northerntiger said:The PDF Social Science section is one of those rare little havens on this forum where actual experts—mostly linguists—still try to give serious answers to questions. It’s also one of the few spots that hasn't turned into a total playground for everyone and their mother.
Look, I don't care about swearing. You can curse all you want; what actually gets to me is stupidity, shallowness, and this idea that literally anyone can just chime in on any topic.
They can't. And honestly, they shouldn't.
This whole tabloid-style craze that hit the forum has become pretty terrible. Not every PDF needs to be left wide open to a free-for-all, especially when it has "science" right there in the title.
If we're talking Social Science, then the moderation should be handled by people in those fields who actually know their stuff. We have plenty of great contributors here who bring so much to the table because they're well-educated and actually think before they type. It's a shame that even here, we've seen this kind of "encroachment," where the wild crowds end up chasing away the professionals.
How exactly do you think
sensationalism has affected the forum?
Actually, I think it's the opposite—it was the restrictions that hit the forum, and unfortunately, they were necessary. Just like how any kind of restriction on freedom throughout history has been
necessary. But hey, whatever.
Look, it's obvious this forum is essentially
private property. There's no denying it. And clearly, the owner has every right to enforce justice on his own land, however he sees fit. Of course, it's all aimed at boosting traffic and selling more ad space.
But, you missed the underlying logic and the philosophy that usually governs the internet. That core idea is that everyone has the right to say whatever they want (as long as it isn't hate speech).
Now, what I put in parentheses is definitely open to debate. Back in the day on
Usenet groups, things were handled by an
abuse department that would—
troll—whoever started a
flame war—completely cut off their internet access.
But there was never any talk about having specific credentials as a requirement to join a discussion. People without competence eventually get weeded out through natural selection, provided they aren't being obnoxious or provocative.
Places like that existed then, and they still exist now, but they're closed off; you can only get in if someone invites you. And honestly, I don't see anything wrong with that. Professionals discussing things among themselves on a private forum or wherever.
But this forum isn't that kind of place.
So, the process actually moved in the exact opposite direction of what you're imagining. The online community wasn't restrictive and exclusive from the start; it was quite the opposite. The need for more serious moderation only popped up after Web 2.0 arrived—you know, with the rise of forums, blogs, and all those things that gave the average, untrained user easy access to a keyboard. Once those technologies showed up, the user base shifted, and suddenly moderation became way more vital than it used to be. But in the beginning, it just wasn't like that.
