Why not merge cafe and backyard?

[plb]

Both seem more or less general discussion so why not merge the two?

[prizrak]

Both seem more or less general discussion so why not merge the two?

Backyard is for things that people might feel very strongly about, such as religion or politics. It is not viewable to the general public (only registered users) and allows for more controversy. The Cafe is pretty much a general discussion area about random stuff but it's very G while backyard is PG-13

[zenwhen]

Both seem more or less general discussion so why not merge the two?

The Backyard was more or less created so that people could discuss things that we (the staff) would rather not have discussed here at all.

For example, religion and politics are topics that lead to very heated debates and do nothing but help to create divisions in a community that is based on neither religion or politics.

Open discussion of these topics creates more work for the staff than it does good for the community. The Backyard is a compromise.