Is SciFo a science forum?

Tiassa said:
We're eighteen years into the site; we're eleven years and change since the ownership transfer.

Shall we just cut to the rude part and call the baby retarded, then?

No, seriously, how many baby steps before we expect baby to learn to walk?

The problem with something about Rome being built in a day comes when everyone insists we start the project over each day.

Over the period, the problem has always been that people want to be rude to each other and prevent others from calling them rude. We're not surprised when people who have the appearance of vested interest in such outcomes slow-walk themselves through the predictable motions.

This part isn't so much familiar as textbook.
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Which is why I didn't suggest a delineation based on manners. An ad hom is a logical flaw in an argument. Manners<>rudeness is a continuum, requiring an arbitrary judgement. Calling out ad homs is much more black and white. It also happens to cut out a fair amount of rudeness - just not all.

An ad hom doesn't even have to be rude. As one immediate example, Jan Ardena habitually dismisses logical arguments by pointing out that they are coming from an atheist. It's not rude, it's not even false, but it is a fallacy.
 
Tiassa said:
We're eighteen years into the site; we're eleven years and change since the ownership transfer.

Shall we just cut to the rude part and call the baby retarded, then?

No, seriously, how many baby steps before we expect baby to learn to walk?

The problem with something about Rome being built in a day comes when everyone insists we start the project over each day.

Over the period, the problem has always been that people want to be rude to each other and prevent others from calling them rude. We're not surprised when people who have the appearance of vested interest in such outcomes slow-walk themselves through the predictable motions.

This part isn't so much familiar as textbook.
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I have been through most of the changes on this site . Being rude gets nowhere , it makes people defensive and hence the OP gets side tracted. Goes on a tangent .

Discussions is the MOST IMPORTANT PART of this site .

The Truth , getting to the Truth , is what this site is all about . Sometimes this leads some to get out of their comfort zone . As it should be . Truth , getting to the truth is a noble goal .
 
river said:
The Truth , getting to the Truth , is what this site is all about . Sometimes this leads some to get out of their comfort zone . As it should be . Truth , getting to the truth is a noble goal .
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Science constructs models that align with experimental and observational data, and governed by the scientific method. If that reveals any truth all well and good, if not the scientific method is still by far the best we have. Worth noting that this truth or reality mat be unobtainable anyway...but you have been told that before.
 
paddoboy said:
Science constructs models that align with experimental and observational data, and governed by the scientific method. If that reveals any truth all well and good, if not the scientific method is still by far the best we have. Worth noting that this truth or reality mat be unobtainable anyway...but you have been told that before.
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This so called scientific method is flawed .
 
two of the most interesting members that added sparkle, ideas, different pov's and life have been driven away which indicates how dumb the majority of the forum members eq's must be.

ironicly, you have members besides just the scientists who stay in the science section bully the real contributors to the rest of the forum like MR and GIA.

because staid one or two liners to remind what everyone knows is more valuable. what makes it stupid is if people really did want to just stick with known facts, then they should just read a damn textbook or read up on google. they wouldn't ask any questions here or bring up any topics. that's why the forum is 'dead' without those who bring up controversial pov's or topics.

this is not really a liberal forum. it's a forum that wants members who stick with established facts, are 'liberal' as in not racist/prejudiced/hostile toward other members so discussion isn't problematic and stick with conventional. this is why you have a bunch of assholes bullying others as crackpots/idiots while the actual idiots that contribute the absolute dull mainstream are left alone. pretty reflective of society though, for the most part except the guise of politeness is more enforced on a forum.

in other words, it's not even logical or even smart. poor politics and poor judgement in understanding the balancing act of different member's contributions, even indirectly encouraging discussion.
 
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Fortunately for science, medicine, engineering, and the real world at large, the methodology of testing and analysis has held steady for centuries. It has allowed the truth to be found, despite the best efforts of those who would prefer their own narrative, be it paranormal claims, homeopathic miracles, or other such bullshit.

You want the truth, River? It's right in front of you. The ways and means to discover it are available to you. The true question is far simpler - can you handle the truth, or do you prefer comfortable lies and wishes?

A person who contributes lies and falsehoods is worse than a member who contributes nothing.
 
Given the broad range of sub-forums allowed on this site, I don't think you can do much more than just try to get people from being too rude (and I don't think that is a major problem on this forum).

It's unfortunate that there isn't more honest "discussion" regarding the various threads but most threads are controlled by either trolls or people who are so extreme and/or delusional as to not know the difference.

I never have seen a discussion going on in any thread here. No matter what the topic is, soon someone will come along and mention that the earth is flat or some such nonsense and then the discussion is either over or it just becomes a long, tedious trolling type of discussion.

Someone always has a "theory" that "dark" is a thing, gravity isn't real, "science" is all wrong and they have it all figured out, etc.
 
Kittamaru said:
A person who contributes lies and falsehoods is worse than a member who contributes nothing.
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that's way more evil and nasty than you realize because those who have been bullied away from here had more to offer than lies and falsehoods but opening up possibilities in discussion. anyone that is honest could see that was their intent and i've realized now that this harshness toward them is more feigning them as more of a threat than they actually were or are. you could tell they absolutely meant no harm and did no harm.

yet you have posters on here who contribute fuked up opinions and values just the same in various ways and have the nerve to say that's not harmless when it is as well. it's just so common (assholes or scum or low values/morals) that you don't address it.

i even know why i'm tolerated and that's because i talk about abuse a lot which apparently the moderation sees me as something to feel sorry for. i know i'm not liked here either just because i'm not bullied out of here the same. like i don't know that. lol
 
birch said:
that's way more evil and nasty than you realize because those who have been bullied away from here had more to offer than lies and falsehoods but opening up possibilities.
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Then, perhaps, those individuals should have posted something of value, rather than pontificating about said lied and falsehoods. The requirements for evidence are absolute, if one expects to be taken seriously.
 
Kittamaru said:
The requirements for evidence are absolute, if one expects to be taken seriously.
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excuse me? that's hypocrisy toward the fringe and it's particular topics. people make all types of statements that has no evidence, even illogical and is just "opinion." you can read it everywhere on this forum.

open your eyes.

besides that, the writing is on the wall. it's telling that it was MR and GIA, specifically that were the most targeted and yet they were two of the best contributors in more ways than one to this forum and yet you and the administration as well as most of the members here are too blind to see or recognize it. it really is a shame.
 
birch said:
excuse me? that's hypocrisy toward the fringe and it's particular topics. people make all types of statements that has no evidence, even illogical and is just "opinion." you can read it everywhere on this forum.

open your eyes.

besides that, the writing is on the wall. it's telling that it was MR and GIA, specifically that were the most targeted and yet they were two of the best contributors in more ways than one to this forum and yet you and the administration as well as most of the members here are too blind to see or recognize it. it really is a shame.
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Sorry, but you have provided zero reason for anyone who respects knowledge to take anything stated as fact without supporting evidence seriously.

You can whinge about it all you like - without a compelling and factual argument, it will get you nowhere.

If you find that harsh, I suggest someplace like Facebook or Twitter might be what you are looking for.
 
Kittamaru said:
Sorry, but you have provided zero reason for anyone who respects knowledge to take anything stated as fact without supporting evidence seriously.
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and this statement is not based on 'compelling or factual argument' either nor are the discussions on the other subfora always 'based on facts with supporting evidence'. it's mostly opinions. this is why there is debate. based on your premise, their is a factual answer so evidently not everyone is supporting their position based on facts.

even those who have posted in the fringe don't always know their position is factual either but assume it is. how i know their assumptions are incorrect though assumed to be factual is because they have not experienced it to know any different.

if you are not going to be as harsh to the rest, then don't be that harsh towards the fringe section.

'respects knowledge'. lol. you mean one's own knowledge and version of reality.
 
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birch said:
and this statement is not based on 'compelling or factual argument' either nor are the discussions on the other subfora always 'based on facts with supporting evidence'. it's mostly opinions. this is why there is debate. based on your premise, their is a factual answer so evidently not everyone is supporting their position based on facts.

even those who have posted in the fringe don't always know their position is factual either but assume it is. how i know their assumptions are incorrect though assumed to be factual is because they have not experienced it to know any different.

if you are not going to be as harsh to the rest, then don't be that harsh towards the fringe section.

'respects knowledge'. lol. you mean one's own knowledge and version of reality.
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I'm sorry that you are either incapable, or unwilling, to acknowledge the importance of fact based science and evidence based discovery.

If someone has a theory, great - they can out it forth, argue it honestly and candidly, and back their claims with evidence. If someone is going to claim something as fact, they had best be able to prove it. As the forum rules state quite simply - extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

If one wishes to state, as fact, that hyper advanced aliens from another planet are visiting Earth in craft capable of superluminal velocities, then they better have damned good evidence to support that claim.

Now, if said individual simply wanted to discuss the possibility of advanced alien life, rather than claiming they know it to be true, then since there is no claim of fact, there is no requirement for evidence - it's just a discussion.

It's a rather simple, but important, distinction to make. Again - if you find that too harsh, we'll, that's rather your problem. You agreed to those rules when you signed up here.

As to your concerns about it not being equally enforced - if you see something you feel is out of line, then report it. We moderators are not omnipotent nor omnipresent, and there is only a handful of us. We all have jobs and lives away from here.

At the same time, if someone starts being an ass to someone else, and they respond in kind, there is little viable basis for the first person to report the other and whine about being treated cruelly. Same for one who repeatedly makes claims without supporting evidence, then gets taken to task for said lack of evidence.
 
birch said:
excuse me? that's hypocrisy toward the fringe and it's particular topics. people make all types of statements that has no evidence, even illogical and is just "opinion."
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This rings strongly of the fallacy that "my opinion is as good as yours".

It's great for some other forums. It is antithetical to a forum of rational fact-based discussion.
 
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