Hunting forum issues...

tman

Sorry if this has been done before, but is it beyond the realm of possibility to be able to choose not to see new posts from certain forums on the home page?

I can't stand the hunting forum, it makes my blood boil every time I see a new post from there, and I constantly have to stop myself from posting some very unmodlike replies...
To be honest am beginning to wonder if I should even associate myself with a website who sympathises enough with these people to give them their own forum.

If this isn't going to happen, does anyone feel it is worth pushing for hunting to be made a private forum?

Quazzie

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/search.php?do=getnew&exclude=xx,yy,zz

Where xx, zz, and yy are the number of the forum. e.g After Hours is 7

So to exclude hunting its

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/search.php?do=getnew&exclude=1014

K-9

tman wrote: »

To be honest am beginning to wonder if I should even associate myself with a website who sympathises enough with these people to give them their own forum.

Why does it mean they sympathise with hunting?

Honestly, I wonder how somebody who clearly hasn't a clue about Boards.ie, is a mod.

Zaph

tman wrote: »

Sorry if this has been done before, but is it beyond the realm of possibility to be able to choose not to see new posts from certain forums on the home page?

I can't stand the hunting forum, it makes my blood boil every time I see a new post from there, and I constantly have to stop myself from posting some very unmodlike replies...
To be honest am beginning to wonder if I should even associate myself with a website who sympathises enough with these people to give them their own forum.

If this isn't going to happen, does anyone feel it is worth pushing for hunting to be made a private forum?

While I'm not a fan of hunting either, it is still a legal activity in this country and therefore there are no particular grounds to deny the hunting fraternity a forum. It's not a case of boards sympathising with anyone, I'm sure there are plenty of other mods and admins who don't find hunting appealing. Personally I find Mixed Martial Arts pretty appalling, but that doesn't mean I want to have the forum removed. Again, it's a legal activity that has many followers, so should they be denied a forum because of my own personal distaste? As for making the hunting forum private, I see no particular need to do that. The users of that forum are just as entitled to see their threads on the front page as your or I are from any forums we're interested in. I've never actually gone into the forum before now, but from having just had a quick look at it it appears to be mainly a mix of people shooting game or vermin, as opposed to fox hunting with dogs, for example, which is what most people probably think of when the word hunting is used.

K-9 wrote: »

Honestly, I wonder how somebody who clearly hasn't a clue about Boards.ie, is a mod.

There's no need for that thank you.

K-9

Zaph wrote: »

While I'm not a fan of hunting either, it is still a legal activity in this country and therefore there are no particular grounds to deny the hunting fraternity a forum. It's not a case of boards sympathising with anyone, I'm sure there are plenty of other mods and admins who don't find hunting appealing. Personally I find Mixed Martial Arts pretty appalling, but that doesn't mean I want to have the forum removed. Again, it's a legal activity that has many followers, so should they be denied a forum because of my own personal distaste? As for making the hunting forum private, I see no particular need to do that. The users of that forum are just as entitled to see their threads on the front page as your or I are from any forums we're interested in. I've never actually gone into the forum before now, but from having just had a quick look at it it appears to be mainly a mix of people shooting game or vermin, as opposed to fox hunting with dogs, for example, which is what most people probably think of when the word hunting is used.





There's no need for that thank you.

True. Just trying to get my head around why a mod, with a 8 year membership of this site, doesn't get what many newbies get within a few days!

tman

K-9 wrote: »

Why does it mean they sympathise with hunting?

Honestly, I wonder how somebody who clearly hasn't a clue about Boards.ie, is a mod.

So if a stormfront forum was created tomorrow, would you be in agreement with whoever gave the go-ahead for it to be created?
My choice of words may have been poor, and I realise that hunting fans are still entitled to freedom of speech, which is why I said privatise it rather than delete the forum...

There really is no need for personal attacks, and if it makes you feel any better I'll be stepping down from modding duties very soon.

The thread that instigated all of this was the 'first fox of the season' one... Sure it may not be up there with a fox hunt in terms of cruelty, but they're openly talking about killing a defenceless animal for pleasure, which I strongly disagree with!

OldGoat

Quick, get that fallen tree off the tracks, I hear the train a'comin'...

Ponster

OldGoat wrote: »

Quick, get that fallen tree off the tracks, I hear the train a'comin'...

The only way to save this thread if if the OP requests that it be closed, otherwise it's popcorn time.

Nice tip Quazzie !

johngalway

tman wrote: »

The thread that instigated all of this was the 'first fox of the season' one... Sure it may not be up there with a fox hunt in terms of cruelty, but they're openly talking about killing a defenceless animal for pleasure, which I strongly disagree with!

I would like to say this as an ordinary member of boards and not as a shooting mod.

I would also like what I'm going to say to be taken in the spirit in which it's meant, to be informative and without any malice.

I know the thread you refer to, I also know the person who posted it. His son rears fowl commercially and has sustained serious losses to foxes in the past. That post is an example of fox control, and not doing something just for the hell of it. On the subjective issue of cruelty, the person in question goes to great lengths in securing humane culls on foxes, rifles sent to gunsmiths, extensive practice against paper targets to ensure the highest levels of accuracy, high quality accessories.

Perhaps it would be helpful for you to either ignore the hunting forum altogether or if you are going to take offense, maybe ask about the particular activity instead of drawing incorrect conclusions based on incomplete evidence.

As for making the forum private. I would be against that. It's a legal and above board activity enjoyed by many thousands of people all across this island. There are a few forums here which I sometimes disagree with the outlandish things posted in them, but I do not say they need to be hidden away or shut down.

All the best,

John.

Vegeta

I would oppose the suggestion that the hunting forum is made private or that new posts are taken off the front page

I would advise users who do not like hunting not to go to the hunting forum as it contains posts about hunting.

Sparks

I'm just wondering:

• if the OP was complaining that he was a good catholic and he could see threads from the paganism forum, would it be the same issue? If he was a microsoft developer complaining about linux threads? If he was a manchester united supporter complaining about GAA threads? What about a business complaining that their competitors' "Talk to..." forums were visible? Where do you draw the line?
• if I disliked a forum's posters so much that I dived right in to berate them without reading the charter's first rule (ie., be civil to one another) beforehand, and got banned for trolling as a result, would demanding that no-one else could see it either be considered to be an alternative approach to trolling as well?
• why is this thread posted a full year after the thread the OP had a problem with in Hunting?

Sparks

Vegeta wrote: »

I would advise users who do not like hunting not to go to the hunting forum as it contains posts about hunting.

In fact, it's not just good advice -- it's part of the hunting forum's charter:

This is a hunting forum so if you're anti-hunting, don't post and don't read any posts; you are going to be offended. Any muppetry will result in a temp or perm ban.

Sparks

tman wrote: »

So if a stormfront forum was created tomorrow, would you be in agreement with whoever gave the go-ahead for it to be created?
...
There really is no need for personal attacks

Perhaps comparing the hunting forum to a well-known white supremacist group and then calling for no personal attacks is somewhat... ironic? self-defeating? Out-and-out insulting to everyone in the hunting forum?

looksee

I almost never use the new posts listing. I know its there and what its for, but only maybe once or twice followed a link, so I am not aware of endless new posts in football, or hunting.

K-9

tman wrote: »

So if a stormfront forum was created tomorrow, would you be in agreement with whoever gave the go-ahead for it to be created?
My choice of words may have been poor, and I realise that hunting fans are still entitled to freedom of speech, which is why I said privatise it rather than delete the forum...

There really is no need for personal attacks, and if it makes you feel any better I'll be stepping down from modding duties very soon.

The thread that instigated all of this was the 'first fox of the season' one... Sure it may not be up there with a fox hunt in terms of cruelty, but they're openly talking about killing a defenceless animal for pleasure, which I strongly disagree with!

Was a bit OTT myself. I see your point and I wouldn't be mad about hunting either, but as others have said, how far do you go with this logic?

tman

Sparks wrote: »

why is this thread posted a full year after the thread the OP had a problem with in Hunting?[/list]

This was in response to a thread that came up on the front page yesterday, not the previous one I had an issue with. (or perhaps they're the same thread... I'm not going to subject myself to pictures of dead foxes in order to find out the start date)
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055945770

Stormfront was a terrible example again, I'm really on a roll with this...
I wasn't trying to compare the hunting forum posters to anyone, I was just creating an obviously exaggerated hypothetical situation, so sorry if anybody took offence from that.

I guess a slightly better fitting comparison would be the Slydice forum. How far would I get if I asked for that to be made public? The regulars sure as hell don't see the harm in it, but I'm sure people would take offence if posts from that started showing up on the main page.
How about if you just put a "if you don't like it, don't read it" line in the charter? That should protect boards from angry parents/prudes shouldn't it?
Nope... Didn't think so

Sparks

tman wrote: »

This was in response to a thread that came up on the front page yesterday, not the previous one I had an issue with.

But it's still a year since the initial thread you had a problem with. There have been literally hundreds of hunting threads on the front page since.

I guess a slightly better fitting comparison would be the Slydice forum.

...except that it's not really. A better example might be After Hours. Half the stuff in there is almost pathologically offensive to one demographic or another at some point; and the topics vary so much that basicly every demographic gets a thread it hates at some point. Yet it's on the front page. If we don't block AH, we don't really have any justification for blocking Hunting (or, for that matter, any other forum whose content is offensive to some demographic).

But to my mind, the best - and simultaneously the most ironic - example is Animal Welfare, even though half the people in Hunting (who put in more time and money to conservation than any other group in the state including the Government) can't stand those threads.

But far from calling to block the threads from AW, the mods in Hunting and the mods in Animal Welfare have mutually agreed parts of their charter that ban the two groups from deliberately antagonising one another. Troll from one forum into the other; get banned from both. Now if those two forums can get along while being at opposite ends of the spectrum, why can't one end get along with the middle of the spectrum?

Overheal

You know in the states, at least if you're on Comcast or Time Warner, Animal Planet is directly adjacent to the Hunting Channel, where all they seemingly do is make turkey calls and buckshots.

Hows that for irony?

I can see how some of the hunting threads are offensive but as much as anything you don't have to click into it.

star-pants

As an ex Animal&Pets/AW mod - I completely agree with Sparks, stay out of it if you don't like it. We urge posters not to cross post & it comes with an instant ban if you do.
Why? Because yes we all know it's there, but we choose not to delve into it, don't want it pushed into our space.

If you click on the home page, any number of potentially offensive threads could come up. I'm not particularly in support of hunting, but I accept it's there and I don't have to go in if I don't want to, even if I see a thread title that catches my eye.
To draw a slight comparision, a lot of API posters hate Greyhound Racing etc, but should that forum too be removed?

I can see why you dislike seeing it on the homepage, but as said, it's a legal activity and one that has lots of discussion, it's not a free for all, therefore doesn't need to be privatised imo.

Draupnir

This suggestion is ludicrous, I've never hunted anything in my life but I do enjoy reading the Hunting forum, from what I've read they care as much as any poster in the Animal/Pet Issues forum if not more in some cases!

Sure they hunt animals, but it's never just for the enjoyment as you said it's always a good reason. They way you are speaking you'd swear they were bloodthirsty seal clubbers!

If this is the way Boards goes you may forget about it, sure I don't like cyclists breaking red lights so can we close off the Cycling forum?

dr.bollocko

Sparks wrote: »

...except that it's not really. A better example might be After Hours. Half the stuff in there is almost pathologically offensive to one demographic or another at some point; and the topics vary so much that basically every demographic gets a thread it hates at some point. Yet it's on the front page. If we don't block AH, we don't really have any justification for blocking Hunting (or, for that matter, any other forum whose content is offensive to some demographic).

I would disagree with that. After hours is for current affairs discussion. Its scope is large. Some of it's threads may be offensive to some people but the large proportion of threads are harmless or fun or dealing with current affairs. It can get hairy in there but by definition it is unlikely to be as divisive as a forum that deals specifically with something as controversial as hunting.

Cookie_Monster

Hunting is a very broad topic too. and there are many forms and reasons for it Just because you don't support certain point should mean its totally dismissed.

For example IMO fox hunting done on horse back with hounds is disgusting and unnecessary and unjustifiable but hunting and culling dear in the Wicklow mountains is part of pest control and fully justified otherwise the vegetation would be totally destroyed

IITYWYBMAD

Sparks wrote:

...except that it's not really. A better example might be After Hours. Half the stuff in there is almost pathologically offensive to one demographic or another at some point;

That's just total BS tbh. You've fallen into the trap of trying to support your own argument, by trying to prove a point that simply does not exist, a common ignorant defence.

and the topics vary so much that basicly every demographic gets a thread it hates at some point.

What are you talking about? What demographic(s)? Name them please? I would guess that about 20 - 25 threads are created and posted on in AH per day. Are you seriously telling me that 50% of them are offensive to other posters? Do you have evidence to support this?

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I would disagree with that. After hours is for current affairs discussion. Its scope is large. Some of it's threads may be offensive to some people but the large proportion of threads are harmless or fun or dealing with current affairs. It can get hairy in there but by definition it is unlikely to be as divisive as a forum that deals specifically with something as controversial as hunting.

+100%

sceptre

While it's your tuppenceworth, I suggest not making this discussion about AH. AH is a great catch-all forum that somehow manages to have serious discussions in parallel with some good comedy, good one-liners and occasional contributions from people who shouldn't be allowed outside. That makes it a great place. But making this thread about AH is ignoring the point of the thread to start with so all it means is that analogies tend to be crap on the internet.

If you don't like it, don't post there. If you don't like seeing it in the feed, there's a handy shortcut provided by Quazzie that solves the initial problem. The fuzzie animals forum and the shooting fuzzie animals forum have charters that help each other out to avoid idiotic pitch invasions by mutual enemies. Everything's beautiful in its own way and all that.

IITYWYBMAD

sceptre wrote: »

While it's your tuppenceworth, I suggest not making this discussion about AH. AH is a great catch-all forum that somehow manages to have serious discussions in parallel with some good comedy, good one-liners and occasional contributions from people that shouldn't be allowed outside. That makes it a great place. But making this thread about AH is ignoring the point of the thread to start with so all it means is that analogies tend to be crap on the internet.

If you don't like it, don't post there. If you don't like seeing it in the feed, there's a handy shortcut provided by Quazzie that solves the initial problem. The fuzzie animals forum and the shooting fuzzie animals forum have charters that help each other out to avoid idiotic pitch invasions by mutual enemies. Everything's beautiful in its own way and all that.

I presume that this is not directed at me...? As an aside, I totally agree.

convert

I have my homepage filtered so I only see the most recent threads from fora/forums to which I've subscribed.

If you think you may have issues with posts/threads on a forum to which you haven't subscribed, then simply filter the homepage accordingly and you won't have to see/deal with issues which make your 'blood boil'.

Simple.

Stercus Accidit

Vegeta wrote: »

I would oppose the suggestion that the hunting forum is made private or that new posts are taken off the front page

I would advise users who do not like hunting not to go to the hunting forum as it contains posts about hunting.

But it should be also clarified that they hunt cute bunnies and adorable foxes, rather than say, vegetables or mushrooms. :pac:


I find anyone who criticises hunting yet eats meat that came from a battery farm incredibly hypocritical. Maybe OP is a vegetarian, in which case, I sure hope they ban them thar eating forums, can't be supporting that now can we!


Boards.ie isn't here to pander to one stance on a topic over another, especially the stupid ones.

sceptre

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

I presume that this is not directed at me...?

No, not at all. "Your tuppenceworth" is aimed at all of us, ditto everything else.

r3nu4l

This thread is not and should not be about the Hunting forum per se or discussion of the merits or otherwise of said forum.

It should instead be about, 'How do I filter out the couple of forums I don't like from the Front Page?'

I believe that was answered early on in the thread but if Conor, Ross or anyone else has anything to say on the topic of customised forum filtering then they should post. Everything else is just noise that isn't helping the Original Poster (tman).

DeVore

*Heroically jumping in front of TMan to save him*

Everyone calm for a second
TMan may not have covered himself with communication glory here but lets be fair. He opened up with "how can I filter this stuff" and ok, went on to touch on other suggestions which lit the blue touch paper, but jumping in and telling him he should filter this stuff isnt adding to his knowledge
Thats what he wanted to know in the first place.

Tman, if you subscribe to forums (and I dont mean subscribe to Boards, I mean to a lot of your favourite forums... ask if you dont know how) then you can use this like:
http://www.boards.ie/?filter=subbed
and that will show you the front page made up of only threads (new or old) from the forums you are subscribed to. You can go nuts too, I'm subbed to about 30 forums and we have people who subbed to lots more.

Everything else in this thread is off topic.

DeV.

Sparks

Maybe, to save the blue touch paper, we could change the title of the thread?