Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Tell us how you think the forum can be improved. We will listen.
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In relation to "News, Current Events & Politics", I believe such discussion...

Should continue to be allowed at Dhamma Wheel, as is, because the Dhamma can influence how we see the world, and vice versa.
8
23%
Should go back to being in the Lounge, because having a dedicated section seems to give it too much prominence.
8
23%
Is fine in theory, but has become too difficult to manage in 2018, given people's attachment to views and widespread political polarization.
3
9%
Is fine in theory, but staff need to clamp down harder on serial offenders who cannot abide by the rules of that section.
1
3%
Is fine in theory, but staff unfairly oppress me and don't let me express my views.
1
3%
Should be prohibited at Dhamma Wheel altogether, because the topics and potential disputes tend to detract from the true purpose of the forum.
12
34%
Should be prohibited at Dhamma Wheel, altogether because worldly matters and religious matters should be kept separate.
1
3%
Is... (something else altogether, please explain below)
1
3%
 
Total votes: 35

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retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Mr Man,

To repeat, I have political views.

To repeat, I do not demonstrate political bias in the moderation or administration of this forum.

By your over-simplified logic, staff wouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on anything.

I don't hear you whinging that, for example, Mike tends to have predominantly left-wing views.

Maybe the bias resides merely in when and where you dispense your incessant whinging and intolerance?

:popcorn:

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Mr Man
Posts: 4016
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:42 am

Re: Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Post by Mr Man »

retrofuturist wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 11:39 pm Greetings Mr Man,

To repeat, I have political views.

To repeat, I do not demonstrate political bias in the moderation or administration of this forum.

By your over-simplified logic, staff wouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on anything.

I don't hear you whinging that, for example, Mike tends to have predominantly left-wing views.

Maybe the bias resides merely in when and where you dispense your incessant whinging?

:popcorn:

Metta,
Paul. :)
Mike does not show his political bias to the same extent as you. Try and be objective.

Mike does not post silly memes and constantly try and denigrate the "right".

Mike does not use phrases like "incessant whinging" to try and belittle.

Try and take some of this on board. Maybe it would help the forum. Who knows?

Anyway enough now :anjali:
Last edited by Mr Man on Sun May 27, 2018 11:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Kim OHara
Posts: 5584
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:47 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Post by Kim OHara »

Mr Man wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 11:19 pm
retrofuturist wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 11:06 pm Greetings Mr Man,

There's a previous topic where I outlined how my political views evolved from my Dhamma views. You're welcome to see things differently, because unlike you, I actually respect your intellectual autonomy to see things differently.

Is it your contention that Buddhists are not allowed to have conservative or libertarian political views? If so, on what basis, other than your own intolerance?

:popcorn:

Metta,
Paul. :)
I also respect intellectual autonomy

It is not my contention that Buddhists are not allowed to have conservative or libertarian political views.

I just don't think the admin should be posting silly memes and constantly showing his political bias. Do you?
As Binocular said -
binocular wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 10:01 pm
mikenz66 wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 9:56 pmI don't care for either, but particularly the Stalin one. The other appears to me to be just juvenile humour (and poor graphic design), so if one doesn't agree with the sentiment, at one can have at least have a laugh at the shortcomings of
the presentation...
Not when it's posted by the administrator. That's when the fun stops.
FWIW, I also respect the right of each member to make up their own mind and to post freely within the ToS but I believe that a team member's political views should not affect their moderation. As I said earlier - viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31966&start=40#p473501 - the guidelines for posting should be based on the Buddhist fundamentals (compassion, the Precepts, the brahmaviharas, Right Speech). Yes, I know, that should be obvious, but somehow it has been lost.
FWIW, Paul, I also think that your derivation of your political stance from your dhamma views is flawed. I thought so when you explained it but I'm not sure I said so - because, again, you are entirely entitled to your views.

In some cases, perception is more relevant than the underlying reality. If you are unable to maintain a clearly visible separation of your personal views from board policy, I think you need to look at changes.

:namaste:
Kim
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retrofuturist
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Kim,
Kim OHara wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 11:52 pm FWIW, I also respect the right of each member to make up their own mind and to post freely within the ToS but I believe that a team member's political views should not affect their moderation.
And you'll be pleased to know they don't, and moderators would not be allowed to moderate the news section if that were so.

And, If unlike Mr Man, you have more than mere aspersion to back up your inferences, please enact the formal complaints procedure.
Kim OHara wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 11:52 pm In some cases, perception is more relevant than the underlying reality. If you are unable to maintain a clearly visible separation of your personal views from board policy, I think you need to look at changes.
Actually, in reality I do maintain a very clear separation of the two, and any inference otherwise is baseless... unless you have any evidence to back up your perceptions, which are apparently more "relevant than the underlying reality"? Interesting...

And you wish to weaponize your unsubstantiated perception in an attempt to force change? Interesting... how "tolerant"?

:shrug:

Honestly, the authoritarianism and intolerance inherent in these false aspersions is disturbing.

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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retrofuturist
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Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Member Poll on "News, Current Events & Politics" at DW

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Thank you everyone for sharing your perspectives.

As you can see from the poll results and the written responses, there is a diverse range of very disparate views on the matter.

Staff will now reflect on what has been said here and decide whether there are any changes that can and should be made for the betterment of the forum.

However, given the absence of consensus, there's a very real chance that your exact personal preference will not be satisfied by the decisions that are made by Dhamma Wheel staff. I hope that if that is so, that in recognizing that your private position is not the public majority perspective (in fact, there is no majority perspective), that you will at least be tolerant and accepting of whatever decision is made by staff. Please be respectful of that process, and confident that whatever decisions are made by staff, will be made with the benefit of this forum as our utmost priority.

As a reminder, there is currently an easy to use Opt In / Opt Out feature for the News forum, and if you don't like that section, you're more than welcome to avail yourself of the Opt Out function. If you would like to opt out of the Lounge, or any other specific forum, please let admin know and we can arrange that for you.

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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