Question for Members

webmaster · 03-09-2010, 05:05 PM

One of the most challenging things about moderating this forum is trying to keep it focused on the Lakes Region. I always have tried to discourage posts about national politics, sports, religion and similar topics that can be found on hundreds of other forums. In most cases I've quickly removed those posts.

My goal in starting this site 15 years ago was to create a place that was fully dedicated to the lake. In the 12 years operating this forum I've always thought that it was great to escape to a forum where everyone was just talking about the lake. I thought that most of you agreed but now I'm not so sure. Recently even long-time members have been posting about things that have nothing to do with the lake.

A few times in the past I've asked the question "Should there be an area of this forum where you can discuss topics unrelated to the lake?" The answer was always NO. It is time to ask it again. Now almost every day I'm forced to remove threads that violate our "lake only" policy.

I've actually had an area set up since I first installed this forum software in 2004. It's just not activated. You can see how it would look below.

So I'm asking for some input from our members. Do you want to post on other topics on this forum? There are some advantages to that and certainly a downside. As I learned from the Speed Limit bickering it is impossible to contain contentious debates to one area. Nasty exchanges in one area affect other areas. Arguments and bickering in one area creates the impression that the entire forum is nasty. Would members be able to argue and disagree on politics or healthcare in one area while being friendly and helpful in another?

Your comments are welcome.

03-09-2010, 05:05 PM	#1
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,434 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 441 Thanked 3,727 Times in 824 Posts	Question for Members One of the most challenging things about moderating this forum is trying to keep it focused on the Lakes Region. I always have tried to discourage posts about national politics, sports, religion and similar topics that can be found on hundreds of other forums. In most cases I've quickly removed those posts. My goal in starting this site 15 years ago was to create a place that was fully dedicated to the lake. In the 12 years operating this forum I've always thought that it was great to escape to a forum where everyone was just talking about the lake. I thought that most of you agreed but now I'm not so sure. Recently even long-time members have been posting about things that have nothing to do with the lake. A few times in the past I've asked the question "Should there be an area of this forum where you can discuss topics unrelated to the lake?" The answer was always NO. It is time to ask it again. Now almost every day I'm forced to remove threads that violate our "lake only" policy. I've actually had an area set up since I first installed this forum software in 2004. It's just not activated. You can see how it would look below. So I'm asking for some input from our members. Do you want to post on other topics on this forum? There are some advantages to that and certainly a downside. As I learned from the Speed Limit bickering it is impossible to contain contentious debates to one area. Nasty exchanges in one area affect other areas. Arguments and bickering in one area creates the impression that the entire forum is nasty. Would members be able to argue and disagree on politics or healthcare in one area while being friendly and helpful in another? Your comments are welcome. Attached Images