Code of Conduct Update: Be Awesome

Why you hate Saint Bernard's bro? They just want to save you. With brandy.

 

The answer is easy. I am interested in opposing points of view from those who can defend those points in a thoughtful, respectful manner. Unfortunately, many of the posts on those threads are neither, but I can be an optimist.

 

Oh, come on. You understand my point. There’s people on here claiming they don’t want political discussion on BA period. Obviously those people can avoid it by simply not opening the thread. Same as those annoyed by “another IPA” thread. If a topic doesn’t interest me I just ignore the thread. I’m sure you get it. You’re saying you WANT to read the thread, but don’t like the tone of certain people’s posts. That’s a different point completely.

 

And here it is! Ladies and Gentlemen it has begun

 

This is why we have screen names. I suspect most of us have biblically based names, and we'd be violating the no religion policy by using our legal names.

 

I totally understand not wanting the discussion wandering off into divisive politics or religion, usually happens when too many people don't behave (and that screws up the experience for many). But I do feel a little sad when I have to subside by limits when I sometimes enjoy a healthy discourse in such topics.

 

Yes, most threads in the "Beer" News folder remain unclicked on my end. I don't even want to know what's going on in those threads.

It's coming across political posts in topics without a government connection whatsoever. I just skip over these posts at this point, which works fine on my end.

That said, my personal opinion is we are stronger as a community coming together to share beer and other common enjoyable experiences, and leave politics to the trillion other sites hosting those discussions. Would likely make life easier for the team trying to manage the website on behalf of all.

I believe there is a strong number of members who feel that way but typically shy away from these discussions as they do participating in political discussions. It would be interesting to see the results of an anonymous plebiscite regarding this issue.

 

We are not a bunch of lawyers trying to precisely define what is or is not acceptable, and I doubt many of us are invested in finding loopholes. Nor do I think there is any real desire or need for that level of attention.

We understand the spirit in which the “No Overt Policy” is intended to accomplish. It is as simple as practicing grace with what we write and read, then accept that occasionally we will cross the line with the same grace.

It is just another way in which we can/aught to respect one another and understand the purpose of being part of this specific community.

 

Great reply, although I sadly wonder whether we all understand that spirit. I'd like to think that we all have that little voice that says, "you really shouldn't post that," and that we'd listen to it. It also doesn't help, and I think this has been discussed from time to time, that due to the nature of this site (!), posters are often anywhere from slightly buzzed to flat-out drunk when posting. Just because this bar is virtual doesn't mean we don't have "that guy" who's had a little bit too much to drink.

 

As I've mentioned before, I really like that we can have interactions here without all the political meanness. There are plenty of other social media platforms where one can get that out of their system. It is hard to avoid some of those area all together (see Anchor Brewing) and there's no reason why there can't be some civil discussion. But once it devolves into mean-spiritedness, it becomes counterproductive. I'm here for the beer and some music and food discussion the side. I appreciate the forums as they have been monitored. It's not that hard to keep it between the lines.
Cheers!
David

 

What is "...overtly political or unrelated to the thread's topic"? To quote United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart describing obscenity in 1964: "I know it when I see it". :-)

 

There is no way social creatures that use language can avoid being political. Discretion and nuance are always wise to have handy.

 

Hmm. Don't know about that, I spent a couple hours at a local last week chatting life and beer with an old friend and the assistant brewmaster -- politics never came up once. It was pretty refreshing.

 

And like so many things in the "adult" world, even suggestions that seem to be obviously well thought out sometimes are found to have unanticipated consequences. I appreciate Dr Dtiffington for sharing and John_M for the response.

 

I know. It's inevitable at some points, but not at every point. I was thinking of politics and human concourse in general. In an anthropological perspective.

 

As I once received in an e-mail:

"Everything is political!"

~ Richard M. Stallman