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2009/04/18 23:30:54
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
The Off-Topic forum is a place for you to discuss non-wargaming related topics, something that is not normally allowed in the rest of the forums.
HOWEVER, please be aware that all of the other normal rules for the site apply. In particular that means you still need to be polite and friendly at all times.
In addition, please note that discussions involving politics and religion are not allowed. What exactly do we mean by that? Read the spoilered text below:
Spoiler:
However else we are different, what brings us together on Dakka Dakka is our shared interest in miniatures gaming. Logically, this forum is meant to be enjoyed in the good natured spirit of a fun hobby. Whenever people are passionate about something, the conversation can get heated. That's where it is crucial to keep perspective. It's only toy soldiers, after all!
When the discussion turns to more serious matters, such as what's going on away from our table tops and work benches in the "real world," what divides us can all too easily overwhelm the hobby we share in common. Drawing lines in the sand, calling each other out, failing to see an issue from another perspective, rejecting the notion that doing so is even desirable - this spirit of hostility is directly contrary to what Dakka Dakka is really about. Conventional wisdom holds, and experience confirms, that politics and religion are topics often best avoided outside of a venue specifically designed, usually with very strict rules, to accomodate sober, formal discussion. As a site devoted to playing games with toy soldiers, Dakka Dakka is not meant to be, has never been, and will never be such a forum.
Originally, we attempted to cordon off political and religious debate away from the main content of the site, relegating it to the Off-Topic forum. However, as the years passed, it became increasingly apparent that these types of discussions, even limited to just a single forum, were a huge time sink for our volunteer moderators to have to deal with. More recently, we tried to further contain the acrimony by limiting this type of discussion into to just a handful of threads. But the arguments are so entrenched and vitriolic as to spill over, most often in the form of resentment between posters, that they are poisoning even on-topic discussions. So going forward, we have decided that political and religious debates will no longer allowed at all on Dakka Dakka.
Of course, people who happen to share a hobby still like to chat about other common interests unrelated to that hobby. And of course there are many topics, far too many to attempt listing them, that inevitably touch on politics without necessarily being political in themselves. The Off-Topic forum is therefore not going away nor is any thread that could have some political implication going to be immediately locked on sight. There is not a simple black and white distinction to be drawn here but common sense will suffice in almost all cases. Consider what most people would find appropriate to discuss in a game store open to the public, where you are likely to be around people you don't know very well. People go there to relax and have fun. If saying something about politics or religion in that situation would make it awkward and uncomfortable for others (for example, causing a heated argument likely to get personal) then don't post it on Dakka Dakka.
And if you are not sure about whether posting a certain thread or comment violates this policy, please keep in mind that it always OK to send a private message to a moderator asking for guidance.
Also, even though this is a forum for discussion about non-gaming topics, any thread started must still contain an actual topic for discussion. So for example, the following types of threads (and posts) would not be acceptable, even in this off-topic forum:
• Spam thread (or post) that is essentially gibberish.
• General thread asking what other users are doing today/this week, etc. or
• 'Blog'-style thread about random things happening in your life.
Just remember that even though this is the off-topic forum, it is still a forum designed for topics of discussion. If you do not have an actual topic of discussion and instead you are just looking to vent/share or post something random for your own amusement, that is not allowed.
Users who continually break Dakka's rules will have their account suspended temporarily and eventually permanently if they continue to do so.
Thanks.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2018/09/01 10:40:31
2009/07/15 21:34:33
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
DR:70+S+G-MB-I+Pwmhd05#+D++A+++/aWD100R++T(S)DM+++ Get your own Dakka Code!
"...he could never understand the sense of a contest in which the two adversaries agreed upon the rules." Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
2009/12/12 05:19:12
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
does this mean we can't make topics about angry marines?
heh, i just started back wargaming after a loooooong hiatus, forgot some rules too, feel free to pm me to get me up to date with everything thats happened since may 2010
painting dark angels atm
my first army! CHAOS!
2010/01/19 07:36:56
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
We try to keep Dakka's content at about a PG/13 "rating" with regards to content. This might well mean that certain topics, comments or jokes, whilst perhaps pertinent or even funny, are not suitable for posting. If you do post something that steps over the line then there is every chance it will be deleted and you may well receive a warning and/or a suspension for doing so.
On a related note we prefer it if people do not swear or use offensive language on the site. Many of the more common words like this are filtered out automatically by the site. We take a very dim view of attempts to circumvent this, and this includes putting *** or similar in words as well.
Of late we have seen an upsurge in people using Dakka's built in picture hosting to post non wargaming images. We don't allow this either, if you wish to post such an image then you'll need to use image tags/similar. Non wargaming pictures will be deleted and, again, action may be taken against repeat offenders.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2014/04/12 19:18:39
Subject: Re:ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
Intelligent discussion is not something I would associate 4chan with, I think childish, low, brow, tacky, unsubtle, rude, gross, mean spirited, ignorant, trollish, uninspiring, uninteresting, insincere, forced, etc would be better descriptions of the site.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/04/18 09:20:27
2014/07/22 04:41:18
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
sluggaslugga wrote: So... no posting about Harry Potter in a spacemarine suit killing off millions of green Hitlers?
(Lol just made it up)
You may be joking, but I actually read Harry Potter/40k crossover fiction a while back. It started with a psyk-out bombardment from orbit and ended with Hermione being captured by the Inquisitor for his "personal retinue".
Best Harry Potter related work I've ever read
Like watching other people play video games (badly) while blathering about nothing in particular? Check out my Youtube channel: joemamaUSA!
BrianDavion wrote: Between the two of us... I think GW is assuming we the players are not complete idiots.
Rapidly on path to becoming the world's youngest bitter old man.
2016/05/15 22:53:19
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
Just a quick question: Are MODS supposed to just delete posts that they themselves don't like and find offensive, or is there some kind of actual criteria?
I'm just curious as I had a post removed recently. No swearing, no accusations, nothing political or religious, nothing risqué, nothing illegal.
Yes, it was borderline macabre, but that's about it.
2016/05/15 23:36:28
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
cuda1179 wrote: Just a quick question: Are MODS supposed to just delete posts that they themselves don't like and find offensive, or is there some kind of actual criteria?
I'm just curious as I had a post removed recently. No swearing, no accusations, nothing political or religious, nothing risqué, nothing illegal.
Yes, it was borderline macabre, but that's about it.
Moderators are tasked with making judgement calls about what posts are appropriate and inappropriate, so it goes without saying that something that offends a particular moderator is much more likely to be noticed and potentially removed by them.
Ideally, a moderator will send you a PM letting you know why your post has been removed (often that will come along with a warning and/or suspension), but if they are too busy at the moment, the most important thing is to remove the inappropriate post, so a notification is not always forthcoming (although like I said, that type of action without a notification is less than ideal).
If you would like to discus the particulars of why your post was deleted, feel free to PM me.
There are posters here who seem to swing way in one direction, making some pretty outrageous accusations against groups and people, who seem to move on unscathed, but in an attempt to create a thread that is literally free of political content about science fiction robots of the future, someone mentions the word ginger and it gets locked. Is there a serious ruleset so people can know where the "line" is? I am all for rules, but #1 and #2 are quite ambiguous and it would be nice to know where to step, and what standard we are being held to.
10k CSM
1.5k Thousand Sons
2k Death Guard
3k Tau
3k Daemons(Tzeentch and Nurgle)
2016/07/01 11:04:39
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum!
I want to ask a question about how everyone uses the Internet (I'm taking a Grad class) and wanted to use Dakka to help me work through my topic and put together a survey (about Internet use). Can I do that here in Off-Topic? Can I also post the link to the (Google) survey that I put together after I get comments and discussion about Internet use?
TIA
Heybiff
-Even the Sun goes down.
2018/09/01 18:09:30
Subject: Re:ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
I have to admit that whilst in a hobby hiatus, the political can't is the only reason I visit dakka on a daily basis. It had the highest calibre of discussion I'd encountered on both sides, and it was great having that level if intelligent discussion.
Can we have a politics subforum or can anyone recommend anywhere with decent political discussion?
2018/09/01 22:11:28
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
Genuinely enjoyed UK politics, whether watching or sparring. Everyone there was civil and even though a lot of the time it was DINLT against the world, he all took it in his stride.
Kote!
Kandosii sa ka'rte, vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, vode an.
Bal kote,Darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad vode an.
Bal...
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'a.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, vode an!
2018/09/01 23:30:09
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
Herzlos wrote: I have to admit that whilst in a hobby hiatus, the political can't is the only reason I visit dakka on a daily basis. It had the highest calibre of discussion I'd encountered on both sides, and it was great having that level if intelligent discussion.
Can we have a politics subforum or can anyone recommend anywhere with decent political discussion?
I'd say I would be in the same position. I have very little patience for GW fantasy or 40k these days but having politics thread did mean I interacted more. However with very little on the games I'm interested in I guess my interaction will diminish because I won't need to visit as often because it is easier to catch every couple of weeks or so. It's unlikely that you'll find a good dedicated political forum somewhere because they are either generally populated by people from one side or another and are more echo chambers or very hostile. There's evidence to show people generally move to groups they are comfortable with so that real debate doesn't happen. That's where dakka had an advantage - it is primarily a war-games forum and that brought together people with diverse political views which in the long term can result in a more compromising consensus in moving forward. Keeping groups divided makes each group more hostile to the other. That wargaming could bring people together with different views is, I would argue, a reason to keep it going.
However this sort of action is not uncommon. It takes time and effort to manage such highly charged topics and if finding volunteers becomes more difficult (or they simply don't want to deal with it) then the easiest route is just to ban it altogether. However there is the argument that by doing so there is a desire to wash hands of some social responsibility by trying to ignore it. So perhaps we could have an off topic conversation on whether dakka is being socially irresponsible for banning political and religious discussion?
Sorry to see it go - I enjoyed the discussions, but shame on you dakka!
"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. " - V
I've just supported the Permanent European Union Citizenship initiative. Please do the same and spread the word!
"It's not a problem if you don't look up." - Dakka's approach to politics
2018/09/02 00:01:41
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
However this sort of action is not uncommon. It takes time and effort to manage such highly charged topics and if finding volunteers becomes more difficult (or they simply don't want to deal with it) then the easiest route is just to ban it altogether. However there is the argument that by doing so there is a desire to wash hands of some social responsibility by trying to ignore it. So perhaps we could have an off topic conversation on whether dakka is being socially irresponsible for banning political and religious discussion?
No, that would be considered discussing moderation and we know what a hot button with the mods that can be. Though we can always complain that yakface's icon is too political at this point, what with Connery and Scotland and all.
I'm just gonna sit back, and watch the mods go mad trying to play whackamole with all the threads that currently are political, let alone the ones that will inundate the site when plastic SoBs come out.
I have seen it. God Emperor help us.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/09/02 00:14:01
Fate is in heaven, armor is on the chest, accomplishment is in the feet. - Nagao Kagetora
2018/09/02 01:13:41
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
Is a forum I just started, with absolutely no intention of following up with. So if you want a political forum, it’s rather easy to do and won’t cost you a thing if you don’t want it to.
PS: No challenge is being made towards Dakka with this. Just trying to prove a point. If anyone is upset, I can apparently shut it down at any time and I would happily do so... but hopefully a joke is just a joke.
2018/09/02 02:12:40
Subject: Re:ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
I have to admit, lost a lot of respect for the mods over this. Inexcusably poor decision all around.
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
2018/09/02 02:25:08
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
(I hope that this doesn't mean the famous Dakka Dakka relaxed, polite and friendly moderation style is giving way to a more authoritarian and punishment-heavy style of moderation though! )
Anyway, I suppose there really are plenty of other places out there were everyone can get their fill of Politics, Religion, etc.
Insidious Intriguer
2018/09/02 02:29:32
Subject: ATTENTION: There ARE RULES in the Off-Topic forum, including no political or religious discussion!
How about we also introduce a rule that if more than 20% of your total posts are in Off Topic, then you're banned from Off Topic until you've talked about actual wargaming to get your percentage below 20%?
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox