Suggestions, Comments and Support

What does this mean on SFN screen ? Flashed for about two seconds. What terms ? WHY is it left to guess ?

Swansont you keep asking for evidence or mathematics to prove whatever is discussed. Is this not a discussion forum? Where ideas are hashed in many cases just based on logic? And where we can argue theories based solely on one's perception? Instead of cutting someone short and frustrating him/her off the forum, how about being a little more involving.

This thread just appeared in the activity list and the trash can so I cannot reply. Can someone explain what is wrong with it please?

It is a shame you chose to thumb you nose at the authorities, rather than answer my comment in your latest thread. After a shaky start I thought we made real progress in a previous thread and actually achieved a worthwhile discussion. I was just penning my thoughts when your thread on Chance was closed and had been hoping we could achieve the same useful result again. It could have been quite a worthwhile discussion, there is much to be be said on the subject.

What LaTeX packages can we use in blogs? If the one we need (say, for commutative diagrams) isn't installed, is there a way to get it installed?

For example, a post on SR that was moved to speculations was closed recently. The reply immediately before it was closed was from someone asking questions to OP. The problem is that the topic was closed only due to OP's behavior, but there were other people in the thread. This suggests that OP "owns" a bad topic, even if others are discussing reasonably. It would be nice to instead see a warning, like "Stop posting what you're posting. You have a chance to answer questions others have asked. If you don't take it, the thread will be closed." Or a warning to others: "Don't bother asking any questions, we're not giving OP more chances to answer." Even if all i…

Hi. Often, from the "Activity" tab; I get some prompt to join a subject. Such subject that I have never participated, nor from a member I had contact before, nor from my interest at all. Sample : Why the "Reply to this status" shown below ?

This suggestion was inspired by the recent strengthening of the control over spurious threads and the waste of time they generate. Whilst I fully endorse that, I would like to note another perennial timewaster for consideration. (Too) Many original posters think we are mind readers or whatever and supply far too little or too sloppy information instead of a properly thought out question. Sometimes a simple "Does the bathwater always spin round the same way as it empties down the plughole ?" is all that is necessary. But already this morning I see at least two questions with insufficient information to frame a proper answer. If the OP expects us …

Even though I agree with your analysis of the previous post I’m astonished at your approach to moderation. At times it feels as if one is sitting in on a tutorial where participants are constantly slapped on the wrist for errors in logic &/or unjustified claims. Such an regime of detailed criticism may be justified, however, I find the tone of many critical remarks so coldly judgmental as to discourage participation. I’m in no position to be diagnosing anything like aspergers syndrome however so depart leaving you to your ‘objective’ moderation.

The remark was a general one, about scientific forums. Here an open letter I have written to https://www.physicsforums.com/ in protest against a violation of their own rules, which resulted in banning me. Here is what an admin wrote recently here: "Well, then, this will be put in speculations and you will limit your discussion of this subject to this thread, and this thread alone." So my "some move them into subforums for cranks" holds here too, and "this thread alone" is not much space. So, I have to care here all the time if answering honestly a particular question would violate such restrictions and get me banned here too. Which is quite difficult, because…

Holy cow . I have read through 2-3 threads in this area, and the amount of vitriol that gets aimed at people is amazing . “STFU, you stupid, ignorant denier” seems to be the standard attitude . Not a “denier” , BTW. But I am amazed at what I have seen reading on a science site . I have read comments from scientists about how they were hatefully attacked , stalked , fired , etc for expressing concerns about issues in the climate science processes , and then I come here and see it on a smaller scale in a place I expected to see rational , scholarly and respectful debate . Seems to be a pattern here . Not good .

I was thinking that we discuss societal behaviours quite a lot in Politics and was thinking might it be useful to have a distinct Sociology category for when people want to talk about social behaviour that is distinct from a governance perspective ie outside of political concerns and non-partisan?. Perhaps put it in the section where Politics is.

and remove Strange's admin privileges.

Hi... can I get benefits from good topics... can i ask anyone to donate? can i get banned from asking for donations?

Has the ability to delete posts been added? I recently got this notification: However, upon going to that thread, my post was the last one. 21 hours ago. So how could somebody quote me just 16 hours ago? I thought editing posts was disabled after like 60 minutes? I've covered the name just in case, however I will say it was a mod. So maybe it's something only Mods can do? I never got a chance to see what it was, so I'm just curious.

I noticed that my own reputation increased considerably after passing 100 without any analogy to the quantity of my posts nor a significant increase in quality (IMHO). I am wondering maybe the reputation system is influenced by time: an ancient member getting reputation points only by the fact old posts are being voted positive by newer members who are influenced by previous positive voting. So as time passes by, I am getting more and more positive votes without doing nothing. Do administrators have statistical elements about this?

A brand new member ( 0 post count ) misplaces his query about getting more heat from his outdoor fireplace, and his thread is shut down. Not moved from the Sandbox to the appropriate place, mind you, but 'closed to further replies'. Have we adopted a 'zero tolerance' approach since I was last on ?

How do I post videos so that the actual video comes up without having to go to a new page? I used to think it was me, but on another forum when i type in the https link, the actual video comes up. I'm trying to post this ( NASA insight at work on Mars, starts at 25 secs) https://youtu.be/m9cCuW9nIQg

Everytime I start a thread they lock it - I suppose they fear someone might discover the truth. Everytime I answer a thread I get accused of highjacking WTF??

The pop up box reports me as "Viewing Forms Index", when I'm actually making the tea. Can this coding oversight be corrected?

My thread "Building a rocket " was moved to trash . I dont know why . I just asked how I could built the body of my spacecraft and they said it was non sensical. Anyway.....

Can't talk about blackbodies, thermal radiation, and the Stefan–Boltzmann constant and how it was derived and how it is currently used. Doesn't fit the standards a Moderator whose knowledge of science is suspect.

I find it interesting that on a science site, we are allowed to discuss alternate/parallel universes which are not in causal contact, and as such unfalsifiable. Or whether reality is a simulation ( the N DG Tyson thread that was recently closed ) which is also unfalsifiable. Yet if someone mentions the concept of a God, everyone loses their mind. I'm not religious, but I'm not that insecure or thin-skinned about my science either.

Is it really always so horrible? Surely there are threads that may have terminated long ago but that a new poster might have a fresh opinion on.

Does anyone keep in touch with Ten oz ? He logs on sporadically but, hasn't posted in a month. Hope everything is OK with him and family, and he's just taking a breather or working a lot. He can push my buttons, but I have great respect for him. And frankly, the Politics Forum isn't the same without him.