How Does the PF Community Enhance Personal Connections and Support?

[micromass]

We have quite a close and tight community here. And we do not really realize it, but for some people this forum is an important piece of their life. Other people just use this forum to get help in school or with other aspects of life.

How about you? How important is PF for you? Why? What do you get out of this?

 

[lisab]

I know some members well, some I've met in person. Some I know through PMs and emails and chats. Some I interact with only in threads.

That's what it's like living in a village. PF is my "village".

 

[jbunniii]

It gives me an excuse to stay engaged with math after selling my soul to become a software engineer. Also, it's a good place to check my thinking during my (very) occasional attempts to learn some physics. The quality of content is pretty high because a lot of the BS gets moderated away. The main competition would probably be stackexchange, which, to put it as neutrally as I can, gives a substantially different user experience that I don't much care for. Anyway, all the cool cats like micromass are here.

 

[dlgoff]

How about you? How important is PF for you? Why? What do you get out of this?

Maybe Greg will share my response. https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=4745134&postcount=3

 

[Lisa!]

I use it to practice English and get to know more about people around the world! I used to spend more time here when I was younger.

 

[wukunlin]

It's one of those places where I can find relatively honest opinions

 

[adjacent]

I come here to learn physics and maths(In fact I have learned many things from here) and help others.

I love to stay at PF because it somehow shaped my way of thinking.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I feel like I get a lot more help than I contribute, and post a lot more to silly threads in the General forum than anything substantive.

But I love that no one seems to mind.

Even if I'm not talking math or physics (the latter of which I'm not even engaged in) I know that people here are like-minded.

-Dave K

 

[Drakkith]

On an importance scale of 1-10, I rate it as orange-ish.

 

[1MileCrash]

I can't always be surrounded by people with similar interests as me in real life. PF allows me to enter the atmosphere anyway.

 

[Borg]

I've gotten a lot out of PF and it's very important to me. The main thing that I've gotten from PF is that it has taught me to be more critical in my thinking - something like the old woodworker's adage of measure twice, cut once. PF has taught me to think twice, post once.

 

[reenmachine]

Very important.It's like a social club.I have met great people here.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Very important.It's like a social club.I have met great people here.

Lol.

 

[collinsmark]

Are you implying that there is some sort of life outside PF?

 

[Gnomie27]

Being a student who is active in class and challenges my teachers, PF has provided a source of knowledge that results in answers beyond that of a single person. I find that this forum has more in depth discussions and ultimately leads to heightened though and learning. I also enjoy the paths that different views and opinions lead you down, makes for a fun journey!

 

[Drakkith]

Are you implying that there is some sort of life outside PF?

That depends on your definition of "life".

 

[phinds]

I love that it separates the wheat from the chaff. I watch a lot of pop-sci TV shows and read pop-sci books because I'm simple-minded and so are they ... BUT ... they are SO unreliable that I started getting answers here. The graphics and videos are better there but the facts are better here (except sometimes the ones I propound)

It's a great community for me, particularly because I live in a small town and have no local friends interested in science.

 

[davenn]

...- something like the old woodworker's adage of measure twice, cut once. PF has taught me to think twice, post once.

Haha yes, often the time I have written something and almost hit the "submit reply"
and sometimes have even hit the button. Only to think better of it and delete my response/intended response

I really enjoy the family here. It has done wonders to this ol' lad's learning. My physics classroom times were a LONG time ago and much has been forgotten due to it not being used every day.

Thanks everyone

Dave

 

[dlgoff]

It has done wonders to this ol' lad's learning.

Physics Forums should offer some sort of advanced degree.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Physics Forums should offer some sort of advanced degree.

Physics Forums Academy! :)

 

[gfd43tg]

I've been using it on and off since 2008 to help with my high school physics all the way to now I will soon be graduating with a chemical engineering degree.

It's so funny looking back at old posts to see how ignorant I was when I was younger. I can only image a few years from now laughing at how ignorant I am at the time of this post.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I've been using it on and off since 2008 to help with my high school physics all the way to now I will soon be graduating with a chemical engineering degree.

Congrats! Now head into the chem forum :D

 

[reenmachine]

Lol.

I know you love my love. :!)

 

[WannabeNewton]

I know you love my love. :!)

I do indeed.

In all honesty I wouldn't have even gotten interested in physics if it wasn't for this forum and I certainly wouldn't have gotten far in physics if I hadn't met micromass, PeterDonis, and the likes. I started using PF dedicatedly during my senior year of high school. Before that I was 100% set on doing computer science at MIT or Carnegie Mellon

 

[Enigman]

What do you get out of this?

Procrastinating Familiarly.

 

[julcab12]

(disable lurker mode).. Saves me time...^^

 

[strangerep]

I started using PF dedicatedly during my senior year of high school. Before that I was 100% set on doing computer science at MIT or Carnegie Mellon

So... PF has been instrumental in significantly lowering your lifetime income?

 

[WannabeNewton]

So... PF has been instrumental in significantly lowering your lifetime income?

Well when you put it that way...

 

[Chronos]

I was a complete moron when I first came here. Now, I realize, that assessment was optimistic.

 

[phinds]

I was a complete moron when I first came here. Now, I realize, that assessment was optimistic.

me too

 

[BOAS]

Physics Forums is great in a number of different ways.

The homework help provided here is great. The policy of nudging the student along the right track until they find the answer is very beneficial.

Just reading some of the threads is a good way of picking up information and finding new ideas to search about on the net.

And the people that populate the forum are great. It can be nice to go to the informal areas and talk about nothing of consequence and equally nice to talk with people who have similar interests.

 

[AnTiFreeze3]

The people are okay.