Is this Debate Pit useful?

[Fhaolan 4,484]

One thing I don't understand though is the way people talk about these topics like they are the only ones that could possibly cause flame wars on here when many of the most intense flame wars on here were controversial topics about the show like twilicorn and Derpy. Yes these topics are more likely to start flame wars than most but if people treat it like an absolute certainty than it just becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. While it is up to moderation to enforce the rules it is also up to us to do what we can to try to just stop talking at people and start talking to them, wait until we are calm to respond to certain posts, know when to cut things off and report abusive posts.

In a way, they do treat controversial show topics like the Debate Pit. It seems to be why Equestria Girls and Princess Twilight Sparkle suddenly had their own subforums when technically they would have been just fine as normal topics. Basically it looks like whenever the admins/mods see a topic that is being incendiary, and they can't send it to the Debate Pit because it's technically on-topic for the show, they create a subforum to isolate it.

 

The mods already get a lot of flak for being draconian; shutting down discussions, warning posters, even sending certain posters on sabbatical and full-on banning. I can imagine what the reaction would be if they started to enforce the rules necessary to maintain this site without having a Debate Pit or similar subforums to shunt the nastier stuff to.

 

Ha. Just thought of that. Dragon shouldn't be a post-count badge. All the Mods should have Dragon badges. Get it?

[CT-1138 3,182]

That's not being draconian, that's the moderators doing their jobs. I much rather having mods there to ward against trolls and flame-baiters than letting the flamers and trolls run rampant and creating a forum that nobody wants to post in because they're afraid of getting their heads bit off.

[Fhaolan 4,484]

That's not being draconian, that's the moderators doing their jobs. I much rather having mods there to ward against trolls and flame-baiters than letting the flamers and trolls run rampant and creating a forum that nobody wants to post in because they're afraid of getting their heads bit off.

And yet, given the amount of hate-mail and riotous behavior that they deal with on a daily basis for what they do *now*, then a significant portion of the forum members already think of them as 'draconic'. I don't, personally, but I've watched enough stuff from the sidelines to see that. There are members here... no, that would just be pointing fingers and I'm not walking that path. Suffice it to say that prior efforts to ramp up the moderation and 'doing their job' as you put it, accidentally made the forum less friendly, not more. It seems counter-intuitive, but watch the next time someone gets banned for consistent bad behavior, and you'll see what I mean.

[Zygen 6,066]

Well, while i don't really find that much is productive in it in itself alot of times, and i really don't like debating stuff much in general i will say this.

 

Its still got its purpose, it keeps threads there from being in general discussion clogging that up. Segregating things like that basically.

 

before debate pit those went into general discussion and were more open to other members, and it was normally much chaotic even. Plus it got in the way, and i just didn't like it.

 

So yes the debate pit is useful in my opinion in short.