New forum category

[Andrew Donald]

Scot how about a furniture building section .

[Scot]

So... building, and maybe repair? Seems we have a category for such things.

[Ian McColgin]

Maybe a generalized "Fine woodworking, non-boat" to cover the range of remarkable talents who do everything from building construction to cabinatry to furniture to instrument making . . .

Or we could just go as we do now where most of this stuff ends up ventilating and sweetening the Bilge.

[htom]

"The Sump"; send all the politics there, cleaning the bilge and giving those who want to play in that a place to do so.

[mmd]

"the sump"; send all the politics there, cleaning the bilge and giving those who want to play in that a place to do so.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

[bluedog225]

Yes. Politics to the sump. Or change Misc. Boat Related. To simply “Misc.”

Or a no politics or religion rule. But the drama queens and hate mongers will howl.

[Schooner36]

New category for politics "The Black Water Tank"

[Gib Etheridge]

The sump, , and with trespassing as a bannable offence. I'll say it again, , although I also like the no politics or religion rule. It's a wooden boat forum, with plenty of room for "Other Woodworking" after all.

I can see where banning politics and religion may do away with a few undesirable posters which while being an upgrade would probably have an effect on advertising income but I expect that the forum would be more attractive to more people and perhaps maintain it's population. More female participation would be nice.

Decisions, decisions, eh Scot? Happy holidays mate, and thank you for the forum and for doing the job you do.

[Ian McColgin]

I remain against a new deck to which values discussions ranging from politics to various forms of beauty shall be banished. We do not deserve our democracies if we cannot take the mild stresses of disagreement, if we have not the maturity to disengage rather than attempt to enrage, if we cannot learn to debate and discuss and value each other.

Inventing the Bilge low those many years ago was sane. More is just people who fancy themselves as somehow above the pressing trials of our times.

[mmd]

Jeeze, Ian, why can't you think of a Politics category as a meeting place for fans of politics and political discussion, free to any person whosoever wishes to discuss politics of any stipe, form, or nationality regardless of their ideological position, rather than as a dumping ground for the forum ostracized?

[Andrew Donald]

Maybe a generalized "Fine woodworking, non-boat" to cover the range of remarkable talents who do everything from building construction to cabinatry to furniture to instrument making . . .

Or we could just go as we do now where most of this stuff ends up ventilating and sweetening the Bilge.

Sorry but I keep out of the bilge for obvious reasons. I wouldn’t mind seeing people’s other talents in a seperate group.

[Hugh MacD]

I'm with Michael here. I avoid the bilge but could be missing out on some good craftsmanship that's buried under aired opinions. There used to be a thread on "Non-Boat Stuff I Made", but I can't find it again. It'd be nice to have an actual section for that.

[Larks]

I’m not sure that another category would help much - I avoid the bilge to avoid wading through all of the political, religious and otherwise generally unpleasant threads that seem to fill it to the sole boards. But I notice that I shoot myself in the foot by doing so and miss out on a lot of really interesting boat related and non boat related threads, including interesting projects from members here.

But I don’t think another category would change much - I get the impression that members post a lot of their boat related stuff and other interesting projects and so on to the Bilge simply because they feel (know?) that it will be seen there by all of the bilge dwellers who rarely venture into the sunlight to view and read the rest of the categories on the forum.

There “appears" to be quite a few members on this forum who aren’t aware or aren’t interested that a whole world of boat building and boat related stuff exists above the sole boards outside of the Bilge.

So, as much as I’d love to see threads on furniture making and other interesting projects in a place where they are easily found (instead of wading into the bilge), or a “Sump” category to clean up the bilge of politics and the like, I really wonder if it’d make much difference, I suspect everyone would just dribble down to the “Sump” and all of those interesting threads and posts would chase them down there to find the viewership

[Ian McColgin]

Different people have different needs. For example, I appear here under my actual name. Others have a pseudonym, sometimes for very good reason and sometime to evade responsibility. So it is with people's ability to ignore threads they find offensive unless they also avoid all the threads in the neighborhood. There are people on the Bilge whose threads I just don't open. Sometimes I'll read the thread because a later post by a person I generally find interesting posts.

But - this is my failure of imagination - I do not understand why people get all cranked up over something so alienated and electronic.

[elf]

The world is a big and varied place. Politics and religion have been essential components of human life for as long as there have been humans, as has stressing about them.

If you want a life without stress simply choose to stay away from places where you might find it.

[Andrew Donald]

Seems this thread has turned a bit bilge like. Sorry I asked.

[Mike1902]

Seems this thread has turned a bit bilge like. Sorry I asked. Bye

Don't be sorry Andrew, I think your idea is great.
Personally I would enjoy a category such as you suggest. The skills and techniques required to make wooden furniture can be used in boatbuilding and vice versa.
The admin guy's answer seems to suggest that posting such a thread in the building and repair category would be ok.
" Build it and they will come". Would be an interesting thread.
Cheers,
Mike.

[WX]

I would go with changing miscellaneous boat to just miscellaneous.

[Keith Wilson]

While the Bilge can certainly get acrimonious, even nasty at times, opening any thread is entirely voluntary, and closing it again quite simple. It's fairly easy to identify the ones that are non-political topics and avoid the others. Scanning through takes some time, particularly if one hasn't looked in lately, but it's not that difficult.

The problem, of course, is that most of us here are from the US, and US politics has gotten seriously weird. Nothing we can do here will fix that.

[jseymour]

What about a topic for The Sailor's Art? It could cover topics such as marlinspike seamanship, scrimshaw, modelmaking, paintings, drawings, and even literature.

[Ian McColgin]

All of which fit at least one existing deck or might go in the Bilge as freshener.

[mmd]

"Daddy, there is a stink coming from the bilge."

"Yes, Honey, it has always been that way."

"But can't you do something to make it stop stinking?"

Yes, Honey, but we shouldn't change anything because that is the way it has always been."

"But Billy's boat doesn't have a stinky bilge."

"That is because Billy's boat puts all the stinky bits in a bucket in the lazarette that is vented to the outside, Honey"

"Why can't we have a bucket to put the stinky bits in?"

"Because that might make the stinky bits get upset."

"But if we did have a bucket, all the stinky bits would have their own place to be as stinky as they want to be."

"That way we would never know how stinky a bilge can get, Honey."

"But what can I do when the stink makes me gag and my eyes water?"

"Don't sniff, Honey..."

[bluedog225]

With all respect, I think people are mischaracterizing the issue with strange enthusiasm.

Specifically, there is not an obvious place for civil discussion of non-boat matters up up here. I’ve see countless timid posts in tools/materials over the years from people, often new, wanting advice on something non-boat.

Sending this traffic into the snark-infested bilge seems wrong.

A simple “Misc.” or “General discussion” would be a simple, and welcoming, improvement.

[Beowolf]

Long live Miscellania!

[pez_leon]

With all respect, I think people are mischaracterizing the issue with strange enthusiasm.

Yes. I stay out of the bilge. I would enjoy any of the sections proposed above.

[Garret]

I guess I don't understand the objections to the bilge. I spend time both above & below decks & in fact don't really pay any attention to where a thread is until I choose to reply. If I do, I make sure it's a bit more restrained if it's abovedecks.

Everywhere has places we prefer not to go & people we'd prefer not to talk to - doesn't matter if it's a boatyard (if you can still find one where you are), a bar, or wherever. For me, if I don't want to talk to someone, I don't. If a thread title doesn't interest me, I don't open it. Not hard for me at all.

And - I've seen plenty of abovedecks threads turn nasty - or at least contentious - we're all human after all.

[RFNK]

I guess I don't understand the objections to the bilge. I spend time both above & below decks & in fact don't really pay any attention to where a thread is until I choose to reply. If I do, I make sure it's a bit more restrained if it's abovedecks.

Everywhere has places we prefer not to go & people we'd prefer not to talk to - doesn't matter if it's a boatyard (if you can still find one where you are), a bar, or wherever. For me, if I don't want to talk to someone, I don't. If a thread title doesn't interest me, I don't open it. Not hard for me at all.

And - I've seen plenty of abovedecks threads turn nasty - or at least contentious - we're all human after all.

That's pretty much how I see it too.

But if it's technically simple to add a general woodworking category then, why not? But if it's a hassle, there are plenty of places where threads on furniture etc. can be placed. There aren't really any rules on where you can put things.

[Bob (oh, THAT Bob)]

"The Sump"; send all the politics there, cleaning the bilge and giving those who want to play in that a place to do so.

You want non-stop incessant pleas to Drain the Sump?

[RFNK]

Train the sump! I know just the person ....

[amish rob]

The content here is 100% user generated.

It’s simple to change the content.

Post other content.

[dutchpp]

A clean and regulated Bilge would be like a Toyota Corolla, technically and aesthetically OK, but absolutely not interesting.

[J. Dillon]

I think the bilge as is, is just fine. Lots of interesting dialogue and smart comments. If ya don't like you are reading just pass it up and move on.

Stay safe but have some fun

JD

[David Satter]

How about, Yacht or boat interiors. We don't have to add it. We could replace something....sayyyyy the BILGE

[cluttonfred]

Personally, I would be very happy to see politics and religion banned from the forum. I don't think that's what any of us visit this site for but, if is, then that's a good reason to eliminate those topics. I have seen other groups disintegrate because of such issues.

[Garret]

Has anyone seen politics or religion above decks? That is not supposed to happen & I haven't seen it.

So, if one doesn't want politics or religion, don't go in the bilge. That's not that hard is it?

I'm having trouble understanding what the problem is