What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

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What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:04 am

As it stands, moderators are unable to enforce threads are posted in the current forum with regards to CAaSS because of the "void for vagueness" doctrine, in which rules are unenforceable if they are too vague for the average person to understand. Because one of the rules is currently unenforceable, we need to expedite a solution, and immediately define the scope of CAaSS.

The problem is that even moderators cannot decide what the scope of CAaSS is. Because of that, we certainly can't expect users to know. In order to relegitimize moderator action in this area, the scope of CAaSS needs to be defined in a way that minimizes ambiguity.

I think the best way to do this would be to create a whitelist of topics allowed for CAaSS. Obviously, users can submit recommendations for additional topics that might be considered permissible. And because the forum is about current affairs, there needs to be a standard that requires the thing being posted is reasonably current. Here are my proposed standards:

The thread must be about one of the following topics:

-- Government and politics
-- Scientific research
-- War or violent conflict, or the resolution thereof
-- Natural disasters
-- Economics, financial markets, or business news
-- Major crimes
-- Meta-discussions of media covering these topics

Furthermore, there must have been a development in the specific topic in the past three months for it to qualify, otherwise it can go somewhere like Loud Noises.

I think these standards clarify the intention of CAaSS, and can be easily understood by users and moderators, while leaving a number of subjects to discuss.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:06 am

Are we really going to have this discussion again? I thought pretty much everyone else had decided it was a non-issue.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby DamianaRaven » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:07 am

You might be over-thinking this, Little Bird.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Deathclaw_Puncher » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:12 am

This is a rather odd thing to have a quirk about.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:14 am

Andropov4 wrote:Are we really going to have this discussion again? I thought pretty much everyone else had decided it was a non-issue.

We were just discussing it in IRC, and the moderation team couldn't decide what constituted on-topic for CAaSS, so they suggested I make a thread about it. It's not just a quirk I have; both Nudge and Crimson have expressed dissatisfaction with current enforcement, and even the moderators can't decide what it should be. So it does need to be clarified.
  • 1

Terry Pratchett wrote:The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
whose arguments no one could quell.
He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby DamianaRaven » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:26 am

Frankly, this sounds like the sort of heavy-handed bullshit you'd see on PWoT. Why don't you create a poll and put it to a vote, so we can determine whether the present arrangement bothers enough people to justify making a bunch of restrictive rules about what is and is not "serious stuff"?

spoiler alert
I think things are just fine the way they are.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:27 am

DamianaRaven wrote:Frankly, this sounds like the sort of heavy-handed bullshit you'd see on PWoT. Why don't you create a poll and put it to a vote, so we can determine whether the present arrangement bothers enough people to justify making a bunch of restrictive rules about what is and is not "serious stuff"?

How is not knowing what's on-topic or off-topic better? That makes things unenforceable.

spoiler alert
I think things are just fine the way they are.

Nobody knows what things are right now. Even the moderators can't agree.
  • 0

Terry Pratchett wrote:The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
whose arguments no one could quell.
He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Deathclaw_Puncher » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:30 am

Why not embrace the chaos? Chaos is fun and chaos-y!
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:31 am

The arguments about whether this thread is necessary are moot at this point. The moderators themselves don't know what the current policy is and they recommended I make a thread, so we can take it as a given that we need this thread to clarify policy. The question at hand is what that policy should be. So, does anybody have something other than or in addition to what I recommended?
  • 1

Terry Pratchett wrote:The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
whose arguments no one could quell.
He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby DamianaRaven » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:32 am

aviel wrote:That makes things unenforceable.


What things?

Nobody knows what things are right now.


Again with the things. Please explain yourself to me as if you're talking to an idiot.

Even the moderators can't agree.


All the more reason we should put it to a vote, or are we going with "shut up, peons, this ain't a democracy"?
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:37 am

DamianaRaven wrote:
aviel wrote:That makes things unenforceable.


What things?


Rules regarding whether threads are on topic in the CAaSS.

Nobody knows what things are right now.


Again with the things. Please explain yourself to me as if you're talking to an idiot.

See above.

Even the moderators can't agree.


All the more reason we should put it to a vote, or are we going with "shut up, peons, this ain't a democracy"?
[/quote]
This isn't a democracy. If moderators decide we will put it to a vote, we can put it to a vote. In the mean time, make recommendations.
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Terry Pratchett wrote:The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
whose arguments no one could quell.
He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:38 am

I just don't see that it matters much. You can generally tell what the topic of a thread is by the title, so just...stop clicking ones you don't like/aren't interested in? I really don't feel it's anything that needs fixing.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:40 am

Andropov4 wrote:I just don't see that it matters much. You can generally tell what the topic of a thread is by the title, so just...stop clicking ones you don't like/aren't interested in? I really don't feel it's anything that needs fixing.

We talked about this already. By this standard, no threads are ever off-topic in any forum, in which case there's no reason to have distinct fora. As I said already, arguments about whether this thread is necessary are moot.
  • 1

Terry Pratchett wrote:The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
whose arguments no one could quell.
He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby DamianaRaven » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:46 am

aviel wrote:In the mean time, make recommendations.


Can I recommend you take a nap?
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Re: What is On-Topic for CAaSS?

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:47 am

aviel wrote:
Andropov4 wrote:I just don't see that it matters much. You can generally tell what the topic of a thread is by the title, so just...stop clicking ones you don't like/aren't interested in? I really don't feel it's anything that needs fixing.

We talked about this already. By this standard, no threads are ever off-topic in any forum, in which case there's no reason to have distinct fora. As I said already, arguments about whether this thread is necessary are moot.


Well, I'm very glad you've decided so. Are there any other edicts you'd like to hand down, oh lord and master?

Seriously. I don't think there's much of a problem, if there even is one at all. It's not like people are posting forum games in CAaSS. So what if there are some silly news items?
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