I'm seeing a good number of comments from fellow DVDTalkers in Politics asking for a return of the Meme Thread. So I figured I'd bring up the topic here and see if there might be any discussion concerning it. I vote for it since I can't really see why it shouldn't exist.

Bring it back!

Agreed, I can't see any logical reason why not.

And while we're at it, about that "like" button...

Yes, please.

I can understand the reason not having a like button in Politics, but I cannot see a good reason not to have a meme thread. It is sorely missed.

I am all for it!

The Political Forum mods were pretty adamant about that one. Said political memes were really upsetting and contentious to people, and they would only unlock the forum if we got rid of them.

The mods wouldn’t need to worry about it if they just scrapped all the “rules” of that forum that don’t get followed anyway.

Let us have our fun while the country burns.

Well we wouldn’t want to “upset” people with Impact font text over random pictures.

Hi, everyone, and thanks for your patience. I'm not in charge, and I'm not the spokesperson. Here's my perspective and reminder why a dedicated politics meme thread isn't coming back and why there won't be a politics "like" button. I hasten to write, because I don't want to get into a back and forth on justification. But I enjoy this place and appreciate you all enough to at least write a response from my point of view.

1. Politics here is at its best (and that's a loose term for the most-volatile part of the forums) when there's context and thought behind the posts. We don't allow things that don't contribute to that or could make it worse: posting articles or links without comment, "fixing" posts, like buttons, or other thing that can stir the pot and encourage drive-by posting.

2. Political memes do that. They don't have a ton of context, they're drive-by posts, they stir the pot. I imagine someone posting a meme that's the complete opposite of how I believe, then they leave. No context or discussion, just "Here's a meme with a mean-spirited lie presented in a borderline NSFW way, deal with it, snowflake." That wouldn't make me feel great. It would make me upset. It would stir the pot. It's not just what you would post. It's what "they" would post.

3. DVDTalk is an anachronistically-named pop culture and media website and discussion forum that also happens to have a politics forum solely to keep politics out of our discussions of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It exists not as a convenience, but to save the primary forums and the reason we exist at all from inconvenience.

On a personal note: please imagine trying to moderate these kinds of drive-by, no-context, borderline-offensive meme posts over and over and over and over and over again.

As an unpaid volunteer.

All while this community, who has members who openly gripe about social media platforms that don't moderate or fact check enough, routinely also openly gripe that we moderate here too much.

Sound fun to anyone?

There are other places of the Internet where people aren't allowed to openly question or gripe about moderation, but not here. Sure, we have some rules about that (no discussing banned members, for example), but for the most part moderators endure open critique all throughout the site. If people don't have other outlets to post politically-charged memes on a regular basis, that's unfortunate. But that doesn't mean we have to provide that space just so we can end up enduring more griping if we don't moderate it exactly right. Toss a Politics "like" button on top of all of that for meme posts that have to be moderated and watch the community response and again, sound fun to anyone? For crying out loud, Goldilocks couldn't find a thread here that's moderated just right! (Note: Goldilocks, contact an admin about multiple accounts.)

On an even more personal note: I really like it here and I've been here a long time. But I am an unpaid volunteer. All of the mods are. I'm an unpaid volunteer to do a job that gets a ton of public gripes and few public kudos and basically takes at least 10% of the fun out of forum simply by being in the role (if only Fun Groucho was still here to keep the fun in the forum). I accept the role and I enjoy the role, but it isn't easy sometimes. And I'm really not interested in adding things that will make it harder.

And on a much, much, much more personal note: I can barely stomach politics of any sort anymore. I know I'll be back. I have to be. I know I can't tune it out completely. I know it's my responsibility as a citizen and person of faith to not only be informed about the world and be active in the pursuit of grace and justice but to also care about it all. But right now, in this particular season, folks, I'm not doing well with any of this. I wrote about that nearly 2 months ago to the day and I'm still in that head space. I am absolutely miserable over all of the political stuff of our times and I'm taking extended time off work and I'm actively working with my doctor and others to reduce stress in my life because frankly, I'm very concerned about what will happen if I don't. None of that is your business, none of that is your fault or your responsibility, none of that is your concern. But I'll just be really vulnerable here and say that as a 25-year member and a 7-year unpaid volunteer mod, I just have less than zero interest in adding extra features that are guaranteed to take more of my time and energy than I have to give.

Eh. If someone can get kvrdave back, I'll reconsider.

Thank you story for the lengthy and honest response. I get the reasoning behind not having either especially if, given the effect the election has already had on you, they will make your moderation duties harder. As you said there are plenty of other places to get the meme fix in.

Take care of yourself!

Wait... wait a minute... you ran and won on the like button party with Bronkster and didn't deliver! I move to impeach!!!

I know most politicians would never run on a platform of lies!

But I am not most politicians!

...waitasecond...

Thanks, Story.

Thank you for the well-thoughtout response, Story. In no way would I want to create a more difficult environment for you or any of the moderators, or even any of the members. I got a bit caught up in the "meme thread" idea, and apologize if my actions resulted in any stress for you or the others. If it eases anything by locking or deleting this thread, you have my blessing. Although I think your comments would be a good reason for it to stay (education moment and all that).

And I do hope you're taking care of yourself. The real world can be a difficult place to be. Peace.

Only tangentially related, but I was pretty personally offended at how humorous filmmakers of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 seemingly found creating what would be a massive, catastrophic, global extinction-level event on screen.

Story, I understand your position for memes, but disagree for the Like button.

It's simply a way of saying you agree with a post. No moderation is necessary for someone agreeing with a post, other than moderation of the original post.

That part is actually out of story's hands and rests completely in mine. We do not enable the Like button in any off-topic section in Travel & Leisure.

As far as memes. That's a community moderation decision that story has covered very well. Generally I try to not intervene and certainly I don't like to override mod decisions.

You've lost me on this one... What are sections in Travel & Leisure?

I'll jump in and say that's another Forum owned by Internet Brands. Sounds like their policy is that 'likes' are only allowed in forums and sub-forums directly related (or closely related) to the purpose of the Overarching forum.

^Makes sense.

'Like'

It is a sub-forum of Book Talk.