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What is the mad house?

Started by redhawk76 · · 👁 4 views · 39 replies

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Participants redhawk76Sarah Wilson95Gary Perez9Richard Wilson4Frank Cruz2shadowridge14Sam Green73ambermason16Roger Robinson682Nathan Bailey65Raymond Smith23Ronald AllenNathan Ortiz2nimblewalker58Roger Reed49placidjackal36
redhawk76 redhawk76 Active MemberOP
60 messages
joined May 2013
#1 ·
I would appreciate an explanation, or perhaps a pointer toward some written criteria, reasoning, or guideline that dictates why certain topics authored by a user under the "Politics" section are subsequently moved into the Mad House.

The reason I ask is that, looking at many threads currently residing in the Mad House, it seems nearly impossible to discern why they aren't located in Politics instead...😕

To be more specific: my own thread, "Žarko Puhovski isn't a patriot!" (which I started yesterday), was also relocated to the Mad House today for reasons that remain opaque to both me and the participants. The opening post is civil and well-reasoned, and the ensuing discussion has been perfectly respectful—there haven't even been any warnings issued yet, and if someone were to slip up, it certainly wouldn't be the first time such an occurrence happened in a "serious" section... so, why the move?

And more broadly speaking: what exactly constitutes the Mad House? Is it truly a subforum where the majority of users choose to direct their own posts, or is it rather a sort of "overflow" area—or perhaps a "dumping ground"—where moderators relocate content they deem "unsuitable" for the primary "Politics" board?

If the Mad House is largely comprised of threads placed there by moderators rather than the users themselves, then there appears to be a fundamental flaw in the concept. It stands to reason that a user, rather than the site administration, should determine which board their post belongs on (unless, of course, they have completely missed the mark regarding the topic's relevance).

Regarding this entire situation, I suspect some confusion arises from the absence of a dedicated "Society" board that might serve as a bridge to Politics. Such a space would be ideal for contemporary social issues that carry a broader political weight without being directly tied to specific political parties or immediate partisan events... My thread about Žarko Puhovski falls precisely into that category, for instance.
(The existing Society board feels like something else entirely, and I am not even convinced its current title is particularly apt...)

As I recall, the Mad House used to function somewhat like a "buffer zone" between the acceptable standard of discourse found in Politics and the content that is strictly prohibited.
Today, that doesn't seem to be the case.
But the issue remains that it is not at all clear how things work now or what the Mad House actually represents in the current landscape. 🤷
Sarah Wilson95 Sarah Wilson95 Regular
267 messages
joined Sep 2006
#2 ·
What’s the actual deal with the "On the Edge of Politics" section? It doesn't exactly feel like a serious academic debate like you'd find over on the main Politics page—so what is it supposed to be? Just a joke, a place for insults, some mockery, constant sarcasm, or something else entirely?

Anyone who has been around this site for a while knows exactly why the Mad House was established in the first place, and they remember exactly how it used to function.

The reality is that they couldn't maintain order there; the moderators themselves were constantly tossing threads into the Mad House because they didn't know how to handle them on the main page, found them disagreeable, or they just got completely derailed by trolling and flame wars (which, if I recall correctly, is actually a moderator's job to clean up...). Does that really justify stripping away the MAD HOUSE name?
Gary Perez9 Gary Perez9 Active Member
58 messages
joined Aug 2010
#3 ·
Sarah Wilson95 said:What does "on the edge of politics" even mean? It’s not some high-brow academic debate like you’d find on the main Politics page—so what is it? Just a place for jokes, insults, mockery, trolling, or something else entirely?

All the longtime users here remember exactly why the Mad House was created, and they know exactly how it used to look back in the day.

The fact that they couldn't maintain order there—and that the moderators themselves were constantly dumping stuff into the Mad House because they didn't know how to handle it on the main page, or because it didn't fit their vibe, or simply because it got torn apart by trolls and flame wars (which, if I recall correctly, is actually a moderator's job to clean up...)—is that really enough reason to just scrap the name MAD HOUSE?

It isn't just about a name change, either. First comes the shift in moderation style, then this massive crackdown with all the banning and locking of threads, and now the rebranding; at this rate, they might as well just shut the whole thing down. Honestly, the Mad House was the very reason I was drawn to this forum, and now they're acting like this.☕
Richard Wilson4 Richard Wilson4 Veteran
2K messages
joined Sep 2009
#4 ·
Why not just add an unmoderated section? Honestly, the way things are now, the truth doesn't even mean much anymore...

But they shouldn't have changed the name...
Frank Cruz2 Frank Cruz2 Member
21 messages
joined Apr 2011
#5 ·
Justice for the Mad House!!!😠
The only guy on this damn forum who’s never been banned...🤣
redhawk76 redhawk76 Active MemberOP
60 messages
joined May 2013
#6 ·
I am in favor of preserving the mad house as a space for a somewhat more "unfiltered" style of expression—provided we maintain certain reasonable boundaries to prevent total chaos. At the same time, I propose adding a new sub-forum dedicated to topics that aren't strictly about politics in the narrowest sense (you know, the usual suspects like politicians and political parties), but rather focus on broader contemporary social issues. Up until now, these kinds of discussions have been tossed into the mad house, but they don't really belong there if we want to maintain the integrity of what we all believe this forum should be.
What should we call this new section? Personally, I thought "Society" would be ideal, but since that category already exists and doesn't quite capture the essence of what I'm proposing, I'm stuck.
redhawk76 redhawk76 Active MemberOP
60 messages
joined May 2013
#7 ·
I mean, it’s not as if I have some sort of supernatural foresight or anything. 😲😂
shadowridge14 shadowridge14 Member
16 messages
joined Oct 2006
#8 ·
We'll give our lives, but we won't hand over this mad house...😁
Sam Green73 Sam Green73 Active Member
144 messages
joined Aug 2018
#9 ·
First off, I’m the one who moved this thread because it isn't strictly about politics.
It’s more of a psychological or sociological discussion, though it definitely brushes against politics since we're talking about a public figure getting tangled up in political affairs, which makes it a perfect fit for the "on the edge of politics" subforum.

redhawk76 said:Generally speaking: what actually is the mad house? Is it a subforum where users actually choose to "send" their own posts, or is it just some "overflow" area (if you want me to call it a "dumping ground") where moderators toss threads they personally decide don't belong in the main "Politics" section?

The word you're looking for is inappropriate.
So, just like my colleague mentioned:

Ronald Allen said: I can tell you guys miss me, so I figured I’d reach out, fellow Redditor to Redditor.
Look, nothing has really changed except for the name of the subforum.
To quote what your colleague was saying:

The big reason we renamed the subforum is to encourage a bit of normalization—basically aiming for a little more civility and culture from our users, who still haven't quite mastered the art of normal communication. We made the change in the hope that things might eventually head in that direction.
You’ll still find topics there that aren't quite right for the main Politics section, but those threads will still be moderated. We’re still sticking to the Rules and this subforum won't tolerate copy-pasting content or breaking any of the guidelines listed above, just like the rest of Reddit.

Thanks for understanding!


I just wanted to add that no matter how much we deny it, names really do affect perception.
Some users were under the impression that because the subforum was called the "mad house," anything went. It was like they thought they were heading to an asylum to act out.

On the flip side, some people would start a genuinely constructive or interesting debate that didn't quite fit the main Politics board, only to feel insulted when the thread ended up in the "mad house" (and believe me, I'm speaking from personal experience here).
ambermason16 ambermason16 Active Member
213 messages
joined Apr 2009
#10 ·
Without getting bogged down in the weeds of definitions or why things changed in the first place... Why on earth do you people care so much about what some PDF is titled?!

What did you actually lose by changing a filename? Why does it trigger you this much?! 🤷
redhawk76 redhawk76 Active MemberOP
60 messages
joined May 2013
#11 ·
ambermason16 said:Without diving deep into definitions or the underlying reasons for this shift... why on earth do you all care so much about what a specific PDF is titled?!

What exactly did you lose by changing the name? Why does it provoke such anger? 🤷

Because a name defines the very essence of the subject matter.

The mad house used to be a PDF where one could express political views with a somewhat "freer" style.
Afterward (up until yesterday), it became a space containing just about everything: from that "free" expression to serious posts that weren't strictly about politics, but rather broader socio-political or philosophical topics—posts that usually ended up being flagged by moderators who decided they had no place in Politics.

So, what does this renaming actually signify?
Does removing the Mad House name also mean the end of that "free style" space that so many users clearly desire?
If that is the case, why not simply state it openly and honestly: there is no more Mad House, and the era of "going mad" is over?

If it isn't—then we will simply continue to see a disorganized mishmash of unrelated posts on that PDF, regardless of what it happens to be called. 🤷

My preference would be three distinct PDFs:
1. Politics
2. On the edge of politics (or Society, or something else entirely...)
3. Mad house (a PDF with slightly more relaxed moderation 😁)


(This shouldn't pose an issue, considering how a brand like Sephora can have separate sections for Eyebrows, Hair, Lashes, and Skin... 🙄 🙂
redhawk76 redhawk76 Active MemberOP
60 messages
joined May 2013
#12 ·
I follow your reasoning and accept it—within the current "framework" of this PDF. My concern lies within that very structure, which I fear remains unchanged despite the rebranding.
Unless, of course, the Mad House isn't being dissolved merely by name, but by its very essence (which would be quite the "celebration" for many regular users...😁). It would be much better if they were upfront about that and had the courage to face the consequences of such a decision. ☕
Roger Robinson682 Roger Robinson682 Active Member
73 messages
joined Jan 2008
#13 ·
ambermason16 said:Without getting bogged down in definitions or the specific reasons behind the shift... why on earth does it matter so much to you what some PDF file is titled?!

What exactly did you lose by changing the name? Why does it provoke such anger in you?! 🤷

Following your line of reasoning, if the name isn't actually that important, then I suppose the question remains: why change it at all? 😉😉

I can’t quite recall the moderator's exact explanation regarding how this was handled to supposedly "civilize" the users of this subforum, but there’s that subtitle that essentially reads, "formerly the mad house, topics that aren't appropriate for the main politics forum." It seems "mad house" is considered unacceptable for a subforum title because it implies the users don't behave themselves, yet somehow it's perfectly fine to leave it right there in the subtitle. Personally, I find it somewhat absurd to expect that rebranding a subforum will somehow influence how people act; to me, the change feels purely cosmetic and likely won't change a single thing...😁😁
Sam Green73 Sam Green73 Active Member
144 messages
joined Aug 2018
#14 ·
I honestly feel like political satire actually has a legitimate home here on the "on the edge of politics" subreddit. It’s such a vital part of the conversation.
shadowridge14 shadowridge14 Member
16 messages
joined Oct 2006
#15 ·
Personally, I don't think certain people should be moderators at all.
Especially Ronald Allen, because he clearly lacks any sense of when to shut down a conversation...
Look, you guys agreed on this as a team (the mods)!!!
What a total lack of brainpower. You’re all just supposed "reformers" who perfectly embody today's mindless, populist mentality by forcing everyone's views into your own pathetic little boxes!!!
PS: Shout out to the folks I used to debate with over on the politics forum and those endless PDF threads. If you need me from now on, I'll be over in the sports section.
Nathan Bailey65 Nathan Bailey65 Active Member
79 messages
joined Oct 2008
#16 ·
What exactly is the criteria for locking a thread on the politics forum or when things are shifting into madness?

(Just so I’m not repeating myself:
I'm looking at a thread from the main political discussion area that got locked because of PDF rules, yet it contained a hyphen linked to a thread that was already freshly locked)

http://www.reddit.com/showthread.php?t=434416

So, what is the standard being used to lock threads like these?
http://www.reddit.com/showthread.php?t=434412

?
Raymond Smith23 Raymond Smith23 Member
30 messages
joined Sep 2008
#17 ·
Frank Cruz2 said:Justice for the Mad House!!!😠
The only subreddit where I’ve never been banned...🤣

So the admin is actually considering those people too 😁
ambermason16 ambermason16 Active Member
213 messages
joined Apr 2009
#18 ·
I don't know... I'm not an active participant in that specific PDF, but I'm assuming there are actual discussions happening there—people sharing opinions, viewpoints, and things that actually matter to a certain segment of the users here.. 🤷

If I were one of those regular posters over in the "mad house," I’d honestly want that sub-section to have a title that doesn't immediately imply we're all just talking nonsense from the get-go..

Okay, fine, I'm lying—I wouldn't give a damn what the sub-forum was called.. 😁

So, I still don't get why everyone is getting so worked up.. The content hasn't changed. The rules haven't changed. All they did was give it a more dignified name, which, frankly, hits the mark perfectly. 🙂

Just relax a little.. pick your battles. I don't see why anyone is getting this stressed over something so trivial.. 😁
Ronald Allen Ronald Allen Active Member
160 messages
joined Oct 2010
#19 ·
ambermason16 said:I don't know... I don't really hang out in that sub-thread, but I'm assuming people actually discuss things there, share views... opinions... stuff that matters to a certain group of users... 🤷

If I were an active user over at the "mad house," I’d honestly prefer that thread have a name that doesn't immediately imply I'm just talking nonsense from the jump...

Okay, fine, I'm lying—I wouldn't give a damn what the sub-forum was called... 😁

So I still don't get why everyone is getting so worked up... the content hasn't changed... the rules haven't changed... it just got a more dignified name... which, frankly, is spot on. 🙂

Just chill out a bit... pick your battles... I don't get why people are stressing over something like this... 😁

All they're actually upset about is the name change, I guess. They didn't complain as long as the mad house existed, whether it had mods or not.
Now, suddenly, some geniuses (quoting some future star athlete or whatever) are claiming that the users lost their constitutional right to free speech and to write in a "freer style" in the same old thread... NOPE!
The topics will be the same as always, and there will still be threads that aren't exactly "appropriate" for politics, but it'll still be moderated just like before.
The whole thing is just a massive uproar over nothing. Honestly, if it weren't for this drama, we'd be bored!
Nathan Bailey65 Nathan Bailey65 Active Member
79 messages
joined Oct 2008
#20 ·
Ronald Allen said:The only thing actually bothering them is the rebranding of the PDF, purely for appearances. They didn't raise an eyebrow as long as Mad House was around, whether it was moderated or not.
Now, some sort of (specifically, some self-proclaimed intellectuals citing some up-and-coming athlete from out of state) is claiming that LK users have somehow lost their Constitutional right to free speech or their ability to write in a "freer style" just because of this PDF change... WRONG! The topics will remain exactly what they've always been, and there will still be discussions that aren't quite "appropriate" for On the Edge of Politics, but the moderation standards aren't changing one bit.
The bottom line? People are just picking a fight over nothing. Honestly, if they weren't complaining, we'd all be bored!

How is that not true???
What you're saying is just plain false.

You personally have been locking down countless threads over the last few days without providing any coherent explanation.

I don't know if it was you or rezon@tor who locked the specific thread I linked here, and I have no clue why, but that topic fit the new PDF name perfectly: On the Edge of Politics.

As they say, the truth will out.

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