New Policy about DIR and 'Only' Forums

[ADigitalArtist]

As of today there's been some changes to how DIR and 'Only' forums will function. We've made a single line change to Rule 10 as follows:

"10. Debating in Non-debate Forums or Posting in DIR/ONLY Forums
Religious forums is structured to provide spaces for many different kinds of conversations. Different kinds of conversations belong in different areas of the forum:

1) Debates should be kept to the debate areas of the forums, including Religious Debates, General Debates, and Political Debates. Debating anywhere other than these forums may result in moderation. Same Faith Debates is governed by special rules described here. Only members of the specified groups(s) can participate in these threads.

2) All DIR (Discuss Individual Religions) forums are for the use of members who identify with those groups or practices. Debating is not permitted in DIRs; debates between members of specified groups should be posted in Same Faith Debates. A member may select up to a maximum of three (3) DIRs with which they identify. A member may change their selection of DIRs at any time, but the total number of DIRs selected must never exceed three (3). Members who do not identify with a DIR group may only post respectful questions; we recommend creating a thread in the Religions Q&A instead where there is more freedom to comment. DIR forums are not to be used as a cover to bash others outside of the DIR group.

3) The Political World forum has several "only" subforums that are for the use of members who identify with those political leanings. Members who do not identify with those political leanings are not allowed to post there."

The above in red has been changed to "Members who do not identify with a DIR group may not post in that DIR section;"

This change better reflects the current system of DIR selection.

In addition, we've made some changes to the 'Only' sections such as Capitalist, Communist, Conservative, Liberal Only sections to make them behave more like the DIR sections. This is to limit accidental postings. To post in these sections you must now select them just like DIR sections. Please be aware that sometimes permissions do not update automatically and there may be a delay between selecting and gaining the posting privileges to that section.
Additionally, ""Only" subforums are not to be used as a cover to bash others outside of the "Only" group" has been added to the end of 3).

As a reminder, you can select DIR by going to "Personal Details" in your user profile. Please only select up to three DIR that best reflect your views, as well as any 'Only' selection that best reflects your own views.

 

[sun rise]

I assume that I can add a political DIR to the three religious DIRs I've signed up for. In other words, the number three only applies to religious DIRs.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I assume that I can add a political DIR to the three religious DIRs I've signed up for. In other words, the number three only applies to religious DIRs.

Yes, you may. The political only selections don't count towards your DIR limit.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Awesome!!

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Yawn...

 

[Debater Slayer]

Yawn...

That's how some of us (staff) feel every time we have to delete yet another post made in the wrong forum section.

 

[Quagmire]

Yawn...

Damn, I told them we should have used the juggling monkeys gif.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yawn...

Some of your volunteer staff members work hard to dedicate their time and energy to give you the best experience possible here.

If your post has a point, please make it. Otherwise, kindly thank them for their hard work and move along.

 

[Father Heathen]

kindly thank them for their hard work.

I will. In all seriousness thank you, mods and admins, for all your hard work, dedication, and patience. You all put a lot of time and effort into keeping RF a place that the rest of us can enjoy, and it's appreciated.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Some of your volunteer staff members work hard to dedicate their time and energy to give you the best experience possible here.

If your post has a point, please make it. Otherwise, kindly thank them for their hard work and move along.

I have made my point before -- agreement is the antithesis of conversation. When everybody's in agreement, what's left to talk about? So, for me, the very idea of a conversation closed to anyone who isn't already onboard is generally unproductive -- in my view.

 

[Rival]

I have made my point before -- agreement is the antithesis of conversation. When everybody's in agreement, what's left to talk about? So, for me, the very idea of a conversation closed to anyone who isn't already onboard is generally unproductive -- in my view.

The political DIRs have always been closed to non-members. We give rule 10s for this. So I'm not sure what you mean. If you just want to complain about there being DIRs at all, go right ahead in another thread.

 

[rosends]

Where does someone go who has respectful questions but wants to make sure that they are answered only by members of the group of whom he has the questions?

 

[Rival]

Where does someone go who has respectful questions but wants to make sure that they are answered only by members of the group of whom he has the questions?

Religions Q&A and preface your thread title with' X Group Only'.

Or for the Political World do the same in the general section.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

The political DIRs have always been closed to non-members. We give rule 10s for this. So I'm not sure what you mean. If you just want to complain about there being DIRs at all, go right ahead in another thread.

I don't have any interest in complaining about DIRs, and this thread is not in one. I am responding to an announcement to the whole forum, which this thread is.

For the record, as a person who is essentially "liberal," I woudn't post in a "liberal only discussion." And as an atheist, I couldn't be less interested in posting in an "atheist only discussion." What on earth would be the point? We can pat each other on the back, acknowledge how right we are about our viewpoints -- and then what?

Want to learn something new? Take on a viewpoint you disagree with, listen to those who defend it, answer in your own way, and see where it leads. But sitting around agreeing with each other leads to pretty much nothing of interest -- at least in my personal opinion.

 

[Revoltingest]

As of today there's been some changes to how DIR and 'Only' forums will function. We've made a single line change to Rule 10 as follows:

"10. Debating in Non-debate Forums or Posting in DIR/ONLY Forums
Religious forums is structured to provide spaces for many different kinds of conversations. Different kinds of conversations belong in different areas of the forum:

1) Debates should be kept to the debate areas of the forums, including Religious Debates, General Debates, and Political Debates. Debating anywhere other than these forums may result in moderation. Same Faith Debates is governed by special rules described here. Only members of the specified groups(s) can participate in these threads.

2) All DIR (Discuss Individual Religions) forums are for the use of members who identify with those groups or practices. Debating is not permitted in DIRs; debates between members of specified groups should be posted in Same Faith Debates. A member may select up to a maximum of three (3) DIRs with which they identify. A member may change their selection of DIRs at any time, but the total number of DIRs selected must never exceed three (3). Members who do not identify with a DIR group may only post respectful questions; we recommend creating a thread in the Religions Q&A instead where there is more freedom to comment. DIR forums are not to be used as a cover to bash others outside of the DIR group.

3) The Political World forum has several "only" subforums that are for the use of members who identify with those political leanings. Members who do not identify with those political leanings are not allowed to post there."

The above in red has been changed to "Members who do not identify with a DIR group may not post in that DIR section;"

This change better reflects the current system of DIR selection.

In addition, we've made some changes to the 'Only' sections such as Capitalist, Communist, Conservative, Liberal Only sections to make them behave more like the DIR sections. This is to limit accidental postings. To post in these sections you must now select them just like DIR sections. Please be aware that sometimes permissions do not update automatically and there may be a delay between selecting and gaining the posting privileges to that section.

As a reminder, you can select DIR by going to "Personal Details" in your user profile. Please only select up to three DIR that best reflect your views, as well as any 'Only' selection that best reflects your own views.

The old DIR rule made no sense to me. As a non-member,
I couldn't post questions there. Twas permission to do the
impossible.

And finally! A fix for accidental postings. I'm not the only
incompetent who got lashings for unintended violations.
Of course, if one is paid per infraction issued, this is bad.

Didn't I ask for this change years ago? It seems years.

 

[Revoltingest]

Some of your volunteer staff members work hard to dedicate their time and energy to give you the best experience possible here.

I have a great idea!
Why not put a gold star next to their monikers to indicate which of the
staff they are. That way we can distinguish them from the other type.

I see that the restrictions just took effect a few minutes ago.
(I ran some tests.)

 

[SalixIncendium]

I have a great idea!
Why not put a gold star next to their monikers to indicate which of the
staff they are. That way we can distinguish them from the other type.

I see that the restrictions just took effect a few minutes ago.
(I ran some tests.)

Simple observations will tell you who the hard workers are.

I’m in the Staff Yearbook as “staff slacker” so it ain’t me. I guess I’m the other type.

 

[Revoltingest]

Simple observations will tell you who the hard workers are.

I’m in the Staff Yearbook as “staff slacker” so it ain’t me. I guess I’m the other type.

It just means that you foist your work on others.
I respect that greatly.
It also prevents your becoming Mister Charlie.

 

[McBell]

Religions Q&A and preface your thread title with' X Group Only'.

Or for the Political World do the same in the general section.

um...
If I create a thread to ask Christians only their take on a particular thing, how am I to ask follow up questions?
I mean, once the {Christians Only} tag is put on and the thread posted, by Rule 10, I am not allowed to post anything else in the thread.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

um...
If I create a thread to ask Christians only their take on a particular thing, how am I to ask follow up questions?
I mean, once the {Christians Only} tag is put on and the thread posted, by Rule 10, I am not allowed to post anything else in the thread.

No worries, if you put in the subject 'Question for Christians Only is' or something like that, the mods aren't going to ding you for participating in your own thread. Unless you start a debate in a non-debate section or something.