Why do you come here, if you don't care to learn?

[Helene]

One of the reasons why I first sought out US Politics online, was to become more knowledgeable about the US, politics and debate.

In the early days, the forum was very quiet. There were maybe 10 posts a day? There was a small in-crowd of intelligent people across the political spectrum, who debated subjects in depth. We also had our very own paranoid schizophrenic, who was always posting stories about being followed by the US government in all kinds of unlikely ways, who posted on his own in his very own subforum (no one else would go there and disturb him).

In time, the speed picked up and we picked up more and more people.

Now I understand that increased popularity brings with it decreased quality of the actual postings.

But some of the threads that I see being posted today are just beyond ridiculous. They are inaccurate, sound-bite partisan, mud slinging confirmations of previously held convictions.

Why bother posting these posts? Why are you here? What do you hope to get out of your forum experience?

What's so wrong with trying to see things from another perspective? Why, if you only want to listen to yourself, do you come to a forum (a place where you can exchange thoughts and ideas and learn)?

Please, if you are going to answer the thread, can you stick to answering for yourself, instead of pointing to others?

[tsquare]

I come here to teach...

[Helene]

I come here to teach...

How is it working out for you?

[Hafke]

I come to learn. I've discovered (well, more so) that there are people who disagree with me because they have reasonably considered the evidence. And there are those who do so because they're assholes. Same as real life, but it can take a while to sink in.

But I also enjoy arguing, especially about politics. It's not always particularly cerebral. Sometimes it involves ad hominem attacks. But it's fun and it stops people getting too full of themselves. (Yes, I include myself in that.) Just ignore the stupid threads, and focus on the more intelligent ones.

[Jefe]

I come here to teach...

Does that mean your mind is closed to any new information?

-------

Personally, I come here mostly to learn. If I teach someone a new tidbit every once in a while, then that's cool. But mostly, I learn.

[Speakeasy]

I come here to try and understand those who I disagree with and hopefully communicate to them why I have the stance on a given subject that I do. I come here to have my views challenged to see if they stand up to scrutiny and go back and review my position if it doesn't stand up. I come here to learn, to grow, to discuss and help myself figure out where I stand politically.

A few people come here just to talk at you and then ignore or cherry pick anything you say back. Those are just plain terrible posters and should be avoided.

[Helene]

I come to learn. I've discovered (well, more so) that there are people who disagree with me because they have reasonably considered the evidence. And there are those who do so because they're assholes. Same as real life, but it can take a while to sink in.

But I also enjoy arguing, especially about politics. It's not always particularly cerebral. Sometimes it involves ad hominem attacks. But it's fun and it stops people getting too full of themselves. (Yes, I include myself in that.) Just ignore the stupid threads, and focus on the more intelligent ones.

I see your point, yes in a way it isn't different from other media of communication. But I don't understand the point of the stupid threads. Why does anyone bother to make them?

[Wolfgang]

I come here to teach...

[Sluggo]

One of the reasons why I first sought out US Politics online, was to become more knowledgeable about the US, politics and debate.

In the early days, the forum was very quiet. There were maybe 10 posts a day? There was a small in-crowd of intelligent people across the political spectrum, who debated subjects in depth. We also had our very own paranoid schizophrenic, who was always posting stories about being followed by the US government in all kinds of unlikely ways, who posted on his own in his very own subforum (no one else would go there and disturb him).

In time, the speed picked up and we picked up more and more people.

Now I understand that increased popularity brings with it decreased quality of the actual postings.

But some of the threads that I see being posted today are just beyond ridiculous. They are inaccurate, sound-bite partisan, mud slinging confirmations of previously held convictions.

Why bother posting these posts? Why are you here? What do you hope to get out of your forum experience?

What's so wrong with trying to see things from another perspective? Why, if you only want to listen to yourself, do you come to a forum (a place where you can exchange thoughts and ideas and learn)?

Please, if you are going to answer the thread, can you stick to answering for yourself, instead of pointing to others?

That is not very fair at all. While you are saying we should be here to learn you are on you own determining what is 'beyond rediculous' as if to suggest that your opinion on this is fact. I may agree with you on some posts being rediculous of course and many are filled with typical partisan rants. But, you have to admit at least on some level this is to be expected on the types of issues in heated political debate we all talk about. Or, at least those that by nature will have extreme points of view that no matter what is said it is very unlikely to sway someone from one side of the debate to the other.

As far as I am concerned I came here looking for political debate and expect very partisan outcomes in most threads. It has nothing to do with seeing something from another perspective as I already do but more trying to gain an understanding of the debate points at a micro level of those I may not agree with. I want to see the stats, talking points, and position of those I do not agree with. In that respect I am learning from the exchange of thoughts and ideas but that does not mean I have to adopt them or accept them over my own just to gain something from this forum or have some sort of better experience. That and I will admit on some issues the presentation from those I may not agree with has on some level changed my opinion but that alone did not make the experience any better. It was the exchange of ideas or the debate itself which I expected to see. Even those filled with the expected rants, mine included. As for the threads that are beyond rediculous, I just ignore them.

[tsquare]

How is it working out for you?

Better for me than for many others here.

Does that mean your mind is closed to any new information?

Not at all. I eagerly await the day that some actually shows up.

This isn't my first day at the rodeo...

[JHC]

A long, long time ago...(I can still remember how that music used to make me smile).
No, but seriously, I came here to learn and to share- a long time ago.
Then, life seemed too urgent and I lost my patience and went away for a while. I'll probably do that again.

I'm still here to learn but in a different way. Old answers don't satisfy me; they lead to dead ends and wrong conclusions. I'll pick up some insights here and there, turn them over, try them out, compost the junk and use the rest to make my way a little further through the thicket.

I have a hunch that we are all doing this. Some of us recognize it and others maybe haven't noticed that they were even going anywhere. Surprise! No one gets out of here alive.

Anyway, I have never been happy standing still, it gives me this weird vertigo feeling. I thought I'd look in on you and see if things look different from this new perspective. They do! A little. But even though there are new people there are old dynamics so it's like watching the same play with different players.

This place provides an accidental sign post. Once you get going on the journey it doesn't take long before you discover that there isn't any up or down so it's kind of nice to pass by the same intersection for reference. For that I would say thanks for not changing but most of you weren't here the first time I came by and have no earthly clue what I'm talking about.

The sharing part is what I'm doing right now. I want to share something even if it is unwelcome news because it still makes me weak in the knees to watch suffering. The unwelcome news is that you are wrong and yet the Earth still spins. How do I know you're wrong? Because you're human. Mostly.

[Helene]

That is not very fair at all. While you are saying we should be here to learn you are on you own determining what is 'beyond rediculous' as if to suggest that your opinion on this is fact.

I didn't point out any particular thread as " beyond ridiculous". Whether we agree on which threads are ridiculous doesn't matter. I didn't take a stance on this.

I may agree with you on some posts being rediculous of course and many are filled with typical partisan rants. But, you have to admit at least on some level this is to be expected on the types of issues in heated political debate we all talk about.

I don't think that this is to be expected. I disagree with the entire notion that partisan rants are an acceptable form of communication.

Or, at least those that by nature will have extreme points of view that no matter what is said it is very unlikely to sway someone from one side of the debate to the other.

I fully agree that debate is unlikely to sway someone's beliefs. That's not what I am referring to. I don't understand why anyone feels the need to come here and post threads solely to confirm their own beliefs, without taking any thought to realize that since we're all people, others might have a valid point of view, even if you disagree with it.

As far as I am concerned I came here looking for political debate and expect very partisan outcomes in most threads.

It's clearly realistic to expect partisan outcomes.

It has nothing to do with seeing something from another perspective as I already do but more trying to gain an understanding of the debate points at a micro level of those I may not agree with. I want to see the stats, talking points, and position of those I do not agree with. In that respect I am learning from the exchange of thoughts and ideas but that does not mean I have to adopt them or accept them over my own just to gain something from this forum or have some sort of better experience.

I don't think you have to change your mind to have a good experience. But a broadened perspective might be a nice outcome.

[Helene]

Better for me than for many others here.

Not at all. I eagerly await the day that some actually shows up.

This isn't my first day at the rodeo...

Well, to be honest, you are not a very good teacher.

The thing is, why show up at a rodeo, instead of at a place where you can try to see things from another perspective?

One of the diseases of our times is the notion that we can't learn anything from people we disagree with, nor from any mistakes in our past.

[Lutherf]

One of the reasons why I first sought out US Politics online, was to become more knowledgeable about the US, politics and debate.

In the early days, the forum was very quiet. There were maybe 10 posts a day? There was a small in-crowd of intelligent people across the political spectrum, who debated subjects in depth. We also had our very own paranoid schizophrenic, who was always posting stories about being followed by the US government in all kinds of unlikely ways, who posted on his own in his very own subforum (no one else would go there and disturb him).

In time, the speed picked up and we picked up more and more people.

Now I understand that increased popularity brings with it decreased quality of the actual postings.

But some of the threads that I see being posted today are just beyond ridiculous. They are inaccurate, sound-bite partisan, mud slinging confirmations of previously held convictions.

Why bother posting these posts? Why are you here? What do you hope to get out of your forum experience?

What's so wrong with trying to see things from another perspective? Why, if you only want to listen to yourself, do you come to a forum (a place where you can exchange thoughts and ideas and learn)?

Please, if you are going to answer the thread, can you stick to answering for yourself, instead of pointing to others?

So, in essence, you're annoyed that people joined a discussion forum and changed the "atmosphere".

Well...I suppose that would cause a problem....except, of course, that such is the way life works. As you let more and more people into your sphere of experience you simply get more experiences. If you don't like some of those experiences then you have to choose whether accept the bad with the good or start shrinking your sphere.

Life is full of experiences but discussion forums come with an "ignore" button.

[timj219]

I think I have learned things here even if it isn't always what other posters wanted to teach me. If nothing else this forum has been a great place to develop and refine a (hopefully) rational defense of my positions. I've even had my mind changed on at least one major issue of our day by coming here. So wading through the crap has had benefits for me.