Paddock

[Doug S.]

...Is it possible to offer an alternate universe Paddock for those who want to attempt to change someone else's mind on a forum? That way we don't scare off/clog up the real area and those who want to play have a playground to do so in.

Rick, I, for one, never intended my posts to change anyone's mind...we all know the saying about "Opinions are like noses, we all have one" and I respect that. My posts have simply been expressions of my beliefs, intended to contribute to and stimulate further discussion of the topics at hand.

Does that mean there will be no place for someone with intentions similar to mine?

Cheers!

Doug

 

[Ron Earp]

Maybe you fellows should hold a poll and see what folks want. Heh heh. Pole.

 

[Mike]

Ron, what is the purpose of a section and threads on a car site that contain nothing but personal attack and you're stupid remarks? I understand this Jeff Young character is a friend but he offers nothing substantive on the forum regarding cars of any kind and seems to be here simply to take shots at those who he disagrees with on politics. How does this improve the forum in any way? Your forum and can be ran however you see fit but I don't see how political bashing of others brings anything positive to this site. It can fun and silly to argue about cars just go look at the club cobra t40 section. Calling people names for their political feelings yields nothing other than making people want to do bodily harm to others. The country is already ripe for violence. Why have it on here?

 

[Jeff Young]

Lovely.

This "Jeff Young" character came here first for the cars. Know a few people here, etc.

I checked out the Paddock and found a cesspool of primarily one type of political thinking that was in many cases offensive to a large swath of the car enthusiast population. I wasn't alone in that thinking, trust me.

I'm here to provide some balance and counterpoint, and to let GT40 enthusiasts and other folks who come here who like cars but don't hold typical white/male/conservative viewpoints know that they are welcome, and that they are not viewed as some sort of pariah because of their beliefs.

The fact that you can't handle opposing viewpoints being presented to you is YOUR problem. You've done your OWN fair share of political bashing, you just don't see it as such because, hey, you're right, right?

Good grief.

 

[Mike]

This is a auto enthusiast site not Huffpo. Get rid of the entire section. If you're not here to discuss cars please leave.

 

[Jeff Young]

This is an auto enthusiast site. Not the Rush Limbuagh show.

The rest of your post I tend to agree with but others like the discussion.

I liked it a lot better on most car forums when politics was not discussed.

See? something we agree on.

 

[Ron Earp]

Ron, what is the purpose of a section and threads on a car site that contain nothing but personal attack and you're stupid remarks?

MikeD, correct, the site is mine and I'll add that I don't appreciate being called stupid. The Paddock is a part of the forum you can choose to enter and as the disclaimer indicates, enter at your own risk. It is an area of the forum where members can discuss off-GT40 topics and disagreement is expected. Take some time off and think about that.

 

[Mike]

No where did I say you're stupid. I said that people call each other stupid in the paddock area and it serves no purpose other than to create discord and resentment.

 

[Keith]

Well, I think if we had a purely British, Australian, NewZealand and Rest Of The World Forum, everything would be hunky dory. (I was going to say European, but the dust hasn't quite settled yet).

Now, as for the US forum,you guys are the best judges, but I completely understand why you guys need guns....

 

[Mike]

What's sucks about allowing these sorts of non auto enthusiest discussions is that now there are 50% of the members that cannot stand me and have no desire to engage in our shared appreciation of gt40s because I like god, guns, and Donald Trump. Now the true core nature and shared interest of the car forum is ruined because it permits bickering over religion and politics. It's Ron's forum and he can do what he wants and yeah I'll take some time off because I would rather worry about getting my gt40 on the road than have half the forum call me stupid and throw rocks at my belief system.

 

[Jeff Young]

No dislike here. I just dislike the assumption that all car enthusiasts are conservative and have similar political beliefs. We don't. That's the only point I'm trying to make because believe me, most of what I see in political forums on car boards is groups of white male conservatives throwing rocks at MY belief system.

My only point in posting is to let others know that yeah, liberals like cars too and that yeah, liberals are welcome here (and on other boards) too.

 

[Ron Earp]

No where did I say you're stupid.

Here. I assume that you meant "your" instead of "you're" given the previous plural mismatch in "attack".

Ron, what is the purpose of a section and threads on a car site that contain nothing but personal attack and you're stupid remarks?

 

[Doug S.]

What's sucks about allowing these sorts of non auto enthusiest discussions is that now there are 50% of the members that cannot stand me and have no desire to engage in our shared appreciation of gt40s because I like god, guns, and Donald Trump.

I like you, Mike, but not for your appreciation of guns, God or Donald Trump (who, I sincerely believe thinks he is God-like), but because of the ferocity with which you share your beliefs...and who would not like to be you, what with all your toys and all. I was in Brighton a week ago and almost PMed you to soo if we could meet, I would love to see your SPF.

...but that ain't why I called...just wanted to say Donald Trump SUCKS in the worst of ways!!!

Now...back to our regularly scheduled program of personal insults, slurs, and bashing...not that I would join in, I just love to watch all y'all go at each other!

TRUMP SUCKS, TRUMP SUCKS, TRUMP SUCKS...but guns and God are OK, and so are you.

Cheers!!

Doug

 

[Mike]

Here. I assume that you meant "your" instead of "you're" given the previous plural mismatch in "attack".

I see how it could have been read that way. In my opinion what greatly contributes to that sort of misinterpretation is that sort of speech is somewhat common in the paddock. Get rid of all the bickering and arguing over politics and religion on the forum period and I bet one would be far less inclined to read something and assume that sort of negative intent. I just see no positive contribution to the gt40 community having ugly pissing matches about stuff entirely unrelated to our cars. As they say there are two things never to discuss around the dinner table. I would like to see the same prudence applied to our forum.

 

[Keith]

Like I said, this is almost entirely a US centric issue. Perhaps things may be better after the election..

 

[Doug S.]

No, Keith, they won't...no matter who is elected the people whose candidate lost will try to find ANYTHING regarding the winner about which to complain and will do so continually...sour grapes, no? It happened for 8 years with BO, why would it be any different with either of these two controversial candidates.

Sad...aren't we?

Cheers!

Doug

 

[Ron Earp]

I'm still baffled by positions on The Paddock. You have to click on subforum to enter it as long ago it was changed so that current topics in The Paddock would not appear on the main "New Topics" list.

Don't like what is discussed in The Paddock? Don't enter, it really is that simple.

I don't participate in many of the discussions in The Paddock but I do read from time to time and enjoy the perspective I get from around the globe. I don't agree with Mike on guns, gods, or Trump, or at least two of the three, but I sometimes enjoy learning from the discussions.

 

[Keith]

Well said el Jefe...The only re-occurring issue with the Paddock in my view is the occasional outburst of ad hominem, other than that it is a relatively well mannered environment punctuated by political sermonistas.

The bastards know who they are :laugh:

My simple solution would be to revert to the original format with the proviso that posts with ad hominem content would be immediately deleted by Moderation.

Really, there are only one or two posters who tend to get pithy in their delivery - its not a major issue...