Why is National Politics Not Visible to Guests?

[FayeforCure]

Healthcare posts, even those related to local people in Jax, get moved to National Politics. However, I noticed that National Politics is only accessible to people who sign in.

Most visitors to the forum are guests who never sign in, and they can't even see that a National Politics section exists.

I would think ALL metrojax residents would be interested in the healthcare debate.

Can that be corrected so we can be more inclusive?

[kramer2k]

I support the relocation of all the healthcare posts into the "National" section, and their exclusion from the main page.  I peruse MetroJax primarily for local news.  If I want to brush up on Faye's many threads a day, I know where to find them. 

[BridgeTroll]

Stephen is correct.  The drama, complaints, and counter complaints did detract from the central mission of the site.  It is also fair to say that both ends of the political spectrum were responsible for the drama and complaints.  It was quite impossible to keep up with.  The current set up works very well and while non members are missing out on these discussions it is also an incentive to sign up and join in...

The more the merrier...

[buckethead]

I do like the idea of have one, maybe two threads for a single issue. Having a corial and respectful disagreement is far from the norm within a public e-forum. I do really like this one.

There are posters with a vast knowledge of local issues. It is the very thing that made me interested in the site. One could say this site serves as an ambassador for Jacksonville. It does a better job of it than any other site I can think of.

However it is structured, it seems to be working well.

[FayeforCure]

I support the relocation of all the healthcare posts into the "National" section, and their exclusion from the main page.  I peruse MetroJax primarily for local news.  If I want to brush up on Faye's many threads a day, I know where to find them. 

I'm glad you have that choice. Seems guests don't have that same choice to visit National Politics, because they don't even know it exists. It is completely removed from public view.

[buckethead]

It is a right wing conspiracy to stifle meaningful debate.

[FayeforCure]

National Politics was made invisible to non members as a reaction to the very aggressive dogfights that happened there prior to the election.

The Namecalling and personal attacks became outrageous.

One of the provacatuers most responsible for the ratcheting up of the tensions also felt that 'liberal' viewpoints were 'embarrassing' to the credibility of the site.  In this he was backed up by another moderator and our board, frustrated with the daily drama of the complaints, counter complaints etc voted 3-1 to remove it from public view on the grounds that the conversation detracted from our central mission.  (I was the lone vote against, although I agree that our central mission is more important)

We left politics open to view, but national politics is for people who already enjoy the site for our main topics enough to sign up.

The general tone of politics has greatly improved recently and has sustained high level of dialogues for the past four months.  It is possible that we will reconsider the motion, but for now, we do not have board support to make the change.

As an educator, I have a real problem with excluding certain classes of readers.

Why not exclude offensive posters instead? Take away the priveleges of those who break the rules and offend.

Maybe some of the moderators were themselves guilty of this? So far I haven't experienced that, but I could imagine that to have been the case. I was unaware of this forum until I signed up a few months back. I signed up because I felt there were too few places local voices could be heard outside of a typical Republican view.

To have a truly American view, we need to be open-minded enough ( be an example to our children) to allow differing points of view that will expand our understanding of each other.

I will refrain from continuing to contribute to this forum under this artificial exclusionary rule. To some, I guess that is the perfect way to keep the status quo: limited info that maintains a limited point of view and therefor limits the representation of the community at large, on national issues that affect us locally.

[BridgeTroll]

Why not exclude offensive posters instead? Take away the privileges of those who break the rules and offend.

They were.  No one is excluded.  They simply need to sign up.  Differing points of view are most certainly allowed and indeed encouraged... you simply have to sign up.

It would be a shame for you to refrain from posting as I have most definitely learned from you and I am certain you have influenced many others.  As you have witnessed all sides of any given argument or issue can be quite passionate.  We would like guests to be interested in signing up because they are intersted in Jacksonville issues first.  Jacksonville is the reason for this site.

[buckethead]

The word offensive is subjective.

It seems you would use this forum as a means of campaigning rather than a tool to debate issues.

Hence the two or three new topics per day. The casual lurker gets to see Faye every visit! You yourself could be considered to be breaking the rules by posting a new topic that is really the same topic, mutiple times daily.  

Since your input is obviously valued here, it is overlooked. As a Senator, you will face a much stiffer opposition, as well as a plethora of protocal. You would serve your mission better to participate within the rules of the forum, while remaining a steadfast contributor, and fighting for your beliefs.

I don't believe anyone here is trying to muffle your voice. If they are, would you so easily let them by leaving?

[ac]

I raised a complaint on the ubiquitous posts related to healthcare reform.  My intent was only to request that the topics be merged and the PTB thought it better to drop them in the Politics forum. 

To be honest, I stopped reading your posts when it became clear you were just going to keep posting a new thread for every article you could find, instead of supporting your premise with them in one coherent thread.  I may even agree with you, but it's similar to how I now automatically delete virtually every FW:  I get from my parents and older family members.  They may have valuable information in them, but I'm so tired of the spam I don't even want to deal with them anymore.

No offense Faye, but while many of us are interested in how the health care debate will shake out, we don't need to see 50% or more of the front page posts dealing with subtle variations of the same thing.  It's common courtesy and forum etiquette to keep related posts in one thread.  That was my point.  MJ clearly felt it was better to remove the debate from the front page entirely.

[Tripoli1711]

Stephen, your explanation makes perfect sense, I agree with the decision 100% and I share your annoyance at the "issuebombing".  I like debating national politics as much as the next guy, but this is metrojacksonville.com, not the politico.  The front page, etc. should continue to focus on what you call the "main topics".

[Ocklawaha]

As an educator, I have a real problem with excluding certain classes of readers.

Why not exclude offensive posters instead? Take away the privileges of those who break the rules and offend.

This is a rather low blow Faye, we don't exclude ANYONE, regardless of race, color, political party...etc. We do however reserve the right to keep our focus on Jacksonville, Florida, and our member citizens. To insinuate that prejudice prevails at MJ is simply wrong. Many offensive posters have been booted out over time, but not without serious discussion and board recommendation. Privilege? Everyone has the privilege, but some have abused it. We certainly mean no ill will towards you or your posts.

OCKLAWAHA

[braeburn]

I didn't even know that we had a National Politics section, and I'm registered! Then again, I avoid that stuff like the plague 

It'd be more important to me that Guests who are not yet registered come to MJ to benefit from the wealth of information promoting Jacksonville as a whole, via the online community. I'd want them to read posts such as "The Real Shantytown Pub," as opposed to yet another take on healthcare reform, so they can see the response from the community and what reality is, as opposed to the negative and false commentary on those "other" news sites...

I'm not against political type sections or anything, although it seems that sticking to Jax politics is highly suggested on the forum index. For me, it is not relevant or synonymous with why I haunt this site several times each day!

[JeffreyS]

I can not believe Metro Jacksonville would use suck exclusionary tactics as if you want to sign up and view all the content you can.  I mean simply allowing people to view everything if they want is not inclusive enough. I demand you get every thread to everyone in Jax without regard to if they have signed up, ever navigated to the site or if they even have internet. You elitist @#$!

Honestly Faye and Crys if every section of MJ isn't exactly they way you would run your own forum you have to pout and go.  My first reaction that sucks and we will miss you. Now I am just mad at both of you.

[ben4prez]

Message boards can be moderated many ways. Suggestion: Remove offensive posts. Leave the rest alone. I don't always log in when I read. I would like to see what is being discussed in National Politics without logging in.