Australian Politics Forum - Are forums like this slowly dying?

longweekend58

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #15 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 4:08pm

perceptions_now wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 3:37pm:

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

Not if my hosting bill is anything to go by.

There are a few trends at play here.

1) More people on the internet. Political discussion boards are no longer dominated by a small number of more motivated and interested individuals ("intellectuals"). The "normal people" have invaded. So there has been a corresponding drop in quality of discussion. There are still forums out there that are restrictive and more popular than ever before - just nowhere near as popular as the ones with a broad target audience.

2) Personalisation. This is where facebook comes in, and twitter to a lesser extent (not very familiar with twitter). Facebook deals very effectively with the troll side of things and allows people to feel safer putting private information online, which is probably the main reason why it is so successful. I do have some friends on facebook who use it for pushing a political barrow (and get defriended by some people as a result). If this forum grows in popularity I would like to switch to a similar concept - where instead of me starting boards where everyone can post, you can start your own board and only invite whoever you want. I am basically just waiting for a freeware version of that.

3) Turnover. Things are changing rapidly. Forums and websites will come and go.

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?

so speaks the depressed individual who does not believe technology will change our future and who believes every MP should be voted out every election thus ensuring that we will only ever have complete novices in the seats of power.

you are a drongo.

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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Mnemonic

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #16 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 4:26pm

perceptions_now wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 3:37pm:

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

Everyone likes to think they are intellectuals. That's why we have insults and name-calling here: ie. moron, leftard, rightard, retard, idiot, juliar. They're all the examples I can think of off the top of my head. People think that by putting others down that it makes them look better. What results is threads filled with ad hominems, people nitpicking on silly little spelling and grammar mistakes, one-upmanship and contests to show who is better and who is more stupid. When this happens, the quality of discussion declines because people stop debating the issue at hand.

Some of the language here is crude, like for example when people say that someone or something is "retarded." That's short for "mentally retarded." The words "retard" or "retarded" has become so commonly used, that now it's like a shortcut for anyone who wants to claim someone or something is "stupid," without much of an explanation as to why. Other examples are "pissing off," the F-word, BS (for bull-shyte) and others which I can't remember right now.

Crude words are much like a knee-jerk reaction, something people say on impulse without really thinking. It's like farting in the room and not caring where the smell goes. An occasional fart is fine because eventually the gas disperses and the smell dilutes, but when everyone does it, it makes the whole room stink. Yet, this is what happens in the forums. People are swearing and using crude and unsophisticated language, lazy expressions and incomplete reasoning and it makes the forums stink. There is too much flatulence in the forums. I am afraid that one day someone will light a match and the methane gas will ignite.

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Alinta Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 1470 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #17 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 4:29pm "Everyone likes to think they are intellectuals" Not me..........it would connote elitist self perception (IMO only of course) I do however like to think I'm intelligent........
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red baron

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #18 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 4:37pm

Well that's really rich 52Midnight; so you come on board as Judge, Jury and Executioner.

Are we all supposed to worship at the Mount of your ancient and wise knowledge.

This is a vibrant, sometimes brilliant sometime coarse but always lively Forum in which there is room for every view.

There is tolerance and intolerance and the people on this site bring many, many points of view.

I think you've got a hide to say the least bobbing up and pontificating. If you want to participate fine, you are welcome but if you have just come to drop a shovel load of shite then you are cordially invited to exit stage left.

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Bobby.

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #19 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:20pm

Perceptions,
Quote:

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?

Hi Perceptions,
but then again it's always funny to have someone in the class who
wears the dunces hat - as they seem to all the time.

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FriYAY

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #20 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:33pm

perceptions_now wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 3:37pm:

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

Not if my hosting bill is anything to go by.

There are a few trends at play here.

1) More people on the internet. Political discussion boards are no longer dominated by a small number of more motivated and interested individuals ("intellectuals"). The "normal people" have invaded. So there has been a corresponding drop in quality of discussion. There are still forums out there that are restrictive and more popular than ever before - just nowhere near as popular as the ones with a broad target audience.

2) Personalisation. This is where facebook comes in, and twitter to a lesser extent (not very familiar with twitter). Facebook deals very effectively with the troll side of things and allows people to feel safer putting private information online, which is probably the main reason why it is so successful. I do have some friends on facebook who use it for pushing a political barrow (and get defriended by some people as a result). If this forum grows in popularity I would like to switch to a similar concept - where instead of me starting boards where everyone can post, you can start your own board and only invite whoever you want. I am basically just waiting for a freeware version of that.

3) Turnover. Things are changing rapidly. Forums and websites will come and go.

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?

Nothing like winning the race to the bottom of the barrel....

Roll Eyes

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longweekend58

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #21 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:44pm

Bobby. wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:20pm:

Perceptions,
Quote:

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?

Hi Perceptions,
but then again it's always funny to have someone in the class who
wears the dunces hat - as they seem to all the time.

compared to you??? the person who spent 6 years at uni mowing the lawns?

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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Postmodern Trendoid III

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #22 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:45pm

52midnight wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 11:33am:

> 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 used to think in the early days of my membership to this forum that it was populated by the younger generation, but apparently that's not the case. Apparently, there are quite a number of older posters here. There is definitely a "childishness" present here that tests your faith in the capacities of your fellow human beings.

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moses Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6353	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #23 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:48pm What's an intellectual?
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Postmodern Trendoid III

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Re: Are forums like this slowly dying?
Reply #24 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:50pm

But anyway, Freediver hits on the central point that this childishness is due to these types of forums being opened up to the "normal person." Many of these "normal people" think they are an expert on all things. There are a few posters here, though, that definitely know their topic, and they are always worth reading because of that.

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Postmodern Trendoid III Gold Member Offline Posts: 10259 Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #25 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:58pm moses wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:48pm: What's an intellectual? Someone knowledgeable on a topic, or a number of topics, who also possesses critical thinking skills?
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Alinta Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 1470 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #26 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 6:03pm Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:58pm: moses wrote on Apr 14^th, 2013 at 5:48pm: What's an intellectual? Someone knowledgeable on a topic, or a number of topics, who also possesses critical thinking skills? Why would "normal" posters be perceived as lacking within your definition Misty???
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Big Dave Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 2164 Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #27 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 6:16pm Normal person or intellectual- in a few grains of sand we'll all be fertilizer. There is no abnormal person because we are all just 'normal'.
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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 48834 At my desk.	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #28 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 6:21pm True, but some are more normal than others.
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Alinta Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 1470 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Are forums like this slowly dying? Reply #29 - Apr 14^th, 2013 at 6:31pm Still reckon there's a subtle (or not so subtle) element of elitism in perceiving someone as either "normal" or "intellectual"
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