Mission Statement

[Xittenn]

[edit] I must apologize it is clearly stated in the rules [edit]

 

Hi! I have been coming here for some time now and I must say I am still uncertain about whether or not I'm in the right place.

 

I would like to start by saying of all the forums the physical organization of the forum is by far the most comforting place on the web for science related discussions. My suggestion here though is that maybe a statement of intent would help potential frequenters understand what it is they are attempting to become a part of. I often get mixed feelings about the place and although no direct comments have been made I have interpreted certain comments as possibly having meaning between the lines that may suggest my being out of place. On account of this I have come and gone a number of times and I think if a statement of intent was made on the forums behalf that maybe a more informed decision could be made in this regard.

 

What I am looking for in a forum? Well I came here looking for a place to freely discuss science. I really hoped to find a community where individuals who, educated or not, freely engaged in scientific discussions. When I make these statements I am fully aware of what the difference is between science, pseudo-science and speculations and I hope that from what I have posted I have demonstrated some understanding of this. The important parts in my statements here are that I am looking for a place that anyone can participate in discussions no matter what their personal level of knowledge is and people to do this with. I am not College or University level educated but I do love science and I wish to be a part of a community that promotes learning even if it is not the most ideal of situations. I hoped to find a place that was not intended for the sole purpose of aiding those in the process of becoming educated in the arts of science through accredited institutions. There is, and obviously so, nothing wrong with a forum that promotes proper education and whose intents fall under this last statement, but this is a place that I would not fit into because there is a good chance that I will never be one of these people.

 

What I am seeing? I see a place where discussions are being freely held but not necessarily promoted. I often feel that it is mostly inappropriate to engage in discussions if I am not at a level where I have mastered such knowledge and I exercise extreme caution in not saying anything that would possibly be misconstrued as an attempt to make myself look like I am saying something that is A) of my own device and B) that is being stated from a professional standpoint; I am not a professional, I do not claim to be one and there is a good chance I will never be one. This said I still wish to find a forum where I am welcome to freely take part in discussions and that where if something I were to say was wrong it would be corrected for the sake of betterment of the knowledge of all those participating and not as a means of eliminating myself as a presence within such a discussion.

 

The point? If this is a homework and studies forum that is geared towards aiding individuals who are presently growing within a given field or extend the previous to a place where professionals also come to discuss their thoughts on ideas with professional being key or if this truly is a place that enables a large group of individuals who wish to freely discuss science to do so, well I think a mission statement might clarify the board owners and staffs intent! Such knowledge would help, at least for me, in determining whether or not the individuals activities are appropriate inside of this establishment.

 

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of what has happened here so far. If I am in the wrong place well, I do hope to see some of the individuals here maybe in the right place should I ever get there.

 

Sincerely,

 

BekaD

Edited March 9, 2011 by Xittenn

[lemur]

If I am in the wrong place well, I do hope to see some of the individuals here maybe in the right place should I ever get there.

I don't think you should regard an online forum as a "place." I think you should just take it as a collection of user-posts to read and if a post interests you, you can respond or ask further question (i.e. engage and discuss). If people respond inappropriately, you should report it, imo. If you have something you are interested in, start a thread and see what response you get. Sometimes I start threads and get nothing and think this isn't a good forum to post that thread. But then a similar issue will come up in another thread and I'll get a lot out of the discussion.

 

As for your level of professional/academic achievement, I don't think that matters (although it always will to you - maybe). Imo, online discussions are a good way for people to engage in interactive intellectual the same way they would by interacting with other students and teachers in a school setting. Anyone who has interacted intellectually in higher education should tell you that the level of exchanges in online forums like this one is of comparable quality. The exception might be for rigorous technical procedures that have to be learned through more tedious practice and application than by conversational exchange. Still, you could always find a (used) textbook and/or online materials, study those, and post questions where clarification is needed.

 

Needless to say, I don't think people should worry about "fitting in" and other issues of social inclusion/exclusion. Although some personal bickering can take place, the internet has always been heralded as a medium that allows people to escape physical and social constraints to engaging in meaningful exchanges.

 

 

[Xittenn]

Needless to say, I don't think people should worry about "fitting in" and other issues of social inclusion/exclusion. Although some personal bickering can take place, the internet has always been heralded as a medium that allows people to escape physical and social constraints to engaging in meaningful exchanges.

 

I avoided this in my op intentionally as I am one of the most awkward persons you will ever meet. I'm not nerdy awkward, I'm the kind of awkward that is when it is simply uncomfortable to interact. This is why my knowing the intent of the forum is helpful and I know I'm not the only one in this position. If I know the intent then it is easier for me to filter between what is my awkwardness and what is inappropriate to the situation.

 

or put another way ....

 

My presence has a tendency to bring out the negative in others, I can really piss people off, I often raise defenses in others and I can also become quite frustrated and upset myself. I can't always tell when I'm out of line and when I'm just outside of what is expected. I just want to find an appropriate place to do what it is I want to do and not be subject to scrutiny for being an outsider.

 

You might not worry about things like this Lemur but I like to make friends with the people I am routinely involving myself with. Finding a place where I fit in and am properly in bounds is for me important and so I raised the issue, I wasn't clear on the intent of the forum. I'm not posting hurt feelings, I'm just reflecting on my activity and how it is and is not appropriate here and also presenting thoughts that may increase the ease of flow here and everywhere, if deemed necessary. I like to think that where there is a need a solution can be formulated to meet the demand, but no solution can be formulated if the need is not presented clearly. Even if there is no solution or will to find one well, under the context, at worst I am in the wrong place and I continue on looking for somewhere more appropriate. Some members here have been so for almost a decade, I'm sure they stuck around because they felt more intimately bound. I haven't yet felt this way here but I see the potential and I try to fit in.

[lemur]

You might not worry about things like this Lemur but I like to make friends with the people I am routinely involving myself with. Finding a place where I fit in and am properly in bounds is for me important and so I raised the issue, I wasn't clear on the intent of the forum.

It's not that I don't worry about such things. In fact, social exclusion in various forms is a serious ethical concern of mine. However, I'm also aware that the desire to "fit in" (i.e. to be included) is the flip side of the coin of exclusion. Another way to put this is that when someone exudes fear of exclusion, it can trigger similar fear in others. If no one is big enough to express a comfort level that eases tensions, people will react to their fear of exclusion with various forms of aggression. These forms of aggression (often passive) are what ultimately result in exclusionary behavior because people basically want to exclude themselves from being excluded, which means distancing themselves from so-called "black sheep." So please don't make yourself or anyone else a "black-sheep." In all the posts I've read written by you, you have come across as a pretentious overeducated young intellectual (e.g. someone who is well-situated in a university education and social circles). I'm not saying "pretentious overeducated" to be derogatory, though I can see how it could sound like that. What I actually mean is that you basically precisely fit my expectations of what I expect to encounter on science forums. This is WHY I like participating in science forums, actually. I guess it's Nietzche in me that doesn't like to hear people couch their intellectualism and intelligence in false modest, play down their vocabularies, etc. This makes people seem more egoistic to me than when they are fully deploying their vocabulary power. Of course I don't like to read unnecessary jargon and wordiness more than anyone else - though I probably produce a lot of it as second-nature. Anyway, I'm rambling but the point is that the purpose of these intelligent forums is to be able to read and write in an intelligent way. So if you're doing either or both, which I think you do, why would anyone have a problem with your participation?

[zapatos]

I often get mixed feelings about the place and although no direct comments have been made I have interpreted certain comments as possibly having meaning between the lines that may suggest my being out of place.

I understand what you are saying but I think you should be careful in interpreting the comments of people as being representative of the site. They only represent themselves when they are participating in a thread. I find this place to be full of individuals who are fairly representative of society. Most seem happy to discuss ideas at a very high level or to bring it down to the level of someone who is a neophyte in their area of expertise (usually me). I also occassionally run into people who seem annoyed that someone with my level of understanding would dare to step into their conversation, although this happens very rarely. And of course every other type of personality in between. Just like in any bar I happen to spend time in.

 

Most people also seem ready to be very direct when questioning someone's comments. I don't think they mean anything personal by it, and I don't take it that way. It's one of the reasons I like this site. And if it ever does get personal, it is typically forgotten by all by the next day.

 

So if I seem to annoy someone, I just stay away from them. But I'm certainly not going to let them interfere with my enjoyment of this site. I get too much out of it.

 

On a personal note, I've been around long enough now to know what people I like to gravitate toward when they are involved in a thread. You are one of those people. I've never found you to be anything other than a thoughtful participant.

[Xittenn]

Well thanks for the feedback guys and thanks for the kind words zapatos. I'm probably just reading too deep into things and over analyzing, I do that sometimes. It is probably a cause of my present math rut and current inability to start interesting conversations. I'm an orange and a green which tends towards inner conflict especially when I am constantly struggling to intersperse more blue and gold; just sayin'.

Edited March 10, 2011 by Xittenn