But not posting in a thread does not mean there's no vested interest in opposing a thread.

I am one of the people who opposes a war thread even though I don't think I would visit it if we end up with one, but there is no cause and effect there. I don't read the Due South, Smallville, or spoilers threads, but I am not opposed to them the way I am to a war thread, which I just think is a bad idea. While I think if any group could have such a thread and remain civil, we could, I'm not sure I think any group could. (Did that make sense?)

Also, as a lot of people have pointed out, there is still the Natter threads. It's true that right now the conversations aren't always that in depth, but when there is something major going on, it gets more in depth, as it did with the Australian fires, or the Challenger. Right now people don't know what is going on, and I think a lot of us are whistling in the dark, hoping that somehow we can avoid a war. If it turns out we can't, I think our natter will reflect that. When and if the natter gets too intense, hopefully someone can jump in with a picture of something on Ebay or a story about one of their co-workers to diffuse the situation, which wouldn't happen on a war specific thread. Just my opinion, of course.

I gotta think about this, but I think I'd prefer not to do a mailing list. If we do it, I'll subscribe, but...

I'll be more articulate later.

What Liese said, re mailing list.

I can't explain why the idea squicks me so, but it does.

I am one of the people who opposes a war thread even though I don't think I would visit it if we end up with one, but there is no cause and effect there. I don't read the Due South, Smallville, or spoilers threads, but I am not opposed to them the way I am to a war thread, which I just think is a bad idea.

Wrod.

And, if I may be so bold as to say, I think the people don't want the mailing list is because they feel their opinions will be ghettoized and one of the main motivations behind the potential war thread, is, frankly, to yell at each other in public, and to holler at Bush and Saddam and Osama and potentially strike a blow against them. Which is fine. It's the American way. But I don't like the yelling. Loud noises frighten me. Which is why I'm against the thread.

Never discuss politics or religion in the presence of guests!

I think the people don't want the mailing list is because they feel their opinions will be ghettoized

Nope.

and one of the main motivations behind the potential war thread, is, frankly, to yell at each other in public

And nope.

The initial impulse behind the war thread (as I understand it) was to provide a space for people to be terrified and huddle together for comfort. It was to be an explicitly no-yelling thread, even moreso than the rest of the board.

The mailing list idea feels icky and backchannely to me -- it has nothing to do with my voice being heard or not, it just...leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If that is the ultimate consensus, I'd join it and not complain, but right now, it doesn't feel right. Unfortunately, I think a dedicated war thread is unfeasible because if we can attract Dark Angel fans with a Firefly thread, we can attract nasty propaganda with a war thread, and it would be many many times worse and harder to get rid of. That also said, I would subscribe to a war thread if one were created.

Ideally, I'd like people to feel comfortable bringing up current events in Natter. We're still capable of sustained conversations in there if we want them.

Ideally, I'd like people to feel comfortable bringing up current events in Natter. We're still capable of sustained conversations in there if we want them.

Agreed.

Sustained conversations happen there all the time. At least, I'm assuming so, since there's stuff I manage to talk about forever, plus exchanges on topics I skip.

Also "I like chocolate too." Which I do, so perhaps I'm biased there.

Yeah, we sustained a knife and fork conversation for about three days. I'd say that a war discussion would be sustained if there were people who wanted to talk about it.

we sustained a knife and fork conversation for about three days.

Yeah, sorry about that.

Wait, no, I'm not.

and you shouldn't be- knives and forks (and chocolate) are very important.