To answer bonbon's questions here:

But since Sean asked, when was the last time we actually denied a new thread?

I don't know if it was the last time, but 4 years ago (almost to the day, in fact) the politics thread got voted down.

I want to see an attempt to discuss gaming without a dedicated thread fairly tried and failed. Then I'd think there might be a reason to have one. As is, I've seen nothing to convince me.

This I do not understand at all. Why does conversation have to be broken out of existing conversation?

Don't understand at all.

I want to see an attempt to discuss gaming without a dedicated thread fairly tried and failed. Then I'd think there might be a reason to have one.

Yeah, I was just trying to think of where said discussion could happen since there are objections to Other Media and ended up with a completely different idea. I didn't do very well with the context placing.

I don't know if it was the last time, but 4 years ago (almost to the day, in fact) the politics thread got voted down.

Also, the plea for people to have a place where they can talk about BSG without being spoiled for Stargate has consistently fallen on deaf ears.

To expound on my previous post, this past August the Network Drama thread was denied. Perkins "Sunnydale Press" Aug 17, 2007 7:01:49 pm PDT

Why does conversation have to be broken out of existing conversation?

Huh? You're saying that you need a thread because of X--I'm saying I don't see X, please show it to me. That's all.

the plea for people to have a place where they can talk about BSG without being spoiled for Stargate has consistently fallen on deaf ears

Voted down != fallen on deaf ears. That's why we have a process, isn't it? Actually, was a BSG thread proposed and voted down? I know the sort of format ND prefers, but I'm not sure what action was taken in order to try and achieve it.

But since Sean asked, when was the last time we actually denied a new thread?

The TV Drama thread was denied last fall.

As for Amy's quotes of my post, I stand by them. Others will disagree with what I said, some will be upset. I know I should regret causing upheaval, but an honest thrashing out of an issue does not come about when everyone is being carefully polite with each other. When people fundamentally disagree on a situation, upset will occur. How we cope with that upset is what defines us as a community.

an honest thrashing out of an issue does not come about when everyone is being carefully polite with each other

While I don't think everyone can thrash without getting emotional I think that's a far cry from saying that no one can thrash honestly without impoliteness. Whyever should it be required?

You're saying that you need a thread because of X

Not need. Want. And when the desire for a gaming thread was brought up, several people (as Consuela pointed out, at least as many as post in other small threads) said they want too.

For that, we've been told we must try to have discussion elsewhere, or else you don't see the need.

I don't understand that.

Sean, for example, the idea for TV threads other than Boxed Set came from a lot of TV discussion taking place in Natter. At least that's the way I see it, and that's what I get from what ita's saying. We were already discussing a lot of shows, and when the conversation seemed to get too big, someone proposed having a dedicated place for it.