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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
The problem with a separate Q&A section for newer members is that you still presuppose that they know what the rules are and still instill a mild sense of hierarchy. We can't really say, you're new, so you should probably post here. Every new person is totally different, some may be absolute computer wizzes and others might be language experts who don't know how to turn on the computer. Plus, you might end up with a sub-community of people who simply become comfortable with only staying in that area. The purported intent of this would be to have people ask questions that have already been discussed in depth before, but how are they to know what's been discussed already and which section they should put their question in? You end up with the possibility of a very interesting topic that hasn't been discussed elsewhere being confined to that "newbie" area. And if access is restricted to just newer members, then they miss out on the contributions of older members, and older members don't get the pleasure of participating. So far, new members have, if they are indeed interesting in participating, assimilated well. I'm just proposing a simple informal community section where everyone can "see and be seen."  I rather doubt that Jackie has the ability to create a new section, but she obviously has that crucial connection. What do you think, J?
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I think all members should have a right to govern themselves here according to their own will. But individuals must be obliged to subordinate their will to the reason of the majority. And if, believing oneself above this, one then attempts to govern others, one thus enslaves oneself and the Board as a whole.
holy cow, chris... that was absolutely brilliant. could well be the motto of the board (albeit a long one!) perhaps we could convince someone (hi, faldage!)(and wherefor[sp?] art thou, beloved Scribbler?) to translate it to latin?
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
A thanks to all for the very refreshing discussion here! The mention of a newbie's area does, I'll admit, bring a twinkle to my eye, because there is that period of shyness mentioned by myself, and many others along way, due to the Intimidation Factor. I know it took me at least a month or two of reading along before I summoned the courage to even attempt a post (and another couple of months before I felt confident enough to start posting regularly), and we've heard like stories from many others. And, so, I suspect there are still many who endlessly wallow in the the limbo of this Intimidation Factor, not because they're content with being a read-along "Lurker", but because they can never get up the nerve to join in next to many of the super-intellects that appear here (pros such as tsuwm, NicholasW, Bingley, and others...from whom I've gratefully learned volumes about the world of linguistics, thanks! ); or they don't know how to break into the friendly frivolity of such a high-pitched intellectual discourse. Still others may follow along in this Intimidation Period for months, and then just disappear altogether, frustrated they can't find a spot, or get up the courage, to make their break into the stream of things. So I suspect we lose a lot of potential contributors in this manner. Because, unless you open a private dialogue with someone (which you probably won't do unless you start posting), there's no way of knowing that all levels of input are welcome here, and that everybody adds something to the discussion in their own way. By just reading along, unless you're a dedicated "Lurker", you tend to focus on the more cerebral aspects of the threads, at least I did, and talk yourself out of ever having the dexterity to enter into these conversations. Of course, a few days' perusal of Wordplay & Fun would certainly soften anyone's uncomfortability!  But I came here for the words after susbscribing to the Daily Word...so I went right to Q & A, Misc., and other word discussions like "Eponyms". I'm not sure a new members area is the answer, but it, or something akin to it, to help channel and ease folks through this initial Intimidation Factor is, I think, an idea whose time has come! The Only WO'N!
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
(just peeking in) On the other hand, if this place is not challenging enough, go here: http://www.vocabula.com/hi, hev!
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
well, if I may, I'd like to jump back in here and refocus my thinking by looking at some of the commentary: regarding the magisterium: I mentioned that it was a "loaded" term. well, besides the (unwanted) RC connotations of the "teaching" sense that I wanted, and the possible conflation with majesty; the other sense of the word is from Alchemy: the philosopher's stone. I'm still thinking about how that could be applied. once again *we are dominating the discussion. where are the new guys* to tell us what they think? are we just kidding ourselves with a lot of logorrhea? that was absolutely brilliant...oh dear. (must be temperate..) not for nothing was that post signed rousseau.fr, I'd say. think "Social Contract".. think French Revolution.. read Locke also.. take two political discussion boards and call us in the morning. chris, I guess I'm thinking of rational discussion, and disagreement, to be part of teaching -- perhaps we'd be better served to recast this "ideal" in terms of learning, but that term is being so overused currently in the business world; a person can't even get training any more! *used generically -- it sounds friendlier to me than newbies. if you have an issue with my use of it in a genderless fashion, please take it to miscellany. {aside to musick: note differentiation in placement of *s in the above  } p.s. - thanks everyone of you for your contributions
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 137
member
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 137 |
I am neither a newbie, nor do I think I have the time/talent to ever become an old hand. I would be sorry to see a newbie forum, I don't think it would serve the board well. In theory and in practice I'm afraid it would turn out to be two very separate things.
I come here to rub shoulders with the big boys. I come here for the teaching, the wisdom, the learning. If I didn't feel welcome I wouldn't come.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
tsuwm says where are the new guys* to tell us what they think? .
I was going to keep out of this, it is too easy to offend, but if I don’t say my piece and things change I can only blame myself, that’s democracy! So….....
I spent some time looking at threads before choosing to join in, and yes that included some of the unpleasantness that I decided was nothing to do with me and consequently not for me to get involved with. Putting that particular interaction on one side, reading the threads gave me an insight into the way the community worked and related and I liked it. I believe that both old and new are sufficiently tolerant and well intentioned to get along OK. The more experienced hands realise that we more recent arrivals are not going to have time to become familiar with or search for possible previous old threads, (Helen of Troy guided me so gently, so nicely, when I first posted), and if they don't feel a particular theme is worth revisiting they generally leave it to the newer guys to get into if they wish - if no one wishes then it dies. A kind of natural selection.
Rhubarb Commando says Would the provision of two separate "areas" cause just the sort of division ....... I believe that is just what could happen; the danger is that eventually you could develop two mature forae, one attended by todays longstanding contributors and the other for the rest. Life’s infinite variety comes from mixing and mingling, that is healthy and I love it. I agree with ladymoon, I would not vote for a separate learner’s pool.
dxb.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Oh. I just became a journeyman - I was a Newbie when I wrote the above.
dxb
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I definitely vote against two separate pools. Besides, it's interesting to see how the old ones treat the newly arrived ones--and to see the generosity of spirit suppled when the old ones provide a link to previously discussed topics.
It might be good to have a place where the newly arrived could discuss questions that probably only relate to them (and oldies who haven't learned everything), such as now to navigate the search function, problems encountered when trying to paste a url, and other concerns. The oldies could peek in if that's what they wanted to do to offer a guiding hand...or could peek in to hear the voices there of new posters. But everybody would post on the regular forums. (It ain't forae, fori or somethin' like that, is it?)
But we sure as heck need some kind of consensus, I believe, that PMs are to be honored as Private Messages and cannot be posted publically on the board without explicit consent of the sender. Otherwise, the "private" in PM is meaningless and counts for nothing...and, if a potentially pulic message, perhaps we ought to rename it the PPM: Potentially Public Message. This is just a suggestion and I hope not to be taken as a criticism--just a direction that I think would be beneficial to everybody here.
Best regards,
WW
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 184
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Joined: Apr 2002
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