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Originally Posted by skier
What made TFP special to me was the ability to talk about touchy subjects with a modicum of reason and dignity. I think we've lost that ability, and that we've been losing it slowly for a long time.
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Yup, that's a big part of it. Politics is a joke at the moment; generally just two extremes yelling at each other and not listening.
I agree with others that new members are either A) ignored, or B) told in no uncertain terms that they aren't contributing enough/breaking the rules/being too simplistic/all of the above.
Personally, I concur that forum specific moderation is a good way to go, with moderators that are concerned about their specific forms and who will work to drive traffic up rather than down. Some of the current mods would do well in such a role; others will fail because they are, sorry to say, part of the problem.
If you want the board to be a place for provocative, reasoned, and well behaved discussion, then those are the kinds of people who should moderate.
Bigger, friendlier welcomes for new people are de rigeur - more emphasis on really welcoming new players and getting them involved.