Psience Quest

(2017-08-16, 09:10 AM)Stan Woolley Wrote: [ -> ]I am much more likely to post something about something that's happened in the news or about conspiracy theories, more likely about my own thinking, than I ever am to post about something like nde or reincarnation etc. Those topics are more measured and news about them relatively sparse.

Reflecting just on my own motivations for posting re: politics, I posted a lot in recent months in those political threads (mostly the Trump one). But I think the motivation was mostly fun, entertainment, and it's kind of cheap and easy to do. I wouldn't mind being "forced" to try to come up with more interesting content in the spiritual and paranormal veins.

And Skeptiko a while back (1, maybe more 2 or 3 years?), before the politics and CTs came more to the fore, was far from a dead library.

I’d be disappointed if we weren’t allowed to post about CTs on here. I have an interest in the occult, mystery schools, etc, which often tie into conspiracy theories as well as consciousness.

It seems that some members think that if we allow CT discussion, the forum will be overrun with them, that a bunch of hollow-earthers, flat-earthers, and lizard-people believers would show up and dominate the forum and drive away future newbies. IIRC, the Skeptiko forum itself did not have that many threads on conspiracy. I remember the 911 thread, a thread on Sandy Hook, a couple of elite pedo-ring threads, and the moon hoax. CTs were a minuscule portion of Skeptiko. If it seems bigger now, that’s probably because of Alex’s interests and his podcasts.

And speaking of the moon hoax, it wasn’t the conspiracy itself that drove people to quit. I remember that thread pretty well because of the drama. In my opinion, the source of the anger was Linda (and her typical irritating style of argument) who really wound up Lone Shaman. He then attacked Typoz (but I believe he apologized to him), but I don’t remember anyone else quitting for good over it other than LS? (Though it would be cool if Lone Shaman ended up here. I didn’t always agree with him, but he posted some interesting content, and I was sad to see him go and not return.)

As for politics, I stopped participating in political threads because it became so divisive. I wouldn’t mind if there were a place here to discuss it, but I probably would not participate again. The biggest problem I had with politics on Skeptiko was when a poster would bring up politics in a non-political thread, usually to attack another poster. That kind of thing is immensely tiresome.

Just my two-cent opinion!

Edit: Also, isn't discussion of entities such as corporations and institutional bodies manipulating or covering-up research for their own ends also CT? I'm assuming that would be allowed, no? Maybe we should define what we mean when we say "conspiracy theory."

Quote:Skeptiko does not allow members to create threads on NDEs.

Lol.

*face palm*

(2017-08-17, 07:52 AM)Doppelgänger Wrote: [ -> ]I’d be disappointed if we weren’t allowed to post about CTs on here. I have an interest in the occult, mystery schools, etc, which often tie into conspiracy theories as well as consciousness.

It seems that some members think that if we allow CT discussion, the forum will be overrun with them, that a bunch of hollow-earthers, flat-earthers, and lizard-people believers would show up and dominate the forum and drive away future newbies. IIRC, the Skeptiko forum itself did not have that many threads on conspiracy. I remember the 911 thread, a thread on Sandy Hook, a couple of elite pedo-ring threads, and the moon hoax. CTs were a minuscule portion of Skeptiko. If it seems bigger now, that’s probably because of Alex’s interests and his podcasts.

And speaking of the moon hoax, it wasn’t the conspiracy itself that drove people to quit. I remember that thread pretty well because of the drama. In my opinion, the source of the anger was Linda (and her typical irritating style of argument) who really wound up Lone Shaman. He then attacked Typoz (but I believe he apologized to him), but I don’t remember anyone else quitting for good over it other than LS? (Though it would be cool if Lone Shaman ended up here. I didn’t always agree with him, but he posted some interesting content, and I was sad to see him go and not return.)

As for politics, I stopped participating in political threads because it became so divisive. I wouldn’t mind if there were a place here to discuss it, but I probably would not participate again. The biggest problem I had with politics on Skeptiko was when a poster would bring up politics in a non-political thread, usually to attack another poster. That kind of thing is immensely tiresome.

Just my two-cent opinion!

Edit: Also, isn't discussion of entities such as corporations and institutional bodies manipulating or covering-up research for their own ends also CT? I'm assuming that would be allowed, no? Maybe we should define what we mean when we say "conspiracy theory."

Re: your last sentence-
A discussion about some psi topic which is probably located in a relevant topical folder and which happens upon a particular associated possible conspiracy theory IS NOT the same thing as a whole section of the website dedicated to the vast smelly swamp of conspiracy theories. There is a huge difference. 

Come on. It's not that complicated folks.

And substitute the word politics for CT in the above sentence and you have a workable solution for that too.

I agree. I think the spirit of the thing is to keep more fringy discussions "below the fold" as it were. I certainly don't have a problem with that. I don't get any sense that this forum is going to censor anything unless it perhaps touches on subjects that could bring the focus of some kind of law enforcement agency.

(2017-08-16, 09:51 PM)Typoz Wrote: [ -> ]

(2017-08-16, 09:23 PM)Jim_Smith Wrote: [ -> ]

(2017-08-16, 08:42 PM)Sciborg_S_Patel Wrote: [ -> ]I guess I just don't see the need for CT or politics section if Skeptiko is already covering that?

I didn't think we were trying to compete with Skeptiko, just provide an alternative forum now that C+S/S&E/CD are being deleted?

Skptiko does not allow members to create threads on politics. I tried to create a new trump thread and it was closed.

You tried to create a new trump thread - and the entire forum was shut down!
Well, two whole forums: Extended Consciousness & Spirituality + Consciousness & Science. (someone else had posted in the other about Pam Reynolds). Skeptiko does not allow members to create threads on NDEs.

Wow, I don't feel that left out now... Welcome to the Brotherhood of Insufficient Privileges!

Laird,

I would suggest that we keep all topics that are not related to consciousness/NDEs/ψ/paranormal phenomena/UFOs (plus maybe bad science because the is a connection)off topic for the time being. We can always relax the rules later.

I would suggest we keep all politics - including global warming, Trump, LBGT, intergenerational sex, Pizzagate, off the forum. We have all joined in with such topics on SKEPTIKO, and we can see the end result.

As moderator, you could always bend the rules a bit if it seemed appropriate, but lets start out with some limits.

You are the moderator here, and I hope that when you need to act, you simply act in order to protect the forum.

I think Alex is on the way to wrecking his forum, and we have a responsibility to maintain the core conversation.

David

(2017-08-17, 12:44 PM)jkmac Wrote: [ -> ]Re: your last sentence-
A discussion about some psi topic which is probably located in a relevant topical folder and which happens upon a particular associated possible conspiracy theory IS NOT the same thing as a whole section of the website dedicated to the vast smelly swamp of conspiracy theories. There is a huge difference. 

Come on. It's not that complicated folks.

And substitute the word politics for CT in the above sentence and you have a workable solution for that too.

There is a difference, but it is very hard to police that distinction. I guess we are all exhausted with politics and CT's, so why don't we start with them excluded and then bring them back later if desired?

David

(2017-08-17, 10:20 PM)DaveB Wrote: [ -> ]You are the moderator here

Hi Dave, I'm glad you're here. Just a brief response to this: I am far from the only moderator here, there are several others. We have chosen not to identify ourselves as such so as to try to avoid the possibility that people feel loath to comment in a thread where there's an admin/moderator present.

FWIW: I started out agnostic on the subject of this thread but am slowly forming a view. I think that probably we will, in the end, need a poll with various options to allow folks to pick their preference.

(2017-08-17, 10:20 PM)DaveB Wrote: [ -> ]I think Alex is on the way to wrecking his forum, and we have a responsibility to maintain the core conversation.

Yes, it is very sad. It's all about what Alex wants these days, he doesn't cares what the community wants - and that's a recipe for disaster.

It seems to me that there are two approaches to moderation, one being democratic and laissez-faire and the other being authoritarian and strict. I think most would prefer the former and so would I - with certain provisos as I've mentioned previously:

Posts containing personal attacks and hurtful insults should be deleted.

Off-topic conversations should be given a chance to see where they are headed (i.e. - is there an overlap with psi, etc?) but locked if they continue to undermine the primary focus of the forum. In that case, members could be invited to continue by PM or, if it becomes possible, by private, multi-participant conversation.