The question of political / conspiracy theory content

I guess I just don't see the need for CT or politics section if Skeptiko is already covering that?

I didn't think we were trying to compete with Skeptiko, just provide an alternative forum now that C+S/S&E/CD are being deleted?

Another act, that, in my opinion, should be performed, is separation of the "Other Stuff" subcathegory from the "Related Topics" subsection - it should become a subsection of its own, with its own subcathegories.

And, if we do make a subcathegory related to conspiracy theories there, I think, to name it "Deep Politics" will be more appropriate than "Conspiracy Theories".

In my view, we should also make a "General Politics" subcathegory there. "General Politics" and "Deep Politics" topics can and should overlap and interact, but still be limited to these two specific political subcathegories ("standard" and "conspiracy-related" one).

I promise I'm not rabble-rousing here, but,,, 

Remind me: what was the reason are we trying to come up with a way to get a place to talk about politics? I guess the best reason I've seen in the last day or so is that we are all people who have been hanging out for a long time, and we sort of got used to talking about politics with our Skeptiko buddies, and now we don't want anyone to take away our binky. Is that it? That's not a terrible reason, but it isn't a great one either IMO. 

Really, I mean it when I say I'm not trying to start a fight,, I really want to know how politics warrants a section on a web site dedicated to psi.  Can someone, anyone answer that particular question in a way other than "because I want it to be so"?

Cause if that's all that's required: I'd like to put in an order for a beer section and what the heck, how about a side order of sailing and BBQ.

I guess I just don't see the need for CT or politics section if Skeptiko is already covering that?

I didn't think we were trying to compete with Skeptiko, just provide an alternative forum now that C+S/S&E/CD are being deleted?

Skptiko does not allow members to create threads on politics. I tried to create a new trump thread and it was closed.

I guess I just don't see the need for CT or politics section if Skeptiko is already covering that?

I didn't think we were trying to compete with Skeptiko, just provide an alternative forum now that C+S/S&E/CD are being deleted?

Skptiko does not allow members to create threads on politics. I tried to create a new trump thread and it was closed.

Perhaps that's because Alex wants to restrict discussion to his podcast subjects exclusively. With that kind of control freakery, I can't see the Sketiko forum lasting much longer.

I guess I just don't see the need for CT or politics section if Skeptiko is already covering that?

I didn't think we were trying to compete with Skeptiko, just provide an alternative forum now that C+S/S&E/CD are being deleted?

Skptiko does not allow members to create threads on politics. I tried to create a new trump thread and it was closed.

You tried to create a new trump thread - and the entire forum was shut down!
Well, two whole forums: Extended Consciousness & Spirituality + Consciousness & Science. (someone else had posted in the other about Pam Reynolds). Skeptiko does not allow members to create threads on NDEs.

[Ninshub]

I am much more likely to post something about something that's happened in the news or about conspiracy theories, more likely about my own thinking, than I ever am to post about something like nde or reincarnation etc. Those topics are more measured and news about them relatively sparse.

Reflecting just on my own motivations for posting re: politics, I posted a lot in recent months in those political threads (mostly the Trump one). But I think the motivation was mostly fun, entertainment, and it's kind of cheap and easy to do. I wouldn't mind being "forced" to try to come up with more interesting content in the spiritual and paranormal veins.

And Skeptiko a while back (1, maybe more 2 or 3 years?), before the politics and CTs came more to the fore, was far from a dead library.

I’d be disappointed if we weren’t allowed to post about CTs on here. I have an interest in the occult, mystery schools, etc, which often tie into conspiracy theories as well as consciousness.

It seems that some members think that if we allow CT discussion, the forum will be overrun with them, that a bunch of hollow-earthers, flat-earthers, and lizard-people believers would show up and dominate the forum and drive away future newbies. IIRC, the Skeptiko forum itself did not have that many threads on conspiracy. I remember the 911 thread, a thread on Sandy Hook, a couple of elite pedo-ring threads, and the moon hoax. CTs were a minuscule portion of Skeptiko. If it seems bigger now, that’s probably because of Alex’s interests and his podcasts.

And speaking of the moon hoax, it wasn’t the conspiracy itself that drove people to quit. I remember that thread pretty well because of the drama. In my opinion, the source of the anger was Linda (and her typical irritating style of argument) who really wound up Lone Shaman. He then attacked Typoz (but I believe he apologized to him), but I don’t remember anyone else quitting for good over it other than LS? (Though it would be cool if Lone Shaman ended up here. I didn’t always agree with him, but he posted some interesting content, and I was sad to see him go and not return.)

As for politics, I stopped participating in political threads because it became so divisive. I wouldn’t mind if there were a place here to discuss it, but I probably would not participate again. The biggest problem I had with politics on Skeptiko was when a poster would bring up politics in a non-political thread, usually to attack another poster. That kind of thing is immensely tiresome.

Just my two-cent opinion!

Edit: Also, isn't discussion of entities such as corporations and institutional bodies manipulating or covering-up research for their own ends also CT? I'm assuming that would be allowed, no? Maybe we should define what we mean when we say "conspiracy theory."

Skeptiko does not allow members to create threads on NDEs.

Lol.

*face palm*

I’d be disappointed if we weren’t allowed to post about CTs on here. I have an interest in the occult, mystery schools, etc, which often tie into conspiracy theories as well as consciousness.

It seems that some members think that if we allow CT discussion, the forum will be overrun with them, that a bunch of hollow-earthers, flat-earthers, and lizard-people believers would show up and dominate the forum and drive away future newbies. IIRC, the Skeptiko forum itself did not have that many threads on conspiracy. I remember the 911 thread, a thread on Sandy Hook, a couple of elite pedo-ring threads, and the moon hoax. CTs were a minuscule portion of Skeptiko. If it seems bigger now, that’s probably because of Alex’s interests and his podcasts.

And speaking of the moon hoax, it wasn’t the conspiracy itself that drove people to quit. I remember that thread pretty well because of the drama. In my opinion, the source of the anger was Linda (and her typical irritating style of argument) who really wound up Lone Shaman. He then attacked Typoz (but I believe he apologized to him), but I don’t remember anyone else quitting for good over it other than LS? (Though it would be cool if Lone Shaman ended up here. I didn’t always agree with him, but he posted some interesting content, and I was sad to see him go and not return.)

As for politics, I stopped participating in political threads because it became so divisive. I wouldn’t mind if there were a place here to discuss it, but I probably would not participate again. The biggest problem I had with politics on Skeptiko was when a poster would bring up politics in a non-political thread, usually to attack another poster. That kind of thing is immensely tiresome.

Just my two-cent opinion!

Edit: Also, isn't discussion of entities such as corporations and institutional bodies manipulating or covering-up research for their own ends also CT? I'm assuming that would be allowed, no? Maybe we should define what we mean when we say "conspiracy theory."

Re: your last sentence-
A discussion about some psi topic which is probably located in a relevant topical folder and which happens upon a particular associated possible conspiracy theory IS NOT the same thing as a whole section of the website dedicated to the vast smelly swamp of conspiracy theories. There is a huge difference. 

Come on. It's not that complicated folks.

And substitute the word politics for CT in the above sentence and you have a workable solution for that too.

I agree. I think the spirit of the thing is to keep more fringy discussions "below the fold" as it were. I certainly don't have a problem with that. I don't get any sense that this forum is going to censor anything unless it perhaps touches on subjects that could bring the focus of some kind of law enforcement agency.