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ikorack
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16 Feb 2011, 12:46 am

You need a way for users to suggest topical boards.

'History, Anthropology, and Culture', is one that immediately comes to mind since you seem to like grouping them by three.



iamnotaparakeet
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16 Feb 2011, 8:30 am

ikorack wrote:
You need a way for users to suggest topical boards.

'History, Anthropology, and Culture', is one that immediately comes to mind since you seem to like grouping them by three.


Yes, a topical subforum pertaining to history is something I had requested months ago. Alex claimed the reason he wouldn't do such is because there weren't enough threads to justify it. However, it appears that having enough threads to justify the opening of a subforum doesn't matter to Alex anymore.

A subforum dealing with history would be awesome. Having a place set apart to discuss the topic would encourage the development of new, and perhaps meaningful, threads. E.G., it would be interesting to have a topic on the Byzantines, their culture, their awesome weaponry, etc. Or a topic on the crusades which isn't just a blame-fest but actually focuses on military matters or other matters that are actually interesting.



AlSwearengen
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16 Feb 2011, 10:18 am

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
ikorack wrote:
You need a way for users to suggest topical boards.

'History, Anthropology, and Culture', is one that immediately comes to mind since you seem to like grouping them by three.


Yes, a topical subforum pertaining to history is something I had requested months ago. Alex claimed the reason he wouldn't do such is because there weren't enough threads to justify it. However, it appears that having enough threads to justify the opening of a subforum doesn't matter to Alex anymore.

A subforum dealing with history would be awesome. Having a place set apart to discuss the topic would encourage the development of new, and perhaps meaningful, threads. E.G., it would be interesting to have a topic on the Byzantines, their culture, their awesome weaponry, etc. Or a topic on the crusades which isn't just a blame-fest but actually focuses on military matters or other matters that are actually interesting.


I am a fan of history myself. As for the Holy Crusades though. That would be akin to pouring petrol over yourself and then trying to light a cigarette.
The fact that you felt a need to disclaim this with "which isn't just a blame-fest" probably ought to be a red flag to you that it in all probability will turn into exactly that.
Plenty of less controversial topics and a lot of history to explore.
Maybe making a conscious effort to not tread on areas to do with Christian or for that matter religion. If there is likely to be any more than incidental overlap then best avoided. For instance if you suddenly wanted to talk about Rome in 30AD it will naturally draw religion into itself and we already have a forum for that.
Could be well worth the effort though.



iamnotaparakeet
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16 Feb 2011, 10:36 am

Most of European history after the 4th Century AD could also be turned into a religious discussion if people wanted to, however the advancements in technology of the Byzantines and other non-impoverished nations throughout the medieval era (aka the "Dark Ages") is far more of an interesting discussion than hearing the opinions of people who would blame Christianity for their awakening with halitosis.



leejosepho
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16 Feb 2011, 10:59 am

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
... a topical subforum pertaining to history is something I had requested months ago. Alex claimed the reason he wouldn't do such is because there weren't enough threads to justify it. However, it appears that having enough threads to justify the opening of a subforum doesn't matter to Alex anymore.

Alleged appearances can be deceiving, and innuendo or conjecture against Alex is no more acceptable here than people going after alleged 'phobics. In any case ...

The overall purpose of WP is related to support for people on the autism spectrum, and there is just no way this forum and its subforums could ever be comprehensive in and for all other topics of interest in life. However, a large number of subforms does exist for the purpose of making room for various discussions here on WP while keeping the Autism Discussion section from being completely over-run with everything else ... and I personally happen to believe that is about as good as anything could ever be in a setting such as this.


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Last edited by leejosepho on 16 Feb 2011, 1:17 pm, edited 5 times in total.

AlSwearengen
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16 Feb 2011, 11:00 am

Yes as I say people can draw a relationship in history back to Christianity at many points in history but making it less obvious or easy is probably best unless you wanted thread derailing and thread movement to PPR.
I do think though that there is much merit in a history forum



ikorack
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16 Feb 2011, 6:18 pm

leejosepho wrote:
The overall purpose of WP is related to support for people on the autism spectrum, and there is just no way this forum and its subforums could ever be comprehensive in and for all other topics of interest in life. However, a large number of subforms does exist for the purpose of making room for various discussions here on WP while keeping the Autism Discussion section from being completely over-run with everything else ... and I personally happen to believe that is about as good as anything could ever be in a setting such as this.


Your first point is no reason not to try. Your second places the topical discussions as a facet in the forum which allows effective support discussion, there is no reason this couldn't be viewed as another facet of that support, an outlet for another topical discussion. and your third point is again no reason not to try for improvement.



iamnotaparakeet
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16 Feb 2011, 7:32 pm

leejosepho wrote:
iamnotaparakeet wrote:
... a topical subforum pertaining to history is something I had requested months ago. Alex claimed the reason he wouldn't do such is because there weren't enough threads to justify it. However, it appears that having enough threads to justify the opening of a subforum doesn't matter to Alex anymore.

Alleged appearances can be deceiving, and innuendo or conjecture against Alex is no more acceptable here than people going after alleged 'phobics. In any case ...


I'm not trying to make personal conjecture about Alex, but the subforum he opened recently had only 22 threads to it at the time I first noticed it. The Stats subforum has less than an hundred also. It would be nice to discuss such topics as history or Christianity without having them subjected to the ill-fate of PPR threads in general, namely being derailed and trolled to death. It does appear that the number of threads is no longer a relevant criterion, and I'm not trying to suggest anything about the administrator personally, but perhaps now some subforums could be made in which topics that would otherwise clutter and be lost in Random or be deluged with fire in PPR might actually have a chance of being discussed in a meaningful manner.



iamnotaparakeet
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16 Feb 2011, 9:03 pm

leejosepho wrote:
The overall purpose of WP is related to support for people on the autism spectrum, and there is just no way this forum and its subforums could ever be comprehensive in and for all other topics of interest in life.


Actually, there's a way to be comprehensive in like manner to a library catalog system. The category of history in particular has many subcategories within it, only a few of which are political, philosophical, or religious. History includes myriad subjects within its set.



leejosepho
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16 Feb 2011, 9:27 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
I'm not trying to make personal conjecture about Alex, but ...

Okay, but ... I find it best to not say things in ways that can nevertheless be *heard* as critical of others.

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
It would be nice to discuss such topics as history or Christianity without having them subjected to the ill-fate of PPR threads in general, namely being derailed and trolled to death.

I do not doubt there might be many of us that might feel that way, but I also think we likely know that is just not very likely to happen hardly anywhere on the internet today.


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blue_bean
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16 Feb 2011, 9:40 pm

We don't NEED topical interest forums. There's plenty of other sites on the net where you can indulge in those interests. We need more SUPPORT forums, to provide help and advice that people with AS can't get anywhere else online.

The LGBT forum is a SUPPORT forum, so you can't use that in your argument for the creation of a topical interest forum.



leejosepho
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16 Feb 2011, 9:44 pm

blue_bean wrote:
We don't NEED topical interest forums. There's plenty of other sites on the net where you can indulge in those interests. We need more SUPPORT forums, to provide help and advice that people with AS can't get anywhere else online.

Yes.

blue_bean wrote:
The LGBT forum is a SUPPORT forum, so you can't use that in your argument for the creation of a topical interest forum.

Ah now, now need to stir the pot ...


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blue_bean
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16 Feb 2011, 10:07 pm

leejosepho wrote:
blue_bean wrote:
We don't NEED topical interest forums. There's plenty of other sites on the net where you can indulge in those interests. We need more SUPPORT forums, to provide help and advice that people with AS can't get anywhere else online.

Yes.

blue_bean wrote:
The LGBT forum is a SUPPORT forum, so you can't use that in your argument for the creation of a topical interest forum.

Ah now, now need to stir the pot ...


I wasn't. I was just using the LGBT forum as an example of what I'm talking about with the need for support forums. If some other support forum was created I'd be using that as an example instead.

I'd still like to see something like a "living skills" forum (where people could seek advice for things like finances, cooking, driving, keeping house, or anything else to do with gaining independance) before any new topical forums are made.



leejosepho
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16 Feb 2011, 10:21 pm

blue_bean wrote:
I was just using the LGBT forum as an example of what I'm talking about with the need for support forums.

No problem there, but then this was added:

Quote:
... you can't use that in your argument for the creation of a topical interest forum.

I do understand you were thinking quite logically there, and that makes sense. However, maybe you can also see how someone certainly could be offended by being told what s/he can or cannot use in his or her argument.

blue_bean wrote:
I'd still like to see something like a "living skills" forum (where people could seek advice for things like finances, cooking, driving, keeping house, or anything else to do with gaining independence) ...

That is certainly part of why WP exists, and those kinds of things can already at least be discussed in the various sections we do have here.


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AlSwearengen
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17 Feb 2011, 2:46 am

Now the mysterious "other forum" gets a name. I was dying in anticipation



leejosepho
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17 Feb 2011, 5:21 am

ikorack wrote:
Your first point is no reason not to try. Your second places the topical discussions as a facet in the forum which allows effective support discussion, there is no reason this couldn't be viewed as another facet of that support, an outlet for another topical discussion. and your third point is again no reason not to try for improvement.

Agreed ... and I am really mostly just aware of certain logistical challenges facing any significant changes/additions here on WP. Behind the scene, even Alex is considered a volunteer here.


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