Whatever works for ya, luv.   

Not a "Political Correctness" issue so much as a "Jim don't want to hear you guys arguing about this when you're sitting on his couch drinking his beer."  The new policy applies to both Left and Right, and everything in the middle.  As for the Be Nice Or Go policy, that's not about sensitivey cuddlesomeness, it's just abiding by our host's standards of behaviour.  Manners, basically.

You weren't here for the Epic Pissing Matches that spawned in TT.  We've got people on the Left, Right, Middle, as well as some people who are Extreme Left on a couple issues, but also Extreme Right on others.  Even I, paragon of genteel and respectful conversation, from time to time, once in a great while, would upon rare occassion. say things that might be considered sarcastic, unpleasant, even snarky.  We had some good discussions, good points, thought provocationey things.  And for every one of those conversations, there'd by 6 where things just kept going south of nasty.  Then the "debates" would spill over into unrelated threads about the books, kitty cats or cheese.  This happened more and more. 

Back to the biggest thing though, is that and Jim just wasn't comfortable with his house becoming politically factionized.  What often happens in politically mixed interweb communities is that one faction or the other achieves an impression of dominance by shouting loudest, and then drives all the others away.  Jim don't much like the thought of Fans from Group A (Whoever they are) chasing off his fans from Group B (Whoever they are).  So he likes it better when we leave political and social issues outside.  That, and it just made a big, whomping pile of A + Ass Ache for the Admin and his lonesome few mods.

We still have the Advice Corner, where people can to get help and support, (as opposed to just bitch).

Only if you've got the blue face paint on, a kilt, and are prepared to entertain us with lighting bolts from yer bum.  Lightning bolts, not fireballs, mind you.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to gather the Rohirim.

Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day! A red day! Ere the sun rises!

*Now feels compelled to re-read the Elder Edda.  Again.*

See what you made me do there?

Actually the big thing is that Jim himself wants this to be a pleasant venue.  Relaxed and friendly, where misfits can feel comfortable and mellow and nobody has to fumble for their blood pressure pills.  The Be Nice Rule starts not with Iago, but with The Man Himself.  

A topic can be locked a few ways.  Some forums, like the Bar, have an automatic 7 day expiration at which point the thread locks.  There were epic long threads gumming up the machinery, and when a personality conflict arose therin, it would often fester out into the rest of the forum.  So if a thread gets so angry and ornery that it's pretty much become so bitter and toxic that it's not worth cleaning up and returning to the original topic, it'll be put down.

Moderators will lock a topic for violations of the prohibition on Touchy Topics like relgion, politics and the like.  

Open up a thread about your favorite economic system, or your least favorite president, and boom!  that thread's done.  (Add stuff like that to someone else's thread, and you'll find your post getting editational snipping or deletion.)  Couple of reasons for that.  The fighting and ill will invariably spreads from the politics thread over to thingsup totally unrelated like a thread about Toot Toot and kittens.  And the forum members utterly uninterested in politics find themselves getting spattered by the pissing contest.  "I don't care about Republocratarianists!  I just wanted to read about Mouse and say how neat I think what Harry did in Book XYZ!"  

Another reason, and this is pure assumption on my part, is that Jim & Iago aren't interested in having their community become politicized in general, nor become associated with any political faction.  Remember, this is my personal impression, not Word of Jim nor Writ of Iago.  

Take the Baen Book's site, it is pretty much a Conservative Stronghold, for example.  Got some liberal authors in the Baen stable, but the forums are Hard Right.  So liberal fans understandably feel unwelcome there.  As are moderates if they open their mouths on teh non-conservative side of things.  I've also been to other book or media forums where the roles were reversed, political correctess ruled, and those with even moderate, center/right views on any topic were unwelcome.  In those cases, people who wish to join that community are rejected because they do not hold the "proper" belief systems.  (For example, on teh Baen forum I had a person literally follow me to every area I visited to find something to criticize, even to the "movies we can't do without" thread.  Boy had to much time on his hands, took his hatin' too serious.  All because on a thread in the political section, I invoked my 10 years in a Combat Plans experience to offer criticism of a warplan used by a politician he liked.  That is a darn good reason to reject political topics for a foum like this one.  

Preventing befaviour like that is why some topics are cut out by the roots.

Jim's got fans of all factions, and every gradient in between.  So I have the impression that he wouldn't like to see one faction make the others feel unwelcome.  Doesn't want one batch of his fans chasing away the others.  He wants all his fans to be able to meet and enjoy and make friends without political affiliation becoming an issue, in an environment that's pleasant and relaxed.  He wants his friends to get along.

Accorded Neutral Territory, just like this bar Jim writes about.  

You mean TT is alive and well somewhere?

*Goes on a quest*

We took it to a farm in the country, where it could run and play with the Permabanned posters.  It's safe and happy, honest.

BRB, have to help Ashton put away the some shovels.

Work in progress, release date TBA.

I stand corrected.

Even so, I remain infallible and mad with power.  At least in the Bar.  Well, a little bit anyway.