Post by Michael Wilbur-Ham on Apr 29, 2013 11:24:40 GMT 10
I am passionate about changing the world for the better. This means deciding what I think should be done (Policy) and working out how to get there (Politics).
Rather than just writing a Blog I decided to set up a forum where my ideas can be challenged and discussed, and others can post their ideas.
There are many websites where Australian politics are discussed, but this forum will be very different for four main reasons:
1 - Only mindful posts are allowed:
The comments at the other well-known websites are all dominated by mindless posts (party spin, nonsense, non-science, and, I believe, the lobbying of big business) and the mindful people rebutting these posts. The result is that any on-topic mindful posts are lost amongst the other posts, and no progress is ever made.
(What I mean by mindful is explained in this post.)
This forum is a private space which is available for the public to read. Mindful people are welcome to join the forum and post.
All non-mindful posts will be deleted (the moderators decisions are final).
Mindful posts which disagree with my postion are not only allowed but are welcome - the whole point of making this a forum is to get issues discussed.
This forum is also a place where mindful individuals can discuss articles posted elsewhere (The Conversation, The Drum, Crikey, New Matilda, etc) without the distraction and disruption from spin, nonsense, non-science, and paid lobbyists.
I welcome cross posting - if you have something mindful to say please post it here as well as to the other website.
2 - All threads will remain on-topic:
Another reason progress is rarely made in the comments section of other websites is that very often the discussion goes off-topic.
At this forum posts which go off-topic will either be deleted or, if the moderators have the energy, moved.
If reading a thread inspires you to comment mindfully on a different topic I encourage you to do so. Just find or start the thread on that topic and post there.
3 - Just one discussion on each topic:
At the other websites commenting on an article is like starting the discussion from scratch. Comments made to articles on the same topic in the past are very difficult to find, so good ideas get lost. Also there is lots of repetition as people make the same post to each article on that topic.
This forum will have one thread for each topic - thus keeping a record of what was said in the past.
4 - Separation of policy discussions from political discussions
This forum separates the policy discussion (ie what should be done) from the politics (the messy business of trying to get it done).
Both are equally important to get right - having a good policy is of no benefit unless effective effort is put into trying to get this policy implemented.
This forum is brand new:
This forum is brand new, so the look and feel and other settings are likely to undergo some major changes before things settle down.
I don't pay to have this forum hosted. The hosting costs are recouped by ProBoard by the advertisements and I don't share in this revenue. If the forum takes off, or if someone donates, I can pay ProBoard and have the advertising removed.
Rather than just writing a Blog I decided to set up a forum where my ideas can be challenged and discussed, and others can post their ideas.
There are many websites where Australian politics are discussed, but this forum will be very different for four main reasons:
1 - Only mindful posts are allowed:
The comments at the other well-known websites are all dominated by mindless posts (party spin, nonsense, non-science, and, I believe, the lobbying of big business) and the mindful people rebutting these posts. The result is that any on-topic mindful posts are lost amongst the other posts, and no progress is ever made.
(What I mean by mindful is explained in this post.)
This forum is a private space which is available for the public to read. Mindful people are welcome to join the forum and post.
All non-mindful posts will be deleted (the moderators decisions are final).
Mindful posts which disagree with my postion are not only allowed but are welcome - the whole point of making this a forum is to get issues discussed.
This forum is also a place where mindful individuals can discuss articles posted elsewhere (The Conversation, The Drum, Crikey, New Matilda, etc) without the distraction and disruption from spin, nonsense, non-science, and paid lobbyists.
I welcome cross posting - if you have something mindful to say please post it here as well as to the other website.
2 - All threads will remain on-topic:
Another reason progress is rarely made in the comments section of other websites is that very often the discussion goes off-topic.
At this forum posts which go off-topic will either be deleted or, if the moderators have the energy, moved.
If reading a thread inspires you to comment mindfully on a different topic I encourage you to do so. Just find or start the thread on that topic and post there.
3 - Just one discussion on each topic:
At the other websites commenting on an article is like starting the discussion from scratch. Comments made to articles on the same topic in the past are very difficult to find, so good ideas get lost. Also there is lots of repetition as people make the same post to each article on that topic.
This forum will have one thread for each topic - thus keeping a record of what was said in the past.
4 - Separation of policy discussions from political discussions
This forum separates the policy discussion (ie what should be done) from the politics (the messy business of trying to get it done).
Both are equally important to get right - having a good policy is of no benefit unless effective effort is put into trying to get this policy implemented.
This forum is brand new:
This forum is brand new, so the look and feel and other settings are likely to undergo some major changes before things settle down.
I don't pay to have this forum hosted. The hosting costs are recouped by ProBoard by the advertisements and I don't share in this revenue. If the forum takes off, or if someone donates, I can pay ProBoard and have the advertising removed.