I can't help but notice that anything that starts in here immediately developes into a flame war. I don't expect anyone to answer this, but if you can supply an answer other than 'i want my opinion to be heard' or 'its politics' then feel free to supply an opinion. Just one thing, I don't want there to be an all out arguement on this. Just some opinions.

A flame war by SP standards maybe, but certainly not by 'net standards. A flame war anywhere else would look infinitely more... fiery. What you get on SP is heated debates. It would be flame wars if there were no rules to the debates, but there are, an extensive list, listed in the sticky on top of the topic listing. And people more or less play by those rules, or are made to if they don't.

The debates seem more heated because of the otherwise tranquil posts in all the other forums on SP, but this is the point of AoDA - to have all such topics confined in here so that those who don't want to see or participate in them can simply skip them. And those who enjoy heated debates can contribute to them.

I used to post on another forum earlier. But it wasn't the same. It had although a rather high standard too. But not so high like here. But I check back often, to see what's going on. Now, they've got a spanish right-wing, who never stops praising the old good times of fascism under Franco. So, in every third thread:"Oh, that's stupid. In the good old times, they wouldn't have had people like you move around freely."That's starting a flame war.

It depends on what your definition of flamewars is. When people start calling eachother names, then it's a flamewar imo. But i haven't seen that here.

Countrybashing can also lead to a flamefest and sometimes it comes really close to countrybashing here. There are quite a few people here who seem to have a problem with the US nowadays. When you ask them why they hate the US, they'll say that they don't hate them at all, and yet they take a piss on the US in almost every post they make in this particular forum.

Still, it's not flaming or anything, but i know of quite a few places where you don't get away with that so easily.

Countrybashing can also lead to a flamefest and sometimes it comes really close to countrybashing here. There are quite a few people here who seem to have a problem with the US nowadays. When you ask them why they hate the US, they'll say that they don't hate them at all, and yet they take a piss on the US in almost every post they make in this particular forum.
Ooops, could that be me ?

Ok, I confess, I normally get very close to what may be called "flaming", I do that very often.

Now, topics, which get me off the hook are normally:

1. Religion (not generally, but when belief starts to kill common sense)
2. Politics in General
3. Economical politics
4. Foreign policies
5. History -> espacially WW1, WW2
6. Teenage boys - Have brains or not ?

I am a very opiniated person. And I am aware that a lot of my opinions piss a lot of other people off and I am aware, that a lot of the things I believe in, may not be true, but I want to be convinced through rational arguments, before I change my mind.

Why do I hate the US ? I don't think I hate the US. But yes, I hate the grand old party, they are evil and are send from satan. :D ;) :evil: :shake: And the worst, they are communists. :angel:

And the democratic party is only "Republican-light"

Countrybashing -> Is really driving me nuts. France-bashing in particular. Why does France-bashing drive me nuts ?

A. A lot of people in my country speak French and it's not funny.

B. The traditional Francophobia in the UK as other roots and other meaning than the American one -> They just can't live by the fact, that they are not the biggest and mightiest country in Europe, that's Germany. The Britisch influence on the continent, is not that big, as they want it to be. Than they have a problem with being invaded by the French in 1066 and, as result of it, in the end the biggest part of British culture (even language) is French. Even if they fancy themselves from time to time, that they are Anlo-Saxon, like the Dutch and the north Germans. (I hate Anglo-Saxons, my national myth is being Helvetic. ). And a lot of Brits jump on the next tree, if someone mentions "metric-system". And as long none of the British national soccer teams is able to beat the German national team, it's way easier to bash the French. (1998 ? I don't know nothing about 1998)

C. The American Francophobia is very different. It is very symbolic. "France" is a symbol for every thing that is distasteful about Europe in general. "France" is always linked to those stubborn Europeans who either A. hate America because they are ignorant or B. are just to stupid to realize what America stands for and are to ignorant, to understand the high values and high goals which American policies present and aim at. -> Good Europeans are serfs (pl sp ?) like the UK and Germany (until 2 years ago, but they still use the phrase:" our high valued American friends), bad Europeans are egomanic French, who just want it to have it their own way.

And France bashing, in my view, is "symbolic" bashing of all European countries or people, who just don't agree with recent US-policies. And that's the majority, if I am not mistaken. So, it really drives me nuts.

And I know, those things start a flame war, but that's why they call it the Alley of dangerous Angles and not the elysian fields of harmony and love.

I don't expect people to think the same way like I do. But I do think the way I do and others can't expect that I change.

I don't think that flame wars are taking place in AoDA, maybe some heated debates but not flame wars. I'm visiting some WW2 forums and what happens there is realy flame war. The majority of the debates there start like "yes but have you considered this..." and end up like "learn to read ignorant *******" or "did you get this info directly out from your ass?"

I've seen flame wars. But not on SP. There's people here I think are stubborn, thickheaded fools, but I still listen to them so that I don't turn into a stubborn, thickheaded fool myself! I've very rarely seen it even start to get personal here, and when it does, often another member pops in with the voice of sanity before a moderator or Tal the Almighty has to step in.

stubborn and thickheaded? yes, that's me but i don't think fool applies. the "debates" that take place in the AoDA are great. the Alley is one of my favorite places to visit, never a dull moment here. if i come off as thickheaded there's a reason, if i were speaking to someone one on one, my thoughts come flying outta' my mouth before my brain can refine them, so i usually don't preview my posts in order to preserve the "spur of the moment" nature of my responses.

BTW....the B.O.M. and S.P. are the coolest, i've never before seen such an unlikly group of people who for the most part get along quite well.

and no, i'm not going to preview this post. :)

The flame wars on this board are really mild compared to other sites I've been on. This is really a well-run site. Along with Yago, I am probably flamed more than most (where is Darkwolf anyway?), because there are so many conservatives on this board. They all are really good debaters, well-educated and always polite before they tell us that we have no idea what we are talking about. But I don't think it ever gets personal and that's what counts.

I agree. I, in the little time i've been here, have not once seen a flaming war. I've seen people argue but not to the extent of a flaming war. Most people in sp are (in gerneral) cleaver strong opininated (spelling) people, who are to smart to get into a flaming war. They (usually) know better ways of expressing their oppinons. Well thats what i think at least.