Add a Political Chat Channel to the Linux Mint XIRCd Chats

[ASmith]

Linux Mint Community Staff, Community Members and Developers,

Many pressing issues which impact the Linux Mint community and Linux users fall into the area which some #LinuxMint-Chat and #PrimpMyMint chat room visitors consider to be 'political' and those same guests may feel is disruptive to their menu of exchanging diets, music, videos, weather and exotic photos.

What I am proposing is for the Linux Mint XIRCd server team to add #Political-Mint to the existing regular Linux Mint XIRCd channel setup. Where political opinions from the extremist right conservative nationalists which are pushing much of the Internet Censorship and spying legislation to those on the sensible liberal left who are appalled by the constant push to ban file sharing, censor websites and spy on their nations civilians Internet information exchanges are both welcomed letting the proposed chat room visitors and guests make up their own minds after at least being provided with valuable information on those topics.

I have operated a MicroSoft Community and Main server mIRC chat-room for a span of nearly 5 years until Microsoft entirely pulled the plug on those servers. I therefore also offer to help moderate if needed in this proposed chat-room if you choose to add #Political-Mint and grant me semi-Op XIRCd chat rights to help provide some moderation on the rare troll or someone that purposely engages in flaming personal attacks on someone that wishes to discuss political legislation and laws which directly impact the Linux Mint users and community.

Many Linux Mint community, forum and chat visitors are asking about CISPA, ACTA, SOPA, NDAA, EEA and how those laws effects them as well as what they can themselves do about it. Time and again such questions are met by a flaming personal attack or the callous chat suggestion they go to a non-existent political channel. Such appears to be entirely to muzzle and silence not only those asking but also those members in answering and helping those visitors.

The Linux Mint Community Forum clearly shows a specific interest and need by the Linux Mint Community members and visitors to not only keep up with the myriad of US,UK, European and Global laws affecting them as computer users but also what they themselves can do and what computer related legislation is next being considered for passage.

You can vote this Linux Community Suggestion UP here:

Add a Political Chat Channel [#Political-Mint] to the Linux Mint XIRCd Chat Server http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/view/2665

Thank-You for your consideration

[proxima_centauri]

Thank you for your suggestion.

As long as it does not violate the IRC Guidelines, there is no reason why civil, polite conversations concerning internet legislation cannot be had in #pimpmymint

As such, there is no reason I see necessary to create a politics channel branded with Linux Mint. Specifically, there is no reason to associate Linux Mint with any particular view in politics; furthermore, creating a 'Linux Mint politics' channel could send a mixed message that Linux Mint has it's own accepted political views, which is not the case.

As far as I know, you are free to register your own 'politics' oriented channel on the SpotChat server, should you wish to do so.

[ASmith]

No way in HELL can a political discussion be held nor broached in the Linux Mint existing #Pimpmymint XIRCd chat channel without several chat members directly attacking and engaging in personal flame wars on visitors asking or engaging in what they view is a political quiery or content. While that is directly against the channel chat rules of conduct, such is simply 'overlooked' either out of 'etiquette' or simply IRC moderators not wanting to fluff existing feathers and actually moderate that chat channel. Political topics are apparently unwanted in #Pimpmymint as well as seen as a open invitation to personally attack and flame those asking them. In some 8 out of 10 such direction to 'Go join a non-existant political channel on the server' those come directly from the callous advise in #PimpmyMint chat channel.

As such #Pimpmymint is absolutely not conducive in regards to a open discussion of political topics, questions nor answers.

Furthermore, the proposed #Political-Mint does not indicate a political listing Left or Right in it's views, it simply denotes that channel focuses and supports Political Discussions, Questions and Answers.

As far as I know, have seen and recorded there is more than adequate support by the Mint Chat visitors for a regular #Political-Mint XIRCd chat channel to be created and #LinuxMint-Chat visitors asking political questions can be directed to rather than either flamed (a violation of the Mint XIRCd channel rules) or the visitor is crassly, callously told the lie of 'go to a political channel on the server' which is non-existent.

[proxima_centauri]

As it stands, a political channel designated or branded by "Linux Mint" in SpotChat will not be created. There are other avenues for political discussion; it is unnecessary and out-of-place to associate an official "LinuxMint" channel with politics.

If you feel you or other members are being treated unfairly for discussing civilized topics in #linuxmint-chat or #pimpmymint, please contact
myself proxima_centauri@linuxmint.com, or another moderator with a description of the incident, and any pertinent logs or information.