SciForums Policy Discussion

I think that one of the only things that moving "Free Thoughts" down the SciForums hierarchy has accomplished is that the science forums that are near the top are now filling up with all of the posts that WOULD have gone in to Free Thoughts.

Is this a good thing?

 

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http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=67688
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=67733
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=67721


A sampling of some of the posts. Scholarly?

 

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Do let me know if you come across any such in Science and Society or Biology and Genetics.

 

Absolutely. The point is, people who have some meaningless post to make will just plop it in the first place they find that kind of fits the bill. General Science? Sure! The Free Thoughts forum being at the top at least acted as a filter.

Maybe this is all just temporary.

 

Perhaps it will take some time for people to discover that the Free thoughts forum has not been deleted, only moved?

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I think the Cesspool needs to be moved to the top.

 

im a creature of habit and routine. this new layout makes me sad.

 

You know what else might be cool? Why not open an "Infractions and Bannings" forum, next to the Cesspool. This will be for people to start threads and bitch about the infractions they receive, as opposed to sticking their threads somewhere else. They can also lament the loss of rascists like Dr. Lou natic, psychopaths like Singularity, and nutjobs like IAC.

 

Thats what site feedback and open government are for; also about the members.

 

I don't know---I wouldn't classify people bitching about their infractions as "Site Feedback". But you're probably right.

 

what is wrong with this thread?
other than it being a public poll?

 

The word 'policy' is defined as a line of argument rationalizing the course of action or a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group.

Therefore, the title should be changed to "Sciforums Guidelines" as policies are meant to be adhered, as defined.

Guideline: A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.

 

The thread is, obviously, bullshit. And bullshit threads like this used to be in free thoughts, now they're in some science forum. I was just wondering if this is REALLY what the moderators wanted---clearly there are no auspices of intelligent conversation in the original post itslelf...note the `U' instead of `You' in the title.

Fraggle said that the intention of moving the fora around was to foster some more intelligent conversation, and I showed three instances where this was cleary NOT the case.

 

personally i feel it raises a valid question and has potential for debate.
it also has a very real possibility of turning into a sexist, bigoted debate.
the only reason i haven't voted in the poll is because it's public.

good point.
maybe the thread starter can be issued a warning about that.

what if the thread i questioned was started by, say, pete?

moderators,
what is the purpose of public polls?
can they be eliminated?

 

This long and dry thread is finally winding down, thank God; so, with your indulgence, allow me to insert one final suggestion to your tired attempts at generating a new metamorphosis: don't overlook what works for Sciforums: its buoyancy, its horseplay, its flexibility, its devilish charm. And then there are its more serious qualities, as observed idiosyncratically across board in various individual forms and colors: its self-assertiveness, its introspection, its cynicism, its criticism, its provocativeness.

But this time around the only thing seemly wanting is the exercise of a more conscientious responsibility—another thing that is misunderstood because it is an idiosyncratic quality that is also individually varied and colored.

 

The poll is bullshit just from the way it was framed. It comes from someone who is the author of many bullshit polls.

 

Maybe you could ban one line replies.

 

Sometimes one-line replies are jam packed with significance. I wouldn't discourage them. Personally, I prefer the clever acute punch over the long and winding road.

 

That gave me an idea. Would you approve of handing out an infraction to the OP for "off-topic posting" when threads "like that" are created?

This is not to discourage the creation of threads, but to discourage creating threads where they don't belong. Obviously the moderator can move the thread to FT or the cesspool, but moving the thread isn't as effective as slapping the OP on the wrist and saying "no, don't post that here."