MOD POST: Dear Liberal Members

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

When I spotted the 100+ comments on the post about the "Ground Zero Mosque", I figured I should peek in there. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I saw that it has grown to such a size because of a few non-right-wing characters who think that this is debate.

THIS COMM IS NOT debate. NOR IS IT conservatism. OR ANY OTHER REGULAR POLITICAL COMM.

This comm was created as a place where right-wing fanfolks could talk politics and not be forced to listen to left-wing yammering, as we have have to do practically everywhere else in fandom. It is not meant to encourage debate between the sides. I hesitate to call it a "safe space", but people don't join this comm to get the kind of arguments that you are providing in that post (and perhaps others of which I am unaware).

I'm not calling you trolls, and I am not (at this time) banning anyone. We do have open membership, and I know that there are less-incendiary liberals watching who either just want to laugh quietly to themselves or honestly want to understand our POVs.

But I want it clear that if you have come to "correct" our posters, "enlighten" us to facts, or otherwise engage us in debate, you are not welcome. (This goes doubly for those who I see are members of a comm whose purpose seems to be to bitch about right-wingers. Do your bitching there, don't bring it here.)

There are plenty of other places where your debate is welcome, and the mods here at TRF respectfully ask that you keep it there and out of this comm. The vast majority of us are right-wing here and we have enough difference in opinion on issues to keep things lively enough without having to defend our positions to the left-wing.

Thank you.

ETA: I know at some point in the history of this comm, there was verbiage similar to this in spirit in the comm's userinfo. At some point it was removed, but this comm was never not intended to be this kind of place. I have added some of this back to the post to make that more clear. If you came here genuinely under the impression that good-natured debate was welcome, I hope you will respect this clarification.

ETA 2: And if you're not even a member and you come in a week later to bitch about the purpose of this comm, you're banned. Simple as that.

Comments

[jonathankorman.livejournal.com]

Thanks to all for the kind words, and to sopdetly for taking time to respond at length.

I am comforted that it seems that your recommendations are pretty consistent with the voice that I've tried to use in this forum.

Speaking less as a lefty than as a veteran of online forums: given the need for this mod post, and the direction the community has taken, may I suggest that it's probably time to update the userinfo? There's been a lot more explicitly political discussion than I suspect y'all imagined when the userinfo was originally written, and the lack of standards for political talk opens a door to trouble ... not only from lefties dropping in but also from conservative commenters who may not serve the tenor you'd like to have here.

Apropos of which, I think your comment from before “I want it clear that if you have come to ‘correct’ our posters, ‘enlighten’ us to facts, or otherwise engage us in debate, you are not welcome” may not quite say what you mean --- especially if I can be counted a well-behaved liberal visitor to this space, having violated all three of those injunctions. I couldn't tell you what the distinction here really is --- I doubt it's just me using some polite language --- but it may be worth exploring.

just as often as we don't share a single position as a group, the left suffers the same disparity

Nah, we all get our opinions from a daily newsletter that ensures we're all in line. :^D

More seriously, this is a big part of why I stick my nose in a few conservative fora. It's good to not see folks with differing views as a monolithic block, so I like seeing what y'all talk about ... and in turn I find it hard to resist at least clarifying where folks with my inclinations are coming from, even knowing that I won't change anyone's mind and would be rude to try, which often includes outlining differences between various schools on the left.

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

given the need for this mod post, and the direction the community has taken, may I suggest that it's probably time to update the userinfo?

Funny you should say that, because I had sworn that the words "this is not debate" were in our userinfo. I see that they aren't now, but I know that in the original wording, it did say that. I can't imagine why I took that part out when I updated them some time ago, but I do plan to add that back.

Here's what I see. I see 4 people in that other post who are liberal and members of a certain comm that does suggest an intent in its members being here to stir up trouble. I see 3 of them engaging in long-threaded, antagonistic arguing with my members. I see 1 who makes more eloquent and polite comments, and who is thanked and reassured in this post. I don't know what the difference is, exactly, but you clearly conduct yourself differently to the others, and that makes you welcome despite all the similarities to the others.

Perhaps it's that you expect us to be different and are interested in what makes us tick. Personally, I am far more open to those who are willing to find out from me what I believe, and I am careful to give them the same courtesy. When someone comes at me, though, just to tell me that I'm wrong, that all conservatives are wrong and here's why... that puts me off for some reason! LOL.

Nah, we all get our opinions from a daily newsletter that ensures we're all in line.

LOL! Man, I am still waiting for my gay agenda. Hey, maybe your people can get in touch with my people and get one sent out to me? ;)

[foxfire74.livejournal.com]

It's good to not see folks with differing views as a monolithic block,

Which is why I read novels by Sheri S. Tepper, despite the fact that she's written two out of the three books that I've ever thrown across the room. :D