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Ok, just to argue to pro case for a moment:
…so could probably just go in the convo [Italics mine]
This, for me, highlights something that has always bothered me slightly and could be relevant here. I think the Conversation has got a bit of an image problem. It’s seen as being a bit of a junk yard, and I sometimes feel that there’s a sense that serious discussions can’t really happen there. Sometimes threads are driven off-topic not because there’s good reason for it, but because there’s not particular prohibition against it. This happens particularly in self-indulgent relationship threads, where the temptation to make nob gags or bring Steve into it outweighs any interested in developing a discussion. I don’t want to overstate the case, and this doesn’t always happen, but I think there’s a tendency for catastrophic derailment, especially when the ‘fnarr’ reflex is tripped.
It’s striking how honest, and sincere and unironic people can be about very delicate subjects in the more serious parts of the board. Threads about sexual dynamics in the Head Shop, or Sex Majick in the Temple can be very personal, intimate and confessional, and the fora have a safe-space quality which seems to give people the confidence to talk about things they might well keep their mouth shut about in other circumstances. The pub banter atmosphere of the Conversation makes opening up about sensitive, private matters feel more risky and exposed and would possibly make people feel more awkward about raising one of the subjects WP lists in the summary.
So, I find people’s masturbatory fantasies interesting. I’d quite like to start a thread inviting people to talk about them. But where would that thread go? Probably somewhere in the top end of the board (unless an argument was made that masturbation fits in Games & Play), but where? I think most people would say that’s a Convo thread, but it would just become a thread of gags, wouldn’t it? I mean, who could resist? And who would risk even beginning to take it seriously for fear that their contribution would become the butt of the inevitable sniggerama.
Does any of that ring true? The different forums have their own cultures which nurture certain kinds of discussion. Is it possible that a Sex & Relationships forum could create an environment where people might not feel so coy? |
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