So How does PF operate? If you don't mind me asking

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out of whack said:
Someone who knows Dick should tell him about being complimented here...

(Hey... cool future PF feature: posts will be scanned against the members list and subscription to a thread will be triggered for members mentioned in it so they know when their ears should be burning. :cool:)

I notice that no one has made the obvious suggestion that Dick hasn't created a new thread because he doesn't know how.
 
Dick said:
I notice that no one has made the obvious suggestion that Dick hasn't created a new thread because he doesn't know how.
Going after the funniest member award for 2008, I see.

On each forum page, on the left just above the list of topics/threads - look for the "New Topic" button.
 
Astronuc said:
Going after the funniest member award for 2008, I see.

On each forum page, on the left just above the list of topics/threads - look for the "New Topic" button.

Are you going for it now, by actually replying? :eek:
 
What is amazing to me is the SPEED that questions are answered in the math and physics homework sections. It is almost impossible to answer any questions there since they always seems to be answered already. Nothing sits for every long.

There is a problem with the engineering section though. I try to help with the occasional signal processing question (if it is not too hard), but there is in general a shortage there. It would be nice if some of the physics and math speedsters would make it a point to check that section occasionally for questions that they can field. Afterall most engineering is just math and science.
 
wildman said:
What is amazing to me is the SPEED that questions are answered in the math and physics homework sections. It is almost impossible to answer any questions there since they always seems to be answered already. Nothing sits for every long.

There is a problem with the engineering section though. I try to help with the occasional signal processing question (if it is not too hard), but there is in general a shortage there. It would be nice if some of the physics and math speedsters would make it a point to check that section occasionally for questions that they can field. Afterall most engineering is just math and science.

Math/physics is easy. Engineering is hard. I just don't have laplace transforms, beam stress equations and RLC circuits at my fingertips. Maybe I should try harder. Might learn something. Good point. On the other hand, that's why I chose those fields. But I will try to look at those categories more often.
 
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I strongly recommend that morphism get some sort of recognition label. He has outstanding knowledge, problem solving ability, and helps people a lot.
 
I've seconded and proposed this point an endless (like three or so) number of times. Why can't Homework Helper be an elected post, like comedian of the year? Seems to me that would mean you get more input from the entities direct peers, instead of having to solicit recommendations.
 
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Dick said:
I've seconded and proposed this point an endless (like three or so) number of times. Why can't Homework Helper be an elected post, like comedian of the year? Seems to me that would mean you get more input from the entities direct peers, instead of having to solicit recommendations.

The OPs in the HW forums can hardly be called the peers of the Homework Helpers. It seems at a first glance like a good idea to let them elect, seeing as they are the people who are getting the help. The problem is that perhaps they may not be able to judge the competency of a helper, even if that person has solved a number of problems in not too good a way.

A fraction of the "evaluation" for a HH may come from votes, perhaps?
 
morphism has made no mistakes in his solutions that I know of. He answers questions that are more advanced than most homework helpers have answered (often questions in third year and sometimes fourth year courses). He seems to know every definition and remember and be able to prove every theorem. His solutions are quite advanced and spot-on too.
 
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mathboy said:
morphism has made no mistakes in his solutions that I know of. He answers questions that are more advanced than most homework helpers have answered (often questions in third year and sometimes fourth year courses). He seems to know every definition and remember and be able to prove every theorem. His solutions are quite advanced and spot-on too.

I was not talking about morphism. What gave you the idea, if, that is, you are alluding to my post? To be clear, I was discussing Dick's election idea.

Do you know that morphism is a HH now? That's why I congratulated him.
 
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Shooting star said:
The OPs in the HW forums can hardly be called the peers of the Homework Helpers. It seems at a first glance like a good idea to let them elect, seeing as they are the people who are getting the help. The problem is that perhaps they may not be able to judge the competency of a helper, even if that person has solved a number of problems in not too good a way.

A fraction of the "evaluation" for a HH may come from votes, perhaps?

I was thinking more about HH's voting for future HH's, but thinking about it, that would be hard to do. An HH in one forum doesn't necessarily know the others forums that well. The existing system probably fine - though it seems to operate slowly sometimes. Congrats to morphism, finally.
 
Shooting star said:
The problem is that perhaps they may not be able to judge the competency of a helper, even if that person has solved a number of problems in not too good a way.
That is part of the issue. We do take input from members, HH's and SA's when we consider awarding a medal, so in a way that's a "vote".
 
Shooting star said:
I was not talking about morphism. What gave you the idea, if, that is, you are alluding to my post? To be clear, I was discussing Dick's election idea.

Do you know that morphism is a HH now? That's why I congratulated him.

I was never thinking about your post when I was talking about morphism. I was just talking about morphism.
 
Evo said:
That is part of the issue. We do take input from members, HH's and SA's when we consider awarding a medal, so in a way that's a "vote".

Indeed, if people are sufficiently impressed by the help they receive to comment on it, such as in this forum, and we haven't yet noticed them, sometimes that attention is what it takes for us to give their posts a closer look and see if they are medal-material. Often they are, sometimes not, but nothing wrong with someone bringing another to our attention. And of course, the nominations from other HW Helpers in the HW Helper forum is our biggest guidance...they're the ones out on the front lines who know who is being more help than hindrance there. :smile:
 
Evo said:
That is part of the issue. We do take input from members, HH's and SA's when we consider awarding a medal, so in a way that's a "vote".

Oh, no, no. I mistook Dick's usage of the word peer to mean an OP in the HW forum, and was a bit bewildered. Of course, the "votes" of HHs, SAs and the other higher powers matter.

(All this is actually clear form three posts of Dick's and mine, slightly higer up the page.)

mathboy said:
I was never thinking about your post when I was talking about morphism. I was just talking about morphism.

Again, my mistake. A natural one perhaps, since your post followed mine. We are :cool:.
 
chroot said:
Shooting Star said:
Mk said:
I believe one person is :smile:

Joking or serious?
No one gets paid. Even when there is a "budget surplus" here it's barely enough to buy a few pitchers of beer. Seriously.

- Warren
I was referring to Greg, it does seem like there are a lot of members with Gold names.
 
I don't know about dollars, but I do know that a number of major decisions have been made that directly affect traffic and likely membership. In the end what determined the outcome of these decisions was the desire to maintain the highest academic standards, even if it meant losing members.
 
We attract approximately 1,000 new members every week, and this number has been steadily increasing for years. (We attracted approximately 500 new members every week a year ago.) If anything, our decisions with regard to academic standards have done wonders for the site.

- Warren
 
chroot said:
We attract approximately 1,000 new members every week, and this number has been steadily increasing for years. (We attracted approximately 500 new members every week a year ago.) If anything, our decisions with regard to academic standards have done wonders for the site.

- Warren

It is also true that a good sign of a problem thread is a high rate of visitor traffic. :biggrin: But there is no doubt that in the long run the high standards make PF a better site and far more appealing to students, academics, and professionals, than it would be otherwise.

Having run the gambit of internet forums some years ago, from day one I have believed that we have something very special here.
 
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PF has to be my all-time fav website. I just want to say all the guys contributing and working on this site- thank you very much, you guys (and gals!) are amazing.