No, not PRSI, the posters - the forum is only what those who participate make it.
If political discussion and debate becomes a platform merely for an exchange of insults, well, it is the posters and participants, not the forum, that must bear responsibility for that lamentable state of affairs.
Possibly.
React before reading, even my students used to try that one in class sometimes.
You hit it on the head. Most of PRSI has devolved into exchanging insults. I learned the hard way that the back and forth I got sucked into eventually upset someone, they report one of my posts they didn't like, the moderator moderates, and now with the new forum enforcement.... I am banned from PRSI permanently.
Too many topics are bait threads designed to antagonize and illicit responses. Many of those who participate in PRSI have a particular political point of view. It's all partisan and they come her for affirmation. Their talking points or points of view never change, and they do not engage in conversation. There are very few actual discussions. Most comments are back and forth bickering. It has no end.
By default the back and forth exchange, criticisms, and insults leads to someone crossing the line. Every time. I feel the whole idea of moderating PRSI is random and has no clear result. It's like trying to moderate a mosh pit. Everyone is slamming each other, taking swings, lobbing insults, yet it's up to the moderators to get in there and decide who is carrying it too far. The people in the pit have chosen to go there. Since moderators are people too, it leads to random ejections.
The fact that people choose to jump into the pit that is PRSI, I say let them fend for themselves. Why bother to moderate it at all? Many people who come to PRSI have zero interest in Apple products. Take a look at some of the history of some of these regulars. They NEVER post any comments in any other threads. Absolutely none. They come here for the exact reason that leads people to be banned... To argue and criticize. Letting PRSI moderate itself will not hurt MR in any way. If they worry about their sites reputation, they should separate PRSI from the main site.
No one ever changes their mind about a topic, no one ever says you make a good point I was wrong, no one ever sees the other person's point of view or says I agree. Their comments and arguments are endless partisan bickering. To be honest I have strong opinions about PRSI but I don't miss it that much. I have blocked it from my feed.
On the other hand, now that I am spending time on this site dealing with the Apple fanboys, Samsung haters, and Loyalists, I have learned a few things, and shared a few opinions, but I remain much more calm...
