Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Scott Mayers on 29/12/2016 05:00:53
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I'm confused at the necessity to ask a question. I see the agreement is quite strict and given it demands such a degree of caution AT THE EXPENSE of the visitor, I don' t understand what this site is for that cannot be found for asking through a search engine inquiry.
Can someone enlighten me on this?
Thank you.
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I think it's a good practice for a science forum to have such a policy. This ensure that reading and moderation of particular topics is facilitated.
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Sorry, that doesn't help. It appears to be about some form of cultural 'etiquette', like bowing down to royalty, as though the addressing of authoritative respect is more important than one's intellectual content or value. It contradicts what I interpret is about enhancing people's intellect. Is a 'good' scientific thinker one who defaults to feigning inferiority and have BLIND OBEDIENT FAITH in authorities who you must NEVER KNOW more than they?
So I can't tell what this site is about exactly. People who come here, as many forums, are less likely to have gone through the traditional education system and are often adults, not simply people that should be handled like adolescent children. Questions are what we expect of children who default to looking up to authority. Those who come from diverse backgrounds here will have less of a tendency to even 'like' authority based on the very reasons they didn't go to University.
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...People who come here, as many forums, are less likely to have gone through the traditional education system ..
When I joined this forum I was attracted by just the point you have made. TNS is a science education site with podcasts which try to bring science to those who have not had the benefit of a science education but would like to learn more. These people are unlikely to want to read the details of a deep philosophical debate, but usually have short questions for which they are seeking a simple answer. As I understand it, the forum was set up to provide an opportunity for those fortunate enough to have studied science to give answers to those questions, for that reason the main sections are reserved for questions. Some of the questions do develop into a deeper discussion and there are sections of the forum where it is not necessary to pose questions e.g. New Theories.
Usually it isn't too difficult to introduce a topic as a question, unless someone is intending to deliver a monologue.
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Don't know Scott, maybe you could see it as a marketing policy, or as a way to prove that we take questions seriously? Doesn't state that we always will present the right answer though, but we will try :)
As we're also delightfully inconsistent, please love us :)
Although not anywhere where it 'counts' as twitter Facesucks etc.
We're here for the discerning reader.
Ahem :)
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It helps people who are poor at expressing themselves to produce better thread titles which describe what the thread's actually about, so it's a good thing.
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Dear Scott
You raise a good question, regarding why our forum policy is that posts to the main boards must be formatted as questions. Here I have explained the basis for this requirement:
1) Science is all about asking questions, so this discussion forum is no different. All discussions stem from a viewpoint, which is essentially a question.
2) Visitors are more likely to engage with a thread if they can see a clearly framed question as the starting point for the discussion.
3) If you cannot boil down a post to a short question then you probably need to think more about what it is that you are trying to ask before creating the thread.
4) Anything that is not a science question is generally chit chat, or feedback, and there are special boards for that.