Public Policy Board

[Indoor66]

Agree 100%. I never thought I would convince, say, Gary of my point of view. However, reading his perspective was educational to me. I learned a lot from people on the various threads on investing, the banking crisis, etc.

Personally, I will be visiting this site a lot less often.

It appears to me that traffic is down. There seem to be fewer posts on the Off Topic board.

[_Gary]

Agree 100%. I never thought I would convince, say, Gary of my point of view. However, reading his perspective was educational to me. I learned a lot from people on the various threads on investing, the banking crisis, etc.

Personally, I will be visiting this site a lot less often.

Gordog, I don't know for sure if I'm the "Gary" you are referencing or not, but I want to say I agree with you and the others that have expressed disappointment at the closure of the PPB. Sure, many of us are pretty firmly rooted in our worldview, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Nor is a bad thing for us to share those often drastically different worldviews as long as it is done civily. At least that's my opinion. I personally believe Americans, and people in general everywhere, are getting so used to the PC mindset that we are constantly worried about sharing different worldviews for sake of hurting someone's feelings or offending people. But if we aren't able to share those different worldviews it seems to me we are even more likely to stop learning and stop growing.

Just my two cents. Take care, everyone.

Gary

[bluebear]

While I definitely learned a lot on the PPB, I have noticed a sharp increase in my productivity and a drop in my stress level since it was closed

[77devil]

I rarely accessed the Main Page without swinging by the PBB, and during the off season it was an even more valuable part of DBR in my opinion. Sharing information, learning and expressing opinions on important and often controversial subjects was more meaningful to me within an online community that "knew" each other and had a common bond in Duke U and Duke basketball.

It's a shame but so be it. R.I.P.

[Jarhead]

Agree 100%. I never thought I would convince, say, Gary of my point of view. However, reading his perspective was educational to me. I learned a lot from people on the various threads on investing, the banking crisis, etc.

Personally, I will be visiting this site a lot less often.

For about the last month I have been away from home not paying attention to the DBR forums. What a shock to return home and learn that the PPB is gone. Like the Gordog, I will not be visiting as often. Sure, there was lively discussion, sometimes contentious, but always a non-contact sport. I'll miss it, and I won't be as well informed on the issues of the day anymore. I've looked at other forums, but none of them were as intellectual, as collegial, as balanced.

[YourLandlord]

I'll miss it, and I won't be as well informed on the issues of the day anymore. I've looked at other forums, but none of them were as intellectual, as collegial, as balanced.

Seconded.

[killerleft]

Thirded, though I mostly was a voyeur.

[Lord Ash]

Can I ask... is there any chance that the decision to remove the PPB might be reconsidered?

As many people have already expressed, the PPB was almost unique on the web and was really valued by the DBR community as a place to share information and thoughts in a relatively safe environment. Much like the way that you can shoot the breeze about politics down at the local pub with your buddies, on the PPB there might have been big disagreements about important issues, but it never ended our friendship (or, in this case, our love of all things Duke.)

Duke was, for me, a place of learning. Here on DBR, the website I feel most personifies the best of Duke, the PPB board was more a place of learning than Off-Topic or, yes, even the Elizabeth King board... and I say that as a former resident of Tent #1 (yep, during the Pete Gaudet year... that is dedication!) I think all of the posters have shown that they agree with this, and will miss the board not because they miss a place to argue, but because they will miss having a place stocked full of smart people from all avenues of life that they could learn from, even if they disagree.

Is there any chance the decision could be reconsidered?

Thanks!

[allenmurray]

Can I ask... is there any chance that the decision to remove the PPB might be reconsidered?

It is more likely that I will grow to be 7'3" tall and start at center for Duke in the fall of this year than it is that the decision will be reversed. We all need to find another playground. Send me a PM if you find one first - I'll do the same for you and others.

[YourLandlord]

It is more likely that I will grow to be 7'3" tall and start at center for Duke in the fall of this year than it is that the decision will be reversed. We all need to find another playground. Send me a PM if you find one first - I'll do the same for you and others.

So, www.DBRPPB.com isn't taken, according to godaddy.com

Anyone know how easy it is to get some simple hosting and throw up a message board? Can't be that expensive, right?

[TNTDevil]

No it's not that expensive. In fact, I may be eligible for a "free" domain from the company that does my businesses web-hosting. I'll check and get back to ya'.

[Jarhead]

So, www.DBRPPB.com isn't taken, according to godaddy.com

Anyone know how easy it is to get some simple hosting and throw up a message board? Can't be that expensive, right?

No it's not that expensive. In fact, I may be eligible for a "free" domain from the company that does my businesses web-hosting. I'll check and get back to ya'.

Nice call, you guys. I'd suggest www.XDBRPPB.com though. It isn't taken either. And would J and B be amenable to moving the active threads and archive over to this new site? Another question -- who would run it? That would be a time demanding effort. I don't know if the folks who posted on the DBR version would migrate over. It wouldn't be the same, at all, if they don't.

For the last few days, I have spent only a little bit of time on the DBR. The news headline stories and other creative efforts still have some attraction, but the remaining forums only invite lurking for now. I'm not to interested in all of the speculative recruiting threads and amateur game analysis. There's enough of that coming from the mainstream media, and all of those blogs that fog up the works.

[JBDuke]

Folks, if you choose to create a new website, please leave the "DBR" out of it. It's trademarked. Why not something like "PPBRefugeees.com" or some such thing.

[RelativeWays]

I only visited PPB a few times but it was actually interesting to read differing views from people who had actually vested the time and energy to research their viewpoints to back them up. I fostered the somewhat elitist view that Duke alum and Duke fans in general who post on this board would be more than qualified and capable on carrying on actual debates on these topics compared to the infantile and naive morons at other places, I was right. I don't agree with this move. I don't know what was so contentious on PPB that the only viable solution was getting rid of it, but its a shame nonetheless.

[Jarhead]

I only visited PPB a few times but it was actually interesting to read differing views from people who had actually vested the time and energy to research their viewpoints to back them up. I fostered the somewhat elitist view that Duke alum and Duke fans in general who post on this board would be more than qualified and capable on carrying on actual debates on these topics compared to the infantile and naive morons at other places, I was right. I don't agree with this move. I don't know what was so contentious on PPB that the only viable solution was getting rid of it, but its a shame nonetheless.

Yes , it is a shame. I've been out of the country for most of the last month, and I have no real idea of the progress, or lack thereof, on health care reform. The PPB was the quickest, best source for that kind of information including all of the angles. Browsing the internet mostly gets wire service repeats of the same story plus a ton of un-vetted blogs and gun-for-hire op-eds. Yeah, it's a real shame.

[rthomas]

Folks, if you choose to create a new website, please leave the "DBR" out of it. It's trademarked. Why not something like "PPBRefugeees.com" or some such thing.

Going to court over three "so called trademarked" letters in the middle of www.xdbrppb.com is laughable. I would think Duke is trademarked too, Mr. JBDuke. But who would take that to court? lol.

[-jk]

Obviously, DBR isn't trademarked. We'd ask folks to kindly refrain from using it, though. And, yes, Duke is trademarked in this context; DBR pays a licensing fee to use the name.

-jk

[JBDuke]

Going to court over three "so called trademarked" letters in the middle of www.xdbrppb.com is laughable. I would think Duke is trademarked too, Mr. JBDuke. But who would take that to court? lol.

Obviously, DBR isn't trademarked. We'd ask folks to kindly refrain from using it, though. And, yes, Duke is trademarked in this context; DBR pays a licensing fee to use the name.

-jk

My mistake. I knew we'd faced this issue in the past and asked others to refrain from using DBR in naming new sites.

[JasonEvans]

Going to court over three "so called trademarked" letters in the middle of www.xdbrppb.com is laughable. I would think Duke is trademarked too, Mr. JBDuke. But who would take that to court? lol.

Completely apart from the legal issue, are you implying that if the owners of this site asked you to not use their name in an effort to promote your own site that you would not bow to their wishes?

Really?

--Jason

[YourLandlord]

when discussing PPB-type issues, DBR should = Dude! Be real!