But it's being infiltrated by Quadrant and the Young Liberals.

I certainly feel like Trump's election fucked up the vibe a bit too - or maybe even more than a bit - a few years ago. Speaking generally, posters and mods became more annoyed, less charitable, less willing to discuss contentious issues from a spirit of lively disagreement. Of course this idealized pre-Trump state of affairs is probably a fiction of my imagination, but I don't think it's crazy to assume there's some truth to it. In fact, to some extent I think we're still living in the highly polarized context that emerged with his clownish presidency. — Erik

Perhaps. I have noticed that for the past few years I've posted more to politics-related discussions than philosophy. I guess after 15 years of being here/the old PF I've run out of stuff to say.

Have you noticed how "@Jamalrob" is an anagram for "Amoral J"? The "J" is obviously for "Jesus".

He admits to being from Moscow.

His favourite quote is:

It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.
—Oscar Wilde

Wake up, Sheeple!

I hear you mentioned Zoom and I am sure if a speaker was introduced in that way a lot of people would be very pleased. However, the introduction of Zoom on this site is my worst fear. That is because I don't want to end up engaging sitting on my unmade bed, in my cluttered bedroom. It is all very well for people who can appear in their designer homes. Also, speaking on Zoom might appeal to some, but not everyone.

I know that you are only speaking of Zoom as a possibility for the speaker, but once Zoom is introduced it tends to become the dominant mode. Most groups I would like to do, like art and creative writing are often only available by Zoom, and I wonder to what extent this will continue beyond the pandemic. So, if Zoom was introduced on this site I think that in time most of the discussion may take place in that way, as that is the way life is going.

You're saying it is Edward Snowden? I've been to Moscow twice, there are a lot of expats there. And to me the Oscar Wilde quote proves nothing.

But maybe I'm drawing the wrong conclusions here. You tell me

I heard it receives some of its funding from the New Internationalist. — bert1

Very interesting. If true, then that would make it a left-wing enterprise, wouldn't it? And how come there is no info on it anywhere?

My feeling is that the tolerance towards posts and threads that aren't even close to having philosophical quality has increased. Which means the kind of evangelical religious stuff, racist apologist low-quality posts, ad hominems, and BS posts that destroys any quality focus on a specific topic just keeps going. When I first looked for a forum like this and found this forum, it felt like a place that got rid of the usual internet idiots and morons in favor of a better quality discussion for complex topics. But it feels like since my initial experience, the tolerance of idiots and morons has gone up and it's close to impossible to see a discussion that doesn't just let some rabid idiot go on a crusade.

If I were to recommend moderators to improve on one thing, it would be to clean up the place. There are far better places for evangelical nuts, racist apologists, and people who don't even know what philosophy is. 4Chan-like forums and Reddit threads dedicated to that kind of stuff, instead of clogging up this place.

we like our privacy.

we like our privacy. — Benkei

Everybody does. But, for example, if people want to subscribe to something, they would like to know a bit more about it. I don't think it should be a secret.

we like our privacy. — Benkei

You are 100 percent right. You don't know who's watching. My brother lives in Hong Kong. If I were living there, I'd probably do everything I can to keep my identity hidden.

Some of us require that it is anonymous. I could not post my opinion on a number of things if those posts could be traced back to me. I would be fired, at the very least, or lose my practice license at worst. As it is I can post my thoughts, opinions, etc. with little fear that my employer will get wind of my position which is generally in opposition to the company line. While I recognize that anonymous posting allows for nastier responses I find it offsets that drawback by enabling honest responses without fear of reprisal. Perhaps an opinion or thought won't be well received, but there will be no actual reprisal associated with it. Between work, my registering body, and public health policy I live in a gag order world. Here I can use my voice openly, not pushing the company line.

Yeah, all the billions we're making of this site are being funneled to Hamas.

Yeah, all the billions we're making of this site are being funneled to Hamas. — Benkei

I don't think anyone mentioned "billions" or "Hamas". Not me in any case. All I'm saying is when you subscribe to something, you'd normally like to have a fair idea of who you are dealing with.

Besides, I think as a matter of courtesy, online forums ought to provide some info about location, ownership, etc. to members. I'm not talking about bank details. Just to say, "we are based in Oxford, England", we're sponsored by "so and so" or whatever, and that's it.

You can find info on reddit and many other forums but not on this one.

I do believe that you have raised some important questions on to the site. However, all your questions about ownership are making me wonder if you are wishing to seek to scrutinise it so much, rather than appreciating it for what it is.

Again, I'm asking for specifics. It seems that irrationality has been the dominant form of thought for most of human existence. In what areas has rationality failed where irrationality has succeded? Rationality includes the idea that you might not be right, and that you can only be right after making all possible mistakes. Have we made all possible mistakes? If not, then how has rationality failed? — Harry Hindu

First off, I concede that rationality is the best tool at our disposal - it's made all the difference! We owe rationality for the massive transformation we've undergone from savages to civilization in the blink of an eye in terms of geological time. However, if only as an exploratory enterprise, it would do us a whole lot of good if we begin looking for alternatives that are as good as rationalism or better or if neither at the very least enriches our lives by offering us radical, more truthful, more useful perspectives to examine our world with.

I know it sounds rather foolish to hope so much from a state of mind (irrationality) that has proved to be the undoing of many lives past and present but such things happen not necessarily because there's something wrong with irrationality itself but an error in the in the way we wield it. We need to draw a distinction between a tool and the skill in using it for the fault may lie in the latter than in the former.

You asked for specifics and I refer you to the philosophical universe if I may call it that - every thesis has an antithesis. Tell me, is this a sign that rationality has succeeded or does it make philosophers want to rethink their strategem? Mind you, I'm not claiming rationality should be immediately done away with, rather I mean to point out that it won't hurt trying out other avenues; we're stuck anyway, right?

What about scientific progress? Has the progress of ethics been based on irrationality (racism) or rationality (inclusiveness - and understanding that we are all human beings of equal worth)? — Harry Hindu

I'm afraid racism and other problems that plague society are still as virulent as they were centuries ago, they're like dormant volcanoes that can erupt at any moment and the "progress" you mention will be reversed faster than you can say Jack Robinson! I don't call this progress. Au contraire, the better situation that we find ourselves in can be more appropriately ascribed to reliance on allegedly irrational systems like religion and the like. So much for ethics and rationalism.

Seems to me that these "philosophers" are just impatient and want to declare that they have the answers without having had to work at it. — Harry Hindu

You might be right. It's hard to tell the difference between someone who's tried faer best and failed and someone who's not tried at all - as far as results go, they're indistinguishable.

Besides, I think as a matter of courtesy, online forums ought to provide some info about location, ownership, etc. to members. I'm not talking about bank details. Just to say, "we are based in Oxford, England", we're sponsored by "so and so" or whatever, and that's it. — Apollodorus

@jamalrob's the boss. We're sponsored by the users who donate. The software is provided by PlushForums which is based in London.

It is interesting to hear that you feel that you could not express your opinions except as anonymously. I am not anonymous and even have my photo on display, because I feel that I have so little platform of any identity or expression of ideas at all. It is such a contrast of experience.

And we funnel billions to Hamas.

I don't share in the general view that the site has deteriorated over the past few years. I think it went in the direction we moved it, which was to become more philosophically oriented and less of a social media outlet. What we had in years past were the expressions of a bunch of interesting personalities, some hostile, some manipulative, some dramatic, some irritated, some provocative, some absurdist, some calming, some humorous, etc. Those who didn't move in the direction we pushed it either left or were removed.

I don't harken back to the good old days when the front page of the forum was filled with he said/she said remarks and constant bickering over policies, but I do see some value in those free for all days in that it enabled us to better know one another. I think of those I consider friends here, and it is true those were formed a while ago when the sandlot was a little less monitored.

So, I welcome the return of the Shoutbox to front and center, but also realize these things do need to be checked at some point because one or two people can really derail things quickly.


.

I'm quite new here, but I'll give my 2 cents on the general topic. I used to be a consistent poster on another sports-related site, was there for about 6 to 7 years.

It's as other have said, I used to belong to a very nice community of about 7 or 8 people. I guess that lasted for a bit over a year. Inevitably someone says something stupid or irresponsible and it all fell apart quite quickly. I tried to bring it back, but I couldn't: life and all.

I go back once in a blue moon to see it, I think at most I recognize 2 people all of which joined after me. The quality itself has not changed much, I don't think. But site format too much for my taste. If people you recognize don't remain, it's only normal to see these things as "deteriorating".

And maybe in some respects it has, but overall it's similar. Being invested in a place will shade the colour of your glasses. How can it not?

Perhaps. I have noticed that for the past few years I've posted more to politics-related discussions than philosophy. I guess after 15 years of being here/the old PF I've run out of stuff to say. — Michael

That's interesting. Also a bit worrisome if it happened to me, not that this applies to you at all.

I'd be afraid that there's nothing new that I could learn in philosophy. But there's so much in the tradition. I guess it could also happen that no new topics are of interest to me, then I could see that not being something that would bother me.

If you have Netflix I can recommend the 2018 movie 'Anon'. It's about a fictional future US where all privacy has been infringed to fight crime. It's highly entertaining, yet raises lots of important questions concerning the Internet.

The people who built and maintain this website need to be able to feel safe. That is my opinion.

Some of us require that it is anonymous — Book273

Thanks for sharing your story. Be wise and think twice :victory:

and at the moment, this site is about all I have in life at all, and I don't want it to be destroyed. — Jack Cummins

Don't worry, they're very democratic here. They held a discussion first before inviting the latest guest speaker. Let's not Zoom ;)

@jamalrob's the boss. We're sponsored by the users who donate. The software is provided by PlushForums which is based in London. — Michael

OK. I suppose that's better than nothing. Thanks.

The people who built and maintain this website need to be able to feel safe. That is my opinion. — TaySan

I was just asking because I noticed there is no info anywhere and I thought someone here might know. But it isn't a big deal to me.

Despite what I said, I think that it is right to question any site we are logging onto and writing on. We need to question what we are getting involved in rather than doing everything blindly.

As long as we're not funded by Hummus, I don't care. Hate that stuff.

Despite what I said, I think that it is right to question any site we are logging onto and writing on. We need to question what we are getting involved in rather than doing everything blindly. — Jack Cummins

I tend to agree with that. But if the site owners don't want to tell us there isn't much we can do.

If we press them they can always give us false information if for whatever reason they think it's unsafe to disclose who they are.

As long as we're not funded by Hummus, I don't care. Hate that stuff. — Baden

Or couscous for that matter. I've always felt it's a waste of time.

On the other hand, any forecast of price development of something like Bitcoin is on shaky grounds

I certainly feel like Trump's election fucked up the vibe a bit too - or maybe even more than a bit - a few years ago. — Erik

I strongly endorse blaming Donald Trump for everything bad that has happened in the past 5 years.