"Would you support an Ultramodern Board allowing politics?" Topic

Trying to phrase this successfully.

As I perceive it, the current Ultramodern Board is kind of a DH trap. It is supposed to be purely for discussion of wargaming in the Ultramodern period, which goes back to 2005. This fits in with the TMP "10 year rule", which allows political discussion with a 10 year in the past cutoff. By this rule, one can discuss how Bush yadda yadda yadda etc with impunity.
Will it rephrase to 2006 in 2016?
The "no politics" rule makes it difficult to discuss the politics behind any moves the US makes (but oddly not Putin's motives).

What I am proposing is two separate Ultramodern Boards, the naming of which would be up to Dear Editor in Chief. Possibly Ultramodern Wargaming and Ultramodern Political. Whatever.
Putting politics in the Wargaming Board would carry hefty DH penalties, heftier than the current 3/5 days.

Maybe this would put this to rest, but somehow I doubt it.

I propose the poll be worded thusly:
"Would you support the creation of a separate Ultramodern Board where political discussion is allowed? This would be the ONLY board allowing such discussion. Overflow of politics on to other boards would be severely punished, as would personal attacks on this new board."

Being a controversial poll, I would up the ante for creating a new board to 75 "support" votes, rather than the usual 50.
Note that by current TMP policy, the sole determinant is the number of Support votes, not whether it attains a majority.

For the record I would support this, but only if spillover is severely punished as well as personal attacks.
Let's show the world that we can have nice things.

Given that wording, and if it is policed properly, then I'd go with that. I could then turn Ultramodern (wargaming) back on.

Sure. I am tried of this. If that ends it go for it.

No, I will often read some posts in the UM board, rarely comment and when I do, I try to state an opinion based on the facts at hand.

Look, TMP was a MESS there for quite awhile and while it did take Bill a while to come on board, reasoned discussions and some (cattle) prodding eventually turned TMP around.

I just renewed as a Supporting Member due to this turnaround and I wrote a nice little note to Bill praising him for his efforts.

There is enough HATE out there and while it seems to have crawled away from TMP, I strongly urge that we keep UM as is (or if there is enough Hue and Cry over it, slam it onto the Blue Fez).

I LIKE it here now, so do others and everyone seems to be getting along…let's try sailing in a calm sea for awhile before we self inflict another storm upon ourselves!

Pace!

Pax!

Peace…PLEASE!

No.

No

As it stands, the UM board IS the politics board and the "modern" board is where the gaming posts go.

So just rename them to fit actual, observable reality, and I think a lot of the hubbub would ease up.

No, because you will hurt someones feelings and get dog housed!

I just want this voted on, up or down.
ASAP.

Preferably before the general election season starts in the US ;)

It never ends.

I wouldn't participate but I see no reason we cant have one for each faction involved in 6 different scales subdivided by ammunition size.

It doesn't now??? I block it currently because it's ALL politics now--hardly a shred of gaming related anything in there.

No.

Sure, go for it.

Will it rephrase to 2006 in 2016?

It did when 2014 turned to 2015.

and NO.

Yes.

Certainly (as laid out by Mr. OFM)

NO

No. If you post on the UM board, you know you are taking a chance if you include politics in your posts. Oft times those politics are background information which informs a military topic being discussed. But there is also politicking on the UM board and that misuse of the board is a problem. If you make the UM board a politicking free zone, fine. But if you make it a politics free zone then that will shut down the discussion of the context in which the modern military operates. That is not a desirable goal, in my mind.
This proposed schism would make the UM Wargames board less useful and would create a political wild-west on the proposed UM Politics board where outrageous politicking would occur unchecked. It is wiser to keep just the one board and let posters take their chances with the DH. This will require posters to weigh more carefully what they post and keep the discussions as military and "wargamey" as possible. The fear of DH'ing is a good Sword of Damoclese to hang over all of our heads. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Cheers and good gaming.
Rod Robertson.

No. Allowing politics on TMP is an invitation for bad behavior and personal attacks that should rightly be DH'ed. You don't want to open that can of worms. Rod is right, political context is part and parcel of Ultramodern military topics. If people let things escalate and get out of hand, they deserve to be DH'ed at Bill's discretion.

Creating an Ultramodern Board that allows politics is like that storyline in 'The Wire' where a police captain created a safe zone for trafficking drugs called "Hamsterdam."

Stating facts is Doghausable.

It's a trap.

The current UM board allows political context to a certain degree without sanction. It's only when people start expressing their personal (often partisan) opinions on political institutions or entities that they become dawghousable at Bill's discretion.

What's "fact" to one person may be perceived as slanderous or hypocritical by another, depending on their world view. It can be rather subjective.

NO

Of course I would support any reasonable proposal for a new board or (in this case perhaps ?) an "extended" board by allowing politics. Incidentally: may I point out that, although this is an American site, it is not necessary júst American politics ? I also regularly read about the Blue Fez, but as far as I know this is only available for supporting members.

I for one am looking forward to the possibility of voting about this.

Absolutely not. Politics are a divisive topic that in no way belongs on this page, especially since many TMPers can't talk about them in a civil way.

Having been caught and sent to the pokey for political banter I say no. On radio my adult life I listen to talk radio politics and sports, so it doesn't bother me to go somewhere I can't.

"Stating facts is Doghausable."

Yeah, I've seen your "facts" and most of the time they are anything but…

Yeah, I've seen your "facts" and most of the time they are anything but…

Oh snap! :-)

No – there would be collateral damage, hate would spill over from the free fire zone, retaliation will occur on other boards, the brush wars will escalate into global war, it will be MAD.
Because for some deluded individuals, politics is more import than war gaming!
Please note that Australia will also have a federal election in 2016, do you want to read personal bias and inane purile comments from down under pretending to be at all relevant to gaming modern conflicts?
I fully support the view that there are already many forums outside of TMP for politics, why drag TMP down to that level?

No. I agree with David. I'm here to read about Miniature Tabletop Wargaming, and while gamer's political views may be embedded in their contributions, the focus is on our hobby. – man from Newie

Isn't there already a board called the Chartruese Beanie, Purple Beret, or some such where this activity is already allowed?

No.

NO!

I don't care, don't read it

Ignorance is bliss, or so I've told.

Yes.

Politics clearly means different things to different nations. I have seen political issues that mean nothing to stateside people (no offense) being allowed to run and run, and then I saw what I perceived as an innocent comment about something that had happened in America being pounced on as political. Modern politics should be Fez territory – and it should be welcome to all who want to discuss it. Ultramodern should be limited to weapon system discussions (and avoiding political name calling and who are we planning to use the new weapon system on!)

Yes!

Yes. Don't like it? Don't go there.

I also regularly read about the Blue Fez, but as far as I know this is only available for supporting members.

No, it isn't. Any TMPer can join TBF. Just ask Bill to let you "in"….

Politics in context with modern wars is already allowed, if albeit risky to palaver about. So I wouldn't change anything on UM. To officially state, "Politics allowed", would result in personal political views being heatedly argued about, which would be counter to the wargaming focus of TMP.

Yes

The worse? That's easy to imagine

No – UM is the one board I have turned off since it is already a cesspit.

Yep

Quite a few responses from those who have "turned UM off". Interesting, that they come here anyway, like a moth to the flame….

True. But I only crossposted to Ultramodern. It started out in Poll Suggestions.

I thought it already did.

NO!!! That's what the Blue Fez is for.

I'm still scarred by the flame wars on TMP before the boss created the Blue Fez…trust me, it was seriously ugly.

Politic does have a place in UM… If A invades B will C intervene and what about D.

It is the partisan political content that tends to turn ugly very quickly…

"If my prefered political party/dictator was in power things would be different it is because traitors like you that it is the way it is. When the revolution/election comes you will be first against the wall….."

Unfortunately people, including me, cannot help but get upset that others may have a different world view and worse… They may be correct!

Again I say NO!