What, exactly, is General Discussion?

[Patsy Stone]

Over the last few days I've seen more threads than usual moved swiftly to The Lounge.

Flame wars, beating a dead horse threads, they can stay. Birthday wishes, baseball threads and a humorous reminder to GD to lighten up -- off to The Lounge with you. I don't see strictly political threads whisked off to GD: Politics.

Anyone have a list of the things I can discuss in "General Discussion"? I'd hate to generally discuss the wrong thing.

ed: gram.

[Bluebear]

1. I feel your pain

Someone started a thread on if you have contemplated your death....it was moved to religion or some such. What is more "general" to us all than death?

[Patsy Stone]

Or, I submit...

more discussed?

[Maddy McCall]

4. Crash. The movie.

Because everyone can relate to it, and if you don't like it than you can kiss my ass, suck up.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

:hi: :hug:

[Bluebear]

8. WHAT????????????

I didn't say aanything like that and yet YOU pick pick pick adn whine whine whine, you think I don't see it? Well fuck you! Riiiiiiiiight!

;)

[Maddy McCall]

12. You need to get a fucking life, you asshole. My sunday school teacher...

told me that I'm smart and besides that Im majoring in remedial reading at the community college's satellite internet sinter, so go fuck your self and learn to be a Christian because you hate Christians and that makes baby jesus cry.

:rofl: :yourock:

[mdmc]

53. we talk about that down thread

peace Blue bear!

[Maddy McCall]

2. Locking

If you have questions about the way DU is moderated, contact admin here:

[e-mail]

(just kidding) :D

[Patsy Stone]

3. Funny girl

:rofl: I mean, generally. :)

[Maddy McCall]

7. You can talk about General Clark but you can't talk about General Hospital

in General Discussion. :D :hi:

[Bluebear]

11. Uh, I think that is overgeneralizing

:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

14. Generally speaking, I meant it in the most specific sense.

:D :P

[spanone]

20. I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate.

:+

[Maddy McCall]

23. LOL.

I think I hi-jacked Patsy's thread. I'm sorry, Patsy. :)

[Patsy Stone]

29. No worries

I'm just curious and I am trying to figure it out. True, those threads could have been started in The Lounge, but they were posted here because they probably related to the people in GD more than The Lounge. Or, perhaps, the poster wanted to talk to the people here. We have, most of us, spent a lot of time together. That's all I'm sayin'. And with a catch-all name like General Discussion, that's a strange line for me to define.

Peace, out!

[Maddy McCall]

35. I don't know if you were here during 2004...

but GD was where all general discussion, including political, was conducted EXCEPT for primary discussion, because the primary wars at DU were FUGLY, and Skinner contained it all to "General Discussion: Politics."

After the Primary Wars died down, that's when GD: P kinda became, in my eyes anyway, GD-light. It moves slower, and there doesn't seem to be as many flamewars in there.

Back then, we even had an "Ask the Administrators" forum, and it was a freakin' hoot. It was delicious watching the things that DUers got pissed about.

One guy threw a fit in ATA and demanded to know why he had been tombstoned--and it never dawned on him that if he had been tombstoned, he wouldn't be able to post in ATA.

When I used to sign into DU back then, my first stop was always ATA. I wish it were still here, but I know it gave Skinner massive headaches.

:)

[Patsy Stone]

37. I came after the election

but that was FUGLY enough, thankyouverymuch. ATA was a hoot; and I can't imagine having to respond to all of that. But it was a great read. Thanks, Maddy.

[karlrschneider]

26. You guys kill me. I mean that lit

[mmonk]

5. Discussion of generals.

[MissB]

6. It isn't GD - politics.

[mdmc]

9. I was pissed that my thread on impermanence was dumped

into the lounge... oh well... I guess it would be better in a philosophy discussion forum, but it was a joke in the lounge. I contacted the admins for further clarification.

[Patsy Stone]

25. Isn't sort of fitting,

that a thread on impermanence was, well, so impermanent? :shrug:

[mdmc]

32. lol...good point...

it is the attachment to this world (and my op) that causes suffering. :) Good point Patsy Stone. :~)

[Patsy Stone]

40. Philosophy minor, me

And I feel your pain about the OP. :)

[mdmc]

43. nice... I'll keep you in mind for my next pataphysics OP

or whatever else I find interesting... peace and low stress and thank you for the posts. :~)

[guinivere]

10. Hmm..discuss things in general, or generally discuss various things,

or discuss generals.




:silly:

[gkhouston]

13. maybe the Lounge

has a dead horse flamebait shield that rebuffs any attempt to move threads there? :shrug:

[Patsy Stone]

16. Hi, you!

I don't get it. Is the NSA involved?

[gkhouston]

19. maybe ya gotta be hostile to last in GD.

I don't get it, either. :shrug: :hi:

[Patsy Stone]

21. Separating the warriors...

(hands on hips) I wear my battle scars with honor!

[gkhouston]

27. yah, yah, and you drink prune juice, too, I'm sure.

A true Klingon warrior, you are.

[Patsy Stone]

30. These yams

have no honor! :rofl:

[JNelson6563]

Long ago and far away

there was absolutely NO lounge type stuff in GD. Then, after the primaries of 04, they changed GD Primaries forum into GD Politics forum and more and more people have been treating GD as their own personal lounge.

I think flame-wars, polls and other bullshit posts re: politics should be sent to GD Politics and reasoned, intelligent political discussion in GD. I thought I read that was the plan some time ago and have wondered what ever became of that plan. Maybe I was mistaken.

Julie

[sweetheart]

17. really!

You mean GD used to be the nexus of DU! OMG! ;-)

[Patsy Stone]

18. No, I think you're right

The plan is to make GD into a place for longer journal type posts and GD:P what GD is now. I'm talking more about now.

[KoKo]

44. Sensational Rita Cosby type one time posts in GD...bother me.

Baby Rapes, Teacher rapes boy...Weird stuff that's a one time story. How can one discuss the rape of a baby or Man Mutilates Wife or the rest of it.
It makes one cringe and feel terrible or shocked but DISCUSSION? What can one really say about the latest headline tragedy..that doesn't involve a bigger issue?

The Duke Rape Story involved many other issues and that's the kind of horrid story that goes past sensationalism or one time event personal tragedy, but that's the rare exception. Just my pet peeve on this...I'm sure others feel differently.

[idgiehkt]

15. I think it's Leopold/Rove, and Pentagon/plane or missile

my little thread about net neutrality is just fighting to stay above water.

[survivor999]

22. General Discussion

is to discuss things generally... I think... But what do I know? :shrug:

[Horse with no Name]

24. Just stay on task

From Friday until today--General Discussion was about Rove. And Jason Leopold. And did he or didn't he.
Today it appears to be about the Pentagon film.
There was also another subject that was thrown in the mix...but apparently I have forgotten it.
The rule is...there must be AT LEAST 20 posts against and 20 posts in support of.
Carry on....;)

[Patsy Stone]

51. ...

:rofl: Loved it!

[annabanana]

28. GD & GD:Politics are both "politics"

GD is usually just faster. Sometimes one of them gets assigned special temporary topics if something is gumming up the discussions..

I figure it's a matter of personal preference as to speed which one you're more likely to frequent. I go back & forth because I hate to miss anything.

[MazeRat7]

31. I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out the differences....

Since my posts "generally" have to do with something that is in the news I post here in GD....I've never been one to be silly on the board (however those that know me question why my humor IQ is inversely proportional to my intelligence IQ) but I did hang in the lounge for a while and that seemed completely pointless. All in all, I would rather be researching something for my mind than just posting drivel for the sake of posting. But then that happens here in GD as well. :shrug:

Often I don't see a clear line between GD and GD Politics, so for the most part I just hang around GD and make the occasional comment. So I don't know what to tell you. Its a frigging message board full of passionate loony heartfelt convicted fun. Yes there are lots of folks I like to read, others I think are too full of themselves, and many (like me) that don't get a lot of attention but read, contemplate, and occasionally inject a comment.

Not sure this was any help but it was honest from those of us out here that dont start a dozen treads per day or feel the need to chime in with a "me too" at every opportunity. ;)

MZr7

[Patsy Stone]

34. And for that

I thank you. I appreciate your response. I love DU, and I think we are the best kind of passionate, loony, heartfelt, convicted (How do you know I was convicted??), fun. I just go batty trying to make sense of it all sometimes.

[MazeRat7]

38. Yeah, I pretty much feel the same way....

I love DU and don't miss a day of reading posts. Over the past couple a years it has been a great source of information, humor, and enlightenment (both beneficial and detrimental). But hey, like I said its nothing more than an internet message board complete with the culture, benefits, and short comings generally associated with any on-line social networking tool. This just happens to be the best of bread where liberal politics are concerned.

Hope to see you here again..

*peace

MZr7

[madokie]

33. I've learned to never mention Hillary, capital hill blues, hell,

the big dog himself, don't ever tell a joke to lighten the moment up a bit. don't question the actual number of causualties, the russia, china connection. Other wise I do just fine. GD??

[tandem5]

36. I think this thread is as general as it gets...

of course that means it will be promptly moved to the lounge.

[eleny]

39. GD exists so the Lounge has something to gossip about

O8)

[KoKo]

45. lol's .....never understood why lounge folks felt uncomfortable in GD

but when I used to visit there way back many folks complained that they got flamed up here... :shrug: never could understand it...figured it was just loungies being funny.

[sandnsea]

41. GD Politics was the 2003 primary war

All primary threads were required to be in the primary forum. Before that, there was just GD and the lounge. In 2004, the primary forum became focused on the election. After that, it became GD-Politics. GD is more for discussing political issues and activism than actual campaigning.

Almost anything personal gets whisked off to the lounge, except a good joke or truly urgent personal problem.

[Lex]

42. Maybe I can help a bit. The DU Rules are a great place to start.

For example, in the rules (which are linked in several places at DU), you'll find:

Where to post various discussion topics.

Democratic Underground has a large number of forums on a number of different topics. We encourage you to take time to familiarize yourself with all of the different forums so you have a better idea of where to post various topics. We also encourage you to take advantage of the "My Forums" feature so you can easily keep track of the forums that interest you.

We have very strict rules for starting a discussion thread in the Latest Breaking News forum. Those rules are displayed when you click "post." Please follow those rules, or your thread will be shut down.

The General Discussion forum is for discussion of a wide range of topics that are relevant to politics, public policy, and current events. Topics with little or no political relevance are not permitted in the General Discussion forum.

Due to continuing problems, discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues is limited to the Israel/Palestine forum, and is governed by a special set of rules which are available in that forum. If a discussion is primarily about US policy in Israeli/Palestinian affairs, it is sometimes allowed in other forums. Discussion of other Middle East issues is also sometimes allowed. If a thread is on a different topic, but later goes off-topic and becomes a discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues, the moderators may move the thread to the Israel/Palestine forum.

Discussions about politics and public policy that relate to religion are permitted in the political forums, including the General Discussion forum. However, discussions that are primarily focused on theological questions, including discussions about the truth or untruth of certain religious beliefs, are not permitted in the General Discussion forum, and must instead be posted in the Religion/Theology forum.

Posts about so-called "conspiracy theories" are not permitted on Democratic Underground, except in the September 11 forum.

Posts that are unrelated to politics or public policy (such as pop culture, entertainment, sports, or celebrity news) belong in the DU Lounge, in the relevant Topic Forums, or in the appropriate DU Groups.

Questions about Democratic Underground policies should be emailed to the administrators. Discussion topics pertaining to specific enforcement actions by the moderators are categorically forbidden. Discussion topics relating to Democratic Underground policies, procedures, enforcement, etc., are sometimes permitted if they are respectful and not disruptive to the administration of the website. We reserve the right to lock or delete any such topics for any reason.

A handy link to the full Rules:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules_detailed.html

[mdmc]

54. thank you for this information

peace

[RoadRunner]

46. I think I have the answer, or at least I’ll try

GD is the heart and soul of DU. It's the best Forum I’ve seen on the Internet, bar none. It's a place where at any given moment you can take the pulse of the progressive movement, and take the results to the bank. Most of the time that yields good prospects for our future, and occasionally it sucks. But we keep coming back here, day after day, because we're all bearing witness to something bigger than ourselves. We’re all virtual players in a historical drama that may very well end badly. And that’s what makes us all brothers and sisters.

(Apologies to the other best Forums, like Peak Oil, GD Politics, The Lounge, the New Mexico Forum, and, well, all the rest of DU.)

[Patsy Stone]

47. Agreed!

I love it and I wouldn't be anywhere else. What I'm saying is there are threads which are meant to antagonize and cause arguments, and they don't always get locked. Fifteen threads about the same thing. There are threads wishing for a speedy recovery, which are never moved to The Lounge. So, it's not really an all or nothing proposition, regardless of the posted rules. If someone posts a birthday wish to someone, or wants to point something out to this particular group of people, the rules are in your hands and left up to each moderator. That's what makes it difficult sometimes. I'm trying to understand why a positive letting off of steam would be moved if the negative is allowed to remain.

Which in no way negates the fact that:

DU, Mods: :yourock:

[shanti]

48. you got that right, brother!

:hi: GD can get heated sometimes, but it's seldom boring. it's my favorite forum, but i like LBN and the lounge (when i need to cut loose) too, along with california, and several other forums that i infrequently post to. there are so many to choose from!

[Kurovski]

49. Interesting thread. Compelling enough to read to the end.

moderating GD appears to be something more of an art than a science. :hi:

[Patsy Stone]

50. I laughed, I cried

It moved me.

Cheers, sweetie!

[omega minimo]

52. GD: "U got relevance on my Wedge Issue!" "U got Issue on my irreverance!"

:yoiks: :bounce: :hide: :bounce: :grouphug: :think: