Quote:
Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive
One hundred and forty three posts (so far) in just two days on yet another global warming thread. Seems to be one a week on average. And we have the same people saying the same things, over and over and over and...
Nobody's mind is changed. Nobody thinks any differently. Heels are dug in. Flags are waved. Feelings are hurt. Nothing is accomplished.
Politics and science, like oil and water, do NOT mix.
|
I feel otherwise. The comparatively large number of posts SIMPLY means that it is a worthwhile subject that many are interested in. Why say that a thread is NOT valuable when obviously the many posts prove otherwise? Many threads go only 2 pages, some just one. Does that make those threads more valuable? Certainly NOT. I have seen threads like "I would like to find someone to come and tune my piano, please help". These are the 2-page type. Should threads like that be kept off of a forum? Certainly NOT. But, it needs to be acknowledged that those types of threads are going to be interesting to ONLY a few people.
..........It seems to be intuitively obvious that a thread going 10 pages or more is good for the community.
As far as the criticism that basically no minds will be changed - that assumes that minds NEVER change and I can't believe that. Humans are flexible, minds are malleable. People click on a forum to take the pulse of their community. Opinions change as facts change. For example, OJ Simpson was a football hero and then he wasn't. That was NOT a GREAT example. Let's see.......opinions about the death penalty have changed over the years. Vietnam was a hateful enemy and now they are a reliable trading partner. Opinions about marriage have evolved.
........So, my thesis here is that DEBATE was a foundational building block in American History. Therefore a local community forum anywhere in the US should welcome debate.