NationStates Jolt Archive

I feel that the megathread is stifling discussion of other US presidential election news and issues.

it has become a tedious fight over what poll numbers mean. this obsession with proving who has the right interpretation of the polls is keeping all other discussions from gaining any traction in the thread.

maybe we could close that one and start again with 2 different threads? one for current polls, one for current news?

or perhaps you would consider allowing new threads on any election topic that could be allowed a day of life before being merged into the "mega-thread of death."

i know that the minutiae of US elections arent of great interest to the non-us posters but there is so much postable/debatable stuff going on that doesnt get talked about because there is a ban on new election threads.

im sure that other people have even better suggestions of how this could be worked out.

please consider them.

I agree. The humongous thread is just confusing, overbearing, would take forever to read even only the most recent posts, and discourages people who don't generally linger in General to view or participate in it. The mega-thread, no offense, is an example of moderation excess. Having two or three election-related threads on any particular day doesn't complicate a whole lot, since most threads are eventually forgotten and buried anyway. But if you just can't stand duplicate topics, Ashmoria's suggestions are equally valid.

Also, if we can have threads in General about "how can I convince my parents I'm not gay," eating historical leaders, or assassinating real people, I fail to see how two or three threads on the US election but discussing different topics is a problem. This is a political forum, after all.

Indeed, indeed, and all agreed.

I fail to see how two or three threads on the US election but discussing different topics is a problem.

The point is, it isn't going to be two or three threads. It's going to be like before the mega-hread - they'll see the two or three threads, see that they cover the topic of the elections, they won't care and will post their own thread on, as you aptly wrote, another minutia of the election (usually this hour's 'happening' or statements, or this poll) and then we'll be back where we started - if you don't remember what it was like, well, thank the megathread for that.

So, I kindly urge the mods to keep the concept of the mega-thread, perhaps starting another one and closing the old on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. It's been like a hoover to the election pollution and I doubt a few dustbusters will be able to replace it, and they will undoubtedly create more moderation work... just saying.

The point is, it isn't going to be two or three threads. It's going to be like before the mega-hread - they'll see the two or three threads, see that they cover the topic of the elections, they won't care and will post their own thread on, as you aptly wrote, another minutia of the election (usually this hour's 'happening' or statements, or this poll) and then we'll be back where we started - if you don't remember what it was like, well, thank the megathread for that.

So, I kindly urge the mods to keep the concept of the mega-thread, perhaps starting another one and closing the old on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. It's been like a hoover to the election pollution and I doubt a few dustbusters will be able to replace it, and they will undoubtedly create more moderation work... just saying.

i agree with the concept of not having US election threads dominate the front page of NSG constantly but the mega thread just isnt working.

i normally ignore threads that discuss things that im not interested in. this is impossible with the mega thread. im tired of being "forced" to read through the crap about whose poll is more correct to find any mention of any other issue in the race.

i also dont want to burden the moderation staff with having to merge threads if that happens to be a burden. there must be some happy medium that can be struck.

I'd like to see a middle-ground. I don't really like a big, honking mega-thread, but I also don't want 50 near-identical election threads either.

Be gentle, this is my first time with an American election. How would you all feel about three threads -- Democrat Campaign, Republican Campaign, Polls and Trends? The latter could be the catch-all for commentary and comparisons.

I won't be jumping up and down in my hob-nailed boots on the poll-pushers, because an obsession with polls is entirely legal and, besides, I'm just as bad about Australian elections.

There isn't a Republican campaign anymore.

You could do this: A General Election Issues thread, a Clinton vs. Obama thread (which can be locked as soon as that damned thing is over with), and a General Election Polling thread.

There isn't a Republican campaign anymore.

What's McCain doing, then? :p

You could do this: A General Election Issues thread, a Clinton vs. Obama thread (which can be locked as soon as that damned thing is over with), and a General Election Polling thread.

Sounds good. Any objections?

What's McCain doing, then? :p



Sounds good. Any objections?

sounds good to me.

i also think that you should consider closing/restarting them on some kind of regular basis. it discourages new posters to the threads when they get so very large.

Here's the thing, though. There is already a little rebel thread going on, and wouldn't you know it, the same argument is being made in both threads. One poster has all but made the exact same post in both threads. That was another one of the problems with all the threads, it didn't matter what the prompt was, it eventually became the same conversation anyway that was going on in five threads dominating the top of the first page like so many unwanted stickies. The mega thread has drifted from points to other points. As of late, actually, I think the 'usual cast' has been slid aside for other posters pushing different takes, and our 'age old' battle is nothing but background noise because in almost 300 pages it's not really all that different.

i also think that you should consider closing/restarting them on some kind of regular basis. it discourages new posters to the threads when they get so very large.

It builds their characters, dammit! These young posters today -- no dedication! No stamina! Why, I remember when I'd slog through pages and pages of posts, just to watch Demon Lord Enigma skin someone alive. But will they do that today? Noooo! (subsides, muttering).

On the actual topic: orright, let's try Kenny's set-up, then. Note that I won't be in the market for switching posts; if it's in the wrong thread, it dies where it stands. As for the close-'em limit, see how they go.

EDIT: I'll hunt it down and kill it, CToaN.

thank you Ardchoille. i hope this works out and doesnt cause you too too much trouble.

I don't think we can separate 'polls graphs and number crunching' into its own discussion, it really is part of the overall discussion and something that will come up.

I don't think it could be a thread unto itself. Without context it's just a statistics class...

CToaN, try putting your poll/stat details in the poll thread and just giving a link to them in the other threads for confirmation while briefly explaining in words what you think the poll shows. That way you'll be readily able to compare them without having to go back through miles of extraneous posts.

If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I can always merge the polls thread with whatever subject becomes dominant. But I can understand why someone wishing to discuss a subject might find strings of polls (particularly strings of repeated polls) frustrating, so let's give it a go for now.

Yeah, about that...the thread for that is gone. The polls thread was there for a short while, but now it has disappeared.

Shame too...I kinda liked having my name on one of the three mega-threads...

Dunno how it happened, but here it is, back again:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13602779#post13602779.

Well, I'd argue that the poll discussion evolved from arguments of electability (and in one case just an instance of wishful thinking), but we'll try it your way.


However, there is already a stray (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=554143)

The stray has been mercifully put down.

The polls thread is now gone again.

Well, it's back now. If I can't make it hardier by myself I will leave it hopefully on the admins' doormat.

Okay, the "polls" thread's new link is:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=554465

If you'd subscribed to the old thread, you should be redirected automatically to the new one.

Fingers crossed; let's see how it goes.

Holy God, that's like the worst thread ever. "Cite your source!" "No, you cite yours!" "My source is bigger than your source!" "Really, how big is it?" "Plenty big, but you're never seeing it! Show me yours!" "Shut up!" "No, you shut up!"

This is all my fault. Excuse me, I must go flog myself repeatedly.

Kenny, you know we've always been mates, but a Mod's gotta do what a Mod's gotta do ...

You are hereby sentenced to reading another page.

No, make that two. Because this is Moderation.

It builds their characters, dammit! These young posters today -- no dedication! No stamina! Why, I remember when I'd slog through pages and pages of posts, just to watch Demon Lord Enigma skin someone alive. But will they do that today? Noooo! (subsides, muttering).
Great, you had to mention DLE. Now I'm stuck in combined nostalgia-depression mode. I hope you're happy.

YAY! Two posters miserable-ised in just one thread! Beat that, HotRod! Ner, Tsar! I RULE TEH FOR--

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Katganistan/Cc-beams.gif?t=1204159730

--UMS ... oh hai kat

Best moderation thread I've seen in ages...people working together to solve a problem with humility and humour...

Perfect!

/thanks as I have got bronchitis at the moment and this thread has somewhat restored my will to live...;)

I heartily approve of the will to live.

Oh... and this other moderation stuff.

(I think it's been going a little better since you split it up. Danka.)

YAY! Two posters miserable-ised in just one thread! Beat that, HotRod! Ner, Tsar! I RULE TEH FOR--

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Katganistan/Cc-beams.gif?t=1204159730

--UMS ... oh hai kat
Yes, well, mentioning dead friends will do that. Your response cheered me up however, so we're even. ;)