zlacker

>>jseip+(OP)
The avoidance of controversial topics when talking together is one of those things we Europeans are typically not so good at. I know from many Europeans who like me lived in the US for a while that they had to learn the art of talking without touching controversial subjects. At first it seemed superficial but then I realised that it makes discussions that are not controversial but nevertheless important possible and I came to appreciate it every now and then.

Anyways, it would be nice if we in the settings could apply our own penalizing to subjects that we don't care about or that we find controversial instead of having others decide for us. But that would mean that submissions ranked differently for different users, of couse...

>>flexie+u4
I don't think it's an American phenomenon. Every culture has their taboo and sacrosanct subjects - you're just used to the European ones.

From an American perspective, you could argue that it's tough to have a candid conversation about the monarchy in England, World War II in Germany, abortion in Ireland, or entrepreneurship and wealth creation in France.

>>wikibu+wt
As a British Republican, that one stings. Very true.

>>tehwal+8B
Snap, I often have to put up with responses like; "So you want us to be like France then, you traitor? The queen makes us British. You are just jealous of her money. Etc, etc, etc."

Unfortunately many British people have the idea of royalty tied up very tightly with their national identity, so any suggestion of getting rid of the monarchy is seen as being treasonous.

>>moocow+pL
I sincerely hope you're joking, at least among programmers!

You're right about national identity, though, a concept I would happily burn if it were possible. Worldview[1] is a terrible thing.

[1] http://www.skepticalscience.com/Debunking-Handbook-now-freel...

>>tehwal+tN
Those three were all pretty much direct quotes. I don't know if programming would make someone particularly immune to this kind of reasoning though, in my experience it is to do with how much attachment someone has to the trappings of group identity, which can be quite disconnected from how they reason about other subjects.