I was rather worried this thread would get the axe... and even if not, I was so tired yesterday (and still very much so today) that I worried I'd make little sense. But I'm encouraged by the answers so far. Here's what I want to comment on for the most part.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Boromir88
I had an old signature about steps to take to make yourself look smarter than you truly are.
1) Only talk about the stuff you know
2) Admit it when you make a mistake
3) Agree with me 
Ok. so #3's a joke (or is it?) but 1 and 2 I still try to stick to as much as possible. |
Now, I have no problem with #2, and obviously, #3 is right... Boromir IS after all our chosen leader
... *ahem* but about #1, and tying in to what Jenny said...
Knowledge can be very much a matter of comparison. For example, I know more about Genetics than the average Joe (unless he happens to be a Biochem major too) but then I don't know nearly as much as a Geneticist. So how do I know if I trully
know about the topic I want to post on? why, I read what has been said before.... and so it happens that there have been three posts. A long, well written and thought out opening post, an interesting and thought-provoking second post and a dissertation-like, full of quotes and references to a plethora of different works, post. Then it sinks in...
All I know is that I know NOTHING (comparatively speaking)
I think that's what Jenny meant to say when she said some of the posters were "intimidating". Obviously, I'm not actually afraid of running into SPM (unless he's a werewolf. SPM is a dangerous werewolf
) but when he takes the time to make a long, thought out post it just happens that I get the feeling I'm in way over my head.
Having said that, I disagree that we should have another section for "intermediate" members. That'd be effectively the death of the Books forum. I don't think I'm a big time contributor, but some of the ones who voiced their agreement (and Macalure himself) are valuable and relatively frequent posters on the Books forum. Take that away and instead of reviving the discussion there, we are limiting it to.... well, with all due respect, the intimidating ramblings of the oldies.
Also, it may accentuate, rather than diminish, the feeling of "inadequacy" that some of us feel when compared to some older, perhaps more "experienced" in literary discussions, posters. Would the 'downs become a system of castes, where you come in as a meagre newbie, and you are discouraged to discuss things anywhere but at the NN forum, then you prove your worth and graduate to the mid-level subforum until only a few lucky chosen ones make it to THE Books forum?
I agree that, ideally, we can all look for the other times our idea has been discussed and re-open the thread, but that system is not really working, is it? Again, I'm not vouching for a cluttering of the 'downs, but rather trying to suggest some ideas of what may revive the discussions a little.
Just to show you what I mean... Pick your favourite character, thing or what ever of Tolkien's work and run it through the "Search" function.
If you come up with anything less than 50 topics you should feel fortunate. Of the 50, 40 can be discared as they probably have the words you were looking for but they have nothing to do with your idea. I.e: "Aragorn's sword, Narsil" may very well be in Crazy Captions.
Of the 10 remaining, 5 are rather short, you quickly look through them and see that they are not what you were looking for. The other 5 are much longer, you broze through them and it doesn't look like it's the same thing either.
You go ahead, post and someone answers with a link to one of those 5 longer threads. Yeah, the first post it's not the same thing you were proposing, but down on page 3, post 115 the discussion shifts a little and it resembles your idea quite a bit.
It's still not your idea, but what are you going to do about it?
So keep in mind, I'm
NOT encouraging opening the same thread as before, if that's the case it should be referred and closed/merged with the other, but if it is not qutie the same thing, why not let it go and see where it ends up?
Edit:Cross-posted with half the active members of the 'downs