Australian Politics Forum - Are forums like this slowly dying?

Jake Howard

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #75 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 6:59am

10 years ago, I use to use quite a few forums. These days, I have cut it down to only a select few. This is what I put it down too:

1. I use to participate in multiple forums for the same topic. In the end, I decided to stick with the most active forum, which was generally the forum which had the best format and moderation.

2. These days, I only participate in forums that really interest me, or if I have a particular topic that I need to research.

Cheers

Jake

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Lord Herbert

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #76 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 2:10pm

Mnemonic wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 12:45am:

Grey wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 8:27pm:

There's no corelation between length of thread and length of post that I've noticed. People with short attention spans can of course avoid threads they find taxing. The main reason for short threads is ego driven. The desire to be the star who started the conversation.

Not all "short threads" are of low quality. The problem is when people start trigger-happy, "headline" threads for the thrill of the moment as variations of similar topics that have already been started. Short threads that are not trigger-happy headline threads are ok. Some members just become obsessed to the point of thinking that variations of a similar, already addressed topic are a good enough reason to start a new thread.

Very well said.

We had a couple of these 'new thread'-starter junkies on the DebateRelate forum ~ starting new threads that were nothing more than supplementary to a thread already being used quite adequately for the same subject.

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Kat

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #77 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 3:27pm

I doubt that I'd have started more than half-a-dozen threads in the almost three years I've been here.

Not that I can't be bothered, but why start a thread if there are already two or more on that topic?

I'm sure that some don't even realise that they're doing it, but I'm equally certain that there are some who do it deliberately.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #78 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 3:42pm

Kat wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 3:27pm:

I doubt that I'd have started more than half-a-dozen threads in the almost three years I've been here.

Not that I can't be bothered, but why start a thread if there are already two or more on that topic?

I'm sure that some don't even realise that they're doing it, but I'm equally certain that there are some who do it deliberately.

Too many threads on basically the same topic just makes it a lot harder to get continuity in the debate or conversation.

If spread too widely as a multitude of satellite threads revolving around the original 'master' thread ~ then it become just too messy and disconnected.

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freediver

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #79 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 7:10pm

Anti-intellectualism and tall poppy syndrome is a genuine problem, particularly in Australian culture. It is basically the glorification of ignorance and stupidity. If someone knows their stuff, give credit where it is due. It is not more "elitism" than getting a doctor to treat you illness rather than your cousin who likes knives. If you reject intellectualism, you probably won't even be able to tell the difference.

Snobbery does not equate to intellectualism. There are plenty of stupid snobs.

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Only because your views are the same as the admin. I saw what you did to politicalpuppet though.

LOL. We are the borg.

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Perhaps the format could be enlivened by having some fixed "heavily moderated" threads

That's what the member runs boards are for.

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People who can't distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words.

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it_is_the_light Gold Member Offline Christ Light Posts: 41434 The Pyramid of LIGHT Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #80 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 7:20pm this is the best messageboard i have encountered on this planet so far... many divine and blessed beings i do observe here with so very much love and gratitude namaste - : )
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red baron Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 10204 Blue Mountains Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #81 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 7:42pm It is the light, Often I disagree with you, however when it comes to saying your thing with a gentle bend to it, you rule o.k. It totally respect you, It is the light, you are a true Christian in every sense of the word.
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it_is_the_light

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #82 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 8:11pm

blessings brother being for your kind words of love..

i am not religious

i am a spiritual being of light in physical form

i love all beings and demonstrate much gratitude

for all life which i do observe as divine

blessings unto your heart as you may begin to feel

these divine and sacred energies i do illuminate

before thee now

with so very much love and christed light

from the one

creator god

namaste

- : )

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ॐ May Much LOVE and CHRISTS LIGHT be upon and within us all.... namasté ▲ - : ) ╰დ╮ॐ╭დ╯

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Postmodern Trendoid III

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #83 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 9:31pm

freediver wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 9:37pm:

Thomas Kuhn addressed similar issues in the sciences. What you describe as different moral stances, are similar to the different paradigms he described. The more different they are, the more a barrier to communication, because ultimately the words people use have different meanings depending on their paradigm.

He makes some good points, Kuhn.

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Economists distinguish between positive and normative statements. This is similar to objective vs subjective. One is a fact based statement or question about the way things are or what the result of an action will be. The other is a value based judgement about the way things should be. This is a major source of confusion for the lay public. Economist obviously disagree on normative (subjective) issues because they boil down to what is important to a person, which is not really what economics is about (in this context anyway). They tend to agree on positive statements. Economists may agree on what the likely outcome of a given government policy may be, while disagreeing on whether it is a good idea. People tend to confuse the disagreements over the normative with disagreements over the positive.

This sounds very similar to Hume's "ought-is" problem. He states that people were making "is" statements, or "positive" statements, then slipping into an "ought" statement, or "normative" statement without making a distinction between the two.
I agree this seems to be a problem with many people, but the thing is, it shouldn't. It's actually a very easy difference or shift in a text or speech to spot.

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Here is a list of logical fallacies:

http://www.ozpolitic.com/articles/logical-fallacies.html

Yeah, everyone should understand those and incorporate them as second nature.

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Postmodern Trendoid III

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #84 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 9:43pm

Mnemonic wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 12:48am:

I think of intellectuals as people who have read deeply about a topic and have examined a large portion of the literature associated with it. They know all the concepts and they know how other people have explored it. The "intellectual" and "academic" aspect has to do with knowing the history of the topic, having explored a large portion of the literature and being able to make their own contribution to the topic by forming their own ideas. I think that's what "intellectualism" and "academia" is. It's being one of the best people "professing" on a particular subject and contributing to its evolution and its "library" of ideas.

Okay, yes. Good.
But then there's this comment of yours:

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I don't think being intellectual means not being biased. Everybody is going to have their biases. "Intellectuals" are just better at articulating why they take a particular stance on an issue because they have examined the "melting pot" of ideas in depth.

This relates to the point above Freediver and I mentioned in regards to positive/is statements and normative/ought statements. At what point should an intellectual go from an is to an ought, and do they often conflate the two?

My alarm bells start ringing whenever I read an academic because they have the tools to manipulate far beyond the average person.

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As for "critical thinking," I see that term mentioned often but I've never really been given a satisfactory explanation of what it is. The best way I can think of understanding what it means is remembering my physics education. In physics, a "critical value," is the value at which the behaviour of an object, entity, substance or process changes. Some examples are the melting and boiling points of substances and the angle of total internal reflection in a medium.

Critical thinking is simply the task of pulling an argument apart and seeing how it's constructed. What is it trying to say? How does it say it? What is its context? What is its evidence/arguments? Is the evidence/argument valid? Are the sources credible?

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freediver

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #85 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 9:52pm

The statement of economic consensus on climate change (in my article "economics, the hopeful science") has some good basic economics. But they included comments about the science of climate change, which is hardly relevant in a statement of economic consensus. You don't go to an economist for scientific advice. Climate science is one of those interesting developing fields where it is not always clear what makes someone an expert.

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People who can't distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words.

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Yadda

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #86 - Apr 15^th, 2013 at 10:15pm

freediver wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 9:52pm:

The statement of economic consensus on climate change (in my article "economics, the hopeful science") has some good basic economics. But they included comments about the science of climate change, which is hardly relevant in a statement of economic consensus. You don't go to an economist for scientific advice.

Climate science is one of those interesting developing fields where it is not always clear what makes someone an expert.

IMO, it may, or, may not rain.

Does my opinion make me an expert, if i work for the Bureau of Meteorology ?

Tongue

I belong to a generation who don't have a lot of trust in the expressed views of [many] 'experts'.

IMO, too many of them seem to [eventually] reveal that they place more importance upon [political or commercial] agendas, than they do in presenting unbiased facts.

Which is what they should be doing, imo.

Instead of being scientists, 1st, 2nd and 3rd!, many experts have been corrupted by the political or commercial agendas which they have adopted/embraced/represent.

Just a personal opinion.

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"....And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Luke 16:31

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dingo2 Senior Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 463 Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #87 - Apr 16^th, 2013 at 6:32am Bobby. wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 2:49pm: This is a great forum. Midnight has just got PMS. Yes Great until Knobs destroy the post after about the 3rd or 4th page., then they just degenerate into abuse.
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dingo2 Senior Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 463 Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #88 - Apr 16^th, 2013 at 6:35am Do we actually have any moderators here on general.
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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 50566 At my desk.	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #89 - Apr 16^th, 2013 at 8:35am yes
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