A moratorium can hold quite well on issues that are not urgent or time-sensitive. And no matter what moratorium we vote in, there needs to be a way to break it should such an urgent or time-sensitive issue arise.

I can see some merit in this. For example, when I read the Natter archive for 9/11/01 and following, it was amazing to see how many people in NYC, DC, etc. were able to get through to people on the internet in cases when telephoning out wasn't working. People posted that so-and-so was okay, CaBil was keeping people updated on the news, and so on and so forth. If--Heaven forfend--something of that nature were to happen again, an emergency information thread would be of incredible value.

Not to sound callous, but I don't think that events are at a point where I would feel that a war thread was necessary. It's something I'd reconsider if it became apparent that this was something that was going to go on for several months or longer.

Wolfram, frankly I'm getting annoyed because it seems that you don't actually care about the ramifications of what revisiting old decisions would mean or that you don't care about any decision except the War Thread issue.

Askye, I do care about the ramifications, and I tried to distinguish the thread from the other old decisions that I don't feel merit revisiting in my previous post.

From my point of view it looks like you want a War thread and you are going to do anything you can to get your way no matter what and you don't have the community's interests but solely your own interests.

Like I previously said, I don't even know that I want a war thread. I want a war thread vote. And I'm not going to do anything to get my way. I'm also not going to back down just because people are annoyed with me. If I had my own interests at the forefront I'd shut up and stop making myself a target. I have the community's interests at heart, which is why I don't think the appropriate thing is to stop responding when other people also feel a war thread vote should be had. My posts have all been civil, and respectful in tone, and I have tremendous respect for anyone who disagrees with me and says so. But my intentions are not selfish and I'm sorry if I've caused you to see it that way.

Not to sound callous, but I don't think that events are at a point where I would feel that a war thread was necessary. It's something I'd reconsider if it became apparent that this was something that was going to go on for several months or longer.

It's an excellent point, Anne, and I'm not sure that a war thread is necessary. But I do think that the question of whether it's necessary or not is an urgent and time-sensitive one.

The proposed war thread is an urgent topic that will suffer tremendously if it’s put on hold for six months.

I think this is a needlessly melodramatic statement.

What, in your opinion, is the worst case scenario that could come from not having a war thread?

But I do think that the question of whether it's necessary or not is an urgent and time-sensitive one.

A few years ago, when we (at my old job) were looking at things that needed to be accomplished had a meeting about priorities. Someone said in setting priorities it was fundamental to differentiate between urgent and important. Some things will be one or the other, but the priorities need to be things which are both.

Just because something is time sensitive doesn't necessarily make it important. Especially if the costs are too great.

You may not want to open questions about other things which have been decided, Wolfram. But if we do allow a rehash, then I think in the name of equity, we should be prepared for other rehashing.

Maybe I keep misreading what you are saying, what I hear is:

The decision made not to have a war thread wasn't valid because it was made under the old policy. The old policy was pretty much whoever showed up and decided to vote ended up making the decision. If people showed up and didn't vote (like me) then no one knew who was abstaining. So 30 some odd people decided that there wasn't going to be a war thread.

You're saying that the voting process was unfair because only the people who showed up and voted got a say in what happened.

Or do I have that wrong?

I'm trying to make sure I'm on the same wavelength as you.

I think this is a needlessly melodramatic statement.

Eh. What's a little melodrama among friends?

I have to say that not only do I think we addressed the notion of a War Thread a while back and decided against it, but that Natter has done an excellent job of handling war related discussion. Admittedly, it doesn't have the tight focus of thread solely dedicated to one subject, but there have been very serious discussions and news in Natter.

To sum up some of the reasons against the War Thread (as I recall them): Outside of the scope of this community, could attract people to the thread for the wrong reasons (i.e., people not interested in becoming Buffistas), can't afford the thread proliferation, better to have that talk in Natter (and make Natter more substantive - which has happened).

And I'm not going to do anything to get my way. I'm also not going to back down just because people are annoyed with me.

In this case, this obviously matters to you enough that you shouldn't shut up.

In the general case, however, part of what makes this community work is that when people have strong disagreements, they agree to disagree. People argue; it becomes clear that no decision can be reached; the argument is dropped.

Otherwise, the tone tends to get nasty. This is a matter of manners, not of who is right.

Reading the recent posts in here, I noticed that Wolfram said:

We can't build an ironclad moratorium, or we will be shooting ourselves in the foot.

So, if we mentally step away from whether or not he's discussing War Thread, or Clem is a Hottie!! thread -- isn't he really saying we need a mechanism in place that allows us to decide what should or should not be subject to the moratorium?

I believe someone (jesse, maybe?) posted, either here or in the votes thread, that how we would decide that would happen organically (or the old way, basically), i.e., a groundswell of posting regarding an issue. Is that a good enough way to decide if something is no longer subject to moratorium?

Is that a good enough way to decide if something is no longer subject to moratorium?

Good enough for me. And I am a proponent of Good Enough. Also, an advocate for Keep It Simple (less minutia rules to guide the macro rules) and Let's Try It First And See. t /abuse of initial caps