The threads on this forum

Jadeite wrote:The problem is that there is seldom the compulsion for me to post anything.

I will ask the why: Why is that a problem?

you could always start threads about topics that you'd find interesting to discuss....

Why do you care about 'why' someone posted a question? Answer it or don't. The 'why' only matters if the question happens to be unusual, in which case asking why would make sense.

EtherealStarlight wrote:you could always start threads about topics that you'd find interesting to discuss....

This too. Of course, I think I can speak for everyone when I say to make your posts less judgemental and arrogant, and more concise. Long posts bore me and I usually skim them.

Platypus wrote:

Jadeite wrote:The problem is that there is seldom the compulsion for me to post anything.

I will ask the why: Why is that a problem?

As I said, forums are a two-way street, for reading and posting. It is a matter of the unfulfilled potential of a forum. There should be compulsion both to read and to participate.

Jadeite, is it this forum's role to provide you with the compulsion to post?
I see it differently. If I have a lack of compulsion, the lack resides with me and is my responsibility.

Posting is better for learning and insight than reading is. And it isn't the forums responsibility to motivate you, that is your job.

The obvious question now is why do you stick around? These forums are unfulfilling for you, and it is not likely that you will single-handedly shape them into what you want them to be (although you might up your chances if you team up with Dalloway). Why waste your time with us mere mortals? There are other places on the net where you can talk about things in depth with people who are passionate about a particular subject.

When I stumble upon a group of people talking about things that I find dull, I leave. What I don't do is address them and say, "Why aren't you folks meeting my standards and talking about what I want to talk about?" That would be counterproductive. There would be no point to it.

roscid wrote:The obvious question now is why do you stick around? These forums are unfulfilling for you, and it is not likely that you will single-handedly shape them into what you want them to be (although you might up your chances if you team up with Dalloway). Why waste your time with us mere mortals? There are other places on the net where you can talk about things in depth with people who are passionate about a particular subject.

When I stumble upon a group of people talking about things that I find dull, I leave. What I don't do is address them and say, "Why aren't you folks meeting my standards and talking about what I want to talk about?" That would be counterproductive. There would be no point to it.

Here comes the 'us' again. Remember that this is a forum for loners.

Also you are talking about bygone days. Perhaps what you said would have been true in the days of Usenet and newsgroups. 'Other places on the net' now is a hideous consideration; here at least is the foundational principle of intelligence; when someone is met with a torrent of irrational emotion, he can be self-satisfied and fully defensible in the knowledge that he is where he belongs, despite what may try to corrupt it.

Why do you need to defend against others' emotions?

Does indignation usually work well as a defence mechanism? I would have guessed that it would only incur more exposure to those "hideous" and "irrational" emotions.

Jadeite wrote:Here comes the 'us' again. Remember that this is a forum for loners.

I don't even know how to respond to this, except to say who cares? We are loners, but we are all here, posting on this forum, therefore, it is not unreasonable to refer to us as us.