Post by CG Admin on Nov 19, 2018 17:12:58 GMT -5
My sense is that people generally want things to be as they more or less are, with continued limited modding, so that's the way I'll leave it. Therefore, no rules will change, whatsoever.
And since people have opted to discuss what went down in the Acosta thread, I'll make it clear (hopefully) what my point of view is, and what therefore is the general standard for the board.
Amadan notes the appeal to authority at play here and that's the key. If someone says "well, you're wrong and I'm right because I'm a professional X," that is an appeal to authority. And thus it's not a good argument. But that kind of issue can be taken care of by other members, in the course of a discussion. It is a flaw for awaiting a counter, in fact. What I have a problem with--what I will always have a problem with--is "you're not qualified to even offer an opinion because you're not a professional X."
People here have unique perspectives, have varying life and professional experience, and yes specific expertise. Sometimes such expertise is a consequence of education and/or work, sometimes it's of life in general. But here's the thing, while I take everyone at their word on who they are, what they have done, and so on, this is still fundamentally an anonymous messageboard in cyberspace. No one has to provide credentials--much less have them verified--in order to post an opinion on anything. All that matters for me are the arguments and the evidence. That is why the board exists. And frankly, that was the paradise lost that brought most of us here.
Individual perspectives and expertise are welcome of course, but no one here owns any particular topic of discussion, or any particular field of inquiry.
Beyond that, I want to stress something: this really is just a messageboard in cyberspace. I know people get wound up about some things. I know I do, after all. But at the end of the day, that's all that this is. If people learn something from their participation, great. If they see an issue from a different perspective and thus adjust their own, also great. But those aren't goals, they're byproducts of what are--hopefully--honest and frank discussions. Restrictive, goal-oriented messageboards will lead to echo chambers, as a matter of course, and my aim is to avoid heading in this direction at all costs.
People are free to keep talking about the issue on this thread if they so desire. I've said my piece and I believe I've been quite clear, though if someone feels I haven't, let me know. Anyone, I'll leave the thread open as long as it doesn't devolve into discussions of personalities.
And since people have opted to discuss what went down in the Acosta thread, I'll make it clear (hopefully) what my point of view is, and what therefore is the general standard for the board.
Amadan notes the appeal to authority at play here and that's the key. If someone says "well, you're wrong and I'm right because I'm a professional X," that is an appeal to authority. And thus it's not a good argument. But that kind of issue can be taken care of by other members, in the course of a discussion. It is a flaw for awaiting a counter, in fact. What I have a problem with--what I will always have a problem with--is "you're not qualified to even offer an opinion because you're not a professional X."
People here have unique perspectives, have varying life and professional experience, and yes specific expertise. Sometimes such expertise is a consequence of education and/or work, sometimes it's of life in general. But here's the thing, while I take everyone at their word on who they are, what they have done, and so on, this is still fundamentally an anonymous messageboard in cyberspace. No one has to provide credentials--much less have them verified--in order to post an opinion on anything. All that matters for me are the arguments and the evidence. That is why the board exists. And frankly, that was the paradise lost that brought most of us here.
Individual perspectives and expertise are welcome of course, but no one here owns any particular topic of discussion, or any particular field of inquiry.
Beyond that, I want to stress something: this really is just a messageboard in cyberspace. I know people get wound up about some things. I know I do, after all. But at the end of the day, that's all that this is. If people learn something from their participation, great. If they see an issue from a different perspective and thus adjust their own, also great. But those aren't goals, they're byproducts of what are--hopefully--honest and frank discussions. Restrictive, goal-oriented messageboards will lead to echo chambers, as a matter of course, and my aim is to avoid heading in this direction at all costs.
People are free to keep talking about the issue on this thread if they so desire. I've said my piece and I believe I've been quite clear, though if someone feels I haven't, let me know. Anyone, I'll leave the thread open as long as it doesn't devolve into discussions of personalities.