1. I didn't have much in the way of expectations.
2. I guess if anything I was looking for intelligent discussion.
3a. A little intelligent discussion and a whole lot of silliness. There are three specific things which bother me.:
- the behaviour of people who claim to be Christian but the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not evident in their posts (this includes denigrating people who hold different views);
- the inability or unwillingness of people to engage in logically-sound discussion;
- the tendency to treat a few dozen words in a post as an accurate representation of the entirety of one's thought on a subject. This includes ignoring most of a post which challenges their position, and focus on one word or phrase which they think they can refute.
3b. There are some subjects about which I know more and some about which I know less, simply because I've studied certain things more than others. I am an avid reader and learner, so when I get interested in something, I like to learn and discuss it.
There are some really stellar people and good discussions here. By ignoring the junk, I can still enjoy it. Occasionally I come across something from a person whose views I like otherwise, and wonder where their head is at. But people probably do that with me too. I'm not perfect, I don't know everything, and my views on things may not be fully formed yet.
Summary: The ratio of treasure to junk is low, but that's the way it is with gold mining. Think 'tons of ore per ounce of gold'.
2. I guess if anything I was looking for intelligent discussion.
3a. A little intelligent discussion and a whole lot of silliness. There are three specific things which bother me.:
- the behaviour of people who claim to be Christian but the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not evident in their posts (this includes denigrating people who hold different views);
- the inability or unwillingness of people to engage in logically-sound discussion;
- the tendency to treat a few dozen words in a post as an accurate representation of the entirety of one's thought on a subject. This includes ignoring most of a post which challenges their position, and focus on one word or phrase which they think they can refute.
3b. There are some subjects about which I know more and some about which I know less, simply because I've studied certain things more than others. I am an avid reader and learner, so when I get interested in something, I like to learn and discuss it.
There are some really stellar people and good discussions here. By ignoring the junk, I can still enjoy it. Occasionally I come across something from a person whose views I like otherwise, and wonder where their head is at. But people probably do that with me too. I'm not perfect, I don't know everything, and my views on things may not be fully formed yet.
Summary: The ratio of treasure to junk is low, but that's the way it is with gold mining. Think 'tons of ore per ounce of gold'.