Philosophy Discussion Forums

Now, it should be no secret that a philosophy forum is actually not the greatest place to look for new and clearest philosophical argument. However, that rule system restricting every newly-registered user from posting and making it possible for moderators to arbirtrarily and unthinkingly disapprove posts (and also for users possibly to react in time because of the first restriction), is putting a damper on the whole purpose of the forum and everything potentially good of free discussion. Viewpoints are limited in number, and therefore the whole thing can be limited in quality (which would be better administered by the validity of counterarguments than people feeling free to talk because of other reasons). It seems to me this forum can have no real relevance and use like that.

I appreciate your feedback.

Most new members who join the forum seem to disregard the forum rules. In fact, I doubt most of them even read it. This is the main reason I have found the forum to run much better since we have made it so all new member's posts are held for moderation until they have several approved posts. This has also saved the forum from some vandals who would come and make hundreds of blatantly rule-breaking posts in the first hour they joined.

When a post is disapproved, an email notice is sent with the reason it was disproved.

I understand the desire to have the forum 'administered' by "the validity of counterarguments" rather than the forum rules. However, the point of the forum and its rules is to enable such open, thoughtful discussion and debate which become impossible when arguments and counterarguments cannot even be found in the piles of derailed threads filled with distracting off-topic conversations and an incredible amount of very distracting personal attacks and flame wars. The idea that open discussions will provide for the most fruitful discussions particularly through a process of argument and then counterargument is why in a sense, as the forum rules clearly explain in the very first rule, "forum discussions are simultaneously uncensored and strictly moderated".