Rescission

[Jeremy Roussak]

As we have now left turmoil behind and moved into sunlit uplands of tranquillity, I have decided to rescind the ban on political discussions in the Coffee Corner.

My previous stipulations on the contents of those discussions, concerning both etiquette and links to external sites remain and I shall enforce them rigorously.

Jeremy

[stamper]

Wrong decision.

[LesPalenik]

That is a courageous decision, Jeremy
With so many countries in turmoil right now, we'll need multiple discussions.

Take it away, Rob!

[Rob C]

Now that's a nice breath of adult thinking for us all, Jeremy, especially as anyone close to the Brexit situation has by now witnessed how absurd and doctrinarian political thought becomes in moments of great importance where, rather than common sense prevailing, minds revert to the tribal.

I would suggest that the only way of running such a section afresh, and keeping it graceful, would be through ruthless management where anyone at all found guilty of abusing polite conversational and behavioural ethics and norms is instantly removed from that section of LuLa. Personal attack is not ever very helpful in arguments/discussions and often betrays realization of defeat in one's own logic.

I would not ban offenders from LuLa entirely, though, because seeing red in one sphere doesn't imply that they have such a fixation in others.

Rules rule. But of course, that all demands a lot of time - yours!

Rob

P.S.

Just as I posted this, the 'phone rang, and I discover that I now have an eye appointment at the hospital for the 15th April, and may get my cataracts attended to before I am in danger of losing access to Spanish health care!

[Jeremy Roussak]

I would suggest that the only way of running such a section afresh, and keeping it graceful, would be through ruthless management where anyone at all found guilty of abusing polite conversational and behavioural ethics and norms is instantly removed from that section of LuLa. Personal attack is not ever very helpful in arguments/discussions and often betrays realization of defeat in one's own logic.

Yes, Rob. Very much yes.

I hope the eye operation goes well.

Jeremy

[Riverman]

Soon any discussion about Trump will be under humor and not politics. 

[faberryman]

The very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This shouldn't last long.

[LesPalenik]

With Trump, it's never the same thing. Everyday is something new.

[RSL]

Right, Les. And with the Democrats it's always the same boring thing, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.

[faberryman]

With Trump, it's never the same thing. Everyday is something new.

I was referring to the moderators opening political discussion back up.

[mbaginy]

... have an eye appointment at the hospital for the 15th April, and may get my cataracts...

I wish you the best, Rob.  Yesterday I learned that I'll be having a similar appointment in about a year.

[stamper]

The bitching has started already. I wonder what it will be like in a weeks time?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... I wonder what it will be like in a weeks time?

LuLa traffic will jump exponentially.

[LesPalenik]

I was referring to the moderators opening political discussion back up.

I know. But that's the allure of the forum to be able to take the bait and veer off somewhere else.

[Frans Waterlander]

As we have now left turmoil behind and moved into sunlit uplands of tranquillity, I have decided to rescind the ban on political discussions in the Coffee Corner.

You don't like sunlit uplands of tranquility? Well, we'll be leaving this phase behind in a hurry! Oops, we have already.

[faberryman]

LuLa traffic will jump exponentially.

More traffic, more ad revenue.

[KLaban]

If only all the time, effort, passion and angst of the political discussion threads was directed towards making images.

I can only dream. 

[Rob C]

More traffic, more ad revenue.

Which all goes to keeping the Milky Way milky. I sometimes recognize the Pole Star, but mainly because it lies exactly between the edges of my building and the next, and the single position on the terrace trom which I can make a perfect alignment.

It might have been difficult taking the two buildings aboard the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Just as well they came up with a more streamiined solution.

[Jeremy Roussak]

More traffic, more ad revenue.

That may or may not be the case, but it played no part in my decision.

Jeremy

[amolitor]

It may not have been noted by anybody except me (which would be a bad sign in and of itself) but the forums no longer seem to have any sponsored ads, so it's not clear that increased traffic will lead anywhere.

Still, it is probably a viable long-term business plan to simply pivot the whole thing to a right-wing conspiracy talk site. There's still good money to be made there, and photography as a web-site-money-maker looks pretty played out from here.