The official Obama Topic?

[FUNKbrs]

I'm looking at the front page of politics.

.
.
.

I'm not liking what I'm seeing. It reads like this.

OBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMA OBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMA OBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMA OBAMAOBAMAOBAMAOBAMA

Do you see the problem here? If not, YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT.

You wanna make a topic about a policy, FINE.
LEAVE
OBAMA'S
NAME
OUT
OF
IT.

It's like having a bajillion topics called "So...." in general.

Name your topics well, or have them fucking deleted. This is politics. HIGHER STANDARDS HERE. Don't like it? There isn't even a door for me to show you, because you're already outside of it.

GOOD TOPIC TITLE OR BAN, GET IT?!?!?

I didn't sit through 8 FUCKING YEARS of repetitive ass bullshit during the Bush administration to see it all over again during the Obama administration.

This topic is a warning. This is NOT an official obama topic. This is your ONE and ONLY chance to debate whether or not there SHOULD be an official Obama topic. Ignorant and/or stupid opinions will be ignored. Remember, this is about ORIGINAL topics, about GOOD TOPIC TITLES, something DIRECTLY mentioned in the BBS rules. A topic about an education policy is NOT an Obama topic. A topic about an economic policy is NOT an Obama topic.

[Malachy]

It goes along the same lines as improving your subject titles.

if it's policy and it's new and different, MENTION THE DAMNED POLICY IN THE TITLE. don't waste your character limit by throwing in 'OBAMAMAMAMA!!!!!!"

If it's about a new policy it's probably not that relevant to the man himself because he has a ton of advisors and clerks and there's congress and the DNC behind all that stuff (oh, and corporate big whigs but ssshhhh..it's a secret!)

The Official Bush thread should be the exception, not the rule. Having an official thread for the president only stifles new subjects to discuss because they will only be drowned out by all of the other stuff and since each administration does a ton of stuff which will warrant a lot of different kinds of discussions...relegating it to one single thread is downright bad house keeping.

[Another-User]

I think that having an official Obama would be a fine idea, however I feel that it should only be used for talking about Obama altogether, or talking about multiple things Obama has done as a whole, or even just venting about how you feel about Obama. Things that would be okay to have a seperate topic for would be things like talking about a specific thing Obama has done, is going to do, or said.

Yes, I think that a topic like this is fine. Once you get an official religion thread, there will be about a whole 5 different topics on this entire forum.

At 3/15/09 05:51 PM, FUNKbrs wrote: This topic is a warning. This is NOT an official obama topic. This is your ONE and ONLY chance to debate whether or not there SHOULD be an official Obama topic. Ignorant and/or stupid opinions will be ignored. Remember, this is about ORIGINAL topics, about GOOD TOPIC TITLES, something DIRECTLY mentioned in the BBS rules. A topic about an education policy is NOT an Obama topic. A topic about an economic policy is NOT an Obama topic.

Since we're talking about addressing issues that link directly to Mr. Obama, with respect to the "better topic title" rule, I say an official thread wouldn't be a bad idea in some respects, BUT I'm curious as to how far debates on it can go. After all, I don't think threads on the issue of the man himself are of much concern particularly to the politics forum regulars. As you say, people should just be simply paying more attention to "better topic title" rule if anything and aiming for an argument on the issues and policies like the ones you mentioned.

In practical terms, I think it's difficult to really discuss an assessment of Mr. Obama so early on in his term. On the other hand, maybe it's good to have one thread open to Obamaism generally, rather than little things he does, or pointless comparisons with Mr. Bush.

Ah, my ideas are jumbled. Sorry, I'm probably just coming out ignorant and stupid like you said. Come back to me later, maybe I'll make more sense.

[stafffighter]

It'll reduce clutter and punish those who clutter still. I support this utterly.

At 3/15/09 06:15 PM, SevenSeize wrote: I am in complete favor of an official Obama topic, with the same stipulations as the old official bush topic. If it's something specific, make a new thread. If it's general Obama discussion, take it to the official thread.

Damn it, Ms. Seize, I think you summed up what I was thinking of in three sentences. Yeah, if there were to be an official Obama thread, it should be dedicated to the ideas of Obama, what he stands for or whether he's up to fulfilling statements made during the campaign (among many more topics, or even different ones if you think these are just bad), and debates around those things. Specific, concrete policies or events should, as you say, probably deserve a different thread.

I'm also in favor of forced harsh labor and corporal punishment for people who do not follow the "make good thread titles" rule, rather than a ban, and am volunteering to administer said punishments.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't find the thread where I proposed the idea that whenever a user is banned, the moderator in question should bake a pie for the user. However, the catch is that the moderator can put whatever they want in the pie, and that includes poison etc. The user then has to eat the pie regardless. I guess that meets in the middle: the user gets quick pain, and you still get to administer some!

[BrianEtrius]

Well, yes and no.

There should be an official topic where people bitch about Obama, but otherwise, make a specific thread.

Also, any word yet on an official economic crisis thread?

[Der-Lowe]

At 3/15/09 06:45 PM, SevenSeize wrote:

At 3/15/09 06:36 PM, Scarab wrote:

Damn it, Ms. Seize,

I like it when you say Ms.

You got your Master's Degree already??
DAMN YOU'RE FAST.
I mean, in the good way, like, very intelligent.

plz don't ban me, I might have bald kids in the future :'(

[poxpower]

Don't make an official anything that is intended to last UNTIL 2012 HOLY CRAP.

But yes, people, name your topics as precisely as you can.
Though I don't really feel this warning is that important since the people who don't name topics well usually make shitty topics anyway.

"Obama..."
Subject: "Do you like Obama? Here's a video of him on South Park! Lol!"

[Proteas]

I'm in favor of anything that gives me another reason to ban people.

[FUNKbrs]

At 3/15/09 07:38 PM, Proteas wrote: I'm in favor of anything that gives me another reason to ban people.

You're my hero.

I just want you to know that.

[Malachy]

At 3/15/09 08:02 PM, SevenSeize wrote:

At 3/15/09 07:57 PM, FUNKbrs wrote:

At 3/15/09 07:38 PM, Proteas wrote: I'm in favor of anything that gives me another reason to ban people.

You're my hero.

I just want you to know that.

It kinda brought a tear to my eye too......like maybe we should put our hands over our hearts.......

so...can I start banning now?

[aviewaskewed]

At 3/15/09 06:39 PM, BrianEtrius wrote: Also, any word yet on an official economic crisis thread?

Yes, the same word I keep giving you: no. NO, no, no, a hundred times no. Not yet anyway, I think it's actually died down a bit on that score.

Honestly, I think we oughtta just apply the "higher standards" rule and if we see a topic that looks like another topic already going, the new topic gets locked or deleted. If we see somebody just making their whole time on the BBS about finding threads about Obama so they can steer it into the usual overall "I hate Obama" crap, we ban them like the trolling pieces of shit they are.

If the lot of you want an official thread, that's fine, I'll support you because you're my team mates and I love you (even FUNK, though he tried to love me improperly that one time). But in the end? I think we just need to be a little harsher to people and if we see threads going off the fucking rails, we fucking well kill them. If people start to see that the garbage posting isn't going to be tolerated, then hey, it just might stop. But I don't feel that works unless every mod on this forum is willing to do that, and in many cases do it PUBLICLY (don't just lurk and mod people, it's good every once in awhile to publicly show the rest of the lot we're watching).

But it also goes back to the userbase of this forum too. You have to be better, and you have to WANT better. You have to not be afraid to contact mods when you see stuff you think doesn't belong. Does that mean you'll always see us take the topic out? Nope, cause you might be wrong in fact. Are you always going to get a response? Probably not, we're busy, or we have a bad day, or we have other things to do. But really, it shouldn't be about us patting you on the back anyway, it should be about making your enjoyment of the forum better. I know for me I appreciate when people take an interest in the welfare of the forums (that's honest interest, not the malicious crap some of you get up to), it's good and it makes being a mod easier. So that needs to happen too, don't just view us as the evil overlords (though we fucking well are, mwahahahahaha) but as partners in keeping the board enjoyable for all.

So in summation: Don't want an official topic, but will support it if we get one. Think that we just need better standards and to not be nice to shit heads who want to break the rules and lower the IQ qoutient on this part of the forums. It's not tyrannical nazism if the rules back up our harsh stance. Thank you and good day.

[JackPhantasm]

Lines of moles try to break through the roofs of their tunnels but all they manage to do is bump their heads for they have no thoughtfully placed helmets to protect their minds.

At 3/15/09 06:45 PM, SevenSeize wrote: I like it when you say Ms.

Well, I aim to please m'lady.

Nah, that doesn't work, I'm going back to Ms.

At 3/16/09 01:15 AM, aviewaskewed wrote:

At 3/15/09 06:39 PM, BrianEtrius wrote: Also, any word yet on an official economic crisis thread?

Yes, the same word I keep giving you: no. NO, no, no, a hundred times no. Not yet anyway, I think it's actually died down a bit on that score.

I've only started posting again recently, so I haven't been here when it's stormed with crisis threads. Anyway, just on that topic, I think it's too vague to have an official thread, and posts may not be truly be applicable to the economy specifically. I think General's fine for your typical crisis threads, personally.

So in summation: Don't want an official topic, but will support it if we get one. Think that we just need better standards and to not be nice to shit heads who want to break the rules and lower the IQ qoutient on this part of the forums. It's not tyrannical nazism if the rules back up our harsh stance. Thank you and good day.

Interesting points, and it's good to see there's a team effort anyway, since I still remember one time there was a falling out in a particular thread and things just got stupid, although that was in General. I don't think you're wrong to be harsh here either really. I've learnt from that sort of attitude anyway from many-a-post ago.

I'm still in favour of an Obama thread though, because I think there is something to discuss there, and something for users to make a valid contribution to without it being so stupid, it just comes out trollish or childish, or uninformed (or a combination?). If the thread was made, perhaps there's a possibility for trial and error, in that after a few months/weeks, the thread is checked to see whether it's worth locking or keeping (obviously it would need to be monitored etc anyway). I say this because general attitudes towards Mr. Obama may well change after the man actually starts to dig in a little more, so there will be a smaller desire to make random threads on him or something about him.

Of course, there is some drawbacks to the whole thing, in that you guys would need to look through this thing if it were made and also deal with other threads outside it. Or is that not really a problem, judging by what you have said? Maybe I've thought about this too much. You are a bunch of evil overlords after all!

As a side-note, I've never liked asking to have stuff locked/deleted unless it's something I've written myself. I probably have a fear of being wrong, which is one reason why I took so long to write this :)

[Spilda-Bongwata]

Funk I would just like to let you know that I will be pleasuring myself to the image of you smashing somone with your ban-hammer tonight.

[xscoot]

It's about time. If you look through the search, you can literally find hundreds of threads with the same title. Please, start banning and locking these things. Not just here, but everywhere. General needs a good kick in the pants too ya know.

VG forums is actually doing it right so far, but that's only because there aren't that many topics to begin with.

[Patton3]

Would an "Official Obama Topic" encompass other members of his administration? If so, I'd be for it.

[Ericho]

At 3/16/09 04:40 PM, Patton3 wrote: Would an "Official Obama Topic" encompass other members of his administration? If so, I'd be for it.

I think the other officials should be able to get their own members. It would be too broad already.

[ZJ]

I think an Obama topic would be just splendid!

Full steam ahead my boys!

[MortifiedPenguins]

Who has the over/under on how many pages this will spawn by 2012?

[Korriken]

I didn't wanna make a new topic, because it would contain the forbidden name, and I couldn't find another topic this could fit in...

Obama reads the wrong speech on teleprompter.

I always knew Obama was big on using teleprompters, but even I had no idea just HOW much he relies on it. It reminds me of that movie Anchorman. This man will say whatever the teleprompter tells him to say without a second thought. Of course the british are ripping him to shreds over it, but I don't see it being mentions on the tv..... at all.....

It's too bad we won't get to hear the... uhh... speech.... that is, unless, someone decided to record it and managed to get out of there with an intact taping of it and is willing to play it.

[aviewaskewed]

At 3/18/09 11:23 PM, Korriken wrote: I didn't wanna make a new topic, because it would contain the forbidden name, and I couldn't find another topic this could fit in...

Obama reads the wrong speech on teleprompter.

You realize you're one of the biggest reasons we'll wind up with an Official topic if it happens right? Just in case your confused, that is not meant as a compliment whatsoever.

[LBRocker]

I quite honestly facepalmed at this topic. And no, I am not pissed about my thread being locked. My point is, this thread is making every Obama topic look offensive and unsupportive. So, somewhere along the lines, somebody got butthurt about Obama stealing the Politic forums's Limelight. I mean seriously. When I read OBAMAMAMAMA, I though, "Aw jeez, what the fuck happened now." Obviously there are enough Obama topics already to justify an official "Obama topic".

But if there aren't Obama topics circulating, all posts in the one topic will be incredibly incoherent because everybody is saying something different. It'll become a shitstorm of flame and it'll have pages upon pages of bullshit even after he's out of office.

One question remains. Who pissed FUNK off this time?

[stafffighter]

At 3/20/09 09:28 PM, LBRocker wrote: I quite honestly facepalmed at this topic. And no, I am not pissed about my thread being locked. My point is, this thread is making every Obama topic look offensive and unsupportive.

They are. There are issues that come up but by in large the people come in here and think they've made an observation on the president that no one else has. That's just a flawed.

But if there aren't Obama topics circulating, all posts in the one topic will be incredibly incoherent because everybody is saying something different. It'll become a shitstorm of flame and it'll have pages upon pages of bullshit even after he's out of office.

That shitstorm is coming. The issue here is containing it.

[heroicspatula]

At 3/20/09 09:28 PM, LBRocker wrote:

But if there aren't Obama topics circulating, all posts in the one topic will be incredibly incoherent because everybody is saying something different. It'll become a shitstorm of flame and it'll have pages upon pages of bullshit even after he's out of office.

I'm kinda worried about that as well. What if, instead of having an official Obama topic, what if there were a few of them?
For example, an "official Obama economic" thread and a "official Obama military" thread and so on.
I think it would keep the front page clean, but it would also insure that the threads stay on track.

[aviewaskewed]

At 3/20/09 09:28 PM, LBRocker wrote: One question remains. Who pissed FUNK off this time?

Probably the same fuckers that are pissing me off on this issue. In case you didn't notice, most other mods who posted here posted in the affirmative, agreeing with Funk the Obama topic is needed. Me? I don't feel that way, I feel like what we need to do is corral the handful of really bitter fuckers who are making it their mission on this BBS seemingly to troll every little thing they dislike about Obama, and in Obama topics. Most of these guys are just repeating the same criticisms again and again (and in case anybody is unclear, THAT is why I consider what they're doing trolling). When these people are doing this shit, we need to ban them. Period. Ban them, it's trolling, it's wrong and it's crapping down the forums.

As far as the people who just make dumb Obama topics about stupid little gaffes, those need to just be locked on site. If you can't create a thread with a bit of thought and to inspire some good intelligent discussion you oughtta just fuck off out of this forum (and honestly? I personally feel you oughtta fuck off this BBS too and maybe go to one of the more moron friendly ones). Am I harsh? Maybe I am being harsh, but if you don't want an Obama Topic, then that is how we need to be. It has to be zero tolerance for dumb shit, because when you don't want to be the bad guy and drop the shit off, then you are only left with 2 options as I see it:

1. Corral it somewhere that it isn't infecting the rest of the place (This is what "official" topics seek to do)

2. Just let it run rampant and don't deal with it. The dummies win.

That's not to say Official topics are purposeless, they can work, the Bush thread worked, but I tend to feel that we aren't there yet. The amount of haters on Obama is still much smaller then what it was for Bush (particularly towards the end of the administration). Now if we get to the end of the year and he hasn't fixed things, or made real headway....then we have to look at this again. But I don't honestly feel we're outside of what we the mod team can handle in terms of this subject. I think what we really need is a covenant between the users and the mods that we want to avoid another "official" thread for a President, and we're all good with harsher (but fair) standards.

That's just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

[Korriken]

I fully support a set of official Obama topics. we're gonna need a few, can't just have 1 to cover everything including, Military, economy, social, and of course we'll probably need a topic or two to cover his various screw ups and the screw ups of congress. It wouldn't do to put gaffes and other blunders in a topic with other things, but its still important to let the people vent and discuss when our president and the crooks we call congressmen does something to make America perform a collective facepalm.

[BrianEtrius]

Actually, I take back what I said earlier, and have a different proposal.

While we might have specific threads for certain topics, they don't necessary have to be "official". Kind of like the Inauguration thread. It wasn't official, but it was a specific thread neither the less.

[aviewaskewed]

At 3/21/09 01:56 PM, BrianEtrius wrote: While we might have specific threads for certain topics, they don't necessary have to be "official". Kind of like the Inauguration thread. It wasn't official, but it was a specific thread neither the less.

I think for big events it's a good idea, and it's something the mod team already does. Like let's take the inauguration for example, what we tend to do is find the FIRST (or just the most popular active thread at the moment) for that topic, and we basically make that one "official" and we lock and redirect, or just outright delete, all other threads.

But that sort of thing really only works for me in short bursts, it works for actual events, it's not a policy we could employ on every topic, and that's my fear with Obama threads, I really have to wonder if eventually the fervor will die down, and we'll kind of go back to "normal"