Controversial Topics Board

[nw6675]

Ends up being an echo chamber where only those who believe that nonsense are left talking to other like-minded individuals.

Or themselves for certain posters

longboard55 said:
A totally open forum will never work, there will always be some jerk posting 100 times a day with the same drival.

Agreed! Sadly, I have a mental list of curmudgeons that I don't want to ignore because it makes the thread a mess, but they drivel on and on and on and...they've died a zillion hills.

As an additional example, when I have a Disney, Cruise, or even Universal question, more often than not I see search results pointing back to the DIS right on top, but sadly some of it is aged information and not useful and maybe why people do t choose this destination.

100%. Often if you post Disney related questions it's crickets or minimal responses.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Could turn into the same type of free-for-all you see on certain social media sites. No one changes their mind when the looney tune crowd posts nonsense about bizarre conspiracy theories or any of a number of topics I can't mention without causing an issue here.............LOL. Ends up being an echo chamber where only those who believe that nonsense are left talking to other like-minded individuals.

Somewhat ironic since these are the types of words that can be quite inflammatory that people on this board cannot respond to. Hold onto your hat on the new board! Lol. Just sayin’!

I said *try* because sometimes the topic may be one that interests me, but I just know that inevitably the thread will devolve into the same arguments featuring the same people it always does, so I resist the temptation. Mostly. Sometimes I do read and make my position on the topic known with emojis. Sometimes I really have to *try* to resist even reading a topic because reading it will probably raise my blood pressure. It's really not that 'easy' for me as an opinionated person. Everyone is different.

Good point. I’m going to suggest that emojis be disabled on the new board since they can also be inflammatory.

If someone wants to disagree with someone, they should use words. JMO.

 

[TippyThomas]

Or themselves for certain posters

longboard55 said:
A totally open forum will never work, there will always be some jerk posting 100 times a day with the same drival.

Agreed! Sadly, I have a mental list of curmudgeons that I don't want to ignore because it makes the thread a mess, but they drivel on and on and on and...they've died a zillion hills.


100%. Often if you post Disney related questions it's crickets or minimal responses.

I've noticed there seems to be a plethora of hills.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Good point. I’m going to suggest that emojis be disabled on the new board since they can also be inflammatory.

If someone wants to disagree with someone, they should use words. JMO.

Just for clarification purposes, I don't use the emojis to disagree with someone, nor do I use them in an inflammatory manner. I use an emoji when I *agree* with a person's viewpoint so as to let them know I agree.

 

[Disneychick13]

Off topic, but what happens when you “ignore” someone? Do you just see a blank where they posted? What about if someone quotes them? Is that blank too?

 

[fla4fun]

But isn't every.single.thread on the Dis "voluntarily available"? I'm sorry, I really don't get it. Who is getting forced into reading these threads that don't want to? Are people reading every thread? I know someone like that on another forum. Within minutes of posting, this person has "liked" the post. I don't get it, but to each their own.

I think the difference is that now, a thread title might not indicate exactly what the content of the thread actually is or the debate it’s causing. I have opened threads before thinking it was just a general conversation and then wondered “how did I get into this?” as I added more people to my ignore list.

By having a designated area for controversial topics, the chance that a person will come across those types of posts by accident will be reduced by simply not joining that board. People on that board will be able to use titles that more clearly indicate what is being discussed without concern that they might suffer consequences for it. People will voluntarily seek out these posts because they want to be involved in the conversation, not stumble into them by mistake.

I doubt that I will join the group, but I will be happy for them to have a corner of the DIS where they can speak openly about anything they like. I would like to see less drama on the CB, and the DIS in general.

 

[HopperFan]

I think the difference though is by separating it out it probably wouldn’t be indexed by search engines like the rest of the DIS is, popcorn kernel stuck thread is a perfect example of this which comes back from the dead every so often.

Thanks for all your comments and thoughts. I'm reading them all and taking notes. This will be a very unmoderated board. I would never put this pressure on anyone else. It’s my idea and I’ll personally deal with it. Any reports and issues will be dealt with by me, so if I find someone making my life miserable, then I'll just kindly remove their access. I'm not here to take sides on left vs right or weigh in on gray areas. Things will get heated and everyone should expect it. This is why it'll be an opt-in/opt-out and not visible to anyone else, including the search engines.

I think this is the most important component - that it be invisible to search engines. We already have seen an increase in folks joining and posting controversial opinions immediately - never really participating in Disney discussion. Just here to argue. It is obvious they saw something on a search and joined to troll. My fear is if the forum is found on searches, we will have some of these people flow over into the other boards to troll.

 

[Keladry84]

I'd be for having a separate opt-in sub-forum for these types of topics. I'm a little curious how it would show up though if someone were to opt in. I would like to have an easy way to identify the thread comes from this area (ie. a different color background of the thread when reading posts, and something to signify in the title as well) to make it REALLY easy to know what I would be posting in before jumping into the discussion. I don't usually access threads by going to individual topic areas. I scan for new topics with the New posts/what's new area, and I get email notification of threads I'm already following. It would be great if a color or symbol could be used that would easily be identifiable from these two areas otherwise it would be easy to mix up with threads from the non-restricted area.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Off topic, but what happens when you “ignore” someone? Do you just see a blank where they posted? What about if someone quotes them? Is that blank too?

You don't see their post show up at all. You can click unignore to see the person's post or when someone quotes them.

 

[fla4fun]

Off topic, but what happens when you “ignore” someone? Do you just see a blank where they posted? What about if someone quotes them? Is that blank too?

You don’t see the original post at all. If they are quoted, you see a blue box that says ”You are ignoring content by this member. Show ignored content.” and if you click on the blue box, the ignored content on that page will appear. You will also not see any threads started by ignored posters in the thread lists, but at the bottom there is a place to click to include ignored content.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think the difference is that now, a thread title might not indicate exactly what the content of the thread actually is or the debate it’s causing. I have opened threads before thinking it was just a general conversation and then wondered “how did I get into this?” as I added more people to my ignore list.

While I agree some threads start out harmless and then get "dirty" (for lack of a better word), they are in the minority. Most controversial threads you can tell are going to be controversial by the title or by the first couple of responses, if not the OP. The point still stands, it's everyone's prerogative to either not open a thread, or close it if it's open. That's why EVERY thread is "voluntary".

By having a designated area for controversial topics, the chance that a person will come across those types of posts by accident will be reduced by simply not joining that board. People on that board will be able to use titles that more clearly indicate what is being discussed without concern that they might suffer consequences for it. People will voluntarily seek out these posts because they want to be involved in the conversation, not stumble into them by mistake.

I understand and don't disagree. It's the "people need to volunteer to read the threads" comments I don't get. We volunteer to read all of them now.

 

[TippyThomas]

Seems to be more about self control than anything else.

 

[robinb]

I really like this idea!

I can see a possible issue with sock puppets and brand new trolls who will simply join to stir up trouble. I recall that happening in the Debate Board back in the day and we still see it here on the Community Board from time to time. It's "weird" when a username *only* posts on certain controversial subjects (like gun violence) or when a brand new username jumps right into the CB starting a controversial thread.

May I make a suggestion? The DVC Rent/Transfer board has rules for who can post DVC points for rent without purchasing a rental plan. They include that a username be at least 6 months old and that they have a certain number of real posts on the DIS. It's an extra level of protection for people wanting to rent points for a vacation for them to know they are renting from a longtime and engaged DISer. I think that the opt-in process should include a longevity and post count requirement if at all possible. Garbage posts to the Test Board like folks do to be able to PM shouldn't count. I think that will slow down folks who don't want to have an adult conversation but only want to stir the pot (or continue to stir the pot after they've been booted from the new sub-board).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wonder if one of the terms of agreement should be a certain number of worded posts, in a certain amount of time (e.g. 3/week or 5/month, for instance) to help avoid those people that just want to read and post these or laughing emojis without adding anything substantial to the conversations. Just a thought while reading.

 

[TippyThomas]

I actually look forward to the ability to actually say what I want to say instead of a laughing emoji. The laughing emoji is the safe bet right now because the report button flies when you say what you want to say.

 

[sam_gordon]

Seems to be more about self control than anything else.

YES! I travel for work and eat out in restaurants often. When they ask me if I want dessert, unfortunately I say "yes" too often. But that's *MY* problem. It's not up to the restaurant to not offer dessert or wait until asked for dessert. OK, probably a lame comparison, but hopefully you get the idea.

 

[nw6675]

YES! I travel for work and eat out in restaurants often. When they ask me if I want dessert, unfortunately I say "yes" too often. But that's *MY* problem. It's not up to the restaurant to not offer dessert or wait until asked for dessert. OK, probably a lame comparison, but hopefully you get the idea.

Sam, you know we are friends. Well, I like to think we are. But yes, it's self control. Try as I will not to respond, dang if those transgender bathroom posts don't reel me in despite my best efforts.

 

[disneyseniors]

Hello, everyone!

Some of you may know me, and I guarantee most of you don't. I've been around for a bit but recently started delving into the boards and re-evaluating some of our procedures. Lately, I've been personally approving all new registrations to prevent spam accounts from joining. Some slip through the cracks, but that's bound to happen.

Obviously, I don't want to disrupt what works, nor do I intend to dismantle or dismiss the hard work of our Moderators and Webmasters. I'd like to begin asking the community how to handle very controversial topics, especially here on the community board. You might have noticed a more lenient approach, like threads staying open longer than usual, comments deleted without infractions applied. This was all part of a test I've been conducting over the past few months and gathering feedback, similar to us publishing articles about Reedy Creek on wdwinfo.com but not allowing discussions here. I get it.

So, here we are, in a highly debatable world, discussing many topics. Although necessary at times, I really don't like to ban people, issue points, and repeatedly close threads. It's evident that many of you love Disney and other destinations, but some are also passionate about "highly" debatable topics in the world. I also want to ensure everyone here feels safe from "world drama" issues appearing in their feed.

Here is the question… Would you find it beneficial if I created a sub-board where we can move and allow "hot topics" for a semi-un-moderated discussion? I would only allow access by request. If you are open to the potential "firestorm," then I'll grant you access, but you'll be required to accept certain terms before entering.

Unlike the past Debate Board, the threads here will not be visible or accessible to everyone. It’s opt-in / opt-out.

The Community Board is a place for all topics that don't necessarily fit in with the others. It's a catch-all to discuss anything you want, but there are obvious limitations we must enforce to keep the peace.

Let me know if I'm crazy.

Thanks,
Corey

Hi Corey:

I agree that a sub-board on hot topics would be the answer. Also I appreciate the fact it will not be visible to all, only those who signed up for it.

I don't think a general disney site like this is the place for such discussions, so another thread like you suggest should make everyone happy
Thanks for suggesting this answer to a very touchy subject.

 

[TippyThomas]

I actually look forward to the ability to actually say what I want to say instead of a laughing emoji. The laughing emoji is the safe bet right now because the report button flies when you say what you want to say.

Case in point. @Sanchez showing how it's done.

 

[StageTek]

I'm reading that many people don't what this separate, sign-up only board because they will read comments from people with whom they disagree. And those people might (will) stand hard and strong by their opinions - to the point of annoyance. And, of course, there will be those who join to simply stir up trouble.

Is it too controversial to suggest that a board like that isn't for you? Not calling out anyone - just thinking out loud. Perhaps there should be a section of DISboards like that - but just not for everyone. If it does turn into an echo chamber of thought, opinions and ideas one doesn't like, or one feels overwhelmed, or offended or not heard, that person could leave the group.

On the other hand a board like that could be wonderful if you found like minded people.

For me I love debating and even arguing with people with whom I disagree. If they get to be too much I know how to just move on. No need to block - just stop responding.

That might be the perfect board for someone like me.