Phi for All

Ironic Quote of the Week!

I've spoken with some members that tell me they'll come across a post they feel deserves negative rep, usually for insulting behavior, but they know they only have one point and may come across something worse later in the day, so they hold back. It keeps them from using the negative side of the system for what it was intended, to show other members that a post exhibited poor rationale or judgement that reflects on the user overall. The current negative rep system is more of a quantitative approach rather than a qualitative one. To me, the whole system is supposed to nudge people in the right direction by peer pressure rather than staff intervention, which I feel is far more effective in the long run. I wouldn't change the system by much. I'd recommend allowing two negative rep points per day. It would be fairly easy then to see if it caused more abuse or made the system more effective. I certainly wouldn't want it to be accessible for this purpose:

Why would you assume I want to leap to the other end of the spectrum? Do you think I exhibit extremist tendencies?

Good. Thanks for the explanation. It would be great to be able to click on your reputation score and filter the posts that received them, but we'll have to wait for Cap'n to tell us what's possible. We've actually been discussing negative rep points in the Staff sections recently. I don't like the fact that having only one point a day often causes members to make judgements that seem juxtaposed to the rep system's intent. I can also see why less focus on negativity is important.

! Moderator Note Oh yes. This has ceased to be a productive discussion. Thread closed. Aman shah, please stop advertising your blog. We're not here to promote your work.

Mmmm, I do feel smarter. Next time no nuts, please.

Biblical references are OK to use to make points about your faith, your beliefs, your opinions, but you can't use the Bible as evidence to support the religious statements of fact you've been making. Since the Bible is the only book that talks about the Abrahamic God, it can't be used to prove God's existence. In fact, there is no proof of that. And there's no proof that God doesn't exist. That's why it's perfectly fine for you to believe in God, and why it's perfectly fine for scientists to question you when you try to say there is proof for its existence. I think it's important to reduce the gaps in our knowledge without using God to fill them, even temporarily. Of yours? I suppose it's the blind kind of faith you have. It's great for your beliefs but you come here to try and force it on others, to take all the mountains of evidence that science has unearthed and trivialize it by claiming it's all God's work. You take the serious hard work of dedicated, educated, intelligent people and dismiss it with vapid, easy, brainless arguments that pay no respect to the methodology and rules of the forum you decided to join. Why did you join SFN?

I didn't realize members can't see which posts are receiving rep points. What's the purpose in that? I agree with Ophiolite, because it's hard to know how your posts are being perceived when people use the rep system instead of posting just to praise or admonish. Cap'n, is it possible to allow them to see the rep points for a particular post without allowing them to see who gives them?

Soylent Green.

None of it has any evidence that science would find valid. You ARE on a science forum, so maybe you should learn what science considers evidence. A desire to learn would also show the other members that you aren't here just to satisfy some religious agenda.

It's the Bundt FTL Theory.

I guess I'm just not saying it correctly. I'm at a complete loss as to why an educated guy like yourself can't see his health insurance as part of his pay. Your boss could legally take some of your wages away too, it's not illegal. Many people get pay cuts. But the employer shouldn't get to tell you what your pay is spent on. It's still the employee's money the employer is messing with, and it's up to the employee to either stay or leave and find a job with better compensation. This whole thing wouldn't even be an issue if unemployment weren't so high. If an employer takes too much pay from you, you can file for unemployment even though you quit the job. In essence, you can show the Dept of Unemployment that your employer forced you to quit by reducing the compensation past an acceptable level, and that's the same as firing you (I think that percentage may vary by state). Do you think it's a gift because they call them "fringe" benefits? Or just because they call them "benefits"? Hell, when my car insurance company deducts the amount they'll pay for worn parts damaged in a collision, they call it a "betterment"! It's just a way to make things sound nicer. Employers HAVE to call health insurance a benefit so it doesn't get taxed like wages.

You're wrong. You're stating your opinions as fact, which means you have to back it up with satisfactory evidence when asked. You never do. Which means that you aren't participation in an actual discussion, you're just talking and waving your hands. That's preaching. It's never allowed here. This is a discussion forum. This section, like Philosophy and Politics, is meant for opinions. You can express your opinions anytime, but make a statement of fact and you should be prepared to back it up.

Exactly! The employee gets a better rate on health insurance due to the group coverage, and the employer doesn't have to pay wage taxes on the non-monetary compensation. It works for both sides, but it is NOT a gift. Employers offer competitive compensation to get the best workers. Workers need to stop seeing themselves as charity cases who should be grateful to have a boss who "gives" them health insurance. We work for that coverage as much as we work for the wages.

Ophiolite beat me to it, and with a much better explanation. I rather suspected this was some kind of attempt to bring up the old Electric Universe crackpottery again.

I don't mind people looking at my hard end.

If this isn't the answer, it should be. Very clever.

Is it a table of contents and some kind of mirror page in a book? I would then escape by reading it.

Why do I not feel inspired?

What, no cookie?

Reality TV is a total oxymoron.

The mirror casts no reflection since you have no light source. Since you also have no etc., I'm going to break the legs off the table, feel around for the nearest wall and lean the table top against it, making a door. I open the door and escape.

Do you understand what evolution is?

! Moderator Note Since you have a very specific question about evolution, I'm going to change the name of this thread to help get you specific answers. Please think about this on any future threads you start.