I mostly use Inet forums for technical issues; the Gentoo forums as a current example are an essential component of an active technical community, and this post doesn't apply to them.

However, from time to time I poke my nose into other, mostly community and special-interest forums like this, just to see what's being discussed, to insert my own opinions and ideas if I'm sufficiently interested, and to engage in a bit of debate that often creates some controversy, annoys others, sometimes annoys me, but usually results in an interesting, perhaps humorous exchange. Lately I've noticed that these venues seem to be far less diverse and popular than previously. Most are now dominated by a clique of regular antagonists whose main occupation seems to be slinging off at each other, and at any visitor whose ideas diverge from the "forum norms". The whole scene is now very reminiscent of what happened first with CB Radio (for those old enough to remember what that was, and maybe still is), then with IRC and the like (Internet Relay Chat for the puzzled), and now with Inet forums.

It would be a pity if all that remained was Facebook and Twitter, though I've no doubt that the owners of those sites, and the many Government and corporate authorities who now use them as public confessionals (urinals?) for their "data mining" and social monitoring activities, would be delighted for them to remain solo and supreme.

The quality of political and social debate throughout the world is in terminal decline. Blatant deception, lies, coverups and self-promotion are now so accepted by the viewing public, the mass media, the "critics" and recognized commentators as to make all of it a sewer of strident, vulgar verbiage. The alternative media has adopted the role of morally righteous castigator, and is equally tedious and repugnant; and the "discussion panels" on TV are so predictable and politically correct as would be an insult to public intelligence were there any such thing.

I therefore ask of the participants here, and of whatever moderators, overseers or owners may read this, whether it is time to review and perhaps re-enliven the format of this and similar forums. I'm about to press the <Delete> key on a list of them. Disappointingly short as it is, the few on it are the only social connections I've made on the Inet. They have thoroughly disabused me of the present social worth of "Internet politics" and "Internet community action", though I was once an optimistic proponent of such things ("GetUp!" in Australia being a typical example of a crude political deception), and with other activities now requiring more of my time, I've decided to abandon them if no prospect of novelty draws be back. A pity, but one amongst many others.

this forum is more active than it has ever been.

52midnight wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 10:20am:


As newcomers join up, there's certainly the opportunity to broaden diversity...I'm finding it's taking some time to gain "acceptance" or "credibility" amongst what appears to be a core group of long time members. Other newbies less persistent than me probably don't stay long.........so opportunity for increasing diversity isn't maximised.

sorry, double post

> My gut feeling is that the younger generation use twitter and Facebook more and don't have the attention span to read long posts or view links so I guess forums like this are more for the older generation.

I think that's true, and it raises the question as to where the younger generations are taking this and other issues. I have neither family nor children, so it's easy for me to be cynical and dismissive of them. Friends with kids tend to agree with me, but still defend them where they can. I sympathize with both in recognizing the declining standards of education and other relevant factors.

I'd say generally that societies worldwide have lost their way; money and material "success"  dominate public ambition, and increasingly private; violence and social alieniation increase weekly; philosophy has almost disappeared between religious fundamentalism on the one hand and "scientific" NeoDarwinism on the other.

Perhaps we should invite a compliant race of aliens to invade the place just to break the present impasse. It feels to me as if everyone is "waiting for God" or the Devil to appear, just to give some certainty to their increasingly bizarre and meaningless existence.

Quote:


This is the reason I stopped watching Jenny Brockie's 'Insight'.

It's the most sham debating forum I've ever watched. The audience is inevitably loaded to the rafters with the people who are the subject of some kind of criticism ~ with a couple of lonely token souls injected into the audience to represent the critics.

And then Jenny Brockie simply can never help interrupting and diverting attention when some member of the audience is making a credible job of criticising and debunking the PC view of these issues.

My favourites have been when the audience has been stacked with Muslims under siege from some criticism.

It has been a comedy to witness Jenny Brockie choreograph the debating to make sure the Muslims come out lily-white innocent while the nasty rednecks get shown up for being racist/xenophobic/bigoted/evil etc etc.

And the Muslim audience always has professors and doctors and various articulate intellectuals to argue their case, while the 'anti-Muslim' section has nothing but semi-literates off the building sites and road-repair gangs.

It's a hoot.

I might even start watching it again for the comedy.

This is a great forum.

Midnight has just got PMS.   

freediver wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 3:28pm:



I'll give you the interested individuals, BUT it would be a big strecht to also refer to many of those individuals as "intellectuals".

Just look at Maqqa & Longweakend?