Note to philosophyforum.com people going to philosophyforums.com

And by the way, if you got upset at those little taunts he made, you'll never make it here!

For example:

http://able2know.org/topic/117806-3

Very much my take on that as well.

You need a thick skin to hold up to the serious debaters here.

I was thinking this morning over a third cup of coffee, that a positive here for many in our old community is that both in the existing forums as well in the soon-too-be implemented Groups ( these may turn out to be more robust than in Pf) many will have an opportunity to become involved in "non-philosophical" discussions involving more people.

For example, there is a forum for original writing. While we had one too, the people interested were only a few in our community; here, on the other hand, I suspect there are many more people contributing or wanting to comment. The same can be said for friends of Canada; who knows but that somewhere on this forum (or at least potentially so) there may even be a Friends of Lower Swabia.

Now the implementation of groups can work the other way, as well. It may provide a home for the "philosophical part" of the Pf community, and for the "philosophical part" of each person, that will be more directed towards philosophy. and likewise homes for many who, for example, were more interested in religion.

The more I become acquainted with the software here, and the more I realise that it is in a constant state of development, the more possibilities I foresee for us to carry on what we began at Pf- - - if not this week, then very soon. So far, my interaction with Robert and several staff members here has only been positive, and I know that bringing Pf here was perhaps as traumatic and interrupting for them as it was for us.

I deeply appreciate, as should we all, their attempts to help each of us learn the mechanics of how the forum works; I suspect that the excellent tutorials were (to use a technical IT word) "whumped up" on short notice just to help us. We have also received welcomes from many of the a2k community, and the staff have made every attempt as promptly as possible (considering our appearance spread them thin) to respond to our questions and make us feel welcome. This bodes well for "our" future here.

I think many of us existing A2Kers have tried to make you new folks welcome, but don't forget that this is a new thing for us here, too, to have this forum suddenly flooded with philosophy threads.

I feel that most of us are quite tolerant of this, having weathered many other changes here, probably much more so than your old forum has undergone.

We hope you do stay. Variety is the spice of life.

The sheer size of this community has impressed me so far. There are more people to share my creative writing to, there are discussions about books and literature in which more than three or four people participate. Sure, we did have a rather tight knit community at the Philforum, but its not like that community can't still exist here.

As more features are implemented here, I think most of the members of Philforum will end up seeing how this change ended up being a good thing.
While Philforum had some excellent features, vBulletin did not implement them well at all. Things were kind of copied and pasted on, and there was little integration between public and group forums, blogs, tags, and the general organization of the forum. I still agree with the general sentiment, the Facebookish look of the forums is a slight turn off, but in essence, we still have the same forum in a new location with new software powering it.

If any of the old members need help finding their way around, I am willing to give them a hand. I have found the software to be easy to understand, and refreshing that it is structured logically. Sure, everyone can complain about how it's not the same, but really, that seems like a silly thing for a group of philosophers to do.

Yes, exactly. Once you new folks start, and continue to tag your philosophy threads, you can have the same community again.

Khethil, you are aware that the majority of threads from philforum have been migrated over to this site, right? In other words, most of that writing you did is not lost. The only problem is that at the moment certain threads are difficult to find because they are not tagged. (This site has some sort of odd meta-tag system going on. It looks as if forums are created if something is tagged. Very strange to me thus far, but I'd like to learn more about it.)

That is pretty much how the tagging works. Forums are basically created out of tags. Take a thread on animal rights for example. By tagging it as "ethics," "animals," "animal rights," "values," or other such things places the thread in all of those forum. Thus, threads are cross referenced and the system places them in a logically created dynamic reference hierarchy rather than a static hierarchy.

I did notice that threads in the Philosopher's forums that were not filled in specific philosopher forums have disappeared. All the threads on Hegel, Heidegger, and Ayn Rand seem to have disappeared. I am sure they are there somewhere, but they cannot be located currently.

It only shows the most popular tags on the right hand side; probably there weren't enough Rand, Hegel or Heidegger posts

Yes I guess you're right. Perhaps I didn't notice them because they weren't aimed at lil' ol' me.

Anyway I post on that forum from time to time. But the atmosphere, strange as it may seem, has never seemed inviting to me. There's one guy on there, one of the senior contributors called 180 Proof, who is pretty intriguing. Everyone else just seems Anon. I will mainly stick around here I think. Why leave a party when you're having fun?

Incidentally, as for lost posts, I *think* everything I posted in threads on the old forum has come over, it is just matter of sleuthing them out. But it doesn't matter that much to me - it is the quality of the effort that I find important, not the result.

Yea; one of the moderators there, Mariner; seems to have a good grasp on Kierkegaard. But it's just so bland and uninviting there.

They are not there. I searched through the whole philosophers forum looking for them because I was going to start three of the subforums that were lacking in the old place. The way the system was imported, they would be listed under 20 th Century philosophers and philosophers, but I can't find them in either. It is possible that they are only tagged with Philosophy, and then it will take a while to find. Obviously, it is not that big of a deal, but we did have some good conversations going about Ayn Rand.

I don't think those forums existed then. Here is a list of all the forums and what they were tagged here (the ones without any tags were private forums/groups that are not yet imported):

Old Forum - New Tag(s)

News and World Events - news
Internet & Computers - computers
Creative Writing - writing, creative writing
Self Help - self help
Memorable Quotes - quotes, memorable quotes
Book Reviews - books, book reviews, reviews
Popular Culture - culture, popular culture
Videos Discussion - videos, videos discussion
Branches of Philosophy - philosophy, branches of philosophy
Young Philosophers Forum - philosophy, young philosophers, philosophers
Philosophers - philosophy, philosophers
Armchair Philosophy - philosophy, armchair philosophy
Existentialism - philosophy, existentialism
MetaPhilosophy - philosophy, meta-philosophy
Philosophy 101 - philosophy, philosophy 101
Secondary Branches of Philosophy - philosophy, Secondary Branches of Philosophy
General Discussion - the lounge
New Member Introductions - the lounge
Debate Forum - debate
Debate Lounge - debate, debate lounge
Debate Rules and Documentation - debate, debate rules
Mythology - religion, mythology
Abrahamic Religions - religion, abrahamic religions
Dharmic or Indian Religions - religion, Dharmic or Indian Religions
Eastern Asia Religions - religion, Eastern Asia Religions, asian religions
Ethnic and Tribal Religions - religion, Ethnic and Tribal Religions
Evangelism - religion, Evangelism
Member Interviews - member interviews, the lounge
News and Announcements -
Staff Member Forums -
Site Feedback and Suggestions -
Fashion - fashion, popular culture
Television - tv, television, popular culture
Music - music, popular culture
Sports - sports, popular culture
Celebrity - celebrities, celebrity, popular culture
Web Culture - internet, web culture, popular culture
Epistemology - Epistemology, branches of philosophy, philosophy
Metaphysics - Metaphysics, philosophy
Ethics - Ethics, philosophy
Aesthetics - Aesthetics, philosophy
Logic - Logic, philosophy
Ancient Philosophers - Ancient Philosophers, philosophy
Medieval Philosophers - Medieval Philosophers, philosophy
Renaissance Philosophers - Renaissance Philosophers, philosophy
Early Modern Philosophers - Early Modern Philosophers, philosophy
Ninteenth Century Philosophers - Ninteenth-Century Philosophers, philosophy
Twentieth Century Philosophers - Twentieth-Century Philosophers, philosophy
Age of Enlightenment - Age of Enlightenment, philosophy
Pre-Socratic Philosophers - Pre-Socratic Philosophers, philosophy
Request a Philosopher -
Who? -
What? -
Where? -
When? -
Why? -
How? -
Philosophy of Language - Philosophy of Language, philosophy
Philosophy of Politics - Philosophy of Politics, philosophy
Philosophy of Law - Philosophy of Law, philosophy
Philosophy of History - Philosophy of History, philosophy
Philosophy of Education - Philosophy of Education, philosophy
Philosophy of Mind - Philosophy of Mind, philosophy
Philosophy of Religion - Philosophy of Religion, philosophy
Philosophy of Science - Philosophy of Science, philosophy
Uncategorized - philosophy
Social Philosophy - Social Philosophy, philosophy
Philosophy of Health - Philosophy of Health, philosophy
New Member Questions - new member questions, the lounge
Debate Room - debate room, debate
The Challenge Room - debate room, debate
Debate Topic Suggestions - debate room, debate
Christianity - Christianity, religion, Abrahamic Religions
Islam - Islam, religion, Abrahamic Religions
Judaism - Judaism, religion, Abrahamic Religions
Bahá'í Faith - bahai faith, religion, Abrahamic Religions
Hinduism - Hinduism, religion, indian religions, dharmic religions
Buddhism - Buddhism, religion, indian religions, dharmic religions
Sikhism - Sikhism, religion, indian religions, dharmic religions
Jainism - Jainism, religion, indian religions, dharmic religions
Hare Krishna - Hare Krishna, religion, indian religions, dharmic religions
Taoism - Taoism, religion, asian religions
Confucianism - Confucianism, religion, asian religions
Shinto - Shinto, religion, asian religions
Caodaism - Caodaism, religion, asian religions
Cheondoism - Cheondoism, religion, asian religions
Yiguandao - Yiguandao, religion, asian religions
PSEC -
Secular Humanists Club -
QUIT SMOKING - Support Group -
Pre-Law Group -
Fans of Canada -
Philosophical Papers -
Peace and Enlightenment -
Thanatopsis Literary and Inside Straight Club -
The Theology Corner -
Conservative Values -
Musician's Studio -
Thus Spoke Zarathustra Discussion Group -
Film Appreciation Society -
Philosophical Investigations Discussion Group -
Tractatus Discussion Group -
Analytic -
Art, Food, and Bulbs -
The Armchair Philosopher -
Ask VideCorSpoon! -
Creative Writers Group -
Staff Members -
Reported - Removed Posts -
Problem Members -
User Infractions -
General Moderator Discussion -
Collaboration -
Moderator Nominations -
Staff News and Announcements -
Moderator College -
Suggestions and Feedback -
Appeals -
Aristotle - Aristotle, philosophy, Ancient Philosophers, philosophers
Plato - Plato, philosophy, Ancient Philosophers, philosophers
Socrates - Socrates, philosophy, Ancient Philosophers, philosophers
Thomas Aquinas - Thomas Aquinas, philosophy, Medieval Philosophers, philosophers
Thomas Hobbes - Thomas Hobbes, philosophy, Renaissance Philosophers, philosophers
René Descartes - Rene Descartes, philosophy, Early Modern Philosophers, philosophers
John Locke - John Locke, philosophy, Early Modern Philosophers, philosophers
David Hume - David Hume, philosophy, Early Modern Philosophers, philosophers
Baruch de Spinoza - Baruch de Spinoza, philosophy, Early Modern Philosophers, philosophers
Søren Kierkegaard - Soren Kierkegaard, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Gottlob Frege - Gottlob Frege, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
John Stuart Mill - John Stuart Mill, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Nietzsche - Nietzsche, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Arthur Schopenhauer - Arthur Schopenhauer, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Ralph Waldo Emerson - Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosophy, Ninteenth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Walter Russell - Walter Russell, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Simone Weil - Simone Weil, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Robert Maynard Pirsig - Robert Maynard Pirsig, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Bertrand Russell - Bertrand Russell, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
José Ortega y Gasset - Jose Ortega y Gasset, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Ludwig Wittgenstein - Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Jean-Paul Sartre - Jean-Paul Sartre, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Alan Watts - Alan Watts, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Theodor W. Adorno - Theodor W. Adorno, philosophy, Twentieth Century Philosophers, philosophers
Immanuel Kant - Immanuel Kant, philosophy, kant, Age of Enlightenment, philosophers
Pythagoras of Samos - Pythagoras of Samos, philosophy, Pre-Socratic Philosophers, philosophers
Confucius - Confucius, philosophy, Pre-Socratic Philosophers, philosophers
Thales of Miletos - Thales of Miletos, philosophy, Pre-Socratic Philosophers, philosophers
Zeno of Elea - Zeno of Elea, philosophy, Pre-Socratic Philosophers, philosophers
Moderator Removed -
Admin Removed -
Member Requested -
Multiple User Accounts -
Moderator FAQs -
Getting Started -
Moderator Playground -

As I said, it is not a big deal if the threads made it. Many were in the nature of "why don't you have a forum for Ayn Rand?" or "where's Hegel?" and stuff like that.

The threads that I am talking about were in forums such as ninteenth century philosophers, and twentieth century philosophers, but the threads were not placed in any of the philosopher subforums because we did not have the correct forum. There were probably only about 10 threads that were worth keeping out of the bunch. Honestly, I always found the existence of those forums kind of strange, and I don't think most people even realized that they existed. They mostly seemed for moderator storage for when we did finally update the list of forums.

Yea Zeth, I am... painfully. I did not choose to put them here - they were personal contributions to another site, not this one. In any case, I've long saved the posts, writings and such that I wanted for my own archives. "Permanent Loss" isn't a concern.

not trying to be a dick, but the other forum was an open forum yes, anyone could join?

so, technically i could have just been cruising around the web and come across your writings, as could any countless others, i mean really you posted your writings and thoughts to the whole wide world if they chose to try and find them or stumble across them by accident, where you put them is not really the issue, the where was connected to the web, making it public property

to quote a wise man

"never forget, it's the, slap a one-liner and hit "Reply" folks that do most of the living and dying in this town"

actually now that i think about george bailey didn't exactly say that

but i stand by the sentiment

Hey there,

Well that depends. That (once posted) most forum materials are available to the world is obvious. The point being that when you post something here, you're making a contribution of your time and expressions here, not somewhere else. Sure, the reality is that it's visible everywhere, and could conceivably be copied or cross-referenced is just part of internet life.

That one day everything you've invested in this home could be sold and integrated somewhere else, not of your choosing, is a bit disconcerting to some folks. For those who find this disgusting, intolerable or just another case of whining I'd ask they try and put themselves in our place. It doesn't justify rampant negativity but it does seem to call for some tolerance for sheer empathy, if nothing else.

... nothing to jump off a cliff for, but it doesn't leave a warm fuzzy, to be sure.




For sure! And don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with a quick quip or few words added in the course of most conversations. Philosophical expression is generally different (though not always) wherein we take the time and effort to really nail down exactly what we're talking about (thus, it often ends up feeling quite wordy). This isn't so much because philosophical types just love typing - I know I don't - it's more because the nature of the beast is fraught with misunderstanding; necessitating an extra measure of explaning. I hope that makes sense... it did when I thought it.

THanks

oh-i think you hit a nerve there...

what i posted there was almost confidential-it was safe to say in a community of people that i knew and resonated with and felt safe in. i didnt show up on philosophyforum and just start spilling my guts. i realize some people do that, but i dont...there are all kinds of ways i can be me and say what i want but they will morph into something totally different in another venue. i have already said words here twice that would have been censored there...

today i made my first attempt at posting in a regular thread here but i felt like having to get up in front of the class and recite a poem i hadnt had enough time to memorize and then i noticed my socks dont match...