For those who are in favor, is it because you want a place to talk about it, or because you're concerned that it'll take over Natter?

For me, because I want a safe place to talk about it--i.e. a supportive environment, which more politically oriented boards generally aren't.

For me, it's because I'm afraid of it taking over Natter.

For me (and I'm somewhat ambivilant about it, although generally in favor), it's a little bit of both. I'd like to discuss it with people who have interesting thoughts on it, be they pro or con, and do it without scaring the horses. If we don't make the thread, I suppose that's OK, but don't be surprised when people talk about it in other threads.

What about a mail list?

Would any of you be interested in one, where you can have a slightly more private safe discussion zone?

For me it's a bit of both. Plus it's the not wanting to interrupt fun natter for war talk, too.

For example, yesterday there was a bit of (very polite despite containing differing opinions) discussion in Natter. It dawned on me this morning though, that something I said I might not have been really clear about. I thought to post about it in Natter - but natter was full of snow talk, and fun stuff, and because of the high volume of natter, I have no reason to believe the people to whom I was talking would even see my post. I couldn't see interrupting the conversation for a post that was long off the table by then.

Can natter be interrupted? I think that a war thread is as necessary as a politics thread or a weather thread. It's a topic a lot of people care about, but not something that warrants its own thread. Unless it does begin to "take over" natter, in which case the subject can be opened up again.

I think Plei's suggestion is perhaps the best one. I thought a good long time and was weighing for and then against a specific thread. And I finally have to concede that I don't want a specific thread. I do agree that people like Susan, and myself upon occasion, need a safe, supportive place to discuss and inquire. But I don't think a War thread on the Phoenix board is the most appropriate nor the most effective place. The discussion will bleed into Natter no matter what, but as Cindy just posted, when the conversation turns people will be reluctant to bring it up again. And those (like me, oftentimes) who are willfully if temporarily blindered will try to keep the convo from turning back to war. So, Natter's not the best solution, either.

I really like Plei's mail list idea.

Nothing like a weather thread to start some name calling and post deleting.

I like the mailing list idea too (as someone who has no intention of participating). I think it's really even safer than the board, since someone would have to work pretty hard to trip over it and start trolling. I can see how it might not work for people who don't like or really use mailing lists, though. Or who don't want the traffic in their Inbox.