[nick_mi]

Well, here is the flaw with that argument.

Before the Coffee Shop, we had no complaints and had no one threatening to leave. Now that its here, thats what we have.

ScHwErV

I'm not really threatening, but I highly doubt I'll come here as much unless I need help, because this forum was kinda slow, but it was still interesting, now without those topics, idonno, I probably just won't come as much. =/

[Advertisements]

This isnt just a the site its an online community and if you take away the forum you are undoing the progress towards that end, and while members probably wouldnt leave just because you got rid of it i think it would be a safe assumption they would use the site less, i know i probably would spend less time on it i usually come on help a couple of people and check out anyother forums like the coffee shop, as the time i spend on the site is my free time and i like to get something more out of it than standard toubleshooting and replies(not that that isnt rewarding).

Basically the same here. I get on, work on practice logs, scan over the malware forum then go to the coffee shop.

[MasterJ]

This isnt just a the site its an online community and if you take away the forum you are undoing the progress towards that end, and while members probably wouldnt leave just because you got rid of it i think it would be a safe assumption they would use the site less, i know i probably would spend less time on it i usually come on help a couple of people and check out anyother forums like the coffee shop, as the time i spend on the site is my free time and i like to get something more out of it than standard toubleshooting and replies(not that that isnt rewarding).

Basically the same here. I get on, work on practice logs, scan over the malware forum then go to the coffee shop.

[Avohir]

I agree with restricting abortion and religion, because those are subjects which consist of little more than personal feelings and ideas, also, restricting sex makes sense because this is a family friendly forum. Restricting politics I disagree with. Those discussions can be quite constructive if done correctly, because people can cite figures, facts, other instances where an idea has been tried. It is a subject based upon statistics, facts, and hard data. Certainly no one is going to swing a hardcore liberal to the conservative viewpoint, but I dont think thats a reason to limit them. Also, if the discussions are kept friendly and civil, I think few people will be offended

[warriorscot]

Religion is a big part of many societies and problems you cant discuss many aspects of important issues without it coming up look at the whole divine intervention topic that went so well under the current rules that wouldnt be allowed, the no sex discussions isnt a big deal because the discussions that have been on it have been pretty crap and abortion has been done it was pretty much a non starter anyway its hardly likely to come up a second time.
And all the religion discussions have been very civilised and they arent all just personal opinion you can quite happily discuss the historical and social implications of a religion or how it developed. You shouldnt ban something in a place where it should by definition of the place be allowed because it may offend someone who shouldnt have been on that forum in the first place.

This forum is supposed to be for inteligent and free discussion, it says that in a clear warning on the top of the page, it shows a fair degree of either ignorance or spite to complain and try to opress the free exchange of thoughts by others.

[Justin]

As a former staff member here, and a moderator of these forums, I know how hard it can be to make decisions that effect the whole forum. The Off Topic revamp was done to try and make this more than a computer help site, where people would actually stay and talk after they got help. The Coffee Shop had some great discussions in it, but a good chunk of members did not like some of the topics in here. The admin team decided to make a compromise and leave some of the revamp here and remove some of it.

This forum is still here, and you can still have some great conversations. The admin team is doing their best to make the majority of the forum population happy, but in the end they need to make sure that people are willing to come here for computer help, the community forums will always be second to the computer help forums.

[warriorscot]

I agree it should cater to the majority, and we are the majority who want it left the way it is. Most people that look for help are one timers they dont generally come back again unless they have another problem and even at that the OT is mostly the members that are here for a bit, but whats the point of the forum if you restrict religion and politics the two topics that are the most widely accesible for discussion why bother with the coffee shop at all if you ban all the controversial topi, wasnt that the reason the coffee shop was created so people could discuss these things away from the main forum so people who are easily offended know not to come in to this forum.

[ScHwErV]

I agree it should cater to the majority, and we are the majority who want it left the way it is.

140 thousand members and we have heard 5 people with problems with the changes, I would not say you have a majority.

ScHwErV

[dsenette]

i will deffinitely be sad to see the area go...but...with the insight that i've gathered through other conversations...that portion of the forum is NOT worth losing the people that have threatened to leave....people threatening to leave...over a portion of the forum that they..well..simply do not have to (and might i add..do not) contribute to...or even look at..is a shame...and it shows that some people...just can't tollerate such things...which is their right to do...

i wonder if it would be possible for someone to ask to not be given viewing permissions to that thread? sort of like...the malware staff stuff....if you're not staff..you can't see it...maybe that would cut down on the issues?

[warriorscot]

Yeah you could set it so that people have to request access to that forum, i dont know who is moaning about the forum so i wouldnt be able to say if its worth them staying or going i dont really care its not the point you shouldnt bow to the wants of the ignorant. And by majority i was meaning the poll that was had on should the forum stay it was over 70% in favour i would say that is a safe majority.

[ScHwErV]

That poll had less than 100 votes, still no near a majority.

As for special permissions for the forum, that wont work. Most of the staff already have 2 permissions set (max allowed by the forum software) so no staff would be able to have access.

ScHwErV

[dsenette]

warriorscot.....check your wording....just because the forum makes someone uncomfortable...doesn't make them ignorant....the issue is...that if there is a conflict that is causing problems...then that conflict should be resolved as quickly and easily as possible.....i would love nothing more than to keep the forum...but if it's alienating staff....(no matter how much ifeel that it shouldnt) then it's not worth it....i am one of the biggest supporters of the coffee shop....but...at the same time..i can realize that if it's going to cause the issues that it is causing...then...well..those discussions have no place here (no matter if i agree with the resons that it's causing issues...or not)

[warriorscot]

Why dont you keep the off topic on a seperate site like the outdoors forum bit, i didnt mean ignorant more it was the best word i could think of to fit, but what im not getting is who is forcing someone to read it, i find the propaganda on CNN offensive, do i watch CNN heck no. And do i complain about it NO i dont because you know why, its none of my business some people like it and they should be able to watch it but i dont write to sky and say take that crap off your news channel service, it would be bad form if nothing else and would show a distinct lack of maturity.

[weaselman]

so then whats coffee got to do with computers?

[warriorscot]

Nothing really its just where some of us regulars can discuss things of a more serious and philosophical nature away from the main forum.

[Avohir]

so then whats coffee got to do with computers?

its the lifeblood of any serious computer geek