PEOPLE OF GENERAL DISCUSSION: We have a section here on DU called "The Lounge" for NONpolitical stuf

[lildreamer316]

You know, things that are just basic internet questions, home help, car help, etc. As well as comments and discussions on non-political issues of the day (Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith - whew, the flames! But seriously..)

Come on over, we are very helpful there!

But these types of discussions are not, as far as I know relevant to the General Discussion section on this political discussion board.

Mods, if I am wrong and completely out of line, my apologies. It just seems that people are not bothering to find out about the other sections of DU anymore.

Just sayin'.

[CJCRANE]

1. Also check out the various Topic Forums and DU Groups nt

[Bluebear]

2. If they are in the news, they are indeed relevant to general discussions

[lildreamer316]

6. Bluebear,

I'm mainly talking about "I need help for my car" and "what's wrong with my computer" and etc.
Celebrity discussions are usually on the fence, because there *is*some political value to it..but sometimes not. It's usually obvious when they are not relevant, and I trust the Mods to do their job when it comes to those divisions. However, I was hard-pressed to see any major political theme to either Mr. Jackson's death or Anna Nicole's. Cultural problems, yes. But then, I'm not a mod.
I think we agree more than we disagree here, but I could be wrong.

Glad to see you back.

[Bluebear]

8. Totally agree with that...

Good to see you too!

[donheld]

59. What are you looking at

:D

[itsrobert]

17. Correct, CURRENT EVENTS are allowed here

But something that in a newspaper, such as Greatest Baseball Teams of all-time is not a CURRENT event.

[closeupready]

3. This is a good point; however, for newcomers, it can be confusing

to see "General Discussion" and think, oh, okay, that's where general stuff goes, when in fact, it's really for general discussion of political issues, and the DU lounge is the place for odd, quirky topics and jokes and stuff. Maybe there should be a word indicating that GD is for politics?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Yes, your personal problems belong in the Lounge or the self-help forums

not in GD.

[question everything]

36. Depends. People here have posted problems with their employers, or with credit

cards, or foreclosure or even restaurants.

I think that all of these are issues that are relevant to the community.

[Zomby Woof]

5. Thank you!

GD isn't Dear Abby.

[The Straight Story]

7. Politics finds it way into a great many topics

We used to have a place called General Discussion, Politics.

General Discussion was just for general news.

Lounge was for Olive Garden :)

I still think of 'General' Discussion as just that, a general discussion of news - and the lounge as more of discussion of things like 'I fed my cat a monkey last night'.

[hyphenate]

73. +1

A long time ago both the Lounge and GD were for topic discussion on a wide variety of news and personal topics. If the posting was being silly, kitties, or other such topics, it went into the Lounge. If it was of some note, it went into GD. One of the things was that the Lounge moved extremely quickly, while GD was a little slower, so those of us who wanted a leisurely look, stayed in GD.

One of the inherent problems with posting something to one of the smaller boards was that a lot of them are not open to those who do not donate to the board. And there is another problem with them, and that tends to be time. I can't and don't keep up with them except for one or two, and I'm sure others feel the same way. If we feel our topic is worth discussing with a broader base of opinion, it goes into GD.

The GD-P used to be used more for political discussion on current events and other such things, and not limited to Presidential discussion.

[JNelson6563]

78. There was a time

when there was no GDP. It started out as a forum to take the 2004 primaries out of GD. After the 2004 election the primary forum was turned into GDPolitics. That's when GD really started getting more lounge-y. Before the 04 primaries there was darn close to zero lounge stuff in GD.

Frankly I think the lounge is very cool. I don't know why people don't want to post lounge stuff there. :shrug:

Julie

[hyphenate]

80. Even though I have been here since 2001

I've always found the Lounge to be very cliquish. I could be wrong, of course, but that's how I interpret things there for some time. I also have found the speed of the posts way too fast for me. GD has been far more calming on my nerves, as I have gone through a great many upheavals in my life the past 8+ years, and the Lounge just doesn't have that same capability for me.

[Canuckistanian]

9. Purist

:shrug:

[lildreamer316]

11. Why, yes!

Most of the time...ok, so maybe I'm not. I have no idea.
Single Payer or bust...(a ha ha ha.)

[rcrush]

10. Michael Jackson broke my car.

Help! What do I do?

[piratefish08]

14. Call Octomom.

[MiniMe]

12. Awww, you're just a dreamer

:evilgrin:

[rucky]

13. New forum idea: Really General Discussion

For things that aren't loungey or forumy or specifically general in general.

[itsrobert]

15. Also, Don't post your Photo Contest threads here

That has nothing to do with political discussion or current events.

[TorchTheWitch]

37. They drive me bonkers

I've never understood why they are never moved to the lounge where they belong.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

49. The photo contests will continue to be posted here.

Skinner has authorized them to be run here.

Or is his authority not good enough for you?

:eyes:

[question everything]

50. Have you noticed how many, recently, determined what can and cannot be

posted, and who may or may not be a post here?

Of course, the old saying of nature abhors vacuum... etc.

:shrug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

52. I'm not sure I'm following your question...

Are you saying a bunch of us have decided what can or cannot be posted in this forum?

I have noticed some of this...

But I play mostly in the Lounge...

:shrug:

[question everything]

63. This one and a most recent one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6995956

I think that there are more but I don't spend that many hours here.

:hi:

[MattSh]

54. If you don't like it...

Start your own website and make your own rules. If the owners of this site had a problem with it, they would stop it.

Is that so difficult to understand???

[WyLoochka]

70. Those are the only non-political threads

that I look forward to seeing in GD. It's only four threads a month. Anyone who doesn't appreciate them knows they're coming and can just skip them.

What's really disappointing to see, clogging up the GD works, is the number of freak dujour threads on subjects like Prehean.

[itsrobert]

16. Also, all-time TV Show discussion has no business in GD!

And don't whine when a moderator moves the thread.

[TZ]

18. Also anything with humor not allowed!

Lol. People take themselves waaay too seriously in this forum!

[itsrobert]

31. I guess you are safe.

SLAM! :rofl:

[Wapsie B]

42. But conversely I think all political discussion in the Lounge should be moved here.

[TK421]

19. My balls itch....

but I think that is an issue directly related to Health Care

[madokie]

20. Parden me

The name of this forum is general discussion which indicates to me it is for general discussion where a little break from the drudgery of politics all the time is welcome.

You do know that little box with an x in it is to hide that particular thread don't you? ;-) I use it all the time and it works wonders for me and infringes on no one

Just saying

peace

[question everything]

38. Quite right. I have suggested, after the elections, that GDP would be

named GD-Politics, instead of Presidential and this is where I post political discussions.

There are many items of general interest that do belong here.

What I am perplexed is the arbitrariness by the moderators:

We have had here gazillion threads about Carrie Prejean and her sex tapes. Yet, when a post was about general issues, privacy in the age of everything digital, possible implications to hypocrisy by liberals, it was moved to... Entertainment forum.

[Iggo]

48. That's what it used to be called...or maybe GD:Political...

...before it became GD:Primaries and then GD:Presidential.

And I'm pretty sure all the Prejean threads eventually go to Entertainment, don't they? Just like the MJ threads (thank goodness.)

[question everything]

51. Just did a simple search - meaning threads since Nov. 10

for the name Prejean - found 61..

No, they don't end up at the Entertainment forum. They thrive here.

[Iggo]

56. Then Alert the f**k out of them.

[Odin2005]

21. +1,000,000,000,000

[Deja Q]

22. Well, somebody's letting truckloads of of photography and other non-political stuff in GD.

Don't ask us about double-standards.

[TransitJohn]

23. Sorry, you're wrong.

Back before General Discussion: Politics was turned into General Discussion: Presidential, this forum is general discussion. The Lounge is for vanity posts.

[Iggo]

57. Don't kid yourself. All of DU is for vanity posts.

Otherwise rec/unrec wouldn't get peoples panties all in a wad and stuff.

[TransitJohn]

74. True. n/t

n/t

[petronius]

24. If by "very helpful" you mean you'll get 20 copycats, a handful of obscure sex references,

and a massive but incomprehensible flame war, then I totally agree - the Lounge is the place... :)

[UTUSN]

25. SHhhhh!1 That's what ALERT is for!1 n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

26. Hint:

Don't click on threads that fail to meet your standards. (That, of course, presupposes a modicum of self control.)

Don't rec or unrec them.

Don't comment in them.

See, here's the thing ..... if you or I think a given thread is crap, but a shitload of people are responding to it, who are you or I to say the thread is inappropriate.

In other words, worry about your own shit and let others worry about theirs. Those extraneous threads (I agree with you on their general worthlessness, by the way) don't hurt you, don't cost you, don't prevent you from posting your high minded, relevant (in your view) shit.

Why do you care?

I posted in this thread because the whistle-assedness of such threads amuses me. So I post to stir shit up and to keep the threads floating on page one.

[Obamanaut]

27. +1 n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

55. Why don't you take yr own advice?

Not a good look at all telling everyone else what to do....

[SammyWinstonJack]

66. +1000.

:applause:

[Toasterlad]

28. The Lounge Is Full of Weirdos.

:hide:

[taterguy]

29. Do ya feel lucky punk?

A Lounge mascot is not amused

[pipi_k]

68. Hey...is that your goose?

I have two of them.

We gave the babies away

[Drunken Irishman]

44. I WILL EAR FUCK YOU!

[DefenseLawyer]

30. Lighten up, Francis n/t

[cherokeeprogressive]

32. Wasn't there a time when it was General Discussion, and General Discussion: Politics? n/t

[Beaverhausen]

72. yes, and that is how I still look at the two forums

the name needs to go back to GD: Politics IMHO

[cherokeeprogressive]

79. Me too. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

33. who's hottest, carrie prejean, sarah palin, or

sarah mclendon?

[Generic Brad]

34. Every time I think I have escaped from the Lounge

THEY SUCK ME BACK IN!!!!

[dusmcj]

35. time to start moving/closing threads, this place is turning into a web junkyard

WTF ? help me with my car, I like Carrie Prejean's boobs. The mods here used to run a crisp ship. Also a shame that we 'progressives' have nothing more pressing to occupy ourselves with, and also lack discipline in a daily activity (using DU).

[TexasObserver]

39. Yes. Cats, dogs, sports teams >>>>>>>>>>>>> that way.

[madinmaryland]

40. What the FUCK! No kitten pictures!!

:wtf:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

41. ~ K&R ~

:loveya: :hug: :hi:

[MilesColtrane]

43. Somebody didn't get that moderator gig they wanted?

[Kansas Wyatt]

45. I feel like I need a shower after going in there...

And what is that smell in there?

[cynatnite]

46. I will return when Gray Warrior frees the duck...and not before. n/t

[EastTennesseeDem]

47. Where can I talk about kittehs?

[smalll]

53. We can still talk about Carrie Prejean, though, right?

;)

[Le Taz Hot]

58. Oh, yeah, the Lounge is "helpful" alright.

The last time I went over there I read, and I quote: "I smell old people." I've not been back since. Helpful hell. It's an entire forum of frat-boy humor.

[bridgit]

61. The Lounge is where I go to be ignored by everybody else, well...

there and the Photography Forum :kick:

[SammyWinstonJack]

67. +1

frat boy humor :rofl:

[rug]

77. Might as well stay here. It doesn't smell any better.

[edbermac]

60. The Lounge is fun. We talk about boobies and stuff like that.

Too serious here in GD. :7

[bridgit]

62. and kittehs

[Texasgal]

64. Thank you!

I had no idea! :eyes:

[Bryn]

65. I think most of them are fine here

Things like medical help, credit cards, banks, laws, etc. Even photograph contest.

[Dr.Phool]

69. Doesn't this belong in Editorials?

Just sayin'

[Bravo Zulu]

71. if it ain't broke, don't fix it,

it is a mistake to try to improve something that works!

[JNelson6563]

75. Thank you!

Back in the beginning when I joined the rules were pretty straightforward about non-political posts going in the lounge. My least favorite part of DU is how GD looks so much like the lounge now. For the life of me I don't know why this is now allowed. It does seem somewhat selective. I have often wondered if the worst offenders (who are often the most annoying attention whores) are big donors or something to be allowed to clutter up GD with their personal posts.

One thing that does give me a hearty chuckle, when DUers wonder if people from the WH or Congressional offices (or other influential places) read DU. Yeah, I'm sure they wade through the local weather reports, the health reports, the marriage troubles and the vacation pics posted here on the political forum to root out possible nuggets of wisdom.

Julie

[Kingofalldems]

76. Can we talk about Balloon Boy?