Poll: Role of Political Advertisement on ChiefDelphi

Originally Posted by Bill Gold

So keeping with that belief, how do you feel about this SilverStar?

Political discussion is fine - I have no problem with it. But, as I titled this thread, its advertisement that is the problem. The specific thread I mention had the original poster advertise a link for a political organization, and then another user (a moderator, at that) provide reasons why said organization was evil. Such advertisements do not discuss political beliefs, but are just another form of commercial advertisements. How would people like it if I started a thread advertising some company? Or if I replied to such a thread by explaining why the company is evil?

[Bill Gold]

Originally Posted by SilverStar

How would people like it if I started a thread advertising some company? Or if I replied to such a thread by explaining why the company is evil?

You mean like this?

No offense, Andy. I love your company, and I'll be plugging it out here the day before kickoff

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Bill Gold

You mean like this?

No offense, Andy. I love your company, and I'll be plugging it out here the day before kickoff

This is a good point. What is spam and what is not spam? I think that if someone is bringing attention of something that FIRST teams may want to buy, then it is productive advertising. There is a fine line there, and I have seriously wondered where "crossing it" is.

As for the political stuff, I enjoy the discussions, as long as points of view are accepted and respected. We really do have a wide variety of backgrounds, spiritual views, and political influences here on the CD boards. Most of us, I assume, hang out with people who are "like us" in our daily lives. We either mingle with friends who are "like us", or we work with people who are "like us". I find that this FIRST community has opened my eyes to smart people who think differently than I do about issues. Even if they are wrong - - we can still get along here, build robots, and inspire each other along the way.

Andy B.

[MrToast]

<TwoCents>
Personally, I don't give a hoot what anyone thinks politically. I believe what I believe, I know what I know, and I make my decisions based on what I believe and what I know. I don't like it when I express my opinion on (for example) politics and somebody responds "You're wrong, idiot." That really gets me. First, no one here knows anything about me, or the experiences I've had that have led me to my current beliefs. For someone to blatantly attack my personal beliefs with no foundation for how I came to arrive at those beliefs is wrong.

OK, I'm reading this and I think I'm rambling. So I'll get to my point.

I don't think CD should allow political threads. This is a robotics site. Not a political opinion site. HOWEVER, I do realize that people are guaranteed by the First Amendment to say whatever they want to say. Therefore, I think a separate "politics" subforum should be created, with an option in the User preferences to hide/show it. That way the people who want to see and participate in political threads can do so, and the people who don't particularly care for them (like myself), can easily ignore them (because they wouldn't be visible).

However, this would probably take a lot of work on Brandon's part to implement.

</TwoCents>

Dave

Originally Posted by MrToast

<TwoCents>
HOWEVER, I do realize that people are guaranteed by the First Amendment to say whatever they want to say. Therefore, I think a separate "politics" subforum should be created, with an option in the User preferences to hide/show it.
</TwoCents>
Dave

The First Amendment does not say that websites have to let you say whatever you want to say on their websites (as in, their property). But hey, that's bordering on a political argument...

[Max Lobovsky]

There have been numerous threads in the technical threads "advertising some company". Take the DeWalt drill transmissions. Of course, you will say, "but that is useful for other readers". Well, so are interest groups. Many people may find them useful while others may not find them useful. Keep in mind it was in the Chit-Chat forum so it doesn't have to useful and FIRST-related.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by SilverStar

How would people like it if I started a thread advertising some company? Or if I replied to such a thread by explaining why the company is evil?

All Microsoft bashing must stop immediately

[Steve Howland]

I am one of those who voted for no political advertisement threads.

ChiefDelphi is a very valuable and important resource and gathering place for tons of FIRST participants from practically every team. Nobody should have to risk their privileges of participating because of a heated political debate.

Many times people at my school have argued endlessly about elections and political parties, and the only results are hurt feelings and added frustration. Although our moderators are very good and I do not find that political debates get out of control when a close eye is kept on them, if one erupted when no moderator was there to stop it somebody could lose their CD account (or all credibility on the site) due to rash behavior on a topic for which these forums were not fully intended.

There are plenty of places to discuss politics, such as in chatrooms or other forums, however ChiefDelphi is just too terrific and precious a place for people to lose. If we could all be gracious and professional all the time, we could have these threads. Unfortunately that is not the case and it would be a shame if anybody was unable to be a part of this community just because of a different political belief that they failed to express in an acceptable way.

It was mentioned earlier that political discussion and attacks are hard to distinguish from one another sometimes, and to avoid attacks I believe it is necessary that political stances not be taken on a robotics-based site. We all are entitled to our opinions, I am just afraid that they will breed anger or cause the loss of use of these forums to even a single person.

-Steve Howland