Hot news topics

[Caajscot (John)]

It's funny how some hot news topics have their peaks for months then just suddenly disappear down the pages like a gust of wind blowing a piece of paper.

I remember before and after a certain Donald Trump became President and the furore it caused in here and elsewhere, it caused political fiery debates and some Trump threads getting locked and some members getting a slap on the hand or a kick up the butt from Admin & Mods. 

I would imagine this is what ProBoards and this GT Forum is about and that's why I am still here and enjoying myself at 70 odd years old, can anybody remember any other news topical thread that run for ages then just disappeared? 

PS. Blame Trump for this thread 

[Retread]

Feb 16, 2020 9:10:01 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

Blame Trump

Sheila Broflovski (Kyle's mom) does not approve.

[📚 Dianne 📚]

Well here are a couple of controversial threads I was thinking of posting, but decided they would be too controversial for what ProBoards seems to be now---should transgender males be allowed to compete against full females in sports like track --I wanted to post that but felt it was too hot topic .   How about - should pit bulls be banned?  Or are you tired of hearing what a god Kobe is? Would any of these help?

PS- Trump now and next 4 years ---- blame Pelosi and her similar need for plastic surgery that Trump has for tweeting for this thread.

[Bugme]

This MAY be the beginning of a hot topic. Politics, religion and gun control were always the hot button topics. The last big Political thread had warnings handed out like candy and I believe a few may have even lost their esteemed positions here. It got real quiet after that, I think some were afraid to post anything controversial lest they get rebuked.

As for Trump, he is: (fill in the blank)

[daniel]

-should transgender males be allowed to compete against full females in sports like track

Nope nope nope. There should be a men's/open category where anyone can enter and take their best shot. Then there should be a women's category.

Is this awful for MTF athletes? Yeah, no disputing that. But, we have to pick the lessor evil in this case. However unfair it is to a very few MTF athletes, it is exceptionally unfair to women. Anybody claiming that MTF athletes don't have an unfair advantage is not speaking from a rational position or one that affirms that the entire rest of the female gender deserves respect. Competing in sports is a privilege, not a right, and no individual has a right to do so in a manner that is demonstrably uncompetitive.

-should pit bulls be banned?

Definitely maybe. It's a shame for the thousands or millions of "okay" pit bulls and owners. But, we've got three huge factors here:

1- this breed was bred to fight other animals. First they were bred to fight animals, and then they continued to be bred for fighting dogs. THEY STILL ARE bred for that (Michael Vick ring any bells?).

2- this breed, in particular, attracts some of the worst owners who perpetuate problem #1 through continued bad breeding and through poor training/socializing.

3- people are absolutely right when they list other breeds, especially the little tiny ones, that bite more. However, when these breeds bite they can kill. Other breeds often bite and they're done. Pitbulls and similar bite and attack until the other party is dead. They possess a strength that most other breeds lack and a tenacity to continue it and not just a quick snap.

These problems are centuries in the making. They'll be centuries to fix. Until then, regulating them and controlling ownership is not something I have a problem with. To the contrary, the people most vocally opposed to it are usually the terrible owners who want to perpetuate the problems or are just oblivious to the risk.

Or are you tired of hearing what a god Kobe is?

Sort of. I admit I had to turn off my television in the few days after. I just couldn't take hours and hours of shows dedicated to rehashing the same things. It felt like the media was exploiting the situation, to be honest.

[Bugme]

Feb 17, 2020 3:54:54 GMT -8 📚 Dianne 📚 said:

...should transgender males be allowed to compete against full females in sports like track --I wanted to post that but felt it was too hot topic.

I think this is a legit topic and of concern. It has nothing to do with what a person may identify as. Biologically, they are still men thus, they have an "unfair" advantage over biological women. So, the answer is NO, they should NOT be allowed to compete.

[Retread]

Feb 17, 2020 3:54:54 GMT -8 📚 Dianne 📚 said:

Well here are a couple of controversial threads I was thinking of posting, but decided they would be too controversial for what ProBoards seems to be now---should transgender males be allowed to compete against full females in sports like track --I wanted to post that but felt it was too hot topic .

I disagree. It could be a problem topic or it could lead to an intelligent and thoughtful discussion.

How something like that goes, depends largely on how it's framed in the OP.

If you'd care to start your own thread on that, I personally believe it could fly quite well if you presented it properly. But since it was part of a reply in someone else's thread I have no intention of weighing in on it here.

[Retread]

Feb 16, 2020 9:10:01 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

can anybody remember any other news topical thread that run for ages then just disappeared?

I haven't been around as long as most of the GT regulars so I really can't help you with that one.

But I do recall a few threads in the past two years which were slammed shut within days.

[Caajscot (John)]

Feb 18, 2020 7:16:50 GMT -8 Retread said:

Feb 16, 2020 9:10:01 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

can anybody remember any other news topical thread that run for ages then just disappeared?

I haven't been around as long as most of the GT regulars so I really can't help you with that one.

But I do recall a few threads in the past two years which were slammed shut within days.

That's the problem but not just in ProBoards but other Forum sites too, members start a genuine friendly debate about whatever then sooner or later someone says the wrong thing and then we end up with 'handbag fights at 10 paces' and the Admin/Mods do there bit and lock the thread after some warnings.

I tend to say my piece as friendly as I can but if I think someone is looking for an argument then that's me, I ignore and don't bother posting in that thread anymore.

[Retread]

Feb 20, 2020 8:19:37 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

Feb 18, 2020 7:16:50 GMT -8 Retread said:

I haven't been around as long as most of the GT regulars so I really can't help you with that one.

But I do recall a few threads in the past two years which were slammed shut within days.

That's the problem but not just in ProBoards but other Forum sites too, members start a genuine friendly debate about whatever then sooner or later someone says the wrong thing and then we end up with 'handbag fights at 10 paces' and the Admin/Mods do there bit and lock the thread after some warnings.

I tend to say my piece as friendly as I can but if I think someone is looking for an argument then that's me, I ignore and don't bother posting in that thread anymore.

Yeah, I've seen that happen. The ones I was thinking of when I made my statement were all made by a certain member (who will remain nameless) who seemed to thrive on starting threads and playing a role where they tried to elicit unfavorable responses.

It's definitely better to stay out of a thread if things get heated, rather than reply to the hostility. But you can also focus on intelligent, well voiced views and steer the conversation back on track by just ignoring the noise.

Amusingly, just after you made that comment, I saw another thread where someone left a grenade, then walked away. It should be interesting to see if anyone pulls the pin (replies directly) or if everyone just continues on.