sciforums continued

Well, that's your habit. I never look at those latest posts, etc. you are using.

 

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Ben TheMan and Read-Only:

You provided interesting suggestions. For the start I'll put leo's quote:

This is the point.
'Alpha' rules should be implemented in whole Science, Technology and Philosophy categories, not only in separate threads.

Higher standard of science forums, than in 'Off topic' forums is one of the primary goals.
Question is how to maintain that standard? Strict moderation of science forums maybe? Or some kind of reward system (reputation, ranks, real material awards...)?

Ben, I especially like this sentence I've put in bold. You're right. Discussion cannot be forced. We should make a room for both intelligent and casual discussion. Also we have to find way to foster and reward intelligent discussion.

It's not idea to cancel casual free thought talks, that would be nonsense. But, we must emphasize intelligent and scientific discussion.

Read-Only:
Basically, everyone has right to post in every forum. But, we could consider this option to 'kick' (bad word) members who don't contribute in scientific forums, or who make real mess with off topic posts and threads.
Anyway, this should be discussed.

Thank you all for your inputs!

LoL. No. I'm not Eastern European. And if I was does that make any difference?

Some of my family members were inhabitants of working camps, so you will forgive me if I say that I despise any form of uniformism.

I'm fan of individuality. Freedom. Even if we talk about groups (small, medium, large) I'm rather for strong individuals within the community than blind unity.

Anyway, I love your stereotypes. Keep them updated. :thumbsup:

 

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i believe it should be the posters themselves that do it by the use of the report button.

off topic posts:
let's say we have a thread with 50 or so posts.
poster x has made 15 and poster y has made 15.
poster x or y goes off topic.
the moderator should step in with a post and remind the posters what the thread is about.
the very same thread but now we have a poster that has made less than 3 or so posts and then makes an off topic post. in this case the post should be deleted and replaced with a moderator warning stating that any further attempts to derail the thread by that poster will be met with infractions and, if necessary bannings.

my opinion, of course.

 

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Extending the 'Alpha' rules to all the science forums would be horrible.

A point to note, very few alpha threads were ever made and these threads were barely participated in.

Is this the goal we want?
Dry. Boring. Empty.

I think not.

 

Not to those who seriously want to discuss the topic, only to the ones who want to butt in with nonsense and sheer garbage.

 

Actually, in a weird instance of contrafibularity, we've just been discussing this in another thread:

In sum: it tends, in biology at least, to lead to a dearth of contributions.

 

This is why the alpha rules are so popular, eh?

Like I said, few alpha threads have ever been created. And those few threads have barely been participated in.

If those few people like them, then they are welcome to create alpha threads all they like and participate with the few that care to.

Extending the fallacy to the forums at large would be disastrous.

Hell, Read-Only, if you like Nazi Germany... what are you doing here? Plenty of other forums where you can't fart, right? And you, yourself, take every opportunity to insult this forum. To disparage its members. And, by extension, to hold yourself above all the others.

I could give you some links to boring forums, if you like. Would you like?

 

Oh. And by the way, you've made a huge logical error here.

The 'Alpha' rules are not about staying on topic. This is part of them, but they consist of much more than that.

Staying on topic is one thing, but the strictness of the alpha rules in its other requirements are the problem.
That's why alpha threads are rare. And boring.
Not the requirement to stay on topic.

Personally, I think that the main change the forum should try is to simply endeavour to stay more on topic than at present.
To shitcan a large percentage of the banter which does destroy threads.

This is not to say that topic must be followed to the umpteenth degree. Some leeway should be given, especially if the original topic is sparse or not being commented upon and a tangential topic is introduced which is interesting and spurs on interesting conversation.

I also believe that it is an effort that must be made from the ground up. That is, the creativity and innovation of a forum comes from the user base. Not from 'alpha rules'.

Strict rules tend to stifle creativity.

The editing process comes after the brainstorming.

Sciforums is about brainstorming, not textbooks.

 

More pure nonsense. I despised Nazi Germany and I'm in no way insulting this forum - just a few very stupid people who clearly need to be pointed out as next to worthless for the lack of quality in their posts.

I already participate in other forums, thank you. In fact much more so than here because I actually have to HUNT here to find things worth reading. This is just another stop on the rounds I make when I'm in a "fourm-ing" mood.

I know very well that I don't have to stay here - and I don't. I just pass through ocassionaly (which is why my post count remains so low).

 

Oh?

 

Nexus you are just wrong. First of all, they are only in the physics fourm where the threads are generally on topic anyway. Second, some of the threads have gone to several pages (mostly because a guy named Zanket refuses to admit that he is wrong).

 

How come hardly anyone ventures out of the physics forum? Sometimes I come accros a poster with 1000+ posts and I think, who the fuck is that? Then it is one of these people that only hang out in the physics forum.

(just a question)

 

i disagree.
alpha threads are boring because of their subject matter. not because of alpha rules.
typical example would be:
mitochondra transfer rates for zoological specimens etiologcal requirements.

yes indeed, very exciting.

 

You're not talking about me are you?

 

No, i see you regularly.

 

Are you missing the point? The proposal is to extend the alpha rules to cover all the science forums. The evidence to date shows that, in biology at least, and possibly in other fields too, it will go down like a lead balloon.

 

People at work, a center of excellence, leading in innovative biology, and more of that popular blabla, don't even want to talk about science. The only person that does is my best mate, but he hangs around at a football forum.

 

What are alpha rules? They sound ominous.

 

No off-topic posting; no flaming; be polite and courteous; avoid logical fallacies, etc. Strict moderation, post editing/deletion, etc., in accordance with the rules.

I think they're quite appropriate for serious academic discussions but tend to lead to a lack of contributions as previously noted.

 

Thank-you. It sounds like alpha rules are the interweb's kryptonite.