If there’s one spectator sport that the MountainX.com forum boarders universally seem to enjoy, it’s the endless contests and turf battles of local politics. It was hardly surprising that shortly after already-controversial Carolina Stompers leader Chad Nesbitt battled his way to become the chair of the Buncombe County GOP last week, the topic immediately became the subject of intense discussion on the forum.
This was hardly the only interesting local subject examined by the forum crew this week. The recent arrests of the city of Asheville’s human resources director and three other department employees on insurance fraud charges certainly merited some conversation. And an out-of-the-blue announcement that Asheville, Greenville, SC, and Johnson City, TN, had been picked for the first round of the much-sought-after Google Fiber Intiative was definitely starting to generate some excitement, until someone remembered to check the date; April Fools!
For the real intellectual and ideological sparring matches, however, it’s the nonlocal news section that tends to be the most active and volatile. With threads about the return of domestic terrorism, Obama’s environmentally ambivalent energy plan, the recent RNC sex club debacle, the Vatican’s current sex abuse scandal and the ongoing controversy about the scope of the Census, there’s plenty to debate.
Politics not your thing? Well, if there’s a runner-up category for intense conversation on the forums, it’s the music subforum. Here, one can find very serious discussions about whether or not bands like Vampire Weekend are best identified as pop or indie rock. But it’s not all controversy, like this Fugazi appreciation thread reveals. And if you’re just looking for a place to share your passion for music in general, there are plenty of threads aimed at a variety of interests, from the 1980s thread to ongoing discussions like music to “board” to, the rap discussion and favorite five songs for the week threads.
And if you’re more of a general interest sort of reader, odds are you can easily find at least one topic to your liking. Excited and/or scared about the Large Hadron Collider finally coming online? Curious about local and regional internet-based sitcoms? Interested in some regional and local beer reviews? You can find all this and more on the MountianX.com forums.
This is just a sample of the new discussions that took place on the forum this week. Don’t see a discussion about that burning topic you’d like to talk about? Why not start your own? All registered members of the MountainX.com have forum accounts, and if you aren’t a member, joining is easy — just click here.
“For the real intellectual and ideological sparring matches, however, it’s the nonlocal news section that tends to be the most active and volatile. . .the ongoing controversy about the scope of the Census . . ”
I was intrigued by Steve Shanafelt’s assertion about “real intellectual and ideological sparring matches” and “the ongoing controversy about the scope of the Census,” so I did as he suggested and checked out that Forum topic.
Er, Steve, not sure why you see much real intellectual sparring in 10 people (not including you) posting 66 messages that appeared to repeat the same contentions about the census: the government wants to know too much about you; no, it doesn’t; you might get a fine if you don’t fill it out; I’m fine with the fine; oh, just send it in already; I already sent mine in.
Still, fun to see what’s on people’s minds, even if the dialogue doesn’t advance civic enlightenment very much.
[b]Still, fun to see what’s on people’s minds, even if the dialogue doesn’t advance civic enlightenment very much. [/b]
Feel free to enlighten up the discussion any time, friend.
“Steve, not sure why you see much real intellectual sparring in 10 people (not including you) posting 66 messages that appeared to repeat the same contentions about the census.”
That was one thread out of five I mentioned in that paragraph. I wasn’t saying each one is a shining gem of civic enlightenment, I was saying that the section has a lot of ideological arguments where big words sometimes get used. If you’d like to add some context or differing views to the Census thread in particular, I highly encourage you to post those insights.
“Still, fun to see what’s on people’s minds, even if the dialogue doesn’t advance civic enlightenment very much.”
I’m with Piffy on this. A forum is only as good as the people who participate, in real life or on the internet. If you want to advance “civic enlightenment” there, then you have to participate, just like you would at a discussion in the real world.
Shucks. I thought I’d catch flack for calling some Forum posters “roustabouts” — such an energetic word but so little used nowadays.
You promised shining gems of enlightenment!!!
this is NOT the change i voted for!!!!!!!!!
Jeff, there are probably all sorts of tweets going untwatted as you post here!
Wiki: The term has traditionally been used to refer to traveling-circus workers or oil rig workers.
What?
When did Tweety call anyone a roustabout?
when you were’t looking.
Shucks. I thought I’d catch flack for calling some Forum posters “roustabouts” — such an energetic word but so little used nowadays
Always makes me think of that Elvis carnival movie. Now I’m gonna have that damned song stuck in my head all day.
I’m just a roustabout
Shifted from town to town
No job can hold me down, I’m just a knock-around guy
There’s a lot of space beneath that sky
’till I find my place there’s no doubt…
I’ll be a rovin’ roustabout
Thanks. A lot.
Thanks. A lot.
Hey, I didn’t stutter, so I’m not sure why that popped up twice!
But I do have a question for Mr. B. — did you know those lyrics off the top of your head or did you look ’em up? (I confess I knew the damned things.)
I actually know all those songs from the 60s CD Masters box set I have that contains a lot of those hokey Elvis movies songs (NOT because I have watched the movies so many times) but I did copy and paste the lyrics because I am lazy and that’s why God invented the Internet.
I thought God invented the internet to confuse old people?
You’re thinking of VCRs.
ah yes
I actually know all those songs from the 60s CD Masters box set I have that contains a lot of those hokey Elvis movies songs (NOT because I have watched the movies so many times)
Well, when I was a wee lad I had the soundtrack album and…well, some things are more easily learned than forgotten.
[b]when you were’t looking. [/b]
Between the hours of 3:45am and 4:45 am?
I’m still ruminating on the use of “Shucks”.
hello to every one.Wish you all whim be ok.