Thread Suggestion: Best Answer Voting

Back when I was at the University of Chicago, we used to have this
"Philosophical Inquiry Contest" that actually pulled in quite a crowd back in the day. I’ve been thinking lately that maybe we could bring it back, though definitely with a fresh spin on things.

So, here is my pitch for a new theme:



The ground rules would basically be
- try to keep your answers short and punchy—you know, where you say a lot without using a million words.
Also, if you feel like someone else’s quote captures the essence of your thought better than your own words ever could, feel free to use that quote as your answer, just make sure to credit the source.

We’d set a seven-day deadline for submissions, and once that's up, we’ll move straight into voting and some good old-fashioned debate.

What do you all think? Are you leaning toward a "yes" or a "no" on this idea?

The idea sounds interesting enough, but I’m flat-out against the notion that answers need to be short or concise. People should be able to write their responses however they damn well please. No unsolicited suggestions needed.

I’m totally on board with this proposal and ruggedraven36's extra points. 👍 I also think it would be a pretty cool move if the winner from the previous round gets to set the next question.

I’m leaning towards a "yes" on this one

Terry Martinez10 said:I’m leaning towards a "yes" on this one

The whole point of a poll isn't to sit around and stare at the results—you actually have to cast your vote.

Thanks so much for all the support and for showing such great interest in this topic!

I really appreciate the point made by single-player, and honestly, I think everyone here agrees that we should stick to one participant per post;

And just so we’re clear on the rules, the previous round winner gets to set the new question, so we'll be keeping that format moving forward.

So, now the big question is, who’s going to kick things off? Since I started this whole thread, I could certainly take the lead, but if anyone else feels inspired to jump in first, please, don't be shy—just let me know right here.

The poll will wrap up this coming Monday, and I'm planning to launch the very first thematic round immediately afterward.
Pick the right answer
with a specific type of introduction that we'll use to start every subsequent round as well.

Since you’ve gone ahead and kicked this whole thing off, I’d say you might as well throw out the first question to get the ball rolling.

Amanda Jackson5 said:Since you’ve gone ahead and kicked this whole thing off, I’d say you might as well throw out the first question to get the ball rolling.

Fair enough.

Thanks
🙂

It was supposed to be all set by today
but it looks like things are getting pushed back a few days

Ugh... I really need to cook up an answer to all these frivolous questions... I have to let it simmer. Maybe marinate it for a month or two in garlic and gasoline to make sure it’s tasty and highly combustible... something that ignites instantly. It requires a certain amount of... shall we say, a pinch of intellectual finesse. But seriously, can I even go first? A new millennium is coming, and before it arrives, this entire American forum will be smothered in radioactive dust. I need something capable of satiating the hunger of the intellectual giants lurking on this subforum. So, here is my dilemma... I am facing a profound economic-ecological-ethical crisis. 🙂 .. .See, crows keep stealing my walnuts... and I want them gone. Believe it or not, I actually came up with this myself 👍 ....so my plan is to drive them away by feeding them pancakes loaded with laxatives. 👍
I am currently spiraling through a feverish emotional-moral dichotomy..😠
God, how my heart aches for wisdom... yet here, it is just one fool chasing another 🤷....

It’s too late now, Casey Gomez, because the question is already set for Monday morning. Just try to get creative with it, and if you're lucky enough to have your answer picked as the good choice, then maybe you can step up and pose a new one.

See, I told you, Casey Gomez, you're just running straight into a broomstick again 😢

I decided to set a tighter deadline for posting on this topic than the seven days mentioned in the intro, but if you all feel like we really need those full seven days, just let me know right here, and if everyone’s cool with my shorter timeline, then we'll just roll with it.

Since the first round has already kicked off, I'm more than happy to adjust the format if anyone thinks we should change things up.

steelridge58 said:It’s too late now, Casey Gomez, because the question is already set for Monday morning. Just try to get creative with it, and if you're lucky enough to have your answer picked as the good choice, then maybe you can step up and pose a new one.

Will there be more questions? 🙂
That "morning" timeframe is far too vague. Schwarzenegger will have it ready by noon.

I think you missed something here
It's right over

steelridge58 said:I think you missed something here
It's right over

thanks

I didn't realize it was a separate thread

I hope you guys don't mind, but starting with the next round, I’m thinking we should shake up the pace for the Election thread by moving to a bi-weekly schedule instead of the weekly rhythm we’ve been stuck in.

The idea here is to finally give some breathing room to the other topics on the PDF—including any potential new ones—so they can actually get some attention, since the Election thread has kind of been hogging all the spotlight lately.

🙂)

I’m inclined to agree.

The older elections will likely carry more weight now, which might actually allow us to integrate some fresh perspectives into the mix👍

Festina lente

( ... though I’m skeptical that this approach will actually help us become more multi-faceted on the platform😉 ... )

I’d actually suggest we carve out a dedicated sub-sub-forum under the "Philosophy" section specifically for "Metaphysics" or maybe just call it "Hard-core Philosophy," essentially creating a space where people can engage in some actual, heavy-duty philosophical debates without the distractions.

Amanda Jackson5 said:I’d actually suggest we carve out a dedicated sub-sub-forum under the "Philosophy" section specifically for "Metaphysics" or maybe just call it "Hard-core Philosophy," essentially creating a space where people can engage in some actual, heavy-duty philosophical debates without the distractions.

Well, I know we've already floated this idea around with the admins before, but the thing is, we just don't really have enough active threads of that specific nature yet to justify them opening up an entirely separate sub-forum for it.
(though it’s still sitting there as a possibility down the road, maybe...)

Still, I think I'm going to go ahead and pitch it again anyway, just to see if they'll consider it, because why not?

To be honest, I was just thinking about asking if we could get a new sub-forum for the Election too, so I might as well bring both ideas to the table at once.
(since maybe the sheer volume of election-related topics would finally meet that requirement the admins are looking for.)