[JoeF]

  I move that "Free Speech Zone" be renamed to "Off-Mission Discussions".  

Rationale: I assume that the US Hawks Forum respects common respects for free-speech, but has a duty to stay on mission for its running front face. Members in community easily may like to discuss off-mission topics; they may develop such topics in the "Off-Mission Discussions" (OMD). Including some off-mission content within a dominant on-mission content occurs frequently in a natural conversational setting; but a systematic program of such inclusion of off-mission matter would trigger a moderator's action to move such systematic posts to the Off-Mission Discussions" sector. All members will be free to deliberately visit and participate in "Off-Mission Discussions" as they wish. Warren's off-mission topics may be discussed in OMD. It would be fun for me to put some off-mission matters into OMD; and I could signal such matter as a small note within emails or in a regular HG-missioned post. Thanks, Scott, for a lead on the name I am putting up for replacement name. The intent here is to deal with General Forum matters, not private blogs or club blogs where the originator or club would handle their own matters. Posts in the Off-Mission Discussions would not show in the front page or "Hot" listings; a visitor would have to go to the main table of contents and choose to enter the Off-Mission Discussions to see what is occurring.

Off-Mission hopefully wraps Bob's (non-HG) note he made in private mail.

If the motion passes, continuity may be achieved simply by an open-forum note: "The sector once called "Free Speech Zone" is hereafter called "Off-Mission Discussions".

[Bob Kuczewski]

This post is intended to be informational in nature. In order to support discussion, I want to explain our current forum layout and reasoning for the Board of Directors deliberation.

Our Forum currently has 4 top level groupings or "groups":

The first top level group is titled "U.S. Hawks Hang Gliding Association" and it contains our most active subforums:

HG_General.png (121.35 KiB) Viewed 4540 times

The second and third top level groups are the Chapters and the History groups:

Chapters_History.png (142.1 KiB) Viewed 4540 times

The fourth top level group contains all of the "Off Topic" forums which includes the "Free Speech Zone" as one of the subforums:

Off_Topic.png (64.23 KiB) Viewed 4540 times

Note that no topics in the 4th group ("Off Topic Soap Box") appear on the active topics ("Hot Topics") list.

[Bill Cummings]

  I motion OMD be added to free speech zone.  

[Bob Kuczewski]

May I suggest that the entire forum group (currently titled "Off Topic Soap Box") might be renamed to encompass Joe's desire for clarity while retaining the subforum named "Free Speech Zone" within it.

In other words, would renaming "Off Topic Soap Box" to "Off Mission Discussions" satisfy the original motion? Or is there a strong desire to replace the name "Free Speech Zone"?

Similarly, do we need another forum in addition to the "Free Speech Zone" within the currently named "Off Topic Soap Box"?

Maybe the best way to make suggestions is to specify the suggested forum/subforum layout being proposed. Otherwise it can be confusing to keep track of how different motions might interfere with one another.

This is the current layout of the group we are discussing:

    Group: Off Topic Soap Box
        Subforum: Free Speech Zone
        Subforum: Non-HG Blogs
        Subforum: New Users Forum
        Subforum: Forum Style Gallery
        Subforum: Forum Spam?

[JoeF]

Some posters may believe "Free Speech" means not exercising any respect for the platform and audience. "free" sometimes gets understood poorly. Spam and unjust injury to persons and the forum space still would invite moderation.

Off-Mission may slightly side step away from the irresponsible "free" nuance.

Bill, did you want to clarify structure per Bob's wrestling over where, what, in or out, separate or rename?

[Bill Cummings]

My motion would call attention specifically that Discussions outside our mission statement have their
place in an exact location that will not be on the front page. If the discussion is about Hang Gliding it’s place is on the main forum.
Non- hang gliding posts can be quickly found in the free speech zone which by the way can be Off Mission Discussions.
This can be accomplished by adding, Free Speech Zone/Off Mission Discussions.
Or
Free Speech Zone/Other Than Mission Statement Discussions.

[Bob Kuczewski]

This can be accomplished by adding, Free Speech Zone/Off Mission Discussions.
Or
Free Speech Zone/Other Than Mission Statement Discussions.

I like the idea of joining the names for continuity.

[JoeF]

Adding for the combined name feels good.

Thanks, Bill, Scott, and Bob for points.

[Bob Kuczewski]

As far as I can tell, none of the motions have been seconded, so existing motions may be modified or new motions may be introduced. I personally favor Bill's suggestion:

    Free Speech Zone/Off Mission Discussions

[JoeF]

That combo:   yes  

But with adjectival hyphens???