Welcome to The Senate Floor - PLEASE READ (Rules and Regs)

I want to explain some of my policies so I don't get a bunch of hateful PMs and emails from the disgruntled.

I will warn you once if you slip up in a minor way. The next infraction leads to the minimal slap - 48 hrs.

If you post a major infraction of the rules in my eyes, it is a 48 hr slap.

The next infraction after that is for one week. After that, perm bans and bans for periods exceeding two weeks are put in place.

Serial trolls will be IP banned.
Serial spammers will be IP banned.

Both are for periods determined by quantity and severity.

Thanks for your cooperation.

 

up

 

I have a question concerning what we can post in here.

Can we start discussional topics that involve Star Wars? Like for example the "Empire vs Rebellion" debate?

 

That is for the Lit section. The Senate is for: "important social, political, and cultural issues."

I think perhaps you'd have more success in the Lit section, Cmdr.

 

I want to thank all the Mods that were involved in the creation of this forum once again.

 

Congratulations Lord Bane, and good luck in keeping order.

 

I guess I am allowed to send this thread on one of my upping sprees, huh?

 

Edited Repost; org. by Lil Wookie (See here)

Art in the senate forum

The original purpose of the Senate Forum was, as stated by vertical, ?This is to be a discussion forum, not a social forum. JC Community will remain as it is now, nothing's changing over there. However, this forum is designed specifically to harbor in-depth discussions, of a more serious nature, which can sometimes be lost in the huge environment that JC Community is. We felt it best to offer a place where serious discussions could prosper.? He also said, in the same post, ?Basically, the only discussions that are not allowed are threads that are sexual in nature. ?

In the movie dead poets society, John Keating (played by Robin Williams) said, ?We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.? In other words, Art is one of the things that makes life worth living.

I can show you thousands of books and documentaries and essays that are in-depth, serious discussions about art. Art is influenced by society, and society is influenced by art. Art is the microscope that helps us understand reality in emotional terms we can understand. Once those emotional terms are defined for us, we can change our reality. It was Einstein who said, ? Imagination is more important than knowledge.?

Cinema is the major art form of our society. What other form of art makes as much money as the cinema, and what other form of art has as much of an audience. Music, perhaps, or books, yet how many times do people turn to the cinema to help us interpret books and music?

I am not saying that all cinema is art, but when something is art then it deserves a in-depth, serious discussion. What does it say about humanity, society and reality? How does it affect us, inspire us, make us think? What lessons is it trying to teach us? What questions is it asking us? These are all valid questions, and many good arguments can come from them.


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So, why did I post that edit? I think Lil Wookie brought up an excellent point: art is as valid a topic as politics and government and bio-tech. Go for it, but find a focus, an argument. Do no just wander aimlessly about the thread talking about paint brushes or cool special effects.

 

Sounds fair.

 

i'd just like to extend a quick thanks to lb. this place is great, thanks for all your work! :]

 

Up, considering we just had another sexual-related topic locked.

 

this is getting a lil low

 

This was very low.

If you are new, read this thread. If you are old, read this thread. If you are so-so in the middle, still, read the thread.

Then you'll know why I ban you.

 

lol, nice one bane,

 

Up.

 

Okay folks. Another ANNOUNCEMENT from your cold, calculating Republican Senate mod.

1. There has been a recent debate about posting PMs and e-mails in here, who has the right to do that and whathave you. Senate Policy will be as followed: if you wish to post a PM or email in here, you must have the permission, given before the repost, of both the sender and the receiver. Anything other than that will result in a slap for invasion of privacy.

2. Just a heads up on swearing. Do your best to remember not to use bastard, bitch or piss or any derivations. I will edit those and warn, but if there is repeated use - despite the lack of severity normally attached - I will ban for their usage.

3. Posts of a condescending nature will get you banned as quickly as swearing or trolling. There will be respect in here or you will leave.

4. If you have any problem with a fellow poster, send me a PM and a link. I'll take care of the problem ASAP. Don't respond to a flame or bait. Do not let yourself be goaded into action. This applies to the forum as a whole. Set an example for the newbies that stream in every day. Ughh...


That is all. Return to your conversations, already in progress.

 

Read.

 

Understand.

Know.

 

Why no sex-related topics? We all seem to be relatively mature, and for example my thread about pre-marital sex, despite the fact that it didn't get lewd or out of control, wasn't allowed on general principle. I think that instead of a blanket statement "no sex-related discussions allowed," it should instead be a matter of content. If it gets out of hand or gross, lock it, but until such time, it should be a perfectly acceptable conversation. In many nations, nudity is permitted on public television, even though it's not in America. Why should we be allowed in a "PG Forum" to discuss violence, have people talk about all the things they'd like done to Bin Laden for example, and yet we're not allowed to discuss the moral and social consequences of pre-marital sex?

 

This ruling comes from the Staff, ie those who own the site. It was a fight - tooth and nail - to get this place as is, but I believe that if we continue to show maturity, the sex-related ban will lift gradually in the coming year.

 

Is there a policy on religious posts? I'm not talking about religious threads which are fine (though a little too numerous imo) but thoroughly secular posts which get taken over by religious, dogmatic or paranoiac discussion. Maybe it's just me, but recently there seems to have been a lot of this sort of thing and it does not produce the kind of 'in-depth' discussion which this forum is for.

 

Then steer it back.

Policy Note: try your best when making a thread to not just restate an article but make some sort of interpretation to get the ball rolling. Show a little more effort that copy and paste.

 

Lord Bane is a good moderator, from what I've seen. And (if when used in regard to mods the word isn't an insult) he is a liberal one too.

Condescending posts being a bannable offence? Seems a bit extreme, doesn't it? Ban anyone who deliberately interferes with discussion, they won't be missed, but in a worthwhile debate both sides are bound to be a little condescending towards one another.

Are there any drugs which can deal with Senate Floor addiction? I'm dismayed to come onto the JC every day and not post a single message SW-related because the SF threads are too attractive.

 

Lord Bane - point taken.

"Condescending posts being a bannable offence? Seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?"

Since it is a bannable offence, it would be helpful to have some clarification about what it means.