Signal:Noise

[Bravus]

Just a note (and check The Disclaimer, linked below if you need reminding!) that I'm noticing in CA generally a greatly decreased signal:noise ratio. That is, so many posts are 'noise' - personal debates, attacks, rebuttals, defences, he said/she said and so on - rather than 'signal' - actual discussion of issues - that it gets tough to read.

I know I've done just as much of that as anyone, and more than many. I also know it's sometimes difficult to debate the position without debating the person.

Not because it's right or wrong, and not because I say so, but just purely to make this place more enjoyable to hang out and read, I'm going to commit myself to trying to boost the signal and filter the noise in my own posts. Anyone who feels the same way, please do likewise.

Please note that discussing this issue as an issue counts as signal, but making it into a fight about people counts as noise! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[Nicodema]

Amen Bravus. I also know my own culpability in this matter and would like to commit to joining your effort here. I too find it very frustrating when discussion of an issue or topic is hijacked into the same dull back and forth over personalities -- good grief you might as well insert generic proponent of A here and generic proponent of B there lobbing generic hate-words, ad hominems, and other effluvia at one another, and not have a forum at all, it gets that bad sometimes.

I strongly encourage use of the IGNORE filter for those who have a hard time (like me) reading someone's debris and not responding to it with more debris. It is difficult to fight that urge even for the RIGHT reason, i.e., to want to tell someone stop doing that you are ruining the thread, can't you see you're attacking the person, etc. -- instead, just putting them on ignore immediately reduces the amount of NOISE in that thread. I highly recommend the IGNORE feature as a wonderful aid to staying focused ourselves!

Nico

[Guest]

I can handle noise...

except when it is cell phones going off during the worship service or yakkity yaks during the sermon.

Then I want the SNR to be HI FI

[Neil D]

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...I'm noticing in CA generally a greatly decreased signal:noise ratio. That is, so many posts are 'noise' - personal debates, attacks, rebuttals, defences, he said/she said and so on - rather than 'signal' - actual discussion of issues - that it gets tough to read.

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So you like it when I don't call Shane and Ron on the carpet for thier ..um..."unhealthy"... ...views...

Well, I appreciate that you noticed...I guess it just goes to show that some lepards do change thier spots....or at least get some rubbing alcohol to remove a few....

[Bravus]

Actually, one other source of noise is all disclaimers: having to say 'I'm not attacking you personally, I'm disagreeing with your stated position and here are my reasons...' I would hope that it would be possible to just assume that - that everyone would read what is written as being about the argument rather than taking it personally, unless it's clearly written as a personal attack. But I guess as long as there are personal attacks going on, the climate is such that it's necessary to be explicit...

Pity, because (believe it or not) I actually like to write short, pithy posts sometimes... and it feels like noise to have to triple the length with qualifications.

[DaveM1936]

I like the idea of an "ignore" button. I looked for it. Where is it?

Seriously, I have practiced this for a long time. Some people's posts I NEVER read, let alone respond to. I have learned when two people hi-jack a thread, all we can really do about it, is start a new one. Then we let the combatants have that thread. I have noticed that they never seem to be aware that the rest of us have left the house.

Your friend,

Dave M

[Jeannieb43]

There seems to be a lot of Noise going on again... in various threads.

[NormF]

Here, here! I'll sign on to that.

Regards,

Norm

(But poke me if I miss - PM or whatever.)

[GreatLakesGramma]

Dave, to ingnore someone,click on their name beside one of their posts. This will bring up their personal profile info. At the bottom you will find a place to click to "ignore this user". If you change your mind later, bring up their profile again in the same way, and you'll find it has changed to "stop ignoring this user."

[NormF]

Dear JimBob,

In our little church, the back two or three pews are reserved for parents with small children. Now and again, there's a dull roar from back there .... I've learned, more or less, to live through it. After all, there was a time when my little ones contributed to that.

Recently, I heard a so-called "yakkity yak" from back there, that went on through the whole sermon. Low volume, subdued actually, but continuous. Later, it happened again, more than once in fact. On each of those Sabbaths, all the way through the whole sermon ....

Then I learned that someone back there was translating, with a soft, carefully modulated voice, for an older person who didn't know English (and who probably couldn't hear all that well either). That's when I remembered: a second language is tough to learn when you're young ... and impossible when you're old.

And here I thought I'd been being reasonable and tolerant. Found out my inner self could stand to do better yet, regardless of how well my outer appearances might have seemed to others (I hope!).

Regards,

Norm

[Jeannieb43]

BUMP

[i refer to Bravus' first post in this thread....

There's nobody in particular in mind - I just like the way he phrases it.]

Signal vs. Noise

[Neil D]

So I take it that some posts are not wanted and are treated with silence.....right?

Or if someone says, "that's a good post!", that noise that says that the post is wanted???

[Nicodema]

Neil: a post that is not wanted is NOT met with silence. It is met with a meat cleaver, shredder and grinder, the sound of bones crunching as others generate copious NOISE to try to convince the entire world to hate, reject, and oppose the hapless maker of said post.

Trust me on this -- silence is golden.

Well, silver anyway ...

[Neil D]

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Trust me on this -- silence is golden.

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Including the humorous posts in Townhall, and the humor section....???

A comic does not play long for a quiet crowd....

[Nicodema]

Can't speak for others, only myself. I generally don't reply to comic posts -- sometimes I will but usually I won't. I just don't feel a response is necessary. It's up there to be seen and have a chuckle. I see it, I have a chuckle, and I move on. It's nothing personal!

Please Neil, I just cannot be single-handedly responsible for this right now ... please ... OK? You don't know what it's like to be me. I don't want to get into an internal Gordian guilt knot where I have to obsessively respond to every funny post with affirmation ... it will drive me crazy ... same reason I don't go on the Prayer thread very much ... I will start feeling guilty if I don't pray for every request on there AND post something supportive, and I can't take that, it becomes unhealthy with me, obsessive thinking, and only brings guilt and pain cuz I can never "do enough" ... sorry ...

[LynnDel]

When it comes to humor posts, Neil, count your successes by the numbers who view the thread. Cleverness with subject lines is essential. If you continue to use creative spelling (ahem), maybe you'll get at least a spelling correction response now and then!

<img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

LD

[Nicodema]

Sorry about the WAAAHHHNGST there Neil. It's been a rough couple weeks for me here.

[Neil D]

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Can't speak for others, only myself. I generally don't reply to comic posts -- sometimes I will but usually I won't. I just don't feel a response is necessary. It's up there to be seen and have a chuckle. I see it, I have a chuckle, and I move on. It's nothing personal!

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Please forgive me, as I am feeling a bit bummed out...I don't know if you have been reading the "Dear Anonomi" thread or not, but as of late, I have been coming up with very lame/humorous ideas on writing to the anonomous users. It takes a lot of effort on my part to put those up there.

In truth, I really don't care about those anonomous users and if they want to register by paying Stan or not....But it is somewhat of a funny idea to write to a bunch of imaginary people who could be just about anything you want them to be... Conference presidents whose sexual pleasures come from guteral affirmations that sex is great to nerdy SDAs geek wannabies to theological bookworms who argue that cummin was tithed...

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Please Neil, I just cannot be single-handedly responsible for this right now ... please ... OK?

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I don't WANT you to be responsible for this....Never intended for you to be responsible for this.... it's just that when you put some article up for the amusment of others, you just wonder if anything resonates with anyone...The amount of effort for replys tends to be somewhat sad...and this author wonders if he's writing to himself or if anyone else is listening.....or worse, wasting time and bandwith....

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You don't know what it's like to be me. I don't want to get into an internal Gordian guilt knot where I have to obsessively respond to every funny post with affirmation ... it will drive me crazy ... same reason I don't go on the Prayer thread very much ... I will start feeling guilty if I don't pray for every request on there AND post something supportive, and I can't take that, it becomes unhealthy with me, obsessive thinking, and only brings guilt and pain cuz I can never "do enough" ... sorry ...

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Heaven forbid that you become obsessive or obsessively guilty over writing replies...Don't want that, never wanted that, it aint the reaction that I was looking for....As I said, some of those articles take time, and they are practice for something that may come later....

So when you have read number of those articles, from time to time, send this dog a bone with a single "LOL".

It aint much, but it's feedback for the author to chew on...

[Nicodema]

ok