Should we get rid of the Off Topic section altogether?

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

The problem is the and animosity tossed around in the off-topic section makes its way through the rest of the forum.
This forum is far different from any other outdoor forums I've joined. It seems to be mostly people who like getting in online pissing matches who have an occaisional interest in the outdoors. Other forums have people that live/eat/sleep/breath hunting logging on now and then to share advice and experience.
OOD sure isn't a hunting/fishing forum - not anymore.

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Exactly my thoughts Werner. I pushed to dump the "Off Topics" for years, but it seems the traffic it causes is good for numbers.

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Originally Posted by JBen

Somewhat different perspective, aside from if there's no outlet.

If Turkey tags go up. Most people will grouse about that. Grouse about the MNR and the lack of COs, which will lead to "politics" and lack of money. Even now some have groused about pleasure craft operator changes.

What will the mods do if I
"Its because X party gutted MNR funding"
give me a time out
?

With ice fishing soon to be a thing. If someone says anything about Ford closing rentals, and that X number of replies later turns into something
Can I report them?
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Me, my time online and here is limited. I rarely, if ever visit the Marina forum. Why? Its of little interest to me....
Same with dog forum and a couple others.

Other forums.
I read a few or alot depending on the day, rarely comment. Not a lot to add by the time I read something.
Take Carrot the buck.....What might I say that hasn't already been said?

Great fish?

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Does that mean YES or NO?

I voted no. Wasn't aware I was supposed to say that, and off to the races we go ;) ( please note winkie)

A common recommendation is that we put people on ignore to keep the peace. Its a band-aid that doesn't always work. I can tell you from experience.

More importantly Can people not as easily ignore those forums........... if they don't want to see them?
I hope no-one gets offended by that, but is kind of stating the obvious. If I am in favour of closing them....why am I going there in the first place?

Stuff will just spill out, and certain types of people carry crap into other post, other threads, other forums. More work for the mods who already have enough....
Do we ban all political talk? Might as well.......more work for the mods in more forums, in more threads....
Sort of what I was hinting at in the first post.

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Originally Posted by JBen

I voted no. Wasn't aware I was supposed to say that, and off to the races we go ;) ( please note winkie)

A common recommendation is that we put people on ignore to keep the peace. Its a band-aid that doesn't always work. I can tell you from experience.

More importantly Can people not as easily ignore those forums........... if they don't want to see them?
I hope no-one gets offended by that, but is kind of stating the obvious. If I am in favour of closing them....why am I going there in the first place?

Stuff will just spill out, and certain types of people carry crap into other post, other threads, other forums. More work for the mods who already have enough....
Do we ban all political talk? Might as well.......more work for the mods in more forums, in more threads....
Sort of what I was hinting at in the first post.

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I use the "new posts" feature. I don't browse the forums. No way to avoid seeing these posts.

It’s not the off topic section that’s the problem, it’s a few obnoxious individuals. Get rid of them and the problem Is solved. I don’t really participate much in the off section anyways so don’t really care either way.

So do I Werner ( limited time and all that), and it's one reason why I know to pop into something. Or I new you just replied here. But I can see new post in X forum. As I do say the Marina and simply choose not to read it.

Utopia will never exist.

If you want to cut the brains and balls out of the page then go ahead. To think that other topics like COVID and political decisions doesn't have an impact on hunting and fishing in Canada is empirically false so removing it would only pacify those that don't want to think about reality and their impacts. If they don't want to read it no one is forcing them to read.... or to think.

Get rid of the few that can't stop causing havoc. No point in cutting off your leg to stop an itchy toe. Get rid of the few, the rest will pay attention.

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Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

It’s not the off topic section that’s the problem, it’s a few obnoxious individuals.

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You nailed it, deal with the instigators with temporary bans and see if things smooth out after that. If they continue with their crap after coming back then deal with them more severely.

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Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

It’s not the off topic section that’s the problem, it’s a few obnoxious individuals. Get rid of them and the problem Is solved. I don’t really participate much in the off section anyways so don’t really care either way.

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How do you define which ones to drop though? Based on them making repeated irrelevant remarks? Personal insults? Political view? The current rules are probably adequate and Free speech is only FREE when you have the option to make an a** of yourself or tell someone they are. I post alot of attacks on the current gov't, sometimes I push, sometimes I ignore but I am sure some would probably want me to not speak on the lies or corruption that might enlighten someone about taking a moral position in regarding their vote or support. CBC for example is known for it's coverups and ignoring of things like Trudeau lying or spending huge amounts or the latest with the Chinese military training in Canada... do the moderators want to become censors that define the "correct think" attitude? Idiots on the road you avoid and ignore, even more easily done online. I mean why would anyone go into the Off Topic unless they had an interest... perhaps that interest is to find a way to shut down the debate and discussion?

Jordan Peterson has over and over spoken on Political Correctness and free speech and the distortion of facts and has said very often that the search for truth requires multiple sources sometimes.

Here he is talking about an interview where the "journalist" was actually an advocate for censored speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH1U9k0dwzI

"Truth eludes us if we do not pursue it with constant attention." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russian novelist and later prof. at Harvard)

"To give truth to him who loves it not is but to give him more plentiful material for misinterpretation" - George MacDonald

"Merely having an open mind is nothing; the object of opening a mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid." G.K. Chesterton

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." - Winston Churchill