# Cultural discussion forum



## Frank78

Hello everybody

Why are threads being deleted which contain a personal opinion?
The fourm is named cultural *discussion*. From my point of view a discussion always contains a vast amount of personal opinion. If everyone should just state facts then it is not a discussion rather than a collection of (already) proven information. Even within a single culture people may argue if something is true or not which is a sign that it is always subjective.

2nd point of critic:

Please let the people discuss even if they are fading away from the original topic. This happens all the time in a natural (real life) discussion and it´s not someting you should take care of. If you can follow how the discussion develops in another direction then it should be OK, just too big steps from one to another topic should be deleted.


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## cyberpedant

I agree. I have also been disappointed in the past when an interesting thread has been arbitrarily closed.


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## Cabeza tuna

I also agree totally.


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## cherine

Hello Frank -and everyone,

You're not the first one to criticize the Cultural forum, and I'm sure you won't be the last. I guess it's the nature of this forum to be unable to please everybody. 

Anyway, I'll try to give a short explanation/reply to the two points you mentioned:


Frank78 said:


> Why are threads being deleted which contain a personal opinion?


We only delete posts and/or threads containing _*solely*_ personal opinions. In other words, we ask contributors to give us a wider view than their own, while not objecting against a personal point of view. 
Having only personal opinions would turn this forum into a chat board, and we don't want that.


> Please let the people discuss even if they are fading away from the original topic. This happens all the time in a natural (real life) discussion and it´s not someting you should take care of. If you can follow how the discussion develops in another direction then it should be OK, just too big steps from one to another topic should be deleted.


It's only a matter or tidiness or organisation. Whenever a discussion drifts away from the main point, we either rename the title of the thread so that it becomes more encompassing, or we split the new topic. This way, we keep with the rest of the WR forum: one topic per thread to make future search easy and fruitful.

I hope this answers your questions.

Cordially,
Cherine


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## Tagarela

Hi,



cherine said:


> We only delete posts and/or threads containing _*solely*_ personal opinions. In other words, we ask contributors to give us a wider view than their own, while not objecting against a personal point of view.
> Having only personal opinions would turn this forum into a chat board, and we don't want that.



(the blue is mine)

However, sometimes it is a solely personal opinion of the moderator (even with good intentions and trying to follow the rules).

Good bye.:


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## cherine

Tagarela said:


> with good intentions and trying to follow the rules


You've answered for me. 

We're only human, and it's normal that we err from time to time.


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## danielfranco

I guess it is always a bit misleading, that title: "Cultural discussions."

I mean, the objective of that particular forum seems to be discussions about how diverse cultural positions affect languages across the world. But that precise description is not readily apparent to a casual browser, I think.

I mean, never mind all the rules posted about it, or the requisite of being over thirty (100?) posts old before you can open a thread there, or all the signs and descriptions: it is only after browsing and participating in the forum extensively that one gets the actual "feel" as to what is appropriate to discuss in that forum, and how to phrase questions and answers in an acceptable pattern in order to avoid representing a personal opinion, solely.

As for the moderators, I like to think that they err on the side of caution, whenever something is iffy. I can't remember any instance of spiteful actions by moderators. At least not against me, and God knows that I may have deserved it if that'd ever happened…

D


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## TrentinaNE

danielfranco said:


> I guess it is always a bit misleading, that title: "Cultural discussions."


Maybe the forum name should be changed to something more descriptive such as *Cultural Discussions About Language* or *Cross-Cultural Aspects of Language.*

Elisabetta


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## Grop

And yet, all the cultural discussions aren't related to language. See Taboo food or Social Classes in Mexico based on color? for instance.


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## TrentinaNE

Then suggest something else.  The first sentence of that forum's guidelines states:


> The purpose of this forum is to help participants and other readers learn about cross-cultural aspects of different countries and groups of people.


The current name, _Cultural Discussions_, fails to capture that mission. Maybe _Discussions of Cross-Cultural Language and Behaviors_ would do it. But really, nothing is going to keep people from misunderstanding and complaining because at the end of the day, people like to chat about what they like to chat about. 

Elisabetta


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## Tagarela

Hi,

I'm sorry, but I agree with Grop. I have never took the Cultural forum as "How different cultural affect languages" - there thousands of threads (if not the most) that are really not related to languages, as those Grop suggested. 

The etimology and history of language forum seems to play better this roll, of languages and different cultures. Or even the Other/All languages forum. 

Good bye.:


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