What's acceptable political discussion here now?

[Analog Kid]

Have the guidelines changed? I don't understand how many of the posts in the thread about iCloud policy in the UK don't violate the prohibition on political discussion. The posts in that thread are far off the topic of the thread and extremely partisan. PRSI in a teacup.

Topic of the thread: "Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data"

Topic of discussion: mass deportation of immigrants, Tommy Robinson, crime by immigrants, crime against immigrants and advocacy for a particular political party.

I understand that there has been a hard tilt on social media recently toward allowing rants of a particular point of view to drown out all other civil conversation, but there are plenty of other places such shouting matches can happen. Must it also be here? The discussion of the UK surveillance policy and Apple's decisions around iCloud, which has a political angle, is relevant to this forum. The rest of this is not.

If MR has changed their policy on political content and what is considered on and off topic, can that be formally documented please?

 

[adrianlondon]

We must go forward, not backward. Upward, not downward. And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.

 

[Weaselboy]

If MR has changed their policy on political content and what is considered on and off topic, can that be formally documented please?

That thread is in the Political News section, so political comments are allowed.

If you see posts that are off-topic, please report them so mods can review.

 

[BaldiMac]

That thread is in the Political News section, so political comments are allowed.

If you see posts that are off-topic, please report them so mods can review.

Sure, but what are the current guidelines for what is considered "off topic" in the Political Forum. There seems to be a lot of leeway lately which has resulted in threads being dominated by off topic conversation.

For example, the thread on renaming the Gulf of Mexico involved a discussion of throwing immigrants out of an airplanes with parachutes. Why isn't that off topic?

 

[Weaselboy]

As I recall that was all an offshoot of people discussing why they voted for Trump, which would be on-topic.

We allow a certain amount of tangential discussion of on-topic things that come up in the thread, as long as it does derail the thread. This is admittedly a judgement call.

I'll give you an example from a non-political news thread.

Say there is a thread about some new iPhone feature and a member posts a screenshot. In that screenshot is some unrelated app, and a member asks:

Q: "Hey what is that orange app icon on the lower left?"

A: "It is for the new Ember heated mug."

Q: "Ah thanks, do you like the mug and find it worth the price?"

A: "Yep... I use it all the time."

Followed by, "Thanks buddy... appreciate the replies."

Now I think we can both agree that is all off-topic, but we try to allow interactions like that that come up organically in the thread, as long as the thread is not overrun with the side topic.

 

[facedmurkroots]

Sure, but what are the current guidelines for what is considered "off topic" in the Political Forum. There seems to be a lot of leeway lately which has resulted in threads being dominated by off topic conversation.

For example, the thread on renaming the Gulf of Mexico involved a discussion of throwing immigrants out of an airplanes with parachutes. Why isn't that off topic?

It basically seems to be however (whoever) feels in the moment and whether or not they agree with you. I do see political comments under a lot of articles here - not all articles under ‘political’ category. Yet if it’s making fun of certain politicians or social media sites, a blind eye seems to be turned? But the other way… I see comments disappearing and ‘suspended’ under the account owners avatar.

The only real defence they have is ‘private website we do what we want’ ?