First post.

Ron DMC

Woot \o/.

Now to find some interesting stuff for discussion.

Delirium

Yay!!

Great to see the forum got approved.

Jonathan

w00t.

New forum.

whatduck

Fantastic!

Great to see this implemented.

dr.bollocko

Can someone linky me to the origins? What be the point of this forum? Are we talking expand your mind in the Grateful dead sense or something duller involving chai tea and tai chi?

Delirium

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Can someone linky me to the origins? What be the point of this forum? Are we talking expand your mind in the Grateful dead sense or something duller involving chai tea and tai chi?

The thread proposing the creation of this forum

Wreck

I missed the thread proposing this forum until now, but it sounds really interesting. Hope it takes off.

Futurism

I'm glad to see it's finally been approved.

Anyone else apprehensive about posting a thread?

Wreck

Futurism wrote: »

I'm glad to see it's finally been approved.

Anyone else apprehensive about posting a thread?

Do it! It'll give me something (hopefully) interesting to read during lunch instead of trolling other forums

mike65

Charter?

Cant be that private if I stumbled in

Ron DMC

mike65 wrote: »

Charter?

Best leave that to The Minister.

mike65 wrote: »

Cant be that private if I stumbled in

It's not. See here. If it gets busy and people get annoying, then access may be restricted as per soccer.

mike65

Faire nough!

Ostrom

"Intelligent, highish-brow papers that people may come across in their studies or searches, which are worth reading in order to expand one's mind"

One can only hope.

Give it two days: Wiki and youtube links everywhere...

~me~

should be interesting! hope it goes well

Ian C

Wooo! Delighted this took off.

Futurism

efla wrote: »

"Intelligent, highish-brow papers that people may come across in their studies or searches, which are worth reading in order to expand one's mind"

One can only hope.

Give it two days: Wiki and youtube links everywhere...

If they have value and are accurate, then why not use them?

The_Minister

efla wrote: »

"Intelligent, highish-brow papers that people may come across in their studies or searches, which are worth reading in order to expand one's mind"

One can only hope.

Give it two days: Wiki and youtube links everywhere...

That was my thinking behind making it private, but we can only hope that with good moderation and a strong sense of community that the forum becomes an asset to boards and it's members.


I hope that this will be more than just a place to discuss academic articles, but will instead be used to help people aquire as many skills as possible, and as much understanding as desired, in the brief time that they have on this Earth. I have always found a special joy in understanding how and why things work, and the state of things, and I hope that the people who use this forum discover that feeling too.

I've always agreed with G.K. Chesterton when he said that:
"In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it."

This paradox rests on the most elementary common sense. The gate or fence did not grow there. It was not set up by somnambulists who built it in their sleep. It is highly improbable that it was put there by escaped lunatics who were for some reason loose in the street. Some person had some reason for thinking it would be a good thing for somebody. And until we know what the reason was, we really cannot judge whether the reason was reasonable. It is extremely probable that we have overlooked some whole aspect of the question, if something set up by human beings like ourselves seems to be entirely meaningless and mysterious. There are reformers who get over this difficulty by assuming that all their fathers were fools; but if that be so, we can only say that folly appears to be a hereditary disease. But the truth is that nobody has any business to destroy a social institution until he has really seen it as an historical institution. If he knows how it arose, and what purposes it was supposed to serve, he may really be able to say that they were bad purposes, that they have since become bad purposes, or that they are purposes which are no longer served. But if he simply stares at the thing as a senseless monstrosity that has somehow sprung up in his path, it is he and not the traditionalist who is suffering from an illusion."

To understand the world, and have at least some grasp of why it's institutions, societies and morals exist and operate in the way that they do is the true key to improving this world. If something is changed or reformed, and the reasons why it took the disfavoured form are not addressed, then either the thing will gradually return to its previous shape, or will be less effective.

I don't expect this forum to change the world, but in small ways I expect it will have an impact on a few people on this island, by allowing them to gain things that they never would have otherwise.

Ostrom

Futurism wrote: »

If they have value and are accurate, then why not use them?

Because the worst excesses of it on boards are truly awful, and potentially damaging. Im trying not to be cynical, I sincerely hope it proceeds as The Minister says

Asiaprod

Congratulations on your new forum. Let the learning begin.:)

Fad

Congrats on the new forum!

toiletduck

Great to see this place got the nod. Congrats.

duckysauce

? yahhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo party blow ff

Fremen

Just as BGRH has the ladies' lounge as a counterpoint, I think this forum needs a "contract your horizons" forum to balance it out.
Closed-minded people will raise petty grievances, receiving encouragement and support from other closed-minded types who are content to while away their pointless lives without ever looking further than their own dinnerplates.

Wait... I think I just described After Hours.

Darlughda

Oh Yippppeee

delighted to have found this forum!

Now sums and science wreck my head, but I'm just going to have to learn to focus and pay attention!:D

Wonderful links, thanks. I'll be back in a cupla centuries when I've read them all and the boring rules.

All the best,

Darlughda