an off topic, less moderated 18+ section?

[HuffleClaw]

No really .....

Oh, then thank you!

 

[Kiki]

*calls 1-800-poopaholic’s*

1800 @casportpony you meant, right?

 

[HuffleClaw]

1800 @casportpony you meant, right?

I can see a commercial for that

 

[lilmillefleur]

i lost my last two brain cells reading through this PM in the last hour

uh-huh.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I agree with staff, this is a terrible idea. The forums are already fairly well moderated and this would be horrible.
I understand the frustrations expressed in this thread... But recognize that they swing both ways.
Should this forum be unable to talk about Christmas because of the no religion rule? If we can talk about Christmas, if we can discuss why they're called 'Easter Eggers', we can recognize religion is an acceptable light topic sometimes. But that also means that I can chat lightly about my pagan holidays, even if you're not comfy with it and you can talk about Christmas even if I have problems with Christianity.

In theory that swings both ways on all levels so if an area allows stronger conversations, presumably they allow it just as equally regardless of the "side" of the issue. The problem is that if you allow more dramatic conversation, you make room for more extremist personalities on the site in general. And extremism does not swing equally across all political/social spectrums. So the moderators might allow the conversation equally, but the people who present with the opinions might not be equal at all. Combine that with the fact that chickens are already a bit niche and soon you find yourself with a userbase that's easily louder on one side than the other and quickly becomes an echo chamber of people who are the loudest and most extreme.

And that carries into the other areas of the website. I've seen this happen on some other forums... Only extremists ended up left because it doesn't take much of a push for that to be your only userbase and then you have to pander to them.

And you loose out that way. For every stereotypical white boomer christian conservative whose kept chickens since before your uncle was born and is full of experience and info, there's some hipster millennial who found that you can upcycle a particular item into amazing chicken supplies, or is building their own solar heaters, etc. That information diversity vanishes with the allowance of extremism because extremism is genuinely inequal and, in fact, it's very goal is to remove the other side entirely. Echo chambers are bad, and the best way to avoid them is to keep things extremely civil.

The contention of an 18+ area that allows political and serious religious debates etc. would bring would allow for a higher level of extreme personalities across the whole site, and it will quickly become socially homogeneous and would incite stronger responses on both sides. There's plenty of other places on the internet for that. I prefer this website remain as tolerant and neutral as possible. And I think the mods to a good job. Sure, they don't always hit the mark every time, but life's not perfect and I think they get heckin close. And it's made for a quality community that I feel like I can rely on. I'm very glad this website doesn't allow that contention and both myself and huge swaths of other users full of knowledge probably wouldn't be here if it did.

Feel free to PM me for citations to my claims. TL;DR: This is bad because it will cause an echo chamber that is bad for information diversity and general community.

 

[MissChick@dee]

1800 @casportpony you meant, right?

.....yep just like she’s got a red phone on her desk!

 

[casportpony]

1800 @casportpony you meant, right?

 

[Flufferes]

uh-huh.

...Oops. I have no idea how that got there. I thought i was somewhere else, deleting that now

 

[casportpony]

.....yep just like she’s got a red phone on her desk!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

This is a home for fowl conversation, not foul conversation.