Suggestion Sub-Forum for Disturbing News?

[andromeda]

Would it be possible for Off-Topic to have a sub-forum for disturbing news? I'm talking about disturbing/sick news where a simple glance at the thread title is enough to ruin your day or introduce you to a level of depravity that you never knew existed. For example, "Man injects dog penis stew into unsuspecting babies via hypodermic needle", "father sets child on fire"-type threads.

I'm generally a big believer of the "if you don't want to read it, don't click it" rule but with these threads, the titles themselves are disturbing so Off Topic visitors don't even have the option to avoid them. Now, I'm not sure where the line would be drawn on what's just a bit weird or sad vs. disturbing but I think that common sense would be sufficient to judge in most cases.

Thoughts? If you agree, can you thank this post and also post a reply saying that you agree (and why, feel free to include the titles of disturbing threads that you've witnessed to really drive the point home!). Disagreement and alternative suggestions welcome too! Thanks!



The topic came up in another thread suggesting a sub forum and the idea seemed to resonate http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=590033 :
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=14919481&postcount=9

I like variety, those threads don't bother me. Now if there's gonna be a separate forum, I would want those sad and gruesome threads to be in their own place! I hate seeing those "Infant got killed by father" type thread titles, I just don't go in them. But the others don't bother me, I just don't click on them if I'm not interested.

(20 thanks)

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=14919661&postcount=17

we need a disturbing news forum. just the sight of some of these thread titles is enough to screw up a person's day...

(60 thanks)

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=14919697&postcount=18

No, they need to put all those horrible news stories in their own forum. "The News Forum"

I don't want to read about nobody setting their babies on fire or some ish.

(17 thanks)

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=14919965&postcount=28

Yes, another vote for a depressing/gruesome/horrific new stories sub forum where people who like to mourn those things can come together. PLEASE!!!

We can't avoid those because people keep putting what happened in the titles. :/

(5 thanks)

*Sorry to those who I tagged and mentioned. I did the mention first in the original thread and then I realized it might be easier to tag users directly to this thread. Not trying to spam you!*

 

[Beautytalk69]

I think it should be a different forum because the titles make me sad..even if I don't read the Op.

 

[Tamster]

Eh. Then what else would be in OT? OOW and baby momma threads? thats it?

 

[andromeda]

Eh. Then what else would be in OT? OOW and baby momma threads? thats it?

lol Perish the thought! There are a wide range and large number of threads that don't fit into the disturbing news or bm/oow categories.

 

[blasianbeauty]

I think it's a great idea. Thanks for starting this suggestion.

 

[*CherryPie*]

Yes. Mods, Please give us a seperate forum. I think we NEED a seperate forum for those depressing threads.

Some people love them. But for some, it can ruin their day. I HATE accidently running into one of those threads because it puts a damper on my day. And some of that stuff sticks in you your mind for a while.

 

[melissa-bee]

It seems like a good idea but I don't think it would work, there would be like 2 topics a week. Who would purposely go in there?

 

[virtuenow]

Yes, please add this forum; and if some of the really DEPRESSING topics that are listed as Stickies could be moved to this forum as well, that would be great. I dont go to the Off topic forum b/c some of the threads (titles) and stickies are so depressing I don't want to ruin my day.

 

[classoohfive]

I do read these threads but even I will skip over one if it seems to be too much for me that day. Ruining someone's day is bad, but I'd hate to think of the people that are triggered. At least a warning in the title like someone else suggested. It would make it easier for people to avoid this stuff.

 

[SmileyNY]

I don't agree that there should be a "disturbing news" forum. It's all relative. What one person considers depressing or disturbing, others may not. Then we'll have ppl coming into threads demanding that it be moved to the "disturbing" forum. Others may not agree. E-fighting ensues

HOWEVER... I find it odd that there isn't a News forum.... A forum for everyday news (depressing or otherwise) that doesn't involve celebrities. When the earthquake in Japan happened, it was so odd that it was under "off topic". That was a pretty big topic. I think we need a news forum.



Sent from my iPhone

 

[andromeda]

It seems like a good idea but I don't think it would work, there would be like 2 topics a week. Who would purposely go in there?

:scratchch That's a good point and something that I've considered. You know, a while back (maybe a year+) I had thought about there being an "offbeat news" subforum - maybe all the wacky and depressing could get put there? That way it's not a dribble of threads and it won't be a forum that people would purposefully avoid but you know if you're going in, it's at your own risk. Another poster suggested a general "news" subforum but I think that might be too broad.

Also, I know that sometimes I do read disturbing news threads - two that come to mind that were enlightening/thought-provoking are the recent aids-infected african porn star stranded in Europe and the one where the father executed his son for harming a younger family member. So, depending on my mood, I might go into the sub-forum, but the difference it's that I'd be making a deliberate choice and would have (tried to) prepared myself mentally/emotionally.

 

[TracyNicole]

I think it's a great idea. I understand that the point of an off topic forum is to have a catch all place for topics that don't really fit in any of the existing forums but the news threads that appear in OT can be sickening. I do sometimes read these stories but some days I want to avoid them and can't really because the thread title alone is disturbing. I know these threads aren't posted every single day but if there were just a way to quarantine potentially inflammatory stories I think it would be worthwhile. I am not techy so I really don't know if there is another way to do this. I know you can't please everyone all the time but I really do think it would be good to address this. Most days I don't want to read about people being violently killed, raped or aborted. . .but I may want to see the That Girl thread or some positive uplifting news that would find it's way into OT.

 

[andromeda]

I don't agree that there should be a "disturbing news" forum. It's all relative. What one person considers depressing or disturbing, others may not. Then we'll have ppl coming into threads demanding that it be moved to the "disturbing" forum. Others may not agree. E-fighting ensues

HOWEVER... I find it odd that there isn't a News forum.... A forum for everyday news (depressing or otherwise) that doesn't involve celebrities. When the earthquake in Japan happened, it was so odd that it was under "off topic". That was a pretty big topic. I think we need a news forum.



Sent from my iPhone

That's a good point- where would the line be drawn? As you mention, people would have to be vigilant and report threads - some aren't comfortable doing that in the first place and when it is done, it might cause bad blood. On the other hand, I think addressing the more heinous ones would be an improvement over nothing.

You're the second person to suggest a news forum. That wouldn't solve the disturbing thread title problem for people who want to read about regular news currently found in o/t and it might fragment discussion but I can see why you would want it.

 

[melissa-bee]

I think having a news forum is more feasible. It will be broad but that's how news is. If people want to read general (non disturbing) news there are other places they can look other than this forum so I don't think it's an issue for concern.

 

[SmileyNY]

That's a good point- where would the line be drawn? As you mention, people would have to be vigilant and report threads - some aren't comfortable doing that in the first place and when it is done, it might cause bad blood. On the other hand, I think addressing the more heinous ones would be an improvement over nothing.

You're the second person to suggest a news forum. That wouldn't solve the disturbing thread title problem for people who want to read about regular news currently found in o/t and it might fragment discussion but I can see why you would want it.

It's no different than watching the evening news or reading a newspaper. There will be some disturbing things. It's the news. People who want to avoid the possibility of seeing a disturbing news title should just avoid the forum...And news television programs... And newspapers... And the Internet... And everyday conversations... Because disturbing things happen & you're bound to hear about some of them. That's life.


Sent from my iPhone.

 

[Oasis]

i think a general News Forum is an excellent idea and those disturbing threads would fit in quite nicely. i'm super sensitive and easily disturbed so a "Baby Eaten Alive by Pack of Camels" thread is likely to throw me off for days. there is a reason i don't have a TV or read the papers.

 

[rtexy]

Yes I would love this! Recently there was one about bestiality that left me feeling ill for days.

 

[Theresamonet]

I agree with those who have suggested a general 'news forum'. That would be good to have for disturbing news or otherwise.

 

[tocktick]

I agree with a general news forum or even just a general *[generic warning message here*] before thread title would suffice, imo. I mentioned in another thread it's easy to skip a thread which contains a blatantly harrowing story but it's not so easy to skip a disturbing thread title itself when you're just skimming the forum main page.

 

[Kalani]

i think a general News Forum is an excellent idea and those disturbing threads would fit in quite nicely. i'm super sensitive and easily disturbed so a "Baby Eaten Alive by Pack of Camels" thread is likely to throw me off for days. there is a reason i don't have a TV or read the papers.

This is me too. I'm definitely in favor of a news forum. There were a couple extremely disturbing thread titles that messed me up for a couple days and after that I avoided Off-topic like the plague.

 

[andromeda]

It's no different than watching the evening news or reading a newspaper. There will be some disturbing things. It's the news. People who want to avoid the possibility of seeing a disturbing news title should just avoid the forum...And news television programs... And newspapers... And the Internet... And everyday conversations... Because disturbing things happen & you're bound to hear about some of them. That's life.


Sent from my iPhone.

Most of the disturbing news threads that I'm thinking of would not make the newspaper or the evening news because they're too depraved (which, I guess goes back to the point of relativity). And if they did, the anchor/reporter would give some sort of warning before announcing the story because it's understood that people, even those who watch the often-negative news, need to be prepared for/given the option to avoid espcially disturbing news. Many of these stories are 4chan-worthy and not something that you'd expect to find on the "mainstream" internet.

I don't know, if one can avoid MJ threads on here by having separate forum for that, why not disturbing news? It's inevitable that you'll encounter an MJ story on the internet or in real life, but there's an underlying acknowledgement in the creation of the subforum that you don't want your LHCF experience to be diminished by encountering certain threads in certain sections.

Having said all that, I would be willing to settle for a general news forum as a last resort. And maybe the general news forum could have a disturbing news subforum. #dontwanttogiveintoosoon

 

[andromeda]

Ok, the general news forum is gaining traction, so it seems feasible and like a potentially good compromise. I'm going to make a poll - You guys would want the general news forum on the same level as Off Topic, Relationships, Science + Tech or as a subforum of Off Topic?

I'm wondering if some of the disturbing threads would actually fall into a news forum - like the bestiality one was a human interest piece that might not be considered "newsy". So stuff like that might still end up in off-topic. On the other hand, it would be less controversial to request that a thread like that be moved to a "general news" forum than banishing it to a "disturbing news" forum.

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

I wouldn't mind a News Forum or Disturbing News Forum! Either one is good!

 

[Itllbeokbaby]

i agree to a disturbing news forum.

 

[Lucie]

I hope this forum is created. I cannot tell you how many disgusting, perverse titles I've read. I know I don't have to click on the thread but some titles are just horrible enough on their own.

 

[DragonPearl]

I am adding my Yay to the suggestion.

Just reading some of the awful headlines "man dips newborn in boiling water" is enough to ruin my day even if I don't open the thread.

 

[Radianthealth]

In general I am not a fan of extra forums but I do agree with this.

I think a place for that type of news woud be great, even better than some subforums that we already have.

 

[foxee]

I voted for a general news forum. It's long overdue! Once I visited OT and there four child abuse topics on the first page. I don't mind if the disturbing news gets mixed up in the general news.

 

[PittiPat]

Please add the forum. I cannot go into the Off Topic forum because I'm afraid that I might see a title that will mess me up for the rest of the day. Yes, it is that seriously ...unfortunately.

 

[upscale0198]

A news forum is an excellent idea. When I first started visiting OT, I was emailing and multi media messaging several people I knew, some of the news stories. Some of them asked me to stop because they were all so depressing. I had to respect the way they felt. I realize that it might be overwhelming because we get a lot of local news and some national news, so how much I'd really going on in your city daily that's reported by the news. On this forum, you are getting a lot of news you wouldn't normally hear, so it can become a bit overwhelming.

The news media does give you a warning to something that might be disturbing, so we as a forum, should have the same courtesy.