Paddock

GT40s.com is a better place without the Paddock showing on New Posts

  • Yea

    Votes: 45 64.3%
  • Nay

    Votes: 25 35.7%

  • Total voters
    70

Ron Earp

Admin
Well, we've been through a couple of weeks of the Paddock not being listed on the main "New Posts" link unless you turn it on. I think it is fantastic and it is an improvement. What say you?
 
I had the Paddock turned off (from showing in new posts) for many months. The change Ron just made was only really necessary for those that haven't figured out the way to remove it from the New Posts search.

But I totally get it. I'll look over there occasionally, but the main reason for this site is the cars, not the politics.
 
I agree Ron.

A pity it's not possible to do the same thing with "Todays Posts" if not logged in though. That's where most new users would start.

Tim.
 

Ron Earp

Admin
I'm curious - those that don't like it, you realize that you can turn the Paddock back on don't you?

And, if you do realize that, why do you think the forum is worse for not having the Paddock turned on for everyone by default? No judgement by me, I'm just wanting to understand your thought process.

Thanks,
Ron
 

Dimi Terleckyj

Lifetime Supporter
Hi Ron

As a reasonably intelligent adult,( and I use that term loosely) I think the paddock could be left on by default due to the reasoning that any member of this forum can use their adult discretion as to whether they want to read any of the topics being discussed or just leave it alone.

It is just the same as if when you are watching a program on TV where you have the choice to watch a program or if you dont like it then change channels or turn it off.

Nobody forces anyone to read a thread if they don't want to but turning a new post thread off before you get to make that decision becomes a nanny state mentality where the choice is taken away from a person.

It wasn't until you mentioned that the paddock new threads were off and had to be reinstated that I realised why I wasn't able to see them any more.

Any one new to the forum would not even know that the paddock existed and would then miss out on a lot of interesting threads.

Dimi
 

Malcolm

Supporter
The paddock was fine bar the politics. I don't miss the politics but I do miss the joke threads and the like. But as you say, I can switch it on myself if I wanted to. Looking at the number of new posts daily, I did notice a large number had gone. Like about 50% or more. Must have been the Paddock postings, or the politics postings. If left as it is now, it would be interesting to see if the political postings die off.
 
For years I never really posted in the paddock. For some reason of late, I got all caught up in those politcal threads. Not always for the right reasons either! Sometimes attempting to fight fires, encouraging argument without insults and frankly at other times, adding fuel to them by insulting.

For the purpose of answering this thread, I would echo Dimi's post above. There actually is some interesting content in there once in a while and who wants their forum experience censored anyway? Isn't this the exact reason the paddock was created in the first place?
 

Ron Earp

Admin
who wants their forum experience censored anyway? Isn't this the exact reason the paddock was created in the first place?

I don't see that it is censored at all. You can post there, argue, debate, and see it on your New Posts page if you turn it on. How is that different from subscribing to cable to get a program that isn't for mainstream audiences?

If left as it is now, it would be interesting to see if the political postings die off.

No if, it will be left as it is now. I suspect the political postings will die off as some of the attention hounds aren't getting the attention they used to get. Still like to see the occasional jokes and other threads as you do and of course I can click on the Paddock and read them if I like.

Hi Ron
It is just the same as if when you are watching a program on TV where you have the choice to watch a program or if you dont like it then change channels or turn it off.

Any one new to the forum would not even know that the paddock existed and would then miss out on a lot of interesting threads.

It is quite a bit different. If this site were sort of like a TV you'd have twenty little boxes pop up when you turned it on showing you what was playing on each channel. However, the TV is supposed to show GT40 content only and when you turn it on most of the little screens show programs that have nothing to do with GT40s. That's a busted TV.

"Missing out on a lot of interesting threads", that's very debatable. And remember, if you're new to the forum and not signed up you will see the paddock as it is not turned off for people not logged in.
 

Doug S.

The protoplasm may be 72, but the spirit is 32!
Lifetime Supporter
No if, it will be left as it is now. I suspect the political postings will die off as some of the attention hounds aren't getting the attention they used to get. Still like to see the occasional jokes and other threads as you do and of course I can click on the Paddock and read them if I like.

I "enabled" the paddock as soon as you turned it off, Ron...I enjoy almost all of the content there, political and otherwise. I haven't posted much recently, as I have "ignored" a few of those whom I consider trolls on the political threads. If a thread is authored by one of those "trolls", I just never read any of it...

I mention this b/c I wouldn't want you (or anyone else) to think I have quit posting b/c I was one of the "attention hounds" you mentioned above, and I suspect that there have been more than just myself who have stopped posting so much just b/c of the devisive nature of the postings by many of those exact individuals whom I have "ignored"...just my way of not "feeding" the trolls in hopes that they will take their hunger for divisiveness elsewhere.

It is quite a bit different. If this site were sort of like a TV you'd have twenty little boxes pop up when you turned it on showing you what was playing on each channel. However, the TV is supposed to show GT40 content only and when you turn it on most of the little screens show programs that have nothing to do with GT40s. That's a busted TV.

I joined the forum in 2006, I think, so I don't have the advantage of the historical experience from the very early days of the forum, but I do recall that when I signed up the Paddock was described as "...anything goes", or something to that effect....not necessarily needing to be related to the GT40 at all.

I guess my question is whether it was your intention to exclude the rather "explosive" topics....religion, politics, etc.....from the Paddock from the beginning. If that were the case, it sure escaped me!

I do agree that there are MANY worthwhile threads on the Paddock that are NOT politically oriented...but, then, I do agree that many of the politically oriented threads are worthwhile, too....it is just the abraisive nature of some of the participants that have reduced my participation, not the issues themselves.

Ron, since it is the political content of the Paddock that caused it to be "shielded" from the New Posts function, what about starting a new board, separate from the Paddock, specifically for political discussions? Then, the Paddock would be free from the content (although, I do admit that managing that political content would be a burden for the administrators/moderators even if it only required moving the offending threads from the Paddock to the "new" board....but, it is possible, I participate on another automotive forum where politics are rigidly forbidden and the mod's make no excuses for their actions when someone violates that rule) and then the Paddock, with it's non-political/religious content, could be re-enabled.

Just a thought....:shy:

Cheers!

Doug
 

Ron Earp

Admin
Ron, since it is the political content of the Paddock that caused it to be "shielded" from the New Posts function, what about starting a new board, separate from the Paddock, specifically for political discussions?

I participate on another automotive forum where politics are rigidly forbidden and the mod's make no excuses for their actions when someone violates that rule) and then the Paddock, with it's non-political/religious content, could be re-enabled.

Time. I don't have time to run another forum and indeed, my aversion to discussing politics in the open probably causes me to dislike those political threads the most. I certainly wouldn't care to run a political forum, and, I don't care to read threads in the paddock and delete them due to their nature.

I think what we have now is working well. Folks that want to read in the paddock can do so, people that want the paddock to be in the "New Posts" section can do so, and the "rest of us" can continue with GT40-like discussion.

Everyone is happy.
 
Everyone is happy.


Not quite.

Although I know that there is no easy solution, some members including me are by now feeling thoroughly repelled from posting in the Paddock at all since it has degenerated into a lawyer´s / wannabe-politicians soap box.
 
I don't think having the Paddock posts come up on the main page is exactly "putting our best foot forward."

Were I a new visitior, I think I would be turned off pretty quickly if I had stumbled on to some of those threads right off the bat.

Having it hidden by default is a good move, in my opinion.
 

Ron Earp

Admin
So 1/3 of you feel like you want the Paddock on by default - why is that? People should be forced to see what goes on there? You think not indexing Paddock posts is censorship?

Truly puzzled by the logic.
 
I don't think it needs to be on by default. FChat has a similar area that states something like "not for the faint hearted"! But it is only available to subscribing/supporting members.
 

Jim Craik

Lifetime Supporter
So 1/3 of you feel like you want the Paddock on by default - why is that? People should be forced to see what goes on there? You think not indexing Paddock posts is censorship?

Truly puzzled by the logic.

Ron,

I could be no so much puzzling logic. It could be as simple as 1/3 of the folks liked it the way it was. You know, before it turned ugly.
 

Pete

Lifetime Supporter
I agree in that this forum should put it's best foot forward after all it is about the car and not the content of the paddock. The paddock to me is a secondary place to throw stuff out and may not be to everybody's likes so it should be treated a such. If people want to go there fine, but they should have to turn it on to do so. People come here for the cars....not the paddock. Sort of like advertising.....it comes with the territory but I don't have to look a it. And...even if it seems like censorship ( I don't see it that way) I think Ron is bending over backwards to please everyone. It is his forum to do as he pleases. We all can't have everything the way we want.
 
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