makes me wanna know what happened... musta been good)

[PK]

I think it should be migrated with "General Chit Chat" going forward. If it's causing too much drama, possibly a minor change to the forum rules is needed. I don't feel there's a need for both Chit chat and serious discussion forums, one or the other. Edited December 14, 2006 by PK

[mushrat]

Yes, it got out of hand rather quickly and was rendered invisible until we get things sorted out.

The problem is that someone would have to be watching the topics ALL THE TIME because it gets nasty quickly, and dispite the posted guidlines about keeping it civil, people don't. So if folks aren't now, more rules aren't going to matter.

Friendly banter for some is a religious attack for others. Best keep it in the chit chat area and the actual forum chat. People are just too on edge right now and it's just not necessary here.

[ShishaFred]

I'd really like to say that people who can't handle a debate shouldn't go in that forum... but then again you can't really stop anyone from going. I know stuff like that might have happened before I started visiting the forum , so if you think it's just going to be the same as before , i'd say it's your call.

I personally like to have debates and big discussions , but when it's not all fun and game anymore , it's better to scrap it for the community's health.

[speel]

Id say slay it and replace it with a local hookah lounge section dedicated to showing local hookah lounges and shops.

[fizzgig]

I truly enjoy the "serious" section. Love a good debate and enjoy the insight to the character of our forum members. How they behave here is usually indicative of how they will conduct themselves on the rest of the forum. I know you'll do whatever is best for the forum though Mush, cause you're that good and whatever you decide will be respected. My thing is that everyone has opinions and I fear that if we don't have "serious" that they will just find their way into other, less appropriate areas of the forum.

[ShishaFred]

Id say slay it and replace it with a local hookah lounge section dedicated to showing local hookah lounges and shops.

Very good idea , don't know why it doesnt exist yet hehe. I'll gladly go take pics of my nearby hokkah lounge.

[skiracerj1]

I definately see the logic in killing it, but I also think theres a good number of us on here that really enjoy it and getting rid of it would be a shame. I also agree that people are going to have opinions no matter what and that without a serious discussion forum it will find its way into other parts of the forum and just prove more troublesome. All that said, I agree that there doesnt seem to be any real practical solution that would allow it to remain without further drama, so I dont know, your call I guess, guess I'm just hoping that the whole tree doesnt need to be cut because of a few rotten apples

[Macho555]

Truthfully, it seems to be a way for self rightous yahoos to write long, ill thought out essays and publish them anymore. I absolutly loved the idea of it when I came here, but after reading most of the posts, and watching the drama unfold over most of the posts, (not to mention temp and permanent bans) I have to say it should probably (and very, very, very sadly) gotten rid of. People just can't play nice, and it seems that there would only be two or three options...

a) Keep it, and use up alot of energy making sure people can act civil, which didn't work...

Destroy it entirely, and sadly eradicate the more intelligent conversations, but stop a great deal of drama.

c) Make amendments to the forum, such as the banning of religous conversations, which I think everyone can agree is a horrible way to go about it.

Like I keep saying, it sucks, because I like reading alot of the debates, even though I rarely chime in myself, but...it just doesn't work the way it should anymore <_>

[Zerodynamic]

Personally, I think that if we can't act grown up and mature here, (I mean c'mon, you have to be 18 to even buy shisha, so if you haven't gotten your head out of your ass, then you have a problem) then we shouldn't have to the forum. I think that it would be a waste of forum resources to have someone police that particular forum all the time. We should treat this forum like we treat out hoohkas; with care, respect, and lot letting the drunk chick at the party get her hands on one of MY hoses.

The point is, if we all can't grow up, act responsible, and respect others view points.... then there shouldn't be a forum.

[mgcsinc]

Id say slay it and replace it with a local hookah lounge section dedicated to showing local hookah lounges and shops.

Very good idea , don't know why it doesnt exist yet hehe. I'll gladly go take pics of my nearby hokkah lounge.

's my idea first

http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showt...amp;hl=regional

Tried to resurrect that thread once already. People seem to like the idea, but I haven't heard from any mods on the issue yet.

[speel]

Id say slay it and replace it with a local hookah lounge section dedicated to showing local hookah lounges and shops.

Very good idea , don't know why it doesnt exist yet hehe. I'll gladly go take pics of my nearby hokkah lounge.

's my idea first

http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showt...amp;hl=regional

Tried to resurrect that thread once already. People seem to like the idea, but I haven't heard from any mods on the issue yet.

I swear i didn't steal it =p lol.

[mgcsinc]

hehe, I know, it's something that anyone could come up with - it should exist. That said, if you are for the idea, I would encourage you to bump my other thread on the subject :-) .

[Scheetz]

im not quite sure why my thread got deleted, but then i didnt see what happened since last night. im hoping it wasnt anything i said that got the thread deleted. im sorry if it spun out of control but im pretty sure when i left last night it had yet to devolve. (makes me wanna know what happened... musta been good)

as far as I know I was the last one to post. And that was at like 4:30am. Dammit why was it deleted. I enjoyed that thread. Nobody was yelling at anyone it was a casual argument.

and last time I checked we aren't Red China, leave the serious discussion forum. Otherwise you will have threads popping up in sections that they shouldn't be in because the serious discussion was taken away.

I really think you guys should let the threads go on by themselves, we don't need mods deleting them because they have itchy trigger fingers. If someone wants to post and be a complete ass of themselves, then send them a warning. But don't delete the thread because we want to talk about issues going on right now.

can I play this card to bring that thread back??

[samildanach]

Mushrat, why not have a poll and ask members to vote for it?
fair and democratic way to go i think..
my vote would be for getting rid of it..
this is a hookah forum, and that is the best thing about it.. it doesnt need anything non hookah related

[ShishaFred]

Haha A MTG card , nice idea. I don't really think the thread had gone into a shitstorm.. yet... but then again preventing is better then healing.

[rootdown]

yes, get rid of it

if it isnt about hookah then it shouldnt be here, especially if people are going to get butt-hurt

[Scheetz]

Mushrat, why not have a poll and ask members to vote for it?
fair and democratic way to go i think..
my vote would be for getting rid of it..
this is a hookah forum, and that is the best thing about it.. it doesn't need anything non hookah related

sure its a democratic way of doing it, but its flawed. I bet only a 1/3 of the members use the serious discussion therefore most people will vote to get rid of it cause they don't use it. We need a well rounded forum here. Just having hookah threads will bore people and they will leave.

98% of us are over 18, we aren't children. We will get over it if someone says you are wrong.

this is a hookah forum, and that is the best thing about it.. it doesn't need anything non hookah related

Thats whats so great about this world and the internet. The power of choice. If you dont want to read it, well don't read it and stick to the hookah only section. But then again, dont let me catch you hanging out in the Chit Chat section either. Cause thats not hookah related.

Why keep an area that brings up issues that are best left to other forums.

Because, I want to hear what this forum has to say. I know what other forums have to say, because I am apart of conversations like the ones you aren't to fond of. How am I to know what Sanguines real opinions are if he just says. I like this hookah and this shisha. The serious discussion allows you to become more "personal" dare I say with people on here.

[fizzgig]

Gotta agree with Sheetz here. Most of those who want it axed don't even seem to use it.

[angemonkwj]

while i dont know what happened i say keep it. getting rid of it will just end up with topics ending up in sections that they dont belong. i think it's a great place for people to express there opinions on certain things going on in the world we live in. serious discussions come up while people smoke all the time. as long as people realize that this is an internet forum and that people have there own opinions things should work out. that forum is like our freedom of speech forum and we need to have freedom of speech in any form, be it vocal, on a forum or blog, in the news. so with that being said i say we keep it.

[Lakemonster]

I personally like to have "Serious Disscussions".... and even debate tooth and nail on the points.

I dont like to call people names in a debate. At that very moment, I have lost my debate entirely. So I quit doing that years ago.

I believe that running a forum with civil debate is possible as long as 1 "rule" (I consider it more of a principle) is respected by all: Do not be party to a squabble. or at least something of that nature.

A squabble begins when one person ends civility in his argument and turns to personal insult. Now..... the victim can then either stoop down to the base level and escalate it or simply realize that having any more conversation on the topic with his attacker is no longer a "serious discussion".. just some BS.

Macho mentioned below:

c) Make amendments to the forum, such as the banning of religious conversations, which I think everyone can agree is a horrible way to go about it.

That might work... but then when another subject comes up that sprouted un-civil behavior... will that become taboo as well....... again and again........ to the point where theres not a whole lot of "Serious Discussion" fodder left?

Which should be forbidden? A Topic? Or Poor Behavior?

[phishandfrolf]

We got to keep it! Thats one of the top reasons im on this forum. I love to hear peoples opinions on things. Some just need to learn how to be respectful about what they say.