Yeah, but you recognize that you’re not the norm there right? If left unrestrained I’d be pouring words like Niagra Falls. I have to work to try not to do that to people because I know it doesn’t work for most, and it’s frustrating to many. Not everyone can read long abstract things with facility, and many who can don’t want to unless they see a good reason.
I think that’s a better way to put it. Still it is the general convention.
There are a lot of free blogging platforms, and they allow comments, so you could write stuff up that’s longer form, share the links wherever you think people’d be interested (and maybe there are anarchist political forums that would be able to follow better than boingers). My blog’s basically free and there are some blogs that can get loaded with torrents of topical comments.
A few mutants are academics, a few former academics, but most aren’t. So when you dig into things that are really abstract, you’re losing people fast. I had a blast in grad school hanging with academics, but if I really wanted to hang out with academics online I’d go over to http://crookedtimber.org or a discipline focused place academics frequent. BB isn’t academia.
I’m a former academic (I have a shiny MA thesis and everything in an obscure topic!) but there is only so much time and energy I’m able/willing to invest in a basically social forum that I usually see on and off during my work day or during lunch. Shorter and easier to parse back and forth is more enjoyable in that circumstance than reading the equivalent of an abstract blog post on the meaning of “is” in common parlance (to coin an example).
I’m an ex-academic (neuroscience/psychopharmacology). When my students handed in work written like Popo’s comments, they were marked down very heavily.
The job of the writer is to explain their meaning to the reader as clearly as possible, without demanding more work from the reader than is necessary. If I have to spend five minutes parsing every paragraph, then it’s just bad writing [1]. If I also have to constantly watch for rhetorical traps deliberately created by obscure non-standard language use, then it’s beyond bad writing and approaching trollery (or postmodernism…).
My standard rate for grading papers like that was $110/hr. I ain’t doing it for free on a blog.
I suspect that Popo would run into similar problems in other venues. The issue isn’t the subject matter or depth of exploration, it’s the manner of communication (IMO, anyway; I could be wrong).
Some of the postmodernist mobs might go for it, though; lit-crit, SSK, continental philosophy, etc. They tend to enjoy competitive word games.
[1] With the very rare exceptions of subjects so complex that an indirect method of explanation is required (e.g. Hofstadter’s Godel, Escher, Bach). Undergrad papers and blog comments do not fall into that category.
Yeah, I’ve been on a minor break since the new release is GM at work and we had had a little slack since testing wasn’t finding bugs. That’s over soon, and I’ll be back to working with a bit of lurking. Reading rambling abstract dissertations is not fun, and not something I’d do unless there’s a real incentive. I’m here for amusement and delight at wonderful things, not working to parse abstract essays that I can’t even find a semantic reference in.
It happens with social/political topics because they come with emotion on all sides. I read a lot of comments here. I skip over 99% of the noise & any back and forth. Comment probably more than most but less than many. I can look back but most of my posts and replies are humorous (to me) or a reply to someone asking a direct question. I think of it like a dinner party – not here to get anyone riled up, just here to mingle. If this message board were stressing me out I’d likely stop posting on hotbed issues. My opinion on most matters just isn’t all that important to the world. that world includes this slice of it.
Once you realize your opinion generally does not matter much you’ll find this place much more enjoyable.
Note: I do notice the irony of stating my opinion that my opinion doesn’t matter much. I find humor in that. But you kinda asked.
Well, rather than an academic, I’m a two-time seventh-grade dropout [1]. So that probably explains a few things.
It does amaze me that many insist that my style of writing is indirect. When I try condensing it, I lose so many crucial particulars that it changes too much of my meaning. This is also demonstrated to me when others reply with their “clear reductions”, simplifications of what I presumably meant to say, which completely miss the mark. It can be quite frustrating!
I am the first to acknowledge that I am not a good writer. Believe it or not, I do strive for clarity, and usually not “competitive word games” - except occasionally for fun, not for attempts at genuine communication. The trouble is that my writing does accurately reflect my thinking, and my thinking usually withstands a fair amount of auditing. But being able to communicate my thoughts, ideas, and opinions would certainly be a welcome eventuality! Perhaps writing actual essays instead of speaking from the top of my head when I chat here socially would help matters, but most others here seem to be rather spontaneous about it.
[1] Just kidding, one time IIRC ninth-grade dropout.
I like this outlook! It’s not far from how I see discussion here. I too see it as more or less sociable conversation.
I think that nobody’s opinions matter more or less than others. Opinions can be ephemeral things, like moods. It seems odd, but one of my biggest obstacles online and IRL is that many assume that I am quite serious, and deeply invested in my opinions when I find this to not be the case, myself. But it seems that with many people, certain topics or kinds of opinions make it become a serious matter for them. My attempts to balance sensitivity with detachment seem to mostly fail, unfortunately.
I would quit wasting your time commenting, here or elsewhere, on matters you’re not invested in or do not care about deeply. Getting into heated online exchanges over such things is just pure folly, and it’s borderline trolling. Find a new hobby. Peace out, brother.
Edit: *** if it’s adding stress to your life. If not, rock on!
Yeah, @popobawa4u, noone is obligated to read anything. But I read your posts because I choose to.
Back on topic, let me look around for what you initially requested. If you want your own space, a linode instance with WordPress could be the ticket
I could certainly lend a hand if you wanted to go that direction.
Or, bow to the mighty power of the Tumbeast! (I.e. use tumblr).
Lastly, start searching twitter for like minded people. I assure you they exist. And I know I’ve mentioned ed this before, but the reason I know they exist is because I have an IRL friend you could be a carbon copy of
