Which threads to boost on social media?

So I was thinking a bit about this, and I wanted to avoid just doing most recent because a lot of those threads posted by 
me are to make *this* forum aware of something I saw on the Internet.

Obviously interviews we do would be top priority...I think?

I was thinking some of the "hits", in the sense that there was a lot of back & forth, would be the top choices. 

We can also do posts where it's less "Here's a Youtube video or link to article" and instead when a member specifically asks a question to forum members such as "What is the afterlife like?" or "How do we reconcile Survival evidence, UFO evidence, Deep Weird evidence?"
 
And then maybe every so often we post a thread where the OP is a link to a video or article that has no discussion but could generate interest.

Just for clarity, I think discussions that are started by some link - such as the recent discussion about the Telepathy Tapes - is different than a post that has zero replies, or almost all replies are just further links rather than discussion.

[Laird]

Obviously interviews we do would be top priority

I strongly agree.

I was thinking some of the "hits", in the sense that there was a lot of back & forth, would be the top choices. 

We can also do posts where it's less "Here's a Youtube video or link to article" and instead when a member specifically asks a question to forum members such as "What is the afterlife like?" or "How do we reconcile Survival evidence, UFO evidence, Deep Weird evidence?"
 
And then maybe every so often we post a thread where the OP is a link to a video or article that has no discussion but could generate interest.

That all sounds good.

In drafting our new homepage, which has now gone live, I showcased, on ChatGPT's advice, some threads (three of them). This might or might not be useful to you in developing general criteria, but here's why I chose those three in particular (noting that I don't remember every thread that's ever been posted, so there might be even better candidates):

Indridi Indridason's contact with Emil Jensen

• It's an adversarial process of arriving at the truth through detailed examination of primary sources, which seems, by consensus, to eventually have arrived at the truth.
  
• As an adversarial process, it has some drama, however, it never (so far as I recall) descends into nastiness nor personal animosity (I rejected another thread that ChatGPT proposed, on the basis that there was a whole lot of personal animosity in it).
  
• As an adversarial process, its content is original, even though it draws on non-original sources.
  
• Its subject matter is core to Psience Quest.
  
• Its subject is a single case, and the focus remains on that single case.
  
• The thread represents a sort of case in itself (of adversarial truth-finding).
  

The a priori case for the paranormal? and its companion discussion thread

• It's methodical and thoroughly resourced.
  
• In weaving its references together into an argument with commentary, its content is also original, even though, like the Indridi thread, it draws on non-original sources.
  
• It also doesn't stray from its focus.
  
• It represents a bridge between our core subject matter (psi and survival - parapsychology) and our extended subject matter (philosophy, especially philosophy of mind).
  
• The conversation in the companion thread is amicable, thoughtful, and relevant.
  

Dualism or idealist monism as the best model for survival after death data

• It also represents a bridge between core subject matter and extended subject matter.
  
• Its content is also original, like the other two threads.
  
• It is a good example of amicable, in-depth, nuanced, and well-referenced debate among board members, even though it doesn't arrive at a consensus like the Indridi thread does.
  

I suggest this thread: Is the human self nonexistent?

Its content should be interesting to anyone interested in the possible survival of consciousness after death. It contains some of the best comments I have ever seen on this forum, and it also contains this reply by @Laird :

One further comment:

The above explanation of my view of the self hopefully also explains why I am perplexed when people say things like "If I don't retain my personality and memories when I reincarnate, then it's not the same me". No, dude. Your self - that which looks out on reality from a unique perspective - is prior to personality and memories (prior even to consciousness). Your personality and memories can be mixed, matched, and utterly changed, but you will still be you - that is, you will still be that which looks out on reality from your own unique perspective.

To me it seems that this is the most common issue people have with reincarnation, and it always comes up in the internet discussions.

[Laird]

I suggest this thread: Is the human self nonexistent?

I don't remember much of that thread, so I'll have to take a look at it to refresh my memory. In the meantime, you've given me an idea: we could create a new page partly for SEO purposes but mostly just for the benefit of the community and visitors, titled something like "Featured threads: as chosen by members".

We could populate it using a process roughly like this (to be determined in specifics if the idea was accepted):

1. Members suggest threads to be included, along with their reason for suggesting each.
   
2. After some time, we freeze the suggestion list, and provide some sort of means for all suggested threads to be ranked by members, as well as for members to optionally offer their own reasons for why they think threads suggested by others deserve inclusion.
   
3. After some time, we tally up the results, and publish the page with the threads in ranked order along with the reasons members have shared for choosing them.
   

[Laird]

I suggest this thread: Is the human self nonexistent?

I've just finished rereading that thread in full, and I agree with you that it's a worthwhile one to showcase. I'm a little surprised that I'd forgotten about it and how interesting the discussion in it was.

I'm just not sure whether it's best featured on our new homepage, or on the yet-to-be-written page to be titled something like "Why Psience Quest is a unique space for exploring mind, psi, and science" (as suggested by ChatGPT), nor whether that second page should even have a showcase list of its own. Suggestions welcome, otherwise I'll work it out during the drafting of that second page.

[Laird]

In the meantime, you've given me an idea: we could create a new page partly for SEO purposes but mostly just for the benefit of the community and visitors, titled something like "Featured threads: as chosen by members".

@Sci, I wonder what you think of leveraging a list of featured threads - whether as per this idea or simply per those already chosen for the homepage (and/or the secondary, yet-to-be-written static page) - for social media posting, via something like a "Throwback Thursday" on which you share one of our featured threads.

[Laird]

I'm a little surprised that I'd forgotten about it and how interesting the discussion in it was.

I also see that I never got back to @Ninshub as I'd committed to doing here. I'll aim to do that at some point.

@Sci, I wonder what you think of leveraging a list of featured threads - whether as per this idea or simply per those already chosen for the homepage (and/or the secondary, yet-to-be-written static page) - for social media posting, via something like a "Throwback Thursday" on which you share one of our featured threads.

That makes sense to me! 

[Laird]

I suggest this thread: Is the human self nonexistent?

I've just finished rereading that thread in full, and I agree with you that it's a worthwhile one to showcase. I'm a little surprised that I'd forgotten about it and how interesting the discussion in it was.

I'm just not sure whether it's best featured on our new homepage, or on the yet-to-be-written page to be titled something like "Why Psience Quest is a unique space for exploring mind, psi, and science" (as suggested by ChatGPT), nor whether that second page should even have a showcase list of its own. Suggestions welcome, otherwise I'll work it out during the drafting of that second page.

I ended up, after putting together that second page, deciding not to include a separate showcase in it, so I've added your suggestion to the showcased threads on our new homepage. We are now showcasing four threads. That's probably enough for that page.