Greeting & Question | International Forum?

[Metal_Maschine]

Hello.

I got question regarding this forum. Is this only "usa" forum or more international one? Also i have noticed almost all constructive critics people have been banned or topics locked.

Regards.

 

[z-component]

Welcome to PF! We have members from all over the world.

Topics are only locked if they violate the guidelines. Criticism does not merit a lock; if the criticism turns into immature name-calling, goes far off topic, or starts to go in circles, the moderators are forced to put the topic to rest to maintain quality. The guidelines protect the integrity of this forum, and from what I see, it works well.

I hope you have pleasant experiences here. This site is a great resource.

 

[Metal_Maschine]

PF has members from all over the world.

Topics are only locked if they violate the guidelines. Criticism does not merit a lock; if the criticism turns into immature name-calling, goes far off topic, or starts to go in circles, the moderators are forced to put the topic to rest to maintain quality. The guidelines protect the integrity of this forum, and from what I see, it works well.

Tyvm for info.

 

[jostpuur]

Also i have noticed almost all constructive critics people have been banned or topics locked.

Unfortunate reality. So easy to criticize, so difficult to improve. So far I've got two threads locked, but the truth is that the quality of discussion here is lot better than it is usually in the internet. I used to try to talk about physics and mathematics in the IRC, but I got tired of it once I found this place. You can benefit out of PF, if you know how to use it.

 

[Moonbear]

As z-component pointed out, threads only get locked/deleted if they violate the guidelines. Note, sometimes that is due to the content of the original post in the thread, and sometimes due to out-of-control conduct of people posting replies in the thread. We also may lock some threads because they have reached an impasse and are no longer going anywhere other than repeating the same points ad nauseum.

The forum global guidelines are located right here in the feedback and announcements forum in a sticky thread (currently immediately above this one). This will tell you what discussions we expressly forbid on the site. It is worth noting that we are in the process of revising the guidelines slightly to clarify a few gray areas (for example, in light of jostpuur's post just a few threads down, we realized there was no statement about disallowing conspiracy theories, although this is listed within the S&D forum where conspiracy theories usually land, so we are rewriting them to explicitly state this).

 

[Metal_Maschine]

As z-component pointed out, threads only get locked/deleted if they violate the guidelines. Note, sometimes that is due to the content of the original post in the thread, and sometimes due to out-of-control conduct of people posting replies in the thread. We also may lock some threads because they have reached an impasse and are no longer going anywhere other than repeating the same points ad nauseum.

The forum global guidelines are located right here in the feedback and announcements forum in a sticky thread (currently immediately above this one). This will tell you what discussions we expressly forbid on the site. It is worth noting that we are in the process of revising the guidelines slightly to clarify a few gray areas (for example, in light of jostpuur's post just a few threads down, we realized there was no statement about disallowing conspiracy theories, although this is listed within the S&D forum where conspiracy theories usually land, so we are rewriting them to explicitly state this).

Tnx for more information regarding this forum. I am not coming from usa neither is my english my main talk and my worries where i woud be bashed becouse I am not good at english writing. As for consructive critics i use it but i fully understand there is a limit. I have been visiting this forum like (?) few mounths but i never really registered... until today.

Only what i didnt so in the rules is: Can i post in the old topic, like 2 years old ? If i don't want to make new topic.

All my questions have been answered, tnx.

 

[berkeman]

No worries about your english -- I think most regular users of the PF realize that we are a global community, and make allowances for posters for whom english is a 2nd or 3rd language. We generally discourage cellphone-texting shorthand in posts (because it is so hard to read for those of us used to typing on a full-sized keyboard), but as long as you are trying to make the questions and comments understandable in english, that's all we ask.

As for resurrecting 2 year old threads, it would probably be better to start a new thread, and post a link to the old thread as reference. If you have a new question that relates to the old thread, that would be a good way to handle it.

Welcome to the PF!

 

[G01]

Tnx for more information regarding this forum. I am not coming from usa neither is my english my main talk and my worries where i woud be bashed becouse I am not good at english writing. As for consructive critics i use it but i fully understand there is a limit. I have been visiting this forum like (?) few mounths but i never really registered... until today.

Only what i didnt so in the rules is: Can i post in the old topic, like 2 years old ? If i don't want to make new topic.

All my questions have been answered, tnx.

I wouldn't worry about your English skills. I have yet to see someone bashed because their English was not perfect. As long as you try your best and keep your discussions civil and within the guidelines, you'll be fine. This is a very accepting community when you get right down to it. No one is ever shunned for shallow reasons such as poorer English skills. The fact that you are going out of your way to make sure you don't make any mistakes leads me to believe that you should be fine here.

Welcome! Oh, and you better go into General Discussion and introduce yourself, since I don't think Evo is allowed to bring the fish in here. (Don't ask. You'll find out soon enough.)

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

If I had to guess having been here a few years, I'd say that 50% of posters were North American, the other 40% probably European, and then 10% other.

But that would be a very rough guess, pretty good mix in general I think.

The easiest way to get banned I think is probably to be a crackpot or a conspiracy theorist or just generally out there, from what I've seen that usually receives pretty short shrift PF is normally quite civil and unlike other sites I've seen is much less subject to flame wars or those who lurk under bridges.

Actually people who's native language is English sometimes get bashed, but non-native speakers is a bit lame, I don't know many sites who tolerate that sort of thing.

Just try to steer clear of txt speak 1337, or Chavanese (overly colloquial gibberish) And you should be fine.

 

[arildno]

I would warn you, however, that most regular posters here are knowledgeable about the natural sciences; we have several here with master's degrees and Phd's.

This means that there is little tolerance for mathematical&scientific crackpottery on these forums.

 

[G01]

I would warn you, however, that most regular posters here are knowledgeable about the natural sciences; we have several here with master's degrees and Phd's.

This means that there is little tolerance for mathematical&scientific crackpottery on these forums.

This is definitely one of the pluses about this forum. Being able to interact with so many people who are experts in their fields is something you definitely don't get at other forums.

I would also like to point out that this forum has an educational mission as well.(I'm sure you know this aldridno, I'm pointing it out for the benefit of the OP.) PF welcomes those trying to learn more about physics and science in general, and tries to help them with their learning. For this reason as well, crack pottery is not looked upon kindly, since it is very easy for crackpot theories to confuse those students who are just beginning and may not know enough to distinguish crack pottery from real science.

 

[mgb_phys]

This means that there is little tolerance for mathematical&scientific crackpottery on these forums.

There is amazingly little of the "multi-coloured crayon written letters" crackpottery on here.
Is there a really clever filter or do those trying to prove that the universe is shaped like a banana not own computers?

 

[berkeman]

There is amazingly little of the "multi-coloured crayon written letters" crackpottery on here.

Is there a really clever filter ?

That would be the PF Mentors, working hard behind the scenes

 

[mgb_phys]

Being out in industry I do miss those letters - and the joy of replying with:
"I'm not really qualified to comment on your strawberry flavoured universe theory - you should discuss it wth Prof XXX who is working on something similair" and pass on the name and address of a colleague in another institution.

Some people preferred to forward the cranks to each other but I think it is more fun to do to colleagues!

 

[G01]

Some people preferred to forward the cranks to each other but I think it is more fun to do to colleagues!

Ahh. That would be so funny! The problem with forwarding the cranks to each other, though, is that they then meet each other and team up. So, it's probably also a safer idea to forward them to colleages.

 

[ZapperZ]

In Warren Siegel's "Are You A Quack", he wrote this in entry #24

Note: Long ago a professor of mine told me that he got letters from 2 quacks, so he forwarded each's letter to the other. He got back an angry letter from one saying, "Why did you introduce me to this quack?"

Zz.