About Group Forums

[Jason]

What is a private group?

Private groups are private forums for specific types of users (Conservatives, Liberals, Catholics, etc). In such forums users can privately discuss topics among themselves (e.g. Republicans talking about "why Democrats are weak" without Democrats participating in the discussion).

Private groups must remain relatively active. If posting drops to just a few posts per month, it may be closed.

How do I join a group?

You can apply to join one of the current groups by clicking here. Once the associated group-leader approves your membership the private forum will appear for you under the "Private Groups" section of http://www.volconvo.com/forums.

How do I create a new group?

So far the only requirement for creating a member-group that is entitled to a private forum is a minimum of 25 interested members. Organize that many people to join (you can use the "General Discussion" forum to recruit) and then contact a moderator or myself.

Contact us with any questions.

[Morgan_Freeman]

Hey, WTF happened to the groups? Why is only 9/11 skeptics left??

[Jason]

I made the following post in each group forum:

Group forums have grown increasingly inactive. In some, not a single post has been made in months. The staff is considering closing group forums in order to make things a bit more efficient. Would there be any strong objections to this? If so, why?

Only in the 9/11 Skeptics forum did members respond that they'd like to keep it open. In order for it to be logical to have a group, it really needs at least a few active members—the other three really didn't have that.

[JohnMK]

It's a conspiracist conspiracy, oh no!

[Morgan_Freeman]

I made the following post in each group forum:Only in the 9/11 Skeptics forum did members respond that they'd like to keep it open. In order for it to be logical to have a group, it really needs at least a few active members—the other three really didn't have that.

When the hell did you make that post? I never saw it!

Can you at least give me a copy of the posts made there?

[Jason]

All the posts for the three group forums have been moved to Miscellaneous. Sorry about the confusion!

[Morgan_Freeman]

Whew. Thanks.

[Scribbler1]

:) Morgan's writing a book. He thought you dumped all his research material.

[bishop]

those private forums might have been more successful if non-members had read-only access to them... if people could at least see what was going on, they could become interested enough to join.

[Scribbler1]

I think if ANYONE had access, it wouldn't matter with non-members but members who aren't part of the private groups would see some of the posts and drag the topics out into open forum.

In other words you run the risk of some members starting identical threads just to get THEIR two cents in and maybe try to entice private forum members to continue the arguments in open forum.

[bishop]

eh... it's a risk worth taking imo.. the lack of exposure couldn't have been a good thing for those forums.. (the narrow focus probably didn't help either.)

besides.. that sort of behavior's pretty close to trolling if you ask me. i doubt i'd be motivated enough to actually drag topics into open forums - would you?

[Scribbler1]

Not me. If I had any interest in a private forum I'd join it. And if I couldn't join I'd just not worry about it.
I wasn't talking about you, but some posters, past and present, who would be so agitated by certain topics or posts that they wouldn't be able to control themselves.

It would be more like, "Oh yeah, that's not what you said in that private forum of yours. What the matter, afraid to discuss it in front of the rest of us? Huh? HUH?"
You know, shit like that.