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102
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: string on
then start a few more topical threads to see what happened, maybe a couple each? Any agreement on that?

I'm not sure what is your undertanding of a "topical" thread...

We had threads based on books, documentaries, architecture, music, football and, certainly, many other topics. I find those threads to be "topical ones" unlike philosophy, religion, science and other very open subjects. All those threads either finished soon or needs a gigantical posting effort from the OP to keep it running.

To me, the place DnD fulfills in the internet world is to be the remainder from the times people used to think about the world, as well a mirror of human nature and diversity.
Course we'll slowly die in agony... it's our fate, we can't fight it. :)


By topical I mean something in the public eye at that moment. That does not mean that I think that more esoteric threads are not worthwhile, but merely that our membership is not healthy and so clearly our present posting/ online presence is not good enough. So I try to do something about it. All ideas are welcome of course.
103
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
Quote from: Frenzie on

I suppose you might say things can seem a bit antagonistic now and then, but doesn't that apply to any perspective?

Yes some sort of arguing/teasing/even antagonism is rather essential for a forum to be interesting, but I think we need to cut back a bit to get more people to be rude to (just joking).

How about letting this particular discussion ride for this weekend to see if others have ideas and then start a few more topical threads to see what happened, maybe a couple each? Any agreement on that?
105
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
One possible way we could breathe some life into what we post would be to concentrate on topical news stories, rather than purely generic threads that could include anything and everything.

For example, discussion of the recent sting over the sale of radioactive material could be a thread in its own right rather than being absorbed into another.

Any thoughts on that, if we all did it for a bit it might produce some interesting discussion ok be.?

Also a moratorium on how wicked American gun toting corporate republicans are would help; there's  too much of that going on.
106
DnD Central / Re: FIFA World Cups
Agreed, I am not a fan of Platini. I am hoping that a genuinely new broom can be elected and reform FIFA comprehensively.
107
DnD Central / Re: FIFA World Cups
I'm  running out if "nighs"!

The end is provisionally "nighed"

Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini & Jerome Valcke suspended

The decision stops Blatter being involved in any football related activities for 3 months, close to the time when he is due to step down in February.

One interesting implication is that his FIFA salary may become known. Given that the salaries of football's managers, players etc exceed what most would think are reasonable, I'm  prepared for a few raised eyebrows.

Platini is also suspended; he is a strong candidate to be the next president, albeit tainted by association with the shamed culture of FIFAs's Executive Committee.
109
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
Yes that's  true, I wonder why

Possible

We post too many posts which make "sense" only to ourselves - an example of that would be the continual rjh feud
Our threads are not sufficiently interesting
Our threads are too long-lived and are difficult to join in (*)
We do not have enough new starts
Or
Other posters do not actually realise they can and that they are welcome to post here

(*) I have had this problem I must admit, trying to get enough of the thrust of a discussion which has gone on forever, to make an original input --- it's  off-putting.
110
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
Quote from: ensbb3 on

I don't understand. Is that what happened to tt?

I fully understand taking a break. Sometimes life takes over and my mind just isn't into it or my mood changes and 'debate' just isn't for me. But, I don't understand the emotion behind deciding to never come back. I'd miss you guys... Eventually :P


I suspect he keeps an eye on things, but let's hope it is a trial separation while Australia is still in the Rugby World Cup.

I used the term "critical mass" earlier and it's sort of appropriate, one needs enough people interested in a particular subject in order to keep it alive.

For example a hot topic in the UK at the moment is the new leader of the Labour Party. I can't imagine more than 3 or our number in discussing such a topic. It's  the same with discussing Trump in the US context 3 or 4 Americans would be interested but not that many others. If I post about football/ soccer; again not so many. The old subjects of religion, terrorists, guns and even good have been cover ed d so much that we could probably write each other's posts!

Clearly we need more posters and fresher subjects of international interest. The old problem we started with.



112
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
 I suggest moving this thread to the Members only part "Forum Administratio". It is worth discussing, but located here it is a sort of negative advert for DnD.

With that assumption;

Never say never (as they say), but there is a problem as we reach critical mass.

Threads become a bit threadbare and there are not enough to disagree on one but make up and agree on another, or indeed to spark the interest of much more than a few at a time.

I've not thought of leaving myself but do struggle to find a vigorous discussion to join in which is not, shall be say, too caustic.

What to do about it?
113
DnD Central / Re: The real Pope Francis??
rjh, I must be letting my ignorance in Religion show: is the Queen Head of the Church you attend. I though she was only really head of the Church of England, but not Scotland. But I'm  open to enlightenment on this!
116
DnD Central / Re: The real Pope Francis??
Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: rjhowie on
mistresses

Says the follower of the one that had and killed seven wives and created a "church" to be allowed to keep on doing it...
Quote from: rjhowie on

being Caesar at the same time?

Says the subject of a Queen that is, simultaneously, the head of such "church"...

Spare my patience rjhowie.


That would be the Church of England you are talking about - you need to get your insults straight.

King Henry VIII did not kill all his wives. He did however liberate England from a busybody old fart in Rome.



String I
118
DnD Central / Re: Is stupidity taught?
Quote from: OakdaleFTL
It somehow hasn't occurred to Bel that "climate change" is something that doesn't require human intervention…


Nor, according to some apparently, does pregnancy.

But it helps.
120
DnD Central / Re: Is stupidity taught?
A nice subject for a thread, though I struggle to know what you guys are arguing about. :)

H2O - Maybe he thought that means one hydrogen atom and two (gay) oxygen atoms - takes all sorts. So was that stupidity or ignorance, was it taught or never taught one way or the other.

If all stupid people are taught to be stupid does that mean that all uneducated people are not, by definition, stupid.

Given (!) that all religions are stupid, or at least the one you don't subscribe to, is that stupidity taught at church, by a light bulb or original sin?

Enjoyable - to this stupid observer!
121
Forum Administration / Re: Bye.
tt- a stalwart with a nice sense of humour. I do hope he's in good health. Best regards.
123
DnD Central / Re: Europe's Migrant Crisis
Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: string on
It's more complicated than re-settling anyone who gets off a boat, it is also about the wider issues some of which I mentioned above, including for example providing support of one kind or another to enable countries to provide a stable and attractive place for their people to live.

We must not confuse things and even less as a way for getting excuses.
One thing is what to do whith those that are already here knocking at your door, that's what I speak about.
Another thing is what to do in order those that still remains there have what you say, the possiblity of living in their countires as they always done.

As for the second, it's very obvious that those already here are the consequence of what shouldn't had been done. Course the Atlantic is way too large for them to get to the main responsible's land.

??? What confusion? All the aspect I've mentioned are linked, so ignoring the implications of the influence of one over the other.

Have as look at This Graphic. There you will see the top the league for accepting migrants is Sweden, and the success rate of applications to stay is the highest at 76.6%. Small wonder that migrants favour Sweden as a destination.

I don't see how many ultimately achieve residence in one country having been rejected by another (which would be interested to know).

I can't be bothered to research how many migrants are fleeing persecution/death, but I doubt it is 76.6%, and I also doubt that percentage is a consequence of western actions.
125
DnD Central / Re: Europe's Migrant Crisis
Quote from: Belfrager on

Irrelevance, irrelevance, irrelevance. The only thing that matters is if we want to be an Europe that saves people or an Europe that abandons people.
The bottom line is that we have to do it for us in the first place, for our human and moral imperative. A better world begins with each of us caring about the other, not to leave him alone to disgrace and misfortune.

Indifference kills much more cats than curiosity.


It's more complicated than re-settling anyone who gets off a boat, it is also about the wider issues some of which I mentioned above, including for example providing support of one kind or another to enable countries to provide a stable and attractive place for their people to live.

Take a look at this - Aid to developing countries rebounds in 2013 to reach an all-time high which shows the bigger picture of such support world-wide in terms of total amount and as a % of GDP.

You can see which countries are really trying to help and which are not.