META: maybe no politics at all?

Submitted by MonkeyMan on

When I read the politics policy outlined here some days ago my gut told me : "this is a trap".

I do not think you can mediate political threads. The standards are way too vague for when they go "too far". One person gets slapped down- another gets off scott free. Ill will grows at mods. These threads bring lots of anger and burn relationships. Before you know it, people are downvoting each other like crazy. Politics starts bleeding into other threads. 

JH is a pretty political coach IMO and covering all his non-sports views is inviting disaster for this community. If people really want to follow his views its pretty easy on other forms of media. 

The simplist approach IMO is just to stick to sports- but its not my blog.  Luckily, I have many other options. Hate to see people set up though- seems unfair- lots of good folks here. Its hard to see this ending well- but it might.

Michigan Marshmallow

April 20th, 2017 at 10:54 PM ^

Next few threads to be:

META: maybe no hottakes at all?



META SNOWFLAKES: put your snowflakes HERE!

OT: BRIAN: META: SNOWFLAKES: BRIAN PLEEEZE ALLOW POLITIKS!!!

*WD thread about new bandaids the team will use*

 

Sopwith

April 20th, 2017 at 11:10 PM ^

Draftageddon.

This ain't over, Draftageddon, my old nemesis. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee.

Also, Corinthian leather? But of course, why not the best?

Also, Welcome to Fantasy Island.

FGB

April 21st, 2017 at 12:42 AM ^

That it's just filler how about you just go with random draft topics, like drafting the best fruits, or yard equipment, or Thai entrees. I honestly believe that would generate more...(being gentle here)...enthusiasm, than draftageddon.

Seth

April 21st, 2017 at 8:27 AM ^

It's our All Big Ten post, or more accurately our Top 125 players of the big ten. And it's important for us to prepare for the season. We play into the joke of certain readers not liking it but honestly they get good reads and it's great for getting us ready to talk about all of these teams. It's going to happen.

Seth

April 20th, 2017 at 11:13 PM ^

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/moderator-action-sticky-2017#comment-4454774

I literally outlined our policy this week. It included an example addressing just this specific case:

Harbaugh wades into politics: Original post should include JUST THE FACTS and a link to a reputable* source, discussion allowed to survive until someone takes it ugly, at which point the thread will be locked and the offender moderated.

We cover Michigan sports here, with a heavy footbal emphasis. Harbaugh is persona numero uno so long as he's head coach of Michigan Football. When he wades into politics, people are going to come here and see what he said, because as MIchigan fans they're going to have people saying to them "Hey, did you hear what Harbaugh said...?"

I figure in that scenario holding our ears closed doesn't serve the readers. Providing just facts without political bending does serve them, since they know they can come here, get what was said and what context it was said in, and go forth to fight whatever Office Sparty said he said differently or whatever. Discussion is important in such cases because the original story doesn't always contain all the facts or context.

Taking a hard-line "no politics even if it comes from Harbaugh himself" approach just sets us up to constantly be taking down threads and looking like assholes for locking things down when we've got the one thread on the internet discussing this that isn't turning into a flaming hell-hole. Liberty unless there's a very good reason, and then maximum possible liberty, that's my motto.

Also: We put our pants on one leg at a time. This is also my motto.

And the thing about the bird who got up at 6.

And who's got it better than us...