Effects of closing Banter?

[Upchurch]

It's a stretch to bring this here, but I'll pose the question.

Does the closing of the Banter board fundamentally change forum over all?

Personally (and only having a short time to digest it all), I think I could see this positive move to focus posters' discussions in specific areas rather than a more stream of consciousness sort of thing that Banter provided.

Any thoughts?

[Ipecac]

Geez! Nice of them to give us some warning.

I doubt I'll be around here much longer if Banter is gone. The specific forums are interesting, but Banter gives this place a sense of community.

This sucks.

[hgc]

The worst thing about it is: Where's De_Bunk going to go? He never posts outside Banter.

I, for one, like the other forums, and have enough to read and post in them to keep me happy.

[Upchurch]

Originally posted by hgc
The worst thing about it is: Where's De_Bunk going to go? He never posts outside Banter.That's not entirely true. He's posted here in R&P before.

Granted, I think he was drunk and his post was mostly un-inteligible.... ;)
I, for one, like the other forums, and have enough to read and post in them to keep me happy. Me too. I only went over to Banter when I was bored with these the other boards.

[A_Feeble_Mind]

I always found it frustrating that many of the forums sat idle while topics which belonged in them were discussed in Banter. Good ridance, I say.

[max]

It is a bit disappointing Hal for you to just shut down Banter. I think this forum will again be just for the elite, intellectuals but maybe that is what you want.
What a shame. The community is bust

[Upchurch]

Originally posted by max
The community is bust I disagree. R&P has it's own on again off again community. Maybe that now that Banter's closed new ones will open up.

[triadboy]

Originally posted by Upchurch
Does the closing of the Banter board fundamentally change forum over all?


There was a Banter Board? Damn!

[KelvinG]

Also, so many new threads were continually started in Banter, it was hard to keep track of anything.
Dividing things up a bit might be a good thing.

[SortingItAllOut]

I don't post much - just not enough time in the day. I don't think that the changes will affect me at all. I suspect there are some folks who practically live online (I don't) or spent a lot of time engaging in discussions on the Banter board. For those folks, the change might be an annoyance. I'm fortunate if I can find the time to read a few R&P threads a week.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care,
Sort:)

[Marc]

I almost only posted on Banter. It was a good place for seeing a variety of things without having to check every single forum, and a good place for threads that realy didn't have a place. Hope they open something similar to it again.

[Stig]

I loved banter and posted there more than the other forums put together. It's a real shame that it is gone.

Stig

[tamiO]

Originally posted by Stig
I loved banter and posted there more than the other forums put together. It's a real shame that it is gone.

Stig

Banter is now free to take place spontaneously in all the forums.
Banter is as banter does :)

[ceo_esq]

I have no problem with creating new specialized fora or sub-fora, but frankly the removal of the Banter forum has little or nothing to do with the proliferation of Banter threads that could have been more fruitfully placed elsewhere.

Removing Banter, especially given the simultaneous addition of new forum classifications, may fundamentally change the way in which people initiate, read and participate in discourse here. Along the figurative spectrum between a noisy open microphone and - I don't know - the Dewey decimal system, we've taken a large step in the direction of the latter. The potential problem with this is that the specialized library and the public square each contribute, in their own fashion, to the vitality and quality of expression in the marketplace of ideas. I'm not sure that the balance we've struck now is an improvement over the prior one.

Divide et impera. Do we really want to apply that notion to our discussions here?

[Yahweh]

Banter was good. I think that's saying enough.

[Upchurch]

Ya know, I just took a look at the new categories hal is playing with and I think this is a good thing. Mixing things up and doing a good ol' reorg might do the forum some good. Force us to branch out from our usual haunts.

[hal bidlack]

http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=44

[AmateurScientist]

Originally posted by tamiO


Banter is now free to take place spontaneously in all the forums.
Banter is as banter does :)

Agreed, Tami. The only difference is that now it's spread about, and encounters among familiar posters will be more a matter of chance.

Oh well.

AS

[ceo_esq]

Originally posted by hal bidlack
http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=44
Hal, the sticky in that forum strongly implies that the old Banter will not be returning. Has the decision been made already? Why not preserve the name "Banter" at least? It'll facilitate the transition.

[justsaygnosis]

I defer to the seniority and capabilities of the posters who preceeded me here.
With that said it appears that Randi is more concerned with the entire forum being blocked by libraries etc. for objectionable content.
I'm no fan of censorship and will take a cheap shot on a BB when it presents itself but there are PLENTY of boards to digress aimlessly, and tastelessly on through out the web.
He lets us on without forcing admission fees and subscriptions so it's his baby more than ours.
I'm sure he has deliberated this seriously.

[Ipecac]

Originally posted by justsaygnosis
I'm sure he has deliberated this seriously.

I mean no disrespect to anyone, especially Randi, by this but it seems to me that Hal was the one unhappy about things and he went to Randi and suggested changes and Randi said, "Okay. Whatever."

I have absolutely no evidence of this other than some of the things Hal has said and will happily stand corrected if I'm wrong.