No, it is a function of worth and time. People come to forums like this for many reasons. I've been a member of this forum for while now.You are in the wrong place. No one here will expend that kind of time for an internet forum. If that is what you want, I suggest a venue that is devoted to people whose activities are a serious policy debate, not relaxation.This was kind of a general flame to one and all, eh?
No.
I'm just trying to find the people who are willing and able to debate a topic with something close to the rigor with which scholars do, that is with strong essays and research papers (including scholarly references) shared among their peers. I have no interest in a "tweet war" or "doing the dozens" or in making simplistic points about weighty and expansive topics. What's the point of that? There's no substantive discussion to be had there.expend that kind of time for an internet forum.
The seriousness of debate or discussion is not a function of time. It is a function of intellectual and discursive integrity, which are things that one can exhibit and permit to be time consuming or not.
I can tell you that a majority of them come here for the thrill of insulting people. Many of them are trying to lift insults to an artform, as witness the flame zone. Others, as have already replied in this thread, come here for fun and entertainment. Often, that is in the form of insulting. Others yet come here to ensure that the voice of the opposition does not go unanswered based on the notion that if only one side is voicing their opinion, then they must be speaking the truth. This is one of the reasons I come to this forum.
I started frequenting internet forums in early 2000 when the new defunct MSNBC forums were active. I have been on many of them, from CNN, ABC, Yahoo, and of course, Hannity. They all have one thing in common. No one is there for long, protracted debates that require hours of research to justify given responses. I did all that when I was getting My undergrad degree, and put up with some snobbish professors when I was working on My Masters. The one thing they had in common, the research had a goal.
What goal is there for Me to provide academic level research to a bunch of people who will just deny the validity of the sources based upon bias. Even you, with your scholarly references, would refuse any reference that was not written by biased, university professors who follow a peer review policy that is nothing more than crony academia.
So, unless you are willing to pay Me for My time, I'll reserve the academic research for letters and white papers I send to My Senator and Congressmen, not that I think they'd make the effort to change anything. It would, however, be a much better use of My time.Others yet come here to ensure that the voice of the opposition does not go unanswered based on the notion that if only one side is voicing their opinion, then they must be speaking the truth.
There is only the truth, not your truth and/or my truth.
Truth is a demure lady, much too ladylike to knock you on your head and drag you to her cave. She is there, but people must want her, and seek her out.
― William F. Buckley Jr.
The one thing they had in common, the research was a goal.
Your programs were, then, quite different from mine. For my profs and me, the research was but a means to an end, not the end itself.
long, protracted debates that require hours of research to justify given responses.
I too am not keen to perform hours of research to post here, so I understand that others also would not care to do so. The most I'll do is bother to provide references that credibly corroborate the assertions I make. Truly, the only reason I do that here is because I'm unwilling to yield my anonymity -- in the "real world," I don't need to do that for when I'm presenting my thoughts on a topic, the audience members are already certain that I know what the hell I'm talking about. Here, nobody knows who I am or what specific achievements I've made in my life or in what disciples I'm expert; thus it's incumbent on me to present credible references to corroborate what I write. That's nothing more than one of the many manifestations of discursive integrity, and it's a manifestation of respect for others' intelligence.
What goal is there for Me to provide academic level research to a bunch of people who will just deny the validity of the sources
Each of us must define our goals. You're better than I can, for yourself, answer that question.
I don't do "academic level" research for my posts. I merely reference content I'm already aware of prior to posting. To be sure, I do not and will not conjure a topic for discussion here, head off and research it, and then here post a "academic level" essay on the topic. Insofar as I won't for posting here do that, I hardly can expect others to do so.
In my exchanges with you - you ran from the truth like a cockroach from a kitchen light.