This site really is a haven compared to the rest of the Internet.

Back in 2004, <chessgames.com> was a free enterprise although the only toy was the Opening Explorer. The group was much smaller and far easier to Moderate, although you were never sure when an Administrator would show up. When they began offering Premium Memberships, there was a distinct culture change allowing off-topic discussion (which was previously discouraged), provided people still followed the Posting Guidelines, as part of their business model to keep customers happy. Remember the 2005 Questionnaire specifically asked how to handle off-topic political and religious discussion, and many respondents wanted a separate area of the site for this purpose (not the Kibitzer's Cafe), and over years this page became the de facto blog. You also recall back when there was no Blow the Whistle function, so we had to resolve disagreements ourselves in real time. Best I can tell, Kenneth Rogoff has never visited this site and is completely unaware about all of these posts under his name. The presumption is that if he were to arrive and complain, they would have to shut it down or archive the whole thing. Perhaps he would appreciate all of the educated discussion. =)

Consider the Life Master Saga. How on earth do you Moderate a discussion when both sides are breaking the rules?

<tpstar>--<<Colonel Mortimer> is from New Zealand.>

In Flynn’s world, it is not blacks attacking whites that divides the community, it is whites noticing that blacks are attacking whites that divides the community.>

<Imposter: really? do tell.>

http://people-press.org/2009/07/09/...

The scientists polled were mainly from Academia and Government, who depend on government largess for their funding.

1) Scientists dislike war--Republicans have been successfully portrayed as the warmongers. (see the Pew study on Liberal Bias of Reporters http://www.npr.org/templates/story/... )

2) Scientists believe the Bush administration quashed findings about global warming (see the Pew study on Liberal Bias of Reporters)

3) Scientists believe that Democrat administrations are much more likely to hand out large grants for scientific study.

Scientists once believed the earth revolved around the sun, too.

*"The Young Turks" is of course more <ColMort>'s idea of where to find the truths of the universe.

<ColMort>
Truths: 28 (2.8%)
Inaccuracies: 147 (14.7%)
Dead Wrong: 185 (18.5%)
Possible Lies: 6 (0.6%)
Direct Insults: 438 (44%)
Correct Predictions: 0

<PinnedPiece>
Truths: 2,406 (45.3%)
Innaccuracies: 25 (0.4%)
Dead Wrong: 7 (0.13%)
Possible Lies: 4* (0.09%)
Direct Insults: 11 (0.2%)
Correct Predictions: 61

-----------

*Does not include the odd lie.

-----------

N.B. This kibitz is guaranteed to be as accurate as any of <ColMort>'s have been on the topics of theology or traditional conservative philosophy.