Are these forums really useful?

[Joey Wonton]

What I mean is, is this forum used to discuss topics, back and forth, or find out the general opinion on a single subject from a large number of replies?

I thought that there were a large amount of people using these forums, because they are cool and kickass and such, and so a topic can get flooded (which is to be desired most of the time, I know I just love the theoretical 'attention'). I'm sure though, that you feel that your comments can be hardly contributory at all in large threads, where it's unlikely that anyone will give a damn about your post.

I can see how you would learn something to a degree from a thread starter, but the following comments/posts will mostly be opinions based off of the original post, agreeing or disagreeing. Any argument that is held won't lead to much change of opinion, else the argument wouldn't have been passionate enough to start, and so no difference would have been made.

I know they work towards an actual discussion if there were a small number of posters, on a smaller forum, but I made the title intriguing and mildly offensive to the user, so that it would hopefully attract a lot more attention than I deserve.

And then there's also the threads made purely to have people put in their response and be done with it. But ignoring them...

Agree or Disagree at your whim. Or provide insight, if you will. Controversial opinions welcomed.
Maybe we shall all learn something.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I've had my opinion shift over time here on certain topics so no, my opinion isn't always cemented into the ground and guarded by 300 Spartans. Learning a few things while posting what I think about the OP is kind of how I always operated here.

[sub][sub]This title was mildly offensive? People need to relax some more if that's all it takes to set them off [/sub][/sub]

 

[DEAD34345]

I visit this site pretty much to argue. It's something I enjoy, so I only tend to bother replying to a thread if I have a controversial opinion or if no-one else seems to have a similar opinion. Otherwise, it seems pretty pointless (as you have said).

Also, the only time I post on a large thread is when I'm directly replying to someone, otherwise no-one will even read the post.

 

[Joey Wonton]

These forums are mostly populated by people with no real world experience and generally poor education who like to spout off on subjects that are purely theoretical to them but act as if their opinion has real weight.

No discussion on this forum is particularly worthwhile.

I like it. It makes you think, when you read it, "those people are such stupid people, expect they clearly aren't me, because I'm me, and that just wouldn't make sense"

[sub][sub]This title was mildly offensive? People need to relax some more if that's all it takes to set them off [/sub][/sub]

I just thought it might be a bit eye catching and people would read it assuming someone else would get offended.

I visit this site pretty much to argue. It's something I enjoy, so I only tend to bother replying to a thread if I have a controversial opinion or if no-one else seems to have a similar opinion. Otherwise, it seems pretty pointless (as you have said).

Also, the only time I post on a large thread is when I'm directly replying to someone, otherwise no-one will even read the post.

That's what I feel most of the time, but there must be a lot of people posting on the big threads that don't feel that way, or it wouldn't be a big thread.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

These forums are mostly populated by people with no real world experience and generally poor education who like to spout off on subjects that are purely theoretical to them but act as if their opinion has real weight.

Unlike you of course? -_-

Supercilious generalisations aside, I admit if I arrive onto a particularly large thread spanning mutliple pages, I'll most likely only provide a rather laconic expression of my viewpoint, so I suppose for me I find the discussions much more interesting whilst the thread is still fresh and provided it isn't the same topic that's sprung up from a few weeks back. There are many people here who articulate themselves well, who's opnions I'm intrigued to hear and there's been a fair few threads that have really challanged my perceptions. The use of the threads is entirely subjective to the user and for me they are capable of providing quite the enriching experience. Don't know how anyone else will react to this, but will be intrigued to find out.

 

[gabe12301]

I find these arguments constructive. I gain knowledge for the purpose of arguing with people and being right. I gain more knowledge AND I get to feel superior. It's a polite troll's dream!

 

[Itsthefuzz]

I honestly feel like most the topics here won't change anyone's opinions on anything, unless there is some sort of way you can prove you are right through fact. Even then... but still fun to browse and chat up some people.

 

[Woodsey]

These forums are mostly populated by people with no real world experience and generally poor education who like to spout off on subjects that are purely theoretical to them but act as if their opinion has real weight.

No discussion on this forum is particularly worthwhile.

Well that's just not true. For example, I find that on the whole, the forum's attitude towards girls and women is particularly healt-

Oh, right.

OT: Most things are opinions, and the majority of those are in relation to films and games (or, "WUMEN, Y U NO LIK ME I NICE GUY I DO EVRYFIN 4 U??????"). Not sure what you expect people to learn.

But that's alright, not everything has to be of particular value.

 

[BRex21]

These forums are mostly populated by people with no real world experience and generally poor education who like to spout off on subjects that are purely theoretical to them but act as if their opinion has real weight.

No discussion on this forum is particularly worthwhile.

I agree with this for the most part and find a large amount of ignorant people, however every now and then i find i get through to someone and get a quote or a tell that i have enlightened them with a new outlook or new information that changes things. and for me that's worthwhile.

My major reasons for posting on these forums however is that im watching equipment do my job and while i cant leave it i cant do anything to accelerate the process, so it is also useful in that sense.

 

[Joey Wonton]

So I suppose the argument aspect of the forums is the attraction to you guys, but is there an audience as yet to comment, seeming as it can't be just that or the forums would have an entirely different shape to conversations?

I feel much more able to have a structured argument on here, where its anonymous enough, rather than with a group of people, who could hate you for the wrong or extremist opinion and hardly any time to think.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Okay, well if you've been around the block as it were and can identify some of the more ubiquitous pitfalls, then it surprises me that you'd kick off the the thread with such a conspicuously inflammatory opening post. You lambasted users for making baseless postulations, rather than utilising empirical evidence in their arguments, whilst simultaneously adjuding their level of education, intelligence and life experience when you've no substantial way of educing such information from the rather poultry amount provided. Surely, you'd know your going to get flamed for that?

So yeah, by all means discuss something here but don't go thinking you'll get thoughtful or real-world useful feedback.

I'm not saying this place is some kind of banquet of epistemological nourishment, prepared by only the most profound of chef's but that it can be a good place to source opinions, perhaps not always with the intention of changing your own, but to get a better understanding of another. All I'm saying is that I won't make the assumption that each and every thread will descend into an exchange of platitudes, or that most of the people here have nothing of remote value to say. It comes down to individuals and what their more apposite insights are, if only a handful of people in a thread of a hundred others can provide something that I can at least mull over and take into consideration, I'd consider it worthwhile. Anyway, that's all I've to say, I'll quit yakking at you, I have to get up early tommorow. Good day, sir.

 

[Link_to_Future]

Is a forum devoted to just general culture ever really useful?

I mean, I tend to avoid topics with heavy amounts of weight behind them simply because I don't have time to write an essay every time I post. This means that most of my conversations that I hold are just random and arbitrary. Honestly, I find it relaxing.

So no, in an intellectual sense these forums are of no use to me at all. It's all fluffy clouds and semi-creative games for me.

Honestly we have too many cowboy millionaire astronauts here to make any serious/technical discussion worthwhile.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my problem with the entire internet. Or with a lot of the people I actually know. They are far too busy trying to prove how awesome they are and how their lives are undeniably better than mine. And it used to get to me until I began to realize how convenient it was that everyone I knew seemed to be an expert in every field ever conceived.

It doesn't take too long to realize that a lot of people are busy stroking their unnecessarily bloated ego. Of course, when you do realize that then it becomes nearly impossible to take legitimately good points and opinions seriously.

So basically I try to look at everything through a lens of light skepticism to help determine what bits are worthwhile and what parts need to get thrown out like last night's fish.

Blah...I wrote too much again. >.<

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

I don't think these threads are useful (particularly not Off-Topic), but I do think they are fun. I really mean that. I don't post as much as I used to. Mostly that's because of my realisation that I didn't actually NEED to have my voice heard - in fact, it was far better, and more fun, to listen to what other people have to say.

In short, while not being useful, I do laugh hard at these forums. The amazing amounts of stupidity, whether intentional or unknowing, are just too good to miss!

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Anyway, that's all I've to say, I'll quit yakking at you, I have to get up early tommorow. Good day, sir.

Honestly, do you always talk like that? Like really honestly, is that how you talk or were you trying to sound clever? That happens quite a bit on here too; people get called immature so they go and get the thesaurus and try to sound more intelligent by using words that no one uses any more in popular conversation. Kudos for using the words correctly though.

No, I'm not trying to use verbosity a means of bolstering sentences consisting of vapid platitudes into something that may superficially appear more mature or profound. It's a pretty diaphanous display when that is the case as I'd assume most people will look to the content of one's argument not the presentation (unless it's practically illiterate resembling a comment that would be posted on Youtube). I'm fairly prone to sesquipedalianism but that's just a character trait, if I gave enough of a shit to alter my way of writing to adhere to some pretentious notion of what constitutes maturity then I'd cut way the fuck back on my frequent profanity, but that too, is just a character trait and I don't think either one lends my opinions any more or less credence. While I might hold a lot of people around me in pretty low regard, I'm not under any delusion that I'm any better than them, whereas you seem to hold yourself above the majority of users here and there are sections of your posts that come off as downright smug. I could make a lot of assumptions insinuating a correlation between your disposition and your forum health bar, but I'm not getting into that. Clearly this particular conversation isn't getting either one of us anywhere, but my overriding point is that I'm not going to write off the entire forums as a place destitute of any thought provoking insights or practical advice, I take each thread as it comes and while some the trends you mentioned are apparent, there are always a few threads where some really engaging discussions can brew, for me at least anyway. You can have the last word if you really want to, I'm leaving. Have a nice day.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

snip

I was only saying because you wrote 'poultry' instead of 'paltry'.

Just a spelling error, don't read too much into it. I also spelt diaphanous as diaphonous in the above, but you know what I mean, I just hit the wrong keys. Meh.