I honestly don't know where I stand on this yet, so what follows should not be taken to advocate one stance or the other.

Pro: Politics would be theoretically kept out of other threads. People who wished to talk politics could do so, and people who wished to avoid politics could do so.

Con: Yeah, right. In the history of the board, the only topic that's been successfully quarantined is Spoilers. We still talk about movies, music, and LotR in Natter, why should this be any different?

Pro: Politics has been a traditionally divisive issue. The conflict-avoidy could avoid the Politics thread, and the rest of the board would be that much calmer.

Con: Do we really want everyone who enjoys a good political argument in one thread all at once all the time? Wouldn't this just be the most flamebaity thread ever?

Pro: We could finally stop arguing over whether or not to have a Politics thread.

Con: The more threads, the more posts. Can we afford to increase posting volume, given that our dedicated server status is only temporary?

Pro: I think it might be a really good thread, if we gave it a chance. We have so many smart and well-informed people here, who wouldn't want a place to discuss important political issues with them?

Con: Every new show thread we've added has attracted newbies. For the most part, this has been a good thing. But I'm a little frightened of the kind of newbies a Politics thread might attract.

Moving this over where it belongs...

Okay, here's my opinion on a politics/war thread, recapping McHundreds of previous posts.

It's a bad idea because concentrating the heated debate spills out to the other threads and causes more splits and divisions. Instead of ghettoizing the negative vibes, it will amplify them. Personality clashes became even hotter with political rhetoric and the resentments that build up get carried elsewhere.

It's a bad idea because it drains interesting discussion out of Natter.

It's a bad idea because we shouldn't be adding new threads right now until all our coding issues are done.

Also I agree with all of JessiMoon's Cons.

But I'm a little frightened of the kind of newbies a Politics thread might attract.

I agree and suggest that the thread be called something non-ME related. Would it be possible to NOT have a slug for it, that way it wouldn't show up on a google?

It's a bad idea because it drains interesting discussion out of Natter.

I think there is as much a chance of this happening as the period talk leaving Bitches.

And I agree with David and Jess' cons.

I see the potential for this to turn into a hugely argumentative thread which will cause serious disagreements and unhappiness with posters that will inevitably spill over into other threads.

I think there is as much a chance of this happening as the period talk leaving Bitches.

A lot of people already think Natter has been seriously diluted by the Movie and music threads. This would remove one more substantial topic of discussion.

as for draining interesting talk out of Natter, this might give those of us who have no hope of keeping up with Natter a chance to take part in interesting topics. And if it is divisive and flamebaity there, it'll be divisive and flamebaity anywhere. Better to have a concrete bunker for such things than an unsuspecting front parlor.

Seconds on the innocuous name/anonymity thoughts. Those of us who care will find it.

And could I use any more adverbs? Surely not.

This would remove one more substantial topic of discussion.

It would, but it would also get it out of the threads where the discussion really doesn't belong.

It would, but it would also get it out of the threads where the discussion really doesn't belong.

That would require enforcement, though. People will have to be reminded "don't talk about that here! That's why we have a politics thread!"