Stop IMO ?

baileysidney11

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Why have IMO in a cat web site anyway.?
Let's stick to cats and avoid world situations. There's enough strife without adding more to a cat web site. People can always read/watch the news to get upset. Why not discontinue IMO. What do people think about this idea? IMO end it.
 

mom of franz

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Originally Posted by Baileysidney11

Why have IMO in a cat web site anyway.?
Let's stick to cats and avoid world situations. There's enough strife without adding more to a cat web site. People can always read/watch the news to get upset. Why not discontinue IMO. What do people think about this idea? IMO end it.
I believe IMO is a wonderful idea, and I'm sure it does not get out of hand often. Discourse and discussion are great outlets for people. It's nice to have a place to be heard. Just like a TV show you don't like, you can always change the channel, when something displeases you.
 

yoviher

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I agree here with Barbara... Its great to have a place where we can discuss general issues of the day and such. And if for some reason you don't like talking about those subjects, you can always concentrate on the rest of TCS.
 
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baileysidney11

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Thanks for your response but I'm afraid that this site may become like another that was vicious and hate filled. That's the reason I came here and it seems like this one is headed in that direction. I have decided not to enter IMO again, however,
why have this section in a cat web site?
 

lorie d.

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Originally Posted by Baileysidney11
Why have IMO in a cat web site anyway.?
The members here like to discuss a variety of subjects. Originally the more serious threads were posted in the lounge along with all the other threads. Because these threads can sometimes get heated, they were upsetting to some members. About a year ago, Anne made the decision to create a new forum just for the more serious threads, and it was given the name IMO. I also want to say that all the guest mods make every effort to keep this forum from becoming vicious and hate filled.

Baileysidney11, you are making the right decision to avoid this forum if it upsets you.
 

kiwideus

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Before there was IMO, people were having discussions in the lounge and they got out of hand, which were hard for the mods to take care of, and people were getting upset - so the IMO was formed to keep such discussions out of the lounge.

It is better to keep it separate from the lounge as some people don't like to be involved in such discussions.

I hope that makes sense.

 

valanhb

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Well, the reason we decided to have IMO is because all of these heady topics were being discussed in the Lounge before. Making it's own forum gives people who are not inclined to discuss politics or weighty subjects the option to not even view them, thereby not getting upset.

We do have a good basis of Mods around here, and while it gets more heated in here than is allowed anywhere else, at the end of the day there is generally a healthy respect amongst the regulars here no matter how much we disagree.
 

hissy

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I just want to say that the guest mods do a tremendous job in a forum that at times does get heated. And as much as I love cats, to talk about them all the time would get mundane. There are forums where you are not even allowed to talk off topic, so IMO gives you that outlet. If it bothers you so much, just avoid it. I read it all the time, but hardly ever post in there unless it is a subject that I know enough about to not come out the other side looking like a fool.
 

mom of franz

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I guess what I like most about IMO is the fact that we are intelligent enough to talk about more than one subject, CATS. I would guess that the majority of people here are women, and it's a PLEASURE to see us talk about world concerns. There is still a sterotype out there that women are airheads/bimbos. This forum debunks this theory soundly. Even if someone doesn't agree with me, I still like to hear the"other side" out. The true voice of feminism is here, we won't sit back quietly, our voices are important. And when it gets a bit too rough, I hope we can respect each other, and apoligize if needed.
 

andrea77

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I personally love the IMO.. its a good way of getting to know people and their ideas about the world and I guess maybe sometimes we get disappointed to realize that our fellow cat lovers sometimes have completely different ideas or politics than us... I have read the abortion thread and the Bush thread and seen politics all over the board.. I think it makes this site more well-rounded, more fun, more involved and makes you feel really part of a community of people who are more than their cats. I think we need to just be mindful of the community and space. I think it gets heated not because any of us are mean, but because there is alot at stake with issues like abortion or the US invasion of Iraq and that it affects all of our lives.. hopefully this discussions could lead people to better educate themselves and lead them to more investigations of those ideas.
 

katl8e

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I'm going to commit a faux pas and make a confession: I have interests, OTHER than cats.


Yes, I initially came here, because I like cats but, I've stayed here because I can talk to people about other things, too. I can't argue politics, with Bill because we agree on almost everything. It does no good, to share funny kitty stories, with him - he sees all of this stuff firsthand. My best friend lives 70 miles away, does not have a computer and we play phone tag. This is where I come, to exercise my mind or indulge in other people"s stories.

If you don't like other people's expressing their opinions or have none of your own, don't visit IMO.
 

deb25

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Originally Posted by katl8e

I'm going to commit a faux pas and make a confession: I have interests, OTHER than cats.
Right on, Cindy! I have been here for over 3 years, and I own 2 of the most boring cats on the planet. I do use this site as my resource for cat info, but I like to talk with members about other topics. I am glad we created IMO, because it puts heavier topics in a place that is easy to find, and our Lounge is sometimes too general, with the same things being discussed over and over again as new members come on board (how did your cat get its name, and the like). If this community is going to grow and thrive, older members need discussions topics to hold their interest.

And our moderators do an AWESOME job of keeping this community flame-free. Excellent chance to thank a guest mod.
 

lucia

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If you go to boards with large forums on all sorts of topics, pets and health issues just being 2 of types, almost all of them have a room for threads which are off of the main topic. Some even have multiple rooms which don't relate to the main topic of the webpage. Even if there are not huge amounts of posts on some of the IMO topics, they do get read alot. And even in the Lounge, there are a lot of discussions, such as ones on dating or job situations which are not related to cats at all, other than as it relates to the bucks to buy their kibble!

If you were to sign up for the NY Times online, which is free, but requires registration, and checked out their forums, you would find that our discussions are quite civil in comparison. Most of the posters there are as civil as we are, but there are a few in each forum who delight in baiting each other, and quite strenuously.

Plus, these VBs software boards allow you to click on a poster's name and 'ignore' them, if you don't like their posts. You won't see their posts when you go the forum, unless someone quotes them. You just see a note that so and so has posted and they are on your ignore list.(You also always have the option to read a post from someone you have blocked by clicking on something in their message box.) I don't block anyone here, but I do block a few users on a health related forum who 'dismiss' modern medical theory to a degree that I find so stupid/annoying that I prefer to not read them so my blood pressure doesn't spike. (I'm talking abt things like advising people that you don't really need sun block at all in the summer, or discussions of high colonics or telling people that medications they NEED to take for another problem like high blood pressure could make their other problem worse, so they should stop taking the bp meds etc.) If someone's opinion on a specific topic comes up frequently, and it upsets or bothers you, block them.

I actually think that focus of the IMO forum should be expanded to include other topics which are not contentious, but are not cat related, or general chit-chat or dishing abt diets, dating, jobs etc, like when some tragedy or event occurs and people want to talk about it.
 

krazy kat2

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I usually stay out of IMO, too. There are several posters that seem to love to stir up controversy and make fun of others when they have a different opinion from theirs or the general consensus. I just put them on my ignore list and don't bother with them. I think the forum was better without it, but that's just my opinion.
 

sandra

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Where is the love? I dont think that TCS should do away with IMO because as others have stated...... Sometimes, there are more subjects on the mind then Cats. Don't get me wrong here, I love cats and I love my kid and my half-kid too. But there is a war going on right now, and there should be a venue or a place to discuss it and all of the other contriversial issues of the day. Everyone might not like everyone else but at the end of the day. They still get along.
 

kittenkiya

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Keep IMO. Why not have a place for a heated debate if we need one, rather than spread it all over the entire site. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
 

spotz

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I say it should stay.

It would be neat if a member could block messages from a particular forum, that way if the IMO forum bothered them, they could simply ignore it, and never know it existed.

Spotz
 

abby7625

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I say keep it.

I have found reading alot of others' opinions on here have given me a chance to see a situation from another side, without being expected to provide my often biased opinions
I don't get a chance to watch the news often either so I stay pretty up to date on world issues. The moderators do a fantastic job of keeping the posts from getting out of hand or hateful.
 
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