Moderation & Board Issues

Well...since we are all seeing fit to unbosom what is on our collective minds, I'll add a few thoughts. First, I think it would be altogether unecessary and unfortunate if anyone left the forum over this. Virtually every post above makes valid points, in both criticism and defense. I agree entirely with Speed in that there seems to be an overhanging condescension from some quarters which does get tedious after awhile for some us...at the same time, in many cases, that perceived condescension or criticism is not altogether unjustified - perhaps it's even too restrained!

How much moderation is enough? Too much?(I know this has been addressed here before - but is there concensus even now?) What constitutes fully-developed thought and who shall determine what is jargon-laden drivel and rhetorical demagoguery? Do we wish to deal with people who, as Blowtus noted, may need a "nudge" toward improvement - or slam them mercilessly for their ignorance or naive foolishness?

I would ask that everyone reconsider moving-on and discuss this a bit first. Is there any specific reason the types of posts, as described by Nile577 and Speed respectively, cannot co-exist in the same forum?
 
What constitutes fully-developed thought and who shall determine what is jargon-laden drivel and rhetorical demagoguery?
I'd like to think that's regulated by the consent of silence---if fundamental assumptions aren't challenged, then consider it that no one thinks that 'thought needs to be better developed' concerning them... common sense really.
I mean, really, is there any sense in moaning 'you all talk about a material world, clearly you haven't developed your thoughts to address Berkeley!!' while never once bothering to argue for addressing such matters in a thread itself...

I would ask that everyone reconsider moving-on and discuss this a bit first. Is there any specific reason the types of posts, as described by Nile577 and Speed respectively, cannot co-exist in the same forum?

that's my main concern about moderation---is it so hard to... contribute your thoughts where you think thought should be developed which everyone else has, without your help, overlooked; refute that which you think is wrong; dumb down your academic brilliance with a mind toward communication instead of ostentation; and ignore that which you think is a dead horse topic?

surely the point here is discussion, exploration, not 'read my essay, which stands fully developed... I just want your praise', so I have no clue why anyone would expect this to become an environment where they can take a passive role, not contributing in taking discussion in the direction they think fit... it just seems pretty lazy to me (and is that the condescension people are talking about (y'all are being so fuckin vague, I'm not even sure half where the problem lies.)---some people thinking 'I'm far too good to talk to these uneducated fools and tell them why Heidegger thinks they're wrong; suffice to say I know better, and it's not worth my time assisting everyone else be as great as me by explaining where they are wrong'?)
 
Speed's idea of further dividing the forum into "serious" philosophy vs. "life" philosophy doesn’t sit well with me. Philosophy is ALL thought.

I think it's a pragmatic division.

Life philosophy is gonna include a lot of threads that will preclude more serious discussion.

It lets both groups filter each other.
 
I think this board has totally lost its way, and like academic philosophy, has become pointless to all but a few. I know I no longer find it interesting to read any of the threads, as I'm confronted with either highly naive adolescent psuedo-fascism, or Heideggerian musings from academia. For a long time, this soup of subjects and posters--academics, teenagers, politics and economics, lonely melancholy neo-nazis, dilletantes, cultural questions, curious outsiders, and so on--made this is very lively place for discussion that has been replaced by idiocy, narrowmindedness, and arrogance. I must say I am no longer interested in posting, and am saddened it has come to this.

I can see your point.

I think there needs to be a focus on truthfulness, and a deletion of one-liners that contribute nothing to discussion.

I would also like for ethnicity/IQ-related threads to be able to be posted without the same tired stuff being brought up against them. They're like any other topic, just taboo right now. That is changing so rapidly I encourage would-be censors to think carefully.

I'm recommitted to doing my part to spark discussion by among other things, being cryptic. I don't like false elitism, but I also don't like holding one's tongue for social reasons when truth is being sodomized. The way to combat this disease is to pump interesting information back into the mix.

All truth is an opinion, but some of it is true.:zombie:
 
I apologize for the long delay in the moderation switch. I never received word back from my initial pm, so I have resent it to MetalAges and Russell. Hopefully this will be taken care of soon.
 
Interested in the views of some of the longer term / more useful participants - those that are left anyway. Should people who consistently refuse / are unable to post thoughtfully, and in a manner that isn't needlessly inflammatory, be welcome here? Anyone that wants to pm me specifics to avoid useless ruckus feel free...
 
B, I don't think they are 'welcome' here, but there's no need to moderate their posts. If someone wants to reply to them, they will, if someone wants to read them, they will. The rest of us can ignore it.

Unless it's disruptive to enough people, and no one is having fun replying to their idiocy, they may as well be left alone to babble in the background while the adults talk.
 
we need to get more intelligent discussion going on in here. is it just me or has the standard declined lately?
 
Talking about it doesn't achieve it, though at least you're posting other stuff at the same time, unlike others in the past ;)

Yes, both the standard and content level has declined markedly.
 
I haven't posted here for quite a long time. I do find I miss the place and the people that used to frequent it. I might try posting regularly again (Not the B&T thread - at least for a while. I need to deepen my understanding of Husserl before going on with it).
 
I haven't posted here for quite a long time. I do find I miss the place and the people that used to frequent it. I might try posting regularly again (Not the B&T thread - at least for a while. I need to deepen my understanding of Husserl before going on with it).


Yes, it used to be lively and controversial, hehe. Well, I might consider posting a bit more. I find I miss the old debates and threads.
 
I am in agreement, and I've tried with at least one new thread. More coming up though, as soon as I've gotten somewhere with my fecking paper.
 
Lol, strange reaction. I wasn't blaming you personally. One person does not a forum make anyway. This place is a ghost town.

I wasn't exactly being serious! Obviously we need some more topics raised though. So if you can think of something worth discussing please do post!