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Just Chat! / Quality of discussions
« on: 21/07/2021 00:11:57 »
Hi.
What has happened to the quality of discussions on this forum?
On a quiet evening we used to be able to read and possibly get involved in some interesting discussions.
At the moment there are perhaps half-a-dozen people using the forum like some sort of mud slinging contest on some social media site. Please don't do this, the only people who care are the people you wouldn't want to be engaging in discussion with anyway.
I'm not certain what this forum can offer but there are a few things that it can not offer:
1. You probably can't change the world here and I'm not sure that you should try.
This forum is interested in promoting free science, and there are other places that are better suited for testing the limits of free speech. [Taken from the Acceptable Usage Policy, https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=8535.0]
2. You are asked to keep discussion friendly and defuse rather than escalate a situation:
If you feel another forum user is using insulting language, seek to calm things down, or if that fails, report the matter to the moderators. Under no circumstances should you seek to trade insults, or make accusatory remarks to that, or any other, forum user. [Also from the A.U.P., link given above]
3. This forum is not a shortcut to publishing a paper in a recognised journal. No one cares if you are the king of this hill because this is not a very important hill anyway. Apologies to the owners and management of this site: I like the website but in all fairness, professionals don't usually check these forum posts in the Monday morning staff meeting.
What does or should this forum offer?
Well that might be worth some discussion here.
One answer I had from a moderator some time ago was essentially "I still don't know" (I can't find the link to that now, sorry).
Maybe some other users would like to see a "homework help" section?
Some people just like the radio show or podcast and want to ask more questions or get more involved.
Maybe some users would like to see a Philosophy and Theology section added.
Why are you here now? What would like to see here? What would you like to take away from your time on the site?
Best wishes to everyone.
What has happened to the quality of discussions on this forum?
On a quiet evening we used to be able to read and possibly get involved in some interesting discussions.
At the moment there are perhaps half-a-dozen people using the forum like some sort of mud slinging contest on some social media site. Please don't do this, the only people who care are the people you wouldn't want to be engaging in discussion with anyway.
I'm not certain what this forum can offer but there are a few things that it can not offer:
1. You probably can't change the world here and I'm not sure that you should try.
This forum is interested in promoting free science, and there are other places that are better suited for testing the limits of free speech. [Taken from the Acceptable Usage Policy, https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=8535.0]
2. You are asked to keep discussion friendly and defuse rather than escalate a situation:
If you feel another forum user is using insulting language, seek to calm things down, or if that fails, report the matter to the moderators. Under no circumstances should you seek to trade insults, or make accusatory remarks to that, or any other, forum user. [Also from the A.U.P., link given above]
3. This forum is not a shortcut to publishing a paper in a recognised journal. No one cares if you are the king of this hill because this is not a very important hill anyway. Apologies to the owners and management of this site: I like the website but in all fairness, professionals don't usually check these forum posts in the Monday morning staff meeting.
What does or should this forum offer?
Well that might be worth some discussion here.
One answer I had from a moderator some time ago was essentially "I still don't know" (I can't find the link to that now, sorry).
Maybe some other users would like to see a "homework help" section?
Some people just like the radio show or podcast and want to ask more questions or get more involved.
Maybe some users would like to see a Philosophy and Theology section added.
Why are you here now? What would like to see here? What would you like to take away from your time on the site?
Best wishes to everyone.
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