Guest guest Posted August 25, 2009 Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 I second the below comments by about the group. I have been on since 2005 and this is without a doubt the best chat group in terms of critical thinking skills, permissiveness in allowing dissent and arguments, off-topicness (which has it's place), support, and all around helpful knowledge. Also there's some good flexibility in terms of posting (I hate when other group moderators want posts just so and make you trim it and have a conniption if you question something or don't post references, etc, etc.) The group is not always perfect but pretty darn good. The more different viewpoints, the better. The downward spiral of personal attacks is never fun, though, to read or be a part of. I think it happens when people use inflammatory language or are don't address the argument directly but include statements like " that's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard " or " that's silly " Instead of " I disagree and here's why " It's really hard not to get emotional on some topics, I think we all become guilty of that at some point, especially when you feel attacked. But good debate is seeing the other side, if only to try and shore up your own points. Arguments, on the other hand, seem to be the refusing to see the other person's side or even where they are coming from. It's an important difference and affects the quality of a thread. > > Kelvin, > > > > haha... u must be frustrated bc mike never admits any mistakes or > > wrong when flagged by u or alex, et al. to continue this back and > > forth is only an exercise in mental foreplay and wasted effort wen ur > > one objective is to point out certain flaws or considerations and the > > other is to maintain position and 'win' a debate. > > > > in other words... why other anymore? this can continue ad nauseum wen > > any valid point made is sidestepped or changed to argue another > > related but new point. > > > > kelvin via cell > > (i wonder who the 1 vegan mike was implying on this big list of readers...) > > Keep going. No discussion is wasted on this list. Trust me. I have > been here longer than most. There are many lurkers on this list who > are quite discerning, and learn a lot from the back and forth. > Personal attacks are silly and tend to drive people away, but never > think that making a coherent argument is lost around here. It is not. > > Many of the major posters don't post as frequently as they once did, > if it all, because well...life gets in the way, but this group, IMO, > is a goldmine, precisely because of the open nature of the discussion > and the willingness of people to go head to head. There are a few > folks whose style and tactics could use some improvement, and > occasionally the discussion degenerates to name calling and personal > attacks, but even then, if you have something solid to say, such > styles can be great foils in which to make your point. > > > -- > " One hears that, in foreign lands, people are now learning to swim, > lying on the floor, with the aid of equipment. In the same way, one > can become a Catholic or Protestant without experiencing life at > all--by reading books in one's study. But to become Orthodox, it is > necessary to immerse oneself all at once in the very element of > Orthodoxy, to begin living in an Orthodox way. There is no other > way. " --Fr. Pavel Florensky > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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