What Do Forum Members Have in Common ?

[Michael Hardner]

I'm asking about MLW members, but it could be about forums in general:

How are we like each other, but not like people who don't come on here ? What traits do we have that are similar ?

I find that I'm so used to discussing politics that I can now argue both sides of a topic in my real life. In fact, I often have the urge to argue from the right when certain topics come up in mixed company - if they're not being well argued.

Maybe because I can't shake being a know-it-all. Anyway, if climate change comes up then I will more often than not argue the skeptic side, which is the opposite of what I do here. I think that is because I have come to value the quality of the argument more. That is one way we could be alike.

What do you think ?

[overthere]

I do like a a spirited discussion, here and IRL.

I have also taken both sides of an argument, sometimes it is fun to do so in a group and see if anybody notices.

I'm sure everybody here shares my fondness for oiled vinyl undergarments too.

[PIK]

We all care about our country?

Edited January 24, 2014 by PIK

[Moonlight Graham]

We all care about our country?

Ya that's true i think.

Also:

- everyone here thinks their opinion is correct haha.

- We all like debating

- We all have an interest in government and policy and a concern for improving it.

- We all learn from each other, especially when our points are disproven by other posters, whether we admit it or not

- We all live in Canada or the US, as far as I know

- Our life experiences have greatly shaped our political views, even though we like to think we are "free thinkers" we really aren't in many ways. Basically i'm talking about postmoderism.

[Moonlight Graham]

We also all get annoyed at Shady, but yet secretly have a special place in our hearts for him

[PIK]

Ya that's true i think.

Also:

- everyone here thinks their opinion is correct haha.

- We all like debating

- We all have an interest in government and policy and a concern for improving it.

- We all learn from each other, especially when our points are disproven by other posters, whether we admit it or not

- We all live in Canada or the US, as far as I know

- Our life experiences have greatly shaped our political views, even though we like to think we are "free thinkers" we really aren't in many ways. Basically i'm talking about postmoderism.

Good post.

[Bonam]

We have too much time on our hands and no better way to spend it?

[bush_cheney2004]

We have too much time on our hands and no better way to spend it?

Yes...apparently we have found peace on earth and goodwill towards all men (and women). Gee...that was easy !

[Michael Hardner]

Ya that's true i think.

Also:

- everyone here thinks their opinion is correct haha.

- We all like debating

- We all have an interest in government and policy and a concern for improving it.

- We all learn from each other, especially when our points are disproven by other posters, whether we admit it or not

- We all live in Canada or the US, as far as I know

- Our life experiences have greatly shaped our political views, even though we like to think we are "free thinkers" we really aren't in many ways. Basically i'm talking about postmoderism.

Great post MG !

Yes, I also picked up on our collective "smugness" and I think that it's definitely a plus. I would also add: We *mostly* live in Canada in the US but there are posters from elsewhere.

So, postmodernly, who is our collective "other" ? Could it be the mainstream media ?

[Michael Hardner]

I would add:

- We learn more from online discussion with each other than from reading an article, listening to radio, or (ugh) watching television.

- Maybe people think we're nerds but we don't care - our consciences are clean

- We're smug, but we also admire well-formed opinions and arguments of our opponents from time to time

- Poorly-formed opinions and arguments of our opponents drive us crazy

- We love to learn

- We know that none of what says on here matters much, but we still do it

[Remiel]

No offence guys but a couple of these suggestions sound a bit too much like self-congratulatory platitudes. We all love to learn? I have serious reservations about that one. Generalizing is a tricky business, and some of these just are not justified I think.

Even Bonam's light-hearted reply, while having a ring of truth to it, does not quite get to the heart of the matter: why do we debate on this forum when there are so many other public venues where we can air our ideas to many more (and more influential) people? Why am I typing this right now instead of looking to Twitter and Facebook again to fill more of my political needs? I would think they have a higher degree of efficacy.

I think perhaps we all have a bit of a taste for controversy but lack the desire to see that controversy projected into our real lives. Other than that, what keeps this community going may not be so much similarity but just the fact that it is a community: we just have more regard for conversing with each other than we do for many other people. If I had come back for a bit and it was all new people you can bet that I would not have stuck around long enough to post this.

[Michael Hardner]

No offence guys but a couple of these suggestions sound a bit too much like self-congratulatory platitudes. We all love to learn? I have serious reservations about that one.

I stand by that one. To debate is to learn.

But there is no argument being made here - these are just opinions, and I'd like to hear yours.

why do we debate on this forum when there are so many other public venues where we can air our ideas to many more (and more influential) people? Why am I typing this right now instead of looking to Twitter and Facebook again to fill more of my political needs? I would think they have a higher degree of efficacy.

MLW offers something more specialized than the other sites you mentioned.

[DogOnPorch]

Some of us have spent a lot of time in MLW's Cooler for no apparent reason yet hang around anyways. Those who have arranged M.Dancer's bones into comical positions know what that's all about.

[TimG]

Even Bonam's light-hearted reply, while having a ring of truth to it, does not quite get to the heart of the matter: why do we debate on this forum when there are so many other public venues where we can air our ideas to many more (and more influential) people?

1) Other sites tend to be transient as new news items are posted and the pay wall comes down. Conversations here from months/years ago can be resurrected as new information arrives (e.g. the Fukushima thread).

2) Other sites have a huge volume of posts which means individual posts are quickly lost. You could spend 20min composing a thoughtful response to a G&M article only to find that 5min later it is on page 20 and the chances of it being read by anyone are nil. Here posts have a much higher chance of being read by someone even if the audience is smaller.

3) Diversity of views. Other BBs like rabble tend to be monochromatic. I see no point in posting stuff that is not going to get challenged by people who disagree nor do I want to be lone voice in a crowd.

[Michael Hardner]

I also think the usability of this site is superior to the big media sites I have seen.

[SpankyMcFarland]

We have too much time on our hands and no better way to spend it?

Another explanation:

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2016/02/25/man-under-false-impression-his-opinion-carries-weight/

[msj]

We're all gonna die someday... and the good.....

[capricorn]

Mainly, I post here because I love to debate and keep up with politics, and to see politics debated among the posters. I'm a senior who wants to know what makes our younger generation tick and I like what I see. Here, there is no shortage of passion, patriotism, empathy and humour. My thanks to fellow MLW members and to the administration that makes it possible.