Well said…
Many of the second kind are, somewhat, veiled hate speech. I’ve yet to see anywhere, not just here, anyone define what isn’t being allowed by this “menu of topics on which certain species of dissension are expressly forbidden” in any way that doesn’t make it clear that the objection really is ‘The rules don’t allow me to freely be a bigot’.
Maybe WalterBishop can tell us what the rules are preventing him from saying?
I would say that the Dope is the best example I’ve ever seen of a message board that could be an echo chamber but isn’t. Despite about 95% of posters being of the same political leaning, it is a board that is more willing to argue against itself and its own slant than almost any other similar forum on the Internet. Just go to Reddit or certain Facebook groups to see what a real echo chamber can be.
My God, this place is a complete echo chamber. Any conservative who shows up and states their opinion will be met with demands for evidence. Happens every time. Echo echo echo.
This is pure liberal bias. Conservatives should be able to make unsubstantiated claims without having their feelings hurt. Like the ones in this thread. Has anyone noticed how there haven’t been any, you know, examples of this echo chamber behavior cited? Conservatives just know it happens all the time. And it does. They blather and Dopers ask them to bring evidence. Echo echo echo. On and on. Like a skipped record.
News flash: unsubstantiated opinions are worthless: save it for your therapist or parole officer.
I think the problem is that some people aren’t hearing the same echo here they hear from their media of choice. Actual freedom of thought coupled with intelligent discourse can be frightening sometimes.
I’m sure his slaves would have disagreed.
I’m not WalterBishop, but how COULD someone discuss this menu of topics if the menu of topics is prohibited from being discussed?
The menu of topics is NOT prohibited from being discussed.
It is damn easy to message the mods to see if certain topics are allowed…unless of course actually finding out defeats the purpose of just making blind accusations that cannot be confirmed or denied.
I just told you how. Second-last paragraph, Post 78.
It’s real simple, would you like to; Deny the Holocaust, declare that Black people are genetically inferior sub-humans, pimp conspiracy theories, or say; nigger, kike, fag, and/or tranny?
Here’s a thought.
Just this fucking once, answer the fucking question and fucking tell us what fucking right-wing topics are being fucking banned from this message board, and shut the fuck up until you fucking do so.
And have a nice day. 
In an outrageous manifestation of liberal bias, this board refuses to debate the torture and dismembering of small children. It falls under the so-called, “Don’t be a jerk,” rule.
Yeah, this message board is unusual in that moderator decisions are discussed in ATMB. Most bulletin boards discourage that. Large operations like You-Tube, X, etc make the process opaque.
So, are you going to clarify what you mean and give specific examples, or do I put you in the “Lying Troll” column?
Every organization is “an echo chamber”. Like minded people striving for the same thing/ come together for a common purpose. Using a pejorative term is not exactly false, but it’s also not particularly helpful.
If one puts oneself in the shoes of a newcomer, hell yes we appear as an “echo chamber”. It’s kind of true - and I’m okay with it.
I worked for a major newspaper many years ago that had a reputation for displaying liberal bias. I was mostly ok with it, because it aligned with my beliefs. I still understood the criticism, though.
I say let folks of a more conservative bent come and contribute. If they’re obnoxious or down right trolls, they’ll soon be exposed.
Nobody is stopping them, or even slowing them down, It is only when they break the already agreed upon rules that they have to leave.
Of course, they want to break the rules, in the most bigoted and vicious way they can; that’s exactly why they are very carefully avoiding saying what they are “forbidden to discuss”. Despite being repeatedly asked.
Agreed, what the conservatives want to discuss must be pretty offensive and despicable, given that they refuse to answer a pretty simple question. Their silence is damning. When they complain about an echo chamber, they are complaining about being criticized for the most vile opinions imaginable - ones so vile they refuse to state them.
Either that or they are simple cowards and echo chamber accusations represent a very fine whine.
That kind of moderation really makes me stabby. Specifically, where I show up one day and User X has been banned, with zero explanation, at all, where asking about it gets me a cease and desist PM if not a warning of my own. Here all such mod actions are a matter of public record, which is to the Dope’s credit and one reason why I still am here.
That, and the deviled egg recipes.