Originally Posted by
Geoff Parkstone
Whilst not disagreeing with you that the political threads generate a high volume of traffic compared to the sports type content, there is an issue of quality over quantity. The Brexit thread (why is it still live?) may contain a lot of posts, but if you were to take out all the duplicated points bith before it happened and then subsequent, there probably only 100 unique comments - a few more than a Derby v Millwall thread I grant but as that threads been going about 10 years.... Before the vote there was a mass of polarised input into what should happen, then a ton of wailing and gnashing of teeth and since then a whole mass of "I told you so" fatuous recrimination. To be honest if I see another "such an such an advisory group have "proved" that Brexit hasnt worked" post again I think Ill shoot someone. Other than to vent anger, its pointless. Its happened and anyone who thinks half a dozen powerless blokes on here can do anyjthing about it really needs their bumos read. So for me this one can be closed for all I care.
The running politics thread does at least address a variety of topics and for those that enjoy such cross debate it has a value to the extent that any political thread on a football forum can. Unlike Brexit new issues are raised which can provole discussion, but it too suffers by seeing the same polarised opinions trotted out whatever the topical question of the day is - discussions rapidly descend into blaming the right wing for everything, be it the press, Farage, Trump... ergo rancour ensues because whilst there is "debate" after a fashion we can all predict each others reactions to any issue raised and know exactly who will agree with who. Is it debate if nothing you can say can influence anyone else in the slightest? So whilst the current politics thread has some value in occasionally raising spirited debate it rapidly ends up with ranks closed. I guess most of us like it because we enjoy winding each other up, hence a couple of members stay away and let the others engage in a dogfight.
As for AF, I think your criticism is harsh in that, despite being a moderator, he is still allowed to have an opinion of his own and we are too small a group to have a "speaker of the house" who has to remain neutral. Im quite sure if any of us were the moderator we'd all adopt the same style of trying to juggle opinion vs unpiring. You may not agree with his opinion but its unfair to deny his right to have it because he is the moderator.
Anyway, thats my tenpenceworth, you can agree or disagree, its a free vote. But if this were a democracy I'd vote to close Brexit thread and put the other political thread on probation. This is not a post about individuals, but rather about repetetive debate and anger venting by ALL parties involved.