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Wanted to get your feedback on a possible text change on the main page for new visitors. It currently says:

"Do you value free speech and civil discussions? Join the IDW movement!"

Thinking something more descriptive such as:

"Do you value cognitive liberty, free speech and civil discussions? Join the non-profit community that permits fact-based discussions of all topics."

or even:

"Do you value cognitive liberty, free speech and civil discussions? Join the non-profit community that permits fact-based discussions of all topics - even difficult and politically sensitive ones."

The idea is to address the fact that fewer NEW visitors know the IDW now (40%) than when we started at the beginning of the year (60%)... yet the need for civil discussions is greater today than ever. Yes, this is similar to a previous post but this time, it's more specific. Thoughts?

Admin 8 Dec 28
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Welcome to the community for those who value free speech, evidence and civil discourse.

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37 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

0

Simple, "FREE SPEECH HERE" if you do not like what is said, make you comment and move on!!!!

Serg97 Level 8 Apr 9, 2020
0

All topics covers it. IMHO.

0

I prefer the 1st version of the two because I interpret it as inclusive of all topics already, including politically sensitive ones. By extracting "politically sensitive ones" as a topic draws special need and attention to that discussion topic which I feel should not be restricted, narrated or censored in any manner.

1

Less is more. People can figure it out. I would make it:

Free speech and civil discourse. Join the IDW movement.

0

"Cognitive liberty" is clunky and not helpful.

Maybe
Join us for facts based discussions on topics you care about

It needs to be short, to the point, and nudge action in some way. If you want to have a secondary tag line that is more descriptive, go for it. The first sentence should have three most impact with the least words. Like talking to a teenager.

Pvdela Level 3 Feb 28, 2020
0

How about:

'Fear Not; Speak Your Mind'

Lt-JW Level 8 Feb 21, 2020
0

Not that it matters, bu II prefer the "or even" version.

1

How about this: instead of an intro/slogan. For now, post a new topical question daily, weekly, whatever to engage people. For example:

Do you really want to live in a world where what happened to Brett Kavanaugh could happen again?

What do you think are the biggest threats posed to our Constitutional Republic by the Left?

Which lies propagated by the Dems and the MSM make bipartisan civil discussions impossible?

RAZE Level 7 Jan 5, 2020
0

Also, what does it mean when you say fewer NEW visitors know the IDW now? Does that mean fewer new visitors know what it is or know ‘about’ it? I can’t figure out why that sentence does not make sense to me. It is my fault for sure. Just trying to understand.

RAZE Level 7 Jan 5, 2020
1

You could just say, ‘Welcome to the only platform with no safe spaces’ or just put up a Prager quote: “There are plenty of safe spaces for the Left, but no safe spaces from the Left.”

Cognitive liberty. Yes. I like it. To answer your question. The challenge is, the way I see it, the more you try to hone in on exactly what it is, the more it becomes a very narrow description.

The problem, the way I see it is this: “Free Speech” platforms fail because they pull in undesirables at the ends of the spectrum. I assume the target market you are going after is:

Right wing. Conservative. Mature intellectual discussions.

The community that believes there are only two genders.

Home of the orthodox climate change deniers.

The Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself fan club.

RAZE Level 7 Jan 5, 2020

Love that idea of no safe spaces from the left! 👍

0

Okay, here's the deal---

In the first instance, I don't see a "reply" button anywhere.

2nd, do participants have a blocking feature? So much of this relates to what people don't want to deal with, and that's fine. Let the speech---the high and the low---ring out. No "shadow banning."

Or, consider this approach, for instance. Categories of participation. You want to say
"F" this and "F" that? Fine. Do that over HERE...because in this category everyone is playing in the same sandbox. You can even include insults, slander, threats of mayhem and trademark infringement....whatever.

But, talk like that over HERE, and it'll never see the light of day, because that doesn't work in the "king's English" category.

So, you have essentially 2 ways to go. Take that back...you can make the whole gig a Private Club. The issue is one of CONTROL. Left, Right, Unaffiliated, everybody wants some control.

And now, we're back where we started. The number of reasons why IDW has generated interest matches the number of its participants. IDW will be what it will be, either because of its participants or in spite of them. I can't tell you how many platforms I've checked out since leaving FB. They don't work. This one has REAL POTENTIAL.

More control to the participants. Let each person block what or who bothers them. Let THEM decide. Trust your people to look after themselves. We've seen the alternative.

Best, T

0

I like cognitive liberty - no thought police! Of course, there will be a need for some moderation (aka censorship) in order to protect this environment from anarchy and incitement of violence. We are libertarians, not antinomians! And we hopefully won’t need to stoop to becoming barbarians - a tactic that Trump has perfected in order to show the leftists that he won’t be shamed into behaving the way they want him to! We hope for a society that mirrors this platform, where we can exercise manners and not need to fear that we will be exploited for giving the impression that we have been emasculated.

You start with "no thought police" and immediately say moderation/cencorship will be required.

You can't have it both ways. You have to pick one.

@WingedRyno, what some people call moderation, others will call censorship. I call it moderation, because I’m not a whiner.

Yeah my comment wasn't meant to differentiate moderation and censorship, they're the same. My point was that you can't say "no thought police" and then advocate for exactly the opposite. Well, of course, you can...

@WingedRyno, I think the only censorship here may be the removal of abusive comments or requests that directly seek to incite Violence. We need a few rules. Facebook corrected me for saying “evil Islam” but did not complain at all when I wrote “evil Jesus” or “evil Christians.” The inconsistency was blatantly obvious and politically-fueled. Should be much more fair here.

@DomNodarelli there are reports of other content being censored here t hat doesn't incite violence and isn't abusive. One user said this country needs a Cvil War and that was apparently censored.

0

I guess the concept of valuing free speech, civil discussions, etc. is a little for abstract than what people may be dealing with more specifically. For example, I find that more and more friends & associates are fearful that subject matter they post on line, may be monitored by the Deep State folks. Tech firms, social media and "the Media" in general are a little too cozy with our good friends on the nut bag side of the isle. I do understand your point though. My thoughts are that if the question was (maybe) worded differently, people might be more willing as a result of their experiences, to weigh in and comment, their first time visiting the site. Just a thought.

Dave_L Level 3 Dec 30, 2019
1

Apparently, there's no way for me to discuss anything further w/ WingedRyno, as there is no 'reply' area evident in this thread. So, I too will "wing it."

Irony indeed. And who will be the next one to determine, under whatever criteria, that something I should write should see the light of day?

To quote the Winged One,
"Given this hidden moderation (at least I wasn't aware of it) and the reports of content being censored in this forum, along with the "free speech" advertising of this forum as an alternative to the censored and tailored content from other social media platforms, I have a bad feeling about the direction this forum is headed."

Well...Damn...

There should be a reply button at the bottom of the post, are you still not seeing it?

This "bug" appears to affect anybody who replies to a comment in this forum. Maybe it's a "feature" though to keep conversations organized to the person making the original comment rather?

0

Keep it simple, freedom of thought, speech, and action in a civil format.

RCGibb Level 7 Dec 29, 2019
0

The simpler, the better. I applaud what I perceive as the overall thrust of this platform, however...

Some week or so ago I posted something about ThinkSpot, the gist being that it struck me as sort of stuffy, oriented to a chorus of the like minded. And I LIKE most of those minds. There is, however, a genuinely engaging path which is neither vulgar, nor straight out of The Academy. I give them credit for trying. They seem to be striving toward a broad spectrum of viewpoints. But, it's a little dusty, a little too College Lecture Hall. "The Speaker will be happy to take your questions..." That sort of feeling.

Whoever is putting together IDW is onto something good, but I sense that you're teetering in the direction of the academic abyss. The ACADEMY is the last thing this site needs. What it really needs is an encapsulation, a billboard, as it were.

I haven't gone over all of IDW's guidelines because I don't have to. I was brought up to speak "the King's English" and never to write what I wouldn't say. And what I WOULD say would be civil. IDW is trying to cover too much ground in its message. It's trying to define standards of behavior and civility in the way that those standards were understood decades ago. It needs to lighten up. Here are a few suggestions:

A place to Think, Speak, Listen.

Where the First Amendment has a Respected Home.

Where the Content of your Message is limited only by YOU.

I just pulled that last one out. Your follow up intro could be short and sweet---that you're not interested in censoring content, but it needs to be presented in a civil manner.

Just some items to bounce around. Best, T

The irony. I just "approved" your comment (a new super power I just got as a Level 6 member) in this discussion about free speech with great comments about free speech challenges and troubling and trending silence from Admin about those challenges.

Given this hidden moderation (at least I wasn't aware of it) and the reports of content being censored in this forum, along with the "free speech" advertising of this forum as an alternative to the censored and tailored content from other social media platforms, I have a bad feeling about the direction this forum is headed.

@WingedRyno for members who have not yet reached Level 5, we have members (and internal) check for scammers/etc before showing live. 99% posts/comments are approved so far (and level 8+ members can see them in the search results)

0

Admin, could you please define "free speech" as you use it here and in your ads on Facebook? I am hearing that people are getting suspended and censored in your forum for speech, so could you please explain?

And if you have the opinion that you don't owe anybody an explanation since this is your property, please realize that you are advertising "free speech" and people here are investing time in the hope of an alternative.

Please respond.

We use the US definition of "free speech" as widely as possible. We did panic a little back in April 2019 with a few groups before we had better tools to let the group owners control the content in their groups. Some members were blocked but now it's almost always related to being uncivil behavior (see our guidelines page)

Using the U.S definition of free speech as widely as "possible" would mean using the U.S. definition of free speech. Why is not possible for you to use that definition of free speech entirely here?

@WingedRyno It's been months since we restricted any speech that was scary but legal.

My question is why are you committed to restricting speech that is "scary" yet legal? How does that make this a free speech platform?

People are scared by different things. Why does this platform choose to make that decision for people? Why not just allow people to block those who scare them?

SJW folks often find discussion about firearms to be "scary." Are you going to block posts about the Second Amendment to prevent those people from being scared?

Is this a free speech platform or is it not? And if it's not, why is it advertised as one?

@WingedRyno I think “free speech”, much like or liberty or democracy is, at best, an aspirational concept. In any unmoderated venue, “free speech” is quickly undermined by the heckler’s veto, and the discourse either becomes a shouting match, or is abruptly ended. That’s why guidelines exist. And yes, it can be argued that “free speech” should never have guidelines.

I don’t like to block other users, but I’ve done it two or three times here. I have no problem with people who disagree and explain why. I have no time for name callers and hecklers.

@GeeMac that's my point. So long as we can individually block, there is no reason at all for moderators or admin censoring others in my view. We can shield our own eyes, we don't need them shielding our eyes for us and telling us what we can see.

0

Oppose censorship, speak your mind. Fight back against deception, compare notes, compete to discover the truth.

1

You might add that truth is more Is more important than being political correct.

8

There are some decent suggestions below.
Having written advertising copy for several years, the two changes you suggest are too “wordy” and not eye/attention grabbing.
There’s also something wrong with starting it with “do you value” ... maybe “if you enjoy” or “appreciate” ...

Seeking Active Thinkers to Participate in a Thought Provoking Forum.
(Insert Description Here ... after the “tag line” you can put lots of stuff but the “tag line” needs to be the “hook” )

5

Yes. Think freely, speak freely. But think. For yourself.

3

How about!!
Do you value FREE speech?
Do you enjoy CIVIL discussion?
Do you want to speak WITHOUT censorship, (within civil speech)?
Do you want to have these discussions with people from around the WORLD?
THEN JOIN US!!!!!!!

Serg97 Level 8 Dec 29, 2019
1

The trouble with the likes of Facebook is its monitored to to suit the Admin and Facebook criteria but njot by general law so its biased and you can be banned because you object to racist comments

ieuan Level 7 Dec 29, 2019
4

I don’t think the international element has been mentioned yet and this to me is an important part of the site.
I would say keep it simple, no intellectual jargon and no names of people who may not be widely known internationally.
Something like ‘ Do you have views and opinions on todays society or on current events and are you willing to express them in a civil manner?
If so join this not for profit International discussion forum, have your say and see what others think.

I like the Simplicity of that. I also think its important to avoid intellectual jargon

1

admin,, as it stands from my view, the honest take would be to call it a general store bulletin board for political catastophism talking point links you can share with your friends to help breed civic discontent and social division.

sigh

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