Politics section

[Kromovaracun]

There's a discussion in the politics section over whether to get rid of it due to its inactivity. I thought it might be worth bringing up.

Topic is here

[mrs_overall]

I didn't even know we had a politics section!
I suggest that politics and the weather should get married and then emigrate....off this site.

[ruby27]

I must admit that I often forget to look at the sub sections.

I wonder if the sub sections are in place so that more specialist questions have longer exposure rather than the quick turn over in the main topic. Questions in News soon get moved onto a previous page, consigned to never being looked at again, I assume.

Having looked at CA there is a thread which the contributors are clearly giving thought to and exploring the subject in some detail. Maybe the sub sections allow for some 'real' questions and answers. The News after all is only Chatterbank with topical subjects is it not?

[Gromit]

News is only Chatterbank with topical subjects?

How dare you, how very dare you!

[Kromovaracun]

ruby: I think the more thoughtful subjects are suffering unnecessarily purely for being in sub-sections (as no-one looks there). Bringing them into a general section (I think if it's done News should be re-named) would give them greater numbers and perhaps rejuvinate the News section.

Plus, more specialist questions will get greater publicity under one section than is the case now. It's evidenced, as aog points out by the minimal posting.

[ruby27]

Kromovaracun

Market forces. People here, reflecting wider society, generally only want instant sound bites. The intellectual rigour required to seriously debate is out of reach of most people given how we live in the west. If those who do want to think about subjects do not venture into the sub sections, then they can not really be demanding or buying into that area. Populist demands that News is punctuated with light hearted, irrelevant as well as occasionally serious. I believe the 'serious' subjects far from getting air time, would soon be relegated to previous page. However I would be quite happy to be proved wrong.

If AB accedes to your suggestions, what would you rename News as?

[Kromovaracun]

I'm not sure. It might be worth just bridging the two names - 'News & Politics' which I think would cover just about everything that the current arrangement does. One point though - the original suggestion is AOG's, not mine.

I don't really understand your point to be honest - but I think that if the more intellectual style threads (and the people who post in them) were brought into the News section, it might bring in some fresh and intelligent minds to give some more analysis on the kind of stuff that's often posted there. Plus I think the 'intellectual' subjects would get more people reading and debating in them. It might be a chance to slightly raise News out of 'Chatterbank' status. But we'll see.