Question from a newbie regarding GD vs. GD: Politics

[Zavulon]

Disclaimer: this is not to be construed as a criticism, a complaint, sarcasm, or anything of the kind. I honestly don't know the answer to what I'm asking.

We have General Discussion and General Discussion: Politics. Other than threads specifically about DU itself, I look at the political threads in GD and wonder why it isn't in GD: Politics. I don't want to bother the admins with this, but I have to ask: where is the line drawn on political threads? In other words, can anyone give me an example of a thread (besides one about DU itself) that belongs in GD but not GD: Politics or the Lounge?

I haven't posted too many threads and want to make sure I get the right forum when I do, so I thank you in advance for any answers.

Cheers,

Zavulon

[hang a left]

1. Hi Zavulon

Well a while back DU Pol was supposed to be for longer more thoughtful posts vs GD the "OMFG Turn on Tweety right Now" posts or the "Are Series!!11!" posts as GD moves very fast.

However I have noticed lately that a lot of GD type posts are being made over there too.

[LSK]

4. that was a proposal about a year ago that was never finalized

[hang a left]

11. I do think people were respecting that proposal.

And just like GDP was set up for elecion issues. After the election it was a place where everyone talked about the election fraud. Then a new forum was dedicated for that. During and after the Libby indictment, GD was used as all things "Plame" and GDP was dedicated for "everything else". So I think that they have kept the forum for exactly this reason. It can be used when there is an event that an entire forum is needed for the topic.

[LSK]

2. I have been here almost 3 years

And I am not quite sure exactly what the difference is. Except that GD gets so damn busy sometimes that it is good to have another GD forum like GD Politics.

[babylonsister]

3. It's 'very' fluid!

:rofl: Welcome to DU, glad you're here.

My rule of thumb is, if the topic has anything to do with politics, that's where I put it. I'd definitely put the top 3 topics tonight in GD/P because we're talking Foley the politician, Woodward about Iraq and the BFEE, and Abramoff, related to the wh.
If I wanted to share something about stem cell research, it'd go in GD. Opinions might also go there. Or a movie review if related to politics.

Bottom line, I don't think it really matters.:-) Our great mods will move it if they think there's a need.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. there's not a really sharp line

There's not a really sharp line between GD and GD: Politics. My experience is that GD: Politics tends to move a little more slowly. The threads there tend to be more about specific races, while GD tends to cover big picture issues.

Welcome to DU!

[keopeli]

6. The purpose of the division.

Good question! I can give you a little history and my take on what the practice is with posting to forums.

When this site started, the focus was almost all political. The decision to have separate forums was to keep off-topic threads separated from political threads.

Moderators of the Discussion-Politics forum will move political threads to GD. However, moderators of GD are much more lax with topical restrictions. Imagine if they really had to classify and move every thread. They would constantly be moving threads to one of the many different topic forums now available.

Many visitors spend a lot of time in GD and have friends there. Political discussions often take place there, as it is the nature of this site. But, it's ok to go off-topic in that forum.

DUers who want to discuss strictly politics will post in the GD-Politics forum.

Well, that probably makes the differentiation as clear as mud! Welcome to DU!

Peace

[jimshoes]

7. If I remember correctly

the admins started GD Politics in the run-up to the 2004 election (I think) because everything in GD would cycle off the front page within minutes on busy night, which there were many, and a lot of well thought out posts never got the attention they deserved. It was a good move then and it still helps in the same way now.

[The Magistrate]

8. Allow Me To Answer, Mr. Zavulon, As A Moderator In G.D.-P.

The G.D.-P. Forum commenced as a dedicated forum during the primary season of '04, when that topic overwhelmed General Discussion, and was conducted with extraordinary bitterness. These two factors moved the decision to place the matter into a seperate forum, and subject it to a specialized monitoring.

By the time the election had passed, it had its constituency of regulars used to posting there and familiar with one another, whether as friends or foes. Keeping it on as a seperate forum was popular, and it has remained.

There is at this time no real distinction between the forums, other than that they draw somewhat distinct sets of visitors. I cannot recall any occassion, for example, when a topic was moved from G.D. to G.D.-P., or vice versa, though topics are often moved from either to the Lounge or elsewhere. The people who frequent G.D.-P. do generally wish to discuss political items principally, rather than news of the day in other fields, and most topics there do deal with campaigns, political personalities, predictions, and ideological questions, though no rule enforces this, but only the taste of its regulars. Though a busy forum, it is not so well trafficed and speedy as General Discussion, and something put up in the morning is likely to still be on the first page in the evening.

[Zavulon]

9. I really appreciate this and all the other answers.

I'm a relative newcomer to politics (started following seriously roughly a year before the Shrub dragged our unwilling asses into Iraq), and being a newcomer to a site of this magnitude as well I thought it best to make sure I knew what the hell I was doing. A lot of the forums are nicely self-explanatory, but after considerable lurking in GD and GD: P I really found myself having no idea what the hell was going on.

Many thanks to all of you (and anyone else who answers from this point on) who answered. This newbie, for one, appreciates your taking the time.

[The Magistrate]

10. Welcome To The Forum, Sir!

And to the scrap....

"Is this a private fight, or may inny man jine in?"