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The future of the forum

Started by Claireliontamer, June 14, 2016, 12:03:52 PM

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Recusant

Quote from: Essie Mae on June 19, 2016, 01:36:15 AM
I like the forum as is and enjoy both the atheistic and general comments, although I have no experience of other forums.  Here in the UK, atheism is no big deal so there's not much to kick against; not like the big deal it appears to be in the US as reported by Patheos Friendly Atheist daily.

I do find it a bit intimidating at times that everyone else is either very witty/extremely knowlegeable/ intelligent or all three but then you all need someone to appreciate that - we can't all be sparklingly funny, butyou need someone to laugh at/wonder at/respond to your posts.  I'm the sort of person who thinks of the deadly riposte about 6 months too late, but I'm OK with that. I feel a bit out of the loop because I can't join the meets, but I'm never around on my own to be able to do that, but I'm glad for those of you who can take part.  HAF is entertaining, frivolous, serious, cross, and many other things. I don't have to read the car thread so I don't, but it's good that there is one.

As for moderation, people can argue what they like as long as they do it cogently; personal insults using bad language (I'm not talking about the casual expletives that some HAFers pepper their posts with - not bothered by that), are just unintelligent and boring. Do I really mean that though? The idea of censorship is repugnant, but just what do you do about someone who puts forward racist/homophobic/sexist ideas/ opinions? I don't mind people being severely critical of me or others, as long as they back their criticisms up with reasonable arguments.

Yes, it would be good to have new members, and I'll try to think if there is anyone I could introduce.  So, HAF is good as it is, and I hope it continues. (And I love the jokes).

As for bloody FB, that has caused me a big problem just yesterday when one of my athiest relations commented on a post by one of my DIL's friends in which my DIL was tagged, in a way that upset her so  much she removed the original post and my DIL unfriended my relation. I respond to very little because of not wanting to reveal my true belief, or lack thereof.  With HAF, WYSIWYG, and it feels good.   FB and HAF are just different things altogether.

I appreciate your thoughts on this site very much, Essie Mae. Thank you! :)
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Asmodean

Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 01:29:54 AM
...and more than likely the least liked member of the community
Why would you think that?
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

xSilverPhinx

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 01:29:54 AM
Also something that I just don't understand is how people get upset at comments that veer off the main discussion "derailing"  the thread.  That's how conversation works in the real world. If you are hanging out with your friends, buddies, pals, guys, chum, co-conspirators discussing something the conversation twists and turns and often covers several subjects. I agree that if someone is being blatantly ignorant, or just plain mean,  there is a problem. However, if one says something that opens the door to sarcasm or even an innuendo, again that's how it works in the real world.  If you say something that your friends can pounce on,  true friends normally do.

:couchhide: Maybe it's because I'm guilty of derailing many threads myself (even my own heh), but I also don't quite understand why this would upset people. As you said, that's how conversations work IRL, they're dynamic, and hardly ever so sanitised that they don't veer off topic, subtly or not. If a conversation has been turned into something else completely it can always be slip into its own topic, it's no big deal.

If people think that this forum is slow then it would be much more slower if this didn't happen. :tapemouth: 

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


No one

A few things I must commend this forum for:

1) The allowance of the free exchange of thought. Censorship is at a bare minimum*. 

B) Those that watch over the forum have not let the power corrupt them.  Kudos to you for that.






*- While I appreciate the fact that sometimes even though we may have no intention of personal attacks, or saying something just to provoke a heated argument,  occasionally our emotions get the best of us.  In these times nipping the perpetrator in the bud is not only acceptable it is also welcomed.

jumbojak

Quote from: Ali on June 17, 2016, 06:45:31 PMHi all,
Xoxoxox Alex asked me to come back and give my thoughts on why I don't visit the forum much any more. First of all, I don't consider myself an ex-member. HAF4Lyfe! And it's really nothing to do with the forum. I've always loved this forum and how it was a virtual hang out for an international group of friends. I met G85. Buddy, G85, Tank, and Siz met up. Claire and John found love! This place is awesome.

That all sound well and good but.... who the fuck is John, or are you referring to a different Claire?

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Tank

Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 01:29:54 AM
I may be relatively new and more than likely the least liked member of the community , ...
Rubbish. You've added a nice little tang to the place  :)
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Ali

Quote from: jumbojak on June 20, 2016, 04:32:58 AM
Quote from: Ali on June 17, 2016, 06:45:31 PMHi all,
Xoxoxox Alex asked me to come back and give my thoughts on why I don't visit the forum much any more. First of all, I don't consider myself an ex-member. HAF4Lyfe! And it's really nothing to do with the forum. I've always loved this forum and how it was a virtual hang out for an international group of friends. I met G85. Buddy, G85, Tank, and Siz met up. Claire and JJ found love! This place is awesome.

That all sound well and good but.... who the fuck is John, or are you referring to a different Claire?

He plays a doctor on the Internet. But I'm sorry, I will edit, that was thoughtless of me to use you name when you might not want me to.

No one

Quote from: Tank on June 20, 2016, 06:43:49 AM
Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 01:29:54 AM
I may be relatively new and more than likely the least liked member of the community , ...
Rubbish. You've added a nice little tang to the place  :)

So you're saying I leave a bad taste in your mouth?

Jimmy

For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is certainly right, Let us eat and drink, les us enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we shall die.   ~John Locke~

jumbojak

I was joking Ali. Almost nobody calls me John.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Davin

Quote from: Jimmy on June 20, 2016, 10:36:13 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqH21LEmfbQ
:dance: :rimshot: :drink: :daddance: :cheerful dance 2: :clapping: :frolic: :zombie: :badger: :headbang: :guitar:

Quote from: jumbojak on June 20, 2016, 03:37:10 PM
I was joking Ali. Almost nobody calls me John.

Be careful, According to Asmo, all this non-serious discussion is destructive to the serious nature of the argument... unless that's only for gifs, because that makes sense somehow. :lol:

I've only been coming to this forum for just over six years, it's changed a lot since then. So far it hasn't changed so much that I no longer want to participate here. Things change and it can be sad, but I think that change is the only way to keep moving along. We'll never be able to go back to way things were, but maybe we can figure out a way to keep the forum going.

Right now, even google is modifying their algorithms to accommodate consumption, which benefits more rapid content no matter how shitty, and hurts thoughtful, well written content. Maybe not hurting so much. Hopefully in the future everything will be fixed to support quality over quantity, but that's mostly up to the consumers.

If you want more visibility, then more content visible to google (and I guess other search engines), provides that. Also, other places linking to here, helps increase search rankings. So if users that also have twitter or other "social media"accounts link back to the forums through those, that will help. Increasing search rankings increases the potential user pool, which increases the chances of a new person becoming a user.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Tank

Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 10:28:13 AM
Quote from: Tank on June 20, 2016, 06:43:49 AM
Quote from: No one on June 20, 2016, 01:29:54 AM
I may be relatively new and more than likely the least liked member of the community , ...
Rubbish. You've added a nice little tang to the place  :)

So you're saying I leave a bad taste in your mouth?
LOL! More of a zesty curry stench.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Ali

Quote from: jumbojak on June 20, 2016, 03:37:10 PM
I was joking Ali. Almost nobody calls me John.

What if it was Dr John, Smock Maker Extrordinairre?

jumbojak

Quote from: Ali on June 20, 2016, 09:23:43 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on June 20, 2016, 03:37:10 PM
I was joking Ali. Almost nobody calls me John.

What if it was Dr John, Smock Maker Extrordinairre?

Needs a bit of mustard....

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz