DescentBB

after years of reading "well written" skipping records on the dbb i thought i would check out a far more populace place on the internet.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showth ... t296260522

i know it's an old hat of a place. you've all seen it before. but their political debates are far more interesting.... it must be the amount of members.

i'm not trying to dog out the e&c... it has been interesting. but it's kinda like horse blockers.

flame now.

oh, c'mon. at least actually rip me.

clown shoes

Sounds like your link, Cops, has the same kind of chin drool that you you post here. That where you been training?

woodchip wrote:Sounds like your link, Cops, has the same kind of chin drool that you you post here. That where you been training?

Considering that the person defining "chin drool" defines it wide enough to include any opinion that dissents with the current republican dogma, some chin drool would be nice in this forum for a change instead of the same scratched record.

I only visit a few other places, abx zone for tech help, digitalphotoreview for photography stuff but only discuss politics/social behavior here. Don't know why, I generally think of this kind of thing as a waste of time but the DBB is different somehow.
Maybe I just needed a place to vent as I grew old and cranky...aren't you all lucky

I dont visit any other places. Except the d3kbb, but thats about once a week now.

I go to NationStates.net's forums every once in a while.

I tried joining in the political discussion at HLP, but the viewpoint there is so slanted it was more like being a lone voice shouting out against a sea of opposition. It also doesn't help that there's no specified politics/ethics forum; almost every thread that could even remotely degenerate into a creationism vs. evolutionism, anti-religion, or anti-conservative flamewar usually does. That place is rather unique, though; you can be flaming the hell out of each other in one forum, and in the next, that same person is kindly walking you through some technical problems you're having. The DBB is the only place I'd want to join in such discussion; here, you get a balanced viewpoint without resorting to flames, and the people here actually speak with intelligence and common sense, at least most of the time.

Top Gun wrote:I tried joining in the political discussion at HLP, but the viewpoint there is so slanted it was more like being a lone voice shouting out against a sea of opposition. It also doesn't help that there's no specified politics/ethics forum; almost every thread that could even remotely degenerate into a creationism vs. evolutionism, anti-religion, or anti-conservative flamewar usually does. That place is rather unique, though; you can be flaming the hell out of each other in one forum, and in the next, that same person is kindly walking you through some technical problems you're having. The DBB is the only place I'd want to join in such discussion; here, you get a balanced viewpoint without resorting to flames, and the people here actually speak with intelligence and common sense, at least most of the time.

Funny, the E&C is for the most part a conservative pen!s party, dominated by conservative dogma, filled with antiliberal flames, and loaded with ultraconservatives who never even give any thought to the ideas and musings of the few leftists there are in attendance.

I wonder if you truely can appreciate what its like to feel like a lone voice being muffled by the voices of those who disagree vehemently against you. Then again, you have your conservative collaborators all around you to protect you here, and theres no need to worry about such things, is there?

i'd like to point out that E&C isn't actually supposed to be solely about politics.

forums like SA, a lot of activity.
isn't it a problem that there are so many people posting? how do you keep track of people?
it's like yelling at a rock concert, EVERYONE's yelling, no-one hears you. it'd be hard to really touch base with anyone.

surely this would be disconserting for everyone but borg drones.

i like the cosy, it's cosy here.
i'm more people oriented than idea oriented, i'd generally rather see a familure face than spout a familure idea.

i don't really enjoy discussing politics amongst you guys, it's quite foreign to me (physically, coz you guys exclusively talk american politics).
i can't say i visit any political forums currently by choice.

woodchip wrote:Sounds like your link, Cops, has the same kind of chin drool that you you post here. That where you been training?

hehe woody.

i'm not training (for what i ask)... i just wonder if people on the dbb ever read other forums for this kind of stuff. to tell you the truth i don't really post much at somethingawful... like maybe 3 times. but with the amount of people that post, there are just more subjects to read.

on the dbb's e&c it's like sitting around at the VFW with bad beer and pull tabs listening to the same old fogies not backing down, waving their flags.

i read some of the stuff in the e&c and have respects for many here. but you know it's getting stale when KlubMarcus is the most entertaining thing in the last year.

Just so you know Copsy, a few years back I joined the dem.underground board just to interact with a majority of people who'd be against me in the political arena. I lasted one post and I was banned.

Which leads me to Vaders (avder) post:

"Funny, the E&C is for the most part a conservative pen!s party, dominated by conservative dogma, filled with antiliberal flames, and loaded with ultraconservatives who never even give any thought to the ideas and musings of the few leftists there are in attendance."

The problem here is people like you cannot voice their ideology in a coherent manner. Birds can and Zuruck seems to be doing a better job of it. Try next time to respond with a reply that has no invective phraseology towards members of this board and see if you can come up with more than vacant space.

woodchip wrote:Just so you know Copsy, a few years back I joined the dem.underground board just to interact with a majority of people who'd be against me in the political arena. I lasted one post and I was banned.

ahahaha.
i know your pain. i tried joining the missionarypositiononlyrightwingcorncobupthearse.com forums but they said i was a half breed. go figure.

;-0

Actually Vader, if you took the time to look there are quite a bit more of you lefties then you think. The problem is there are only like 3 of you that actually post anything substantial in regards to political stuff.

Otherwise most of you spout the same rhetoric in defense to the right's same rhetoric and since the right usually tends to have more ammunition, the right generally seems to be the dominant figure. Personally I think you'd find that the majority of us are somewhere in the middle but stray either extreme left or extreme right on some issues. It just happens that most of those issues are the ones we discuss here

Otherwise most of you spout the same rhetoric in defense to the right's same rhetoric and since the right usually tends to have more ammunition, the right generally seems to be the dominant figure.

Holy projection, Batman!

The Texas Longhorns fan site has an excellent, if not always amiable, political forum.

Most of the folks who make up that small speck of blue you saw near the center of Texas' electoral map spend their days posting up every democrat talking point under the sun. There are intelligent posters from both sides of the aisle as well as a healthy mix of extremists from the respective parties. Since it leans left, the righties are just slightly outnumbered, so it may provide the balance you're looking for, Cops.

I'm sorry you feel that way, Avder. I've seen boards with circle jerking on both sides, and I feel that the DBB is anything but. Yes, there are in general more conservatives than liberals here, but we're still able to take part in balanced, intelligent discussion. It's true that about half of the threads turn into a knee-jerk fest, but we also often are lucky enough to have something deeper.

"I joined the dem.underground board just to interact with a majority of people who'd be against me in the political arena. I lasted one post and I was banned."

I did the same thing at freerepublic.com. I lasted 3 times as long!

i was on the verge of suicide because the phrase "fair and balanced" will soon be used in an audio file (note: not a song) on the billboard hot 100.

i don't think the dbb is that right wing. if "the war on terror" has any merit, and is not just a snow job to give you an "enemy" to worry about, the bush administration is quite liberal compared to al-qaeda.

i just wish someone would put forth something that wasn't so predictable. i mean a breakthrough would be nice... you guys sound like the old bat that cleans up the ashtrays in the smokers gulag at work:

"which one of you threw away your garbage in the ashtray? arrrggghh. which one of you made me a non-skill laborer? arggghhhh. i'm going to clean up human waste now. arrrggghhh."

whatever.
this is my attempt to prod the cattle. shock the monkey. ★■◆● the fat chick.

i mean i can just tune into fox news sunday and have it all summed up for me.... and that way i don't need to read.

With the exception of a handful of posters, E&C is a joke that has ceased to be funny.

I now read the something awful forums because the kind of garbage that passes here is not tolerated. i don't mean a right wing position is not tolerated. i mean inane drivel such as is the norm in this turd forum is not tolerated. it's amazing how interesting a discussion can be when it's not fagged up by circle jerking posters.

oh, and the mods there are not impotent. they actually DO something when things begin to digress to the level of faggotry at which E&C excels. in fact, the most prolific posters here would be banned, at least temporarily. NOT for being right wing, but for being idiotic trolls.

Palzon wrote:With the exception of a handful of posters, E&C is a joke that has ceased to be funny.

I now read the something awful forums because the kind of garbage that passes here is not tolerated. i don't mean a right wing position is not tolerated. i mean inane drivel such as is the norm in this turd forum is not tolerated. it's amazing how interesting a discussion can be when it's not fagged up by circle jerking posters.

oh, and the mods there are not impotent. they actually DO something when things begin to digress to the level of faggotry at which E&C excels. in fact, the most prolific posters here would be banned, at least temporarily. NOT for being right wing, but for being idiotic trolls.

I think what Paly is trying to say is...

HEHEHEHE
HEHEHEHE
HEHEHEHE
HEHEHEHE


the hehe block.

Tyranny wrote: I think what Paly is trying to say is...

And crap like that is exactly what were complaining about.

exactly, tyranny effortlessly proves my point.

Palzon wrote:With the exception of a handful of posters, E&C is a joke that has ceased to be funny.

I now read the something awful forums because the kind of garbage that passes here is not tolerated. i don't mean a right wing position is not tolerated. i mean inane drivel such as is the norm in this turd forum is not tolerated. it's amazing how interesting a discussion can be when it's not fagged up by circle jerking posters.

oh, and the mods there are not impotent. they actually DO something when things begin to digress to the level of faggotry at which E&C excels. in fact, the most prolific posters here would be banned, at least temporarily. NOT for being right wing, but for being idiotic trolls.

And Tyranny is being typical?

You should have thicker skin by now Vader. It doesn't matter if you're a liberal or a conservative to me. I'm an equal opportunity poster I could have just as easily posted that for Woody and his constant bias towards liberals but Paly's recent post left the door wide open.

If you dislike it here so much, find another forum where people agree with your views more. I'll bet you its less interesting because half of what makes this board entertaining is debate. Heated or civil, they're both interesting reads from BOTH viewpoints. One side posts something stupid, the otherside argues and the original poster defends their position. Works both ways.

Or you could just become like me and take virtually everything posted here with a grain of salt because its been the same blasted thing every year. If you're here long enough you end up agreeing with everyone eventually anyways. Unless you're a total loon *cough*Kufyit*cough*

Palzon, Avder, grow a pair already. What Tyranny posted is an example of something called "humor." Look it up. What good is a political discussion forum if things can't get light-hearted once in a while, like every time Mobius posts, for instance? If what Tyranny posted would earn him a ban at other forums you frequent, then I can only qualify said forums as dictatorial and Nazi-ish.

Its not so much about people who agree with me, its about people who will be decent enough to respect my opinions even if they disagree with them. For the most part, alot of the conservatives here seem like they wouldnt even give the time of day to a liberal viewpoint.

By the way, shi.t like top guns "grow a pair" comment is just even more of the crap I'm complaining about.

Maybe I'm tired of feeling kicked around by you conservatives and i'm expressing my pair by throwing this dirt up lately?

I think you forget that this is the descent community. We're not exactly the most sympathetic bunch sometimes

I respect the fact that you have opinions and even that your opinions might differ from mine. If someone doesn't agree though they're going to say something. There have been plenty of times where instead of saying how I really felt I avoided posting period just because I didn't want to get into it with someone. Not because they were right, but because I get tired of talking about the same things all the time or it really wasn't worth my time to comment.

If someone is insulting you or your point of views thats where the thicker skin comes in. Nobody is going to bail you out, you'll have to help yourself out. If certain people agree with you they might back you up on it, but thats only a bonus and you can never expect it to happen.

There is only so much I can say before I decide it isn't worth being repeated anymore. I'll admit for the most part there are a few others on this board that manage to say similar things to how I feel on subjects and for that very reason I avoid posting in those threads. Unless of course I wanted to be a smartass and post something funny just to get a rise out of somebody.

Sometimes its the only thing I can do to make E&C bearable.

Sorry; I was over the top there. I still don't understand, however, how the picture that Tyranny posted has any bearing on the overall quality of this forum or its respect for dissenting opinions. I look at that and see nothing more than some light-hearted ribbing. I'm with Tyranny; I will respect anyone else's opinion about a matter, unless it is based on absolute falsehoods or stated in an unintelligent and misinformed matter. As long as you take the time to produce a good argument, you've earned my respect. And, with maybe a few exceptions, I'd say that's the way that most people here feel.

this thread served it's purpose.

clown shoes?

I'd also like to point out that Paly was being the troll in this thread, which is why I txt'd out that graphic real quick and posted it in good fun. Quite frankly it wasn't meant to upset anyone and if it did then somebody should seriously check themselves at the door before they come here.

Trust me, I'm just as desensitized about things as some of the rest of you, but if you can't have a little fun, then really, what's the point of being here?

when the rare occurence happens and i do venture in here, its generally not about politics as i dont particularly care about most of the crap involved with it. the reason i do on occasion though is because i know most everyone here. its not as fun to ★■◆● back and forth with people you dont know.

and this is the only place i go bulletin board wise except the aforementioned d3kbb. i usually check both it and the dbb once a day or more when i'm waiting on something. in this case, my hard drive to defrag. =)

Lets face it Kurupt, the only reason you come here is to find Gooberman.

Avder wrote:Funny, the E&C is for the most part a conservative pen!s party, dominated by conservative dogma, filled with antiliberal flames, and loaded with ultraconservatives who never even give any thought to the ideas and musings of the few leftists there are in attendance.

Hasn't always been that way. It was very balanced, even leftish, a few years ago. I think it's part of a larger shift: I think the world is a friendlier place to conservative ideas, these days. It has been for the past couple years. I'm actually intently watching to see how the left responds. So far, it's been pretty quiet on the ideological front.

I wonder if you truely can appreciate what its like to feel like a lone voice being muffled by the voices of those who disagree vehemently against you.

Being a Christian, here, four years ago? That'll actually put you in the distinct minority on most of the 'net--certainly most places I've visited. Being a non-stupid Christian puts me in the minority almost everywhere else (That's no joke--I've started "logical arguemtents for/against God's existence" threads on Christian boards, to argue with the present atheists--only to have the Christian admins threaten to close the thread because they felt logic was inherently anti-Christian). I very rarely visit a forum initially friendly to my ideas. This board sure hasn't always been as friendly to religion as it is now. I got two pages of flames for an offhand "No, it's not that I think Christianity is a pleasant lifesyle, it's that I think it's factually correct" comment, a couple years ago.

What changed? You think some magical change in the wind made the forum friendlier to my opinions? That hardly seems sensible--a lot of the same people who flamed me for them years ago are now respectful or even curious.

You don't gain respect for yourself or your ideas by whining about how you're outnumbered. Nor do you gain it by demanding that others respect your opinion simply because it's yours. Respect is not demanded, it is earned. Ideas do not automatically deserve it, they must prove their worth. You command respect by effectively communicating strong ideas. You argue with integrity--stating your true reasons, giving up beliefs that are weak or false, letting the strength of your ideas carry the day.

That is the way to change minds on the internet. If you aren't banned right away, and you'll stick it out for months or years, and your ideas actually have merit... people do change. Whole forums can change.

I welcome the republican posters here, and enjoy the dialog. It is a healthy thing. The last thing I want to do is sit around and talk to a bunch of people that agree with me.

Please, keep the neo-con circle jerk going

Birdseye wrote: Please, keep the neo-con circle jerk going

The way you say that Birdsbreath, makes me feel all dirty like...NOT!
You are correct about about having everone agree with you all the time. Just look at me.

I don't read any other political forums. I read one sex/marriage forum and one basketball forum. I also read a number of weblogs, but they're more like news sites than forums (discussions last a maximum of 2 days on most, simply because they drop off the front page.)

The main reason I like the DBB is because it's discussion with people I know, and because you can count on there being at least a few people on each side who know what they're talking about on any given subject. While the board may be somewhat "unbalanced", it's certainly not at near-consensus like most other boards I've tried reading. There's a huge difference between being outnumbered 2-1 with a lot of neutrals and being outnumbered 20-1 with no neutrals... and a huge difference between a true "right wing circle jerk" and a forum full of mostly reasonable people where more are on the right than on the left. Because of the not-too-bad imbalance, if one side has a really good idea, we'll all hear about it, and that side is likely to have strong influence in the discussion even if they're somewhat outnumbered. We do have our right-wing nutjobs and our loony-left liberals, but for the most part, people are pretty reasonable here.

I wanted to repeat some of the things my wife said:

For those who complain about being in the minority, and who say those of us in the majority don't understand... remember DBB history. Remember that 6 years ago, even mentioning that you happened to be religious would get you flamed or lead to an "I am the antichrist" post by HAL9000. 4 years ago, conservatives were easily in the minority. 2 years ago, Christians were still routinely insulted and disrespected. And even now, Christianity is a minority view -- it just happens that now, it's mostly a respected minority view. We've all been in the minority here at one time or another.

I think the process by which Christianity came to be a respected, rather than ridiculed, position in E&C is something others should try to emulate. A couple years ago, it was still common to get flamed for holding Christian views, but very recently there was a "what do you have against Christians" thread and a number of people made a point to say they're only against certain types of Christians and that they respect a lot of others. How did such a big change happen? People would post questions and challenges, and Drakona and I (and some others) would answer them thoughtfully and respectfully. People would post criticisms, and we'd engage the criticisms and even sometimes agree with them. We'd share our ideas and the reasons we believe them honestly, and we'd respond to good criticism, and we'd point out ways in which people could reasonably disagree while arguing against unreasonable forms of disagreement. If you had a bad argument or a weak objection (ex: "the Bible has been rewritten a gazillion times"), we'd smack it down, but if you had a good argument or a strong objection, we'd acknowledge it.

If you have good ideas and you argue them honestly and engage criticisms openly, you'll earn respect for yourself and for your views. On the other hand, if you present an ill-thought-out view, argue dishonestly, dodge criticisms, flame those who argue with you, intentionally misquote people or misrepresent their positions, and refuse to change when your ideas/arguments are clearly wrong, you'll earn nothing but contempt. If you find yourself earning more contempt than respect, perhaps it's time to reconsider your methods.