Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

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Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by lenka » Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:46 pm

If we specify posting comments as a reaction, we should search for a stimulus. Specific behavior which in this case is posting comments occurs when a person seeks to satisfy their needs. So the question is what needs can be satisfy and what needs cant by posting comments here? This could be the one key to active participation in Asterisk.

Otherwise people in general want to be right becouse they want to think well about themselves. In defence of their own ego, act so as not to expose themselves to the loss of good image, in their own eyes and in the eyes of other people, especially those who seem to be experts. It is easier to do things which we are familiar to, the task does not seem so difficult. Knowledge of the subject makes success (I mean good image of ourselves) more likely and in general people prefer to do things which they expect to end up positively (I mean it wont degrade their own image).

And there is one more thing it should be mention. Most people are guided by cognitive economy, they need quick simple solutions, life heuristics and infotainment. That could be also a reason that most of them spend their time on facebook, why so few people follow the discussion on Asterisk, so we wonder whether the asterisk intimidates people.

Motivational process couses the person's behaviour (I mean posting comments) to achieve specific, important for he or she states of things. Motivational process direct leads to desired outcomes. My main need is to be with people who seem to understand that you can look into the sky for a long time at different times of day and night and get the energy to life. Amateur astronomy replaced my spiritual life. I also want to improve my english level so I chose an international community instead of polish one :wink:

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by neufer » Sun May 16, 2010 3:21 am

beyond wrote:
Of course its intimidating!!
Of course it's intimidating!!

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by Beyond » Sun May 16, 2010 2:07 am

Of course its intimidating!! Anything that you are not used to doing is intimidating! Some things are more than others, some things are less than others, that is just the way it is.
Most people don't really give it a thought as they are looking for whats interesting to them and so they do not realize it - if at all - that there is some intimidation staring them in the face.
I guess its called -- "getting over it".

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by wonderboy » Sun May 09, 2010 10:20 am

bystander wrote:Thanks, owlice!

I'm not sure why I feel I need to defend myself, but you did a good job. In addition to what you said, the post was made to Open Space, not moved there. It is my job as moderator to enforce the rules of this forum and to inform those in error of those rules. If that is intimidating, then so be it. There are reasons for the rules and everyone is subject to the same rules. For the most part, minor infractions are overlooked, but this was a serious infraction and had to be dealt with. The topic was locked and the rule violated was posted.
RJN in [url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=18054#p114611]Welcome and Rules[/url] wrote:
Rules

Below are the rules for posting to The Asterisk* Bulletin Board. Most of these fall under the simple rule of “Be polite”. However, there are some specifics that need to be listed.

In most cases, the first violation will result in a public and/or private warning. Subsequent violations will earn you infraction points depending on the seriousness of the violation. Accumulating sufficient infraction points will result in a suspension and, beyond a certain level, a permanent ban.

That may sound harsh, but in reality these rules are pretty easy to follow. This board is based upon mutual respect for and by all posters. This is a community. Whether we agree on specifics or not, we’re all here because we’re interested in the Universe around us. Following these rules benefits everyone.

Fair enough, I just thought i'd stick up for a forum newbie, who maybe didn't understand the rules all to well. I like to think I've been treated kindly on here by you guys and i've probably done some serious stuff too which you have overlooked. I just felt it was a bit too "serious" for a first time offence. I know you need to nip it in the bud early like you did with me and rules are rules. So I have no more complaints.

Cheers guys.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by bystander » Thu May 06, 2010 9:19 pm

Thanks, owlice!

I'm not sure why I feel I need to defend myself, but you did a good job. In addition to what you said, the post was made to Open Space, not moved there. It is my job as moderator to enforce the rules of this forum and to inform those in error of those rules. If that is intimidating, then so be it. There are reasons for the rules and everyone is subject to the same rules. For the most part, minor infractions are overlooked, but this was a serious infraction and had to be dealt with. The topic was locked and the rule violated was posted.
RJN in [url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=18054#p114611]Welcome and Rules[/url] wrote:
Rules

Below are the rules for posting to The Asterisk* Bulletin Board. Most of these fall under the simple rule of “Be polite”. However, there are some specifics that need to be listed.

In most cases, the first violation will result in a public and/or private warning. Subsequent violations will earn you infraction points depending on the seriousness of the violation. Accumulating sufficient infraction points will result in a suspension and, beyond a certain level, a permanent ban.

That may sound harsh, but in reality these rules are pretty easy to follow. This board is based upon mutual respect for and by all posters. This is a community. Whether we agree on specifics or not, we’re all here because we’re interested in the Universe around us. Following these rules benefits everyone.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Thu May 06, 2010 8:47 pm

Paul, there are still rules in Open Space, and among them is that this board does not support the discussion of discredited theories. There are appropriate places to discuss such ideas, but Asterisk is not among them.
RJN in [url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=18054#p114611]Welcome and Rules[/url] wrote: 3. Posting Topics
First and foremost, this discussion forum focuses upon space and astronomy. Please stay within these areas when creating topics and participating in existing conversations. The Open Space: Discuss Anything section exists for general banter which falls outside space and astronomy -- and do note that the forum rules apply there as well. Scientific topics outside of space and astronomy are also welcome and may be posted in the Open Space: Discuss Anything section.

15. Alternative Theories and Conspiracy Theories
This board concentrates on the mainstream or consensus view of cosmology. Alternative theories and conspiracy theories are not discussed here. We may decide to allow limited discussion of these at some later date. For now, however, we ask that you take these discussions to other boards that allow such discussions, such as The BAUT Forum
.
If people want to discuss alternative theories, it's a kindness to direct them to forums which permit such discussions.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by wonderboy » Thu May 06, 2010 8:32 pm

I think sometimes it can be regarding some moderators. I'm a stubborn fool so could put up with bystanders messages but also a fool that listens, so I complied with the rules.

In this post http://asterisk.apod.com/vie ... 23&t=19301, If i was the poster, i would have felt intimidated in this instance. Could it not have been said that the post was to be moved to open space where there are no rules.

Plus we want more people to join apod, not refer them to other forums :(

Paul.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by makc » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:01 pm

What if the alien race has no ears? or the ability to feel musical vibrations etc?
I think the ability to enjoy music is based on the same ability to assess correlations that makes our brain function possible. If they have similar ability to react to external stimuli and conditioning-based learning, they would have to enjoy some kind of rhythm, be it sounds or lights or whatever. You could turn beethoven into light show and try to impress them with that. OR, if you're with me on that generation issue, just play them something from demoscene.

Re: 60 M.U.

by wonderboy » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:20 pm

neufer wrote:
60moo wrote:Of course, Astronomy is not the exact parallel of Music.
But somehow, the Delcamp thread works in accommodating all types.

Moo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_universalis wrote:
<<Musica Universalis (lit. universal music, or music of the spheres) is an ancient philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and planets—as a form of musica (the Medieval Latin name for music). This 'music' is not literally audible, but a harmonic and/or mathematical and/or religious concept. (In 2006, an experiment conducted by Greg Fox divided the orbital periods of the planets in half again and again until they were literally audible. The resultant piece was "Carmen of the Spheres".)

The Greek mathematician and astronomer Pythagoras is frequently credited with originating the concept, which stemmed from his semi-mystical, semi-mathematical philosophy and its associated system of numerology of Pythagoreanism. According to Johannes Kepler, the connection between geometry (and sacred geometry), cosmology, astrology, harmonics, and music is through musica universalis. At the time, the Sun, Moon, and planets were thought to revolve around Earth in their proper spheres. The most thorough and imaginative description of the concept can be found in Dante's Divine Comedy. The spheres were thought to be related by the whole-number ratios of pure musical intervals, creating musical harmony. Johannes Kepler used the concept of the music of the spheres in his Harmonice Mundi in 1619, relating astrology (especially the astrological aspects) and harmonics.

Image

The three branches of the Medieval concept of musica were presented by Boethius in his book De Musica:
  • * Musica Universalis (sometimes referred to as musica mundana)
    * musica humana (the internal music of the human body)
    * musica instrumentalis (sounds made by singers and instrumentalists)>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_Spheres_%28The_Outer_Limits%29 wrote:
"Music of the Spheres" is an episode of The Outer Limits. It first aired on 9 May 1997, during the third season.
  • Opening narration: “For years we have searched for the answer to an eternal question, "Are we alone?" As yet, there has been no answer. Or perhaps the answer is only for those with the facility to hear it.”
Devon Taylor, a young physics student, picks up a strange signal during his work at a radio observatory. He believes that he can hear a pattern in it, but none of his older colleagues can hear it. Taylor’s younger sister, Joyce Taylor, plays the tape and enjoys the sound so much she plays it at a rave. When Devon finds her at the rave, everyone there is infected with skin deformities. All the teens are quarantined at a hospital, but when they are separated from the music on the tape they all experience severe pain and withdrawal symptoms. Devon and his superiors are left with no choice but to let the patients listen to the tape until they can figure out the rest of the transmitted message. They locate that the source of this message is from a distant world and is in fact artificial in origin which implies it was sent from a intelligent source. The military at this point declare that they must assume that they are under attack from this new threat and must proceed as such.

Devon is later reviewing photographs taken of stars at different periods in time and discovers that the star of the alien world went ultraviolet 40 years in the past and brings this information to his superiors and the military. They then realise that their sun is changing to this spectrum, heralded by increased solar activity and that the noise/music is being transmitted to change the life on earth so it can adapt to the new conditions, and that the alien transmission is in a sense a humanitarian effort. Once this is realised the richer governments of the world send up satellites to transmit the noise over the poorer countries and more remote areas of the world to help the transition to this new phase of existence. The final scene begins with Devon's father, still human, entering his daughter's room and she tells him that she is sorry that that she won't be able to look beautiful in her prom dress, as the camera pans up showing her to be completely covered in a golden metallic substance which can be assumed to be her skin; but he replies telling her she will always be beautiful. Devon enters the room also in his new skin and tells her that it is time and they precede to go outside with Joyce's boyfriend and they watch the new sun appear in the sky with their faces filled with hope.

[list]Closing narration: “It is said that Music is a universal bridge, crossing the barriers of culture, age, and language. Perhaps, eventually, we will learn that it also spans those of time... and space.”>>[/list]
[/b][/size]










Theres nothing in http://asterisk.apod.com/vie ... 23&t=18871 there regarding music, im going with that :P. What if the alien race has no ears? or the ability to feel musical vibrations etc?

I truly believe that we are not alone, i look at the hubble ultra deep field image and think that each of those galaxies must hold at least some form of life. it has to.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:04 pm

livemind, do you have any recommendations for ways to make Asterisk less inimidating for an eight-year-old? For anyone?

I hate to think that an eight-year-old would not feel welcome posing a question here! I think many posters here have children; I do, and I certainly welcome the opportunity to share the excitement of the subject with anyone regardless of age!

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by wonderboy » Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:17 pm

As far as im concerned I have opinions about astronomy. Those opinions are, on many occassions not all, completely the wrong opinion to have. So here I am, just recently signed up and I give my moneys worth on a subject, if someone like chris or neufer or anyone else for that matter turn around and explain to me the correct meaning of something which I have wrongly based my opinion on then I'm happy because they've cleared something up for me as well as having learned something new. I'm not intimidated, I jump in at the deep end and learn to swim quickly.

60 M.U.

by neufer » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:04 pm

60moo wrote:Of course, Astronomy is not the exact parallel of Music.
But somehow, the Delcamp thread works in accommodating all types.

Moo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_universalis wrote:
<<Musica Universalis (lit. universal music, or music of the spheres) is an ancient philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon, and planets—as a form of musica (the Medieval Latin name for music). This 'music' is not literally audible, but a harmonic and/or mathematical and/or religious concept. (In 2006, an experiment conducted by Greg Fox divided the orbital periods of the planets in half again and again until they were literally audible. The resultant piece was "Carmen of the Spheres".)

The Greek mathematician and astronomer Pythagoras is frequently credited with originating the concept, which stemmed from his semi-mystical, semi-mathematical philosophy and its associated system of numerology of Pythagoreanism. According to Johannes Kepler, the connection between geometry (and sacred geometry), cosmology, astrology, harmonics, and music is through musica universalis. At the time, the Sun, Moon, and planets were thought to revolve around Earth in their proper spheres. The most thorough and imaginative description of the concept can be found in Dante's Divine Comedy. The spheres were thought to be related by the whole-number ratios of pure musical intervals, creating musical harmony. Johannes Kepler used the concept of the music of the spheres in his Harmonice Mundi in 1619, relating astrology (especially the astrological aspects) and harmonics.

Image

The three branches of the Medieval concept of musica were presented by Boethius in his book De Musica:
  • * Musica Universalis (sometimes referred to as musica mundana)
    * musica humana (the internal music of the human body)
    * musica instrumentalis (sounds made by singers and instrumentalists)>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_Spheres_%28The_Outer_Limits%29 wrote:
"Music of the Spheres" is an episode of The Outer Limits. It first aired on 9 May 1997, during the third season.
  • Opening narration: “For years we have searched for the answer to an eternal question, "Are we alone?" As yet, there has been no answer. Or perhaps the answer is only for those with the facility to hear it.”
Devon Taylor, a young physics student, picks up a strange signal during his work at a radio observatory. He believes that he can hear a pattern in it, but none of his older colleagues can hear it. Taylor’s younger sister, Joyce Taylor, plays the tape and enjoys the sound so much she plays it at a rave. When Devon finds her at the rave, everyone there is infected with skin deformities. All the teens are quarantined at a hospital, but when they are separated from the music on the tape they all experience severe pain and withdrawal symptoms. Devon and his superiors are left with no choice but to let the patients listen to the tape until they can figure out the rest of the transmitted message. They locate that the source of this message is from a distant world and is in fact artificial in origin which implies it was sent from a intelligent source. The military at this point declare that they must assume that they are under attack from this new threat and must proceed as such.

Devon is later reviewing photographs taken of stars at different periods in time and discovers that the star of the alien world went ultraviolet 40 years in the past and brings this information to his superiors and the military. They then realise that their sun is changing to this spectrum, heralded by increased solar activity and that the noise/music is being transmitted to change the life on earth so it can adapt to the new conditions, and that the alien transmission is in a sense a humanitarian effort. Once this is realised the richer governments of the world send up satellites to transmit the noise over the poorer countries and more remote areas of the world to help the transition to this new phase of existence. The final scene begins with Devon's father, still human, entering his daughter's room and she tells him that she is sorry that that she won't be able to look beautiful in her prom dress, as the camera pans up showing her to be completely covered in a golden metallic substance which can be assumed to be her skin; but he replies telling her she will always be beautiful. Devon enters the room also in his new skin and tells her that it is time and they precede to go outside with Joyce's boyfriend and they watch the new sun appear in the sky with their faces filled with hope.
  • Closing narration: “It is said that Music is a universal bridge, crossing the barriers of culture, age, and language. Perhaps, eventually, we will learn that it also spans those of time... and space.”>>

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by 60moo » Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:49 pm

RJN wrote:Playing devil's advocate, though, I wonder how I would feel posting on a music board where I knew professional musicians posted. I am not a musician, and I can see feeling intimidated there myself. And I don't know how that could be appeased.
A very successful, growing, and well-moderated website dedicated to the classical guitar - http://www.delcamp.us - has a membership base consisting of newbies, right up to full-time teachers and professional performers.

Anyone asking a question is almost guaranteed to receive an immediate, polite and accurate answer. Intimidation is not even an issue. It seems to be in the nature of people to actually want to help those who have a query, no matter how "dumb" it may appear to the person who is asking. The site has an "Introduce Yourself" section, which I can attest comes in very handy, as it gives perspective when formulating one's replies.

As for Music itself, one can learn the basic theory and have a pretty strong grasp of the subject within a few years. We can all relate to it. It's also a field with a fair degree of subjectivity - your favourite composer, composition, performer or make of instrument could easily be my idea of musical Hell :evil: . Thankfully, this doesn't stop people asking, or expressing their opinions!

Of course, Astronomy is not the exact parallel of Music. But somehow, the Delcamp thread works in accommodating all types.

Moo.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:42 am

True, that!

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by neufer » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:36 am

owlice wrote:and Einstein played the violin. :)
Not professionally.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:18 am

RJN wrote:OK. I just changed them (Su, M, & Tu) to "Comments".
I hope it works!! Will be curious to see.

neufer, and Einstein played the violin. :)
Amir wrote:
rstevenson wrote:and the first year of that I was pretty quiet
owlice wrote:I managed to be quiet for years
is there a reason for being quite? why did you have to keep that monster inside?
Because if I didn't keep the monster inside, the board would have had what it has now: a monster! :)

Amir, that's the second time I've been asked that. My initial answer was along the lines of... it just didn't occur to me to get involved here. I didn't have any questions I wanted answered (I am pretty good about researching questions I have, and the web has lots of good resources for astronomy) and I'm not an astronomer nor do I play one on TV (I'd have had to be WAY cooler to be an astronomer, because they are very cool!) so can't contribute answers to questions others have (and mainly wouldn't, even if I thought I knew the answer, because someone else much more qualified will do so, and better and more completely than I could). I'm pretty sure that's not the whole answer, though, and am still working on it.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by neufer » Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:58 am

RJN wrote:Playing devil's advocate, though, I wonder how I would feel posting on a music board where I knew professional musicians posted. I am not a musician, and I can see feeling intimidated there myself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herschel wrote:
<<Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, (15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a British astronomer, technical expert, and a composer. Herschel became most famous for the discovery of the planet Uranus in addition to several of its major moons such as Titania and Oberon. He also discovered infrared radiation and composed numerous musical works, including 24 symphonies and many concertos, as well as some church music.

Herschel was born in the Electorate of Hanover one of ten children of Isaak and Anna Ilse Herschel. In 1755 the Hanoverian Guards regiment, in whose band Wilhelm and his brother Jakob were engaged as oboists, was ordered to England. He played the cello and harpsichord in addition to the oboe and later the organ. Herschel moved to Sunderland in 1761 when Charles Avison immediately engaged him as first violin and soloist for his Newcastle orchestra, where he played for one season. In ‘Sunderland in the County of Durham April 20 1761’ he wrote his symphony no. 8 in C minor. He was head of the Durham Militia band 1760–61 and visited the home of Sir Ralph Milbanke at Halnaby Hall in 1760, where he wrote two symphonies, as well as giving performances himself.

After Newcastle he moved to Leeds and Halifax where he was organist at St John the Baptist church. He became organist of the Octagon Chapel, Bath, a fashionable chapel in a well-known Spa, in which town he was also Director of Public Concerts. He was appointed as the organist in 1766 and gave his introductory concert on 1 January 1767. As the organ was still incomplete he showed off his versatility by performing his own compositions including a violin concerto, an oboe concerto and a harpsichord sonata. The organ was completed in October 1767. In 1780, Herschel was appointed director of the Bath orchestra, with his sister often appearing as soprano soloist.

Herschel's music led him to an interest in mathematics and lenses. His interest in astronomy grew stronger after 1773 and he made the acquaintance of the English Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne. He started building his own reflecting telescopes and would spend up to 16 hours a day grinding and polishing the speculum metal primary mirrors.>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May wrote:
<<Brian Harold May, CBE (born 19 July 1947) is a British musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May earned a PhD in astrophysics in 2007 and is currently the chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special".
  • Image
Brian May, the only child of Harold and Ruth May, was born in Hampton, London and attended Hampton Grammar School. During this time he formed his first band with vocalist and bassist Tim Staffell named Nineteen Eighty-Four after George Orwell's novel of the same name. He graduated from Hampton Grammar School with ten GCE Ordinary Levels and four Advanced Levels in Physics, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Additional Mathematics.

He has stated in interviews that he suffered from depression in the late 1980s, even to the point of contemplating suicide,for reasons having to do with his troubled first marriage and his perceived failure as a husband and a dad, his father Harold's death, and Freddie Mercury's illness. May is now married to former Eastenders actress Anita Dobson.

May studied physics at Imperial College London, graduating with a BSc (Hons) degree in both Physics and Mathematics and ARCS with Upper Second-Class Honours. He then proceeded to study for a PhD degree, also at the Imperial College London departments of Physics and Mathematics, and was part way through this PhD programme, studying reflected light from interplanetary dust and the velocity of dust in the plane of the Solar System, when Queen became successful. He abandoned his physics doctorate but did co-author two scientific research papers: MgI Emission in the Night-Sky Spectrum (1972) and An Investigation of the Motion of Zodiacal Dust Particles (Part I) (1973), which were based on May's observations at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife. He is the co-author of Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, which was published in October 2006. More than 30 years after he started his research, in October 2007 he completed his PhD thesis in astrophysics, entitled A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud, passed his viva voce, and performed the required corrections. He officially graduated at the postgraduate awards ceremony held in the Royal Albert Hall, on the afternoon of Wednesday 14 May 2008.

On 17 November 2007, Brian May was appointed Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, taking over from Cherie Blair, and installed in 2008.

Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named in his honour on 18 June 2008 on the suggestion of Sir Patrick Moore (probably influenced by the asteroid's provisional designation of 1998 BM30).>>

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by RJN » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:36 pm

OK. I just changed them (Su, M, & Tu) to "Comments".

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:27 pm

"Comments" might be even more enticing; even if someone thinks he has nothing to say, he might be enticed to read what others have said! :-D

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by RJN » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:19 pm

OK. I will try the term "Comment" in place of "Discuss" for a few days next week and see what happens.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by Amir » Fri Apr 09, 2010 5:38 pm

rstevenson wrote:and the first year of that I was pretty quiet
owlice wrote:I managed to be quiet for years
is there a reason for being quite? why did you have to keep that monster inside?

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:13 pm

In my opinion the discussion there is well above the level a "backyard" or amateur "astronomer" like myself would get involved in, those contributing seem professional and know what they're talking about.
I wonder if changing the "Discuss" link to "Comment" (or "Comments") would help. One might not feel up to a discussion, but making a comment -- as one would do on Digg -- may be easier/less intimidating.

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by owlice » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:47 pm

rstevenson wrote: I see I've amassed 221 posts in two years, and the first year of that I was pretty quiet. This place'll suck you right in if you're not careful. :shock:
Ho, boy, you are right about that! I managed to be quiet for years, and then.... an Asterisk monster was born. Rawr!!

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by neufer » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:01 pm

makc wrote:
those contributing seem professional and know what they're talking about.
:facepalm:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______ The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

<<The only surgeon was one who combined the occasional exercise
of that noble Art with the daily and habitual flourish of a razor.
To such a professional body Roger Chillingworth was a brilliant acquisition.

He soon manifested his familiarity with the ponderous and imposing machinery of antique physic;
in which every remedy contained a multitude of far-fetched and heterogeneous ingredients
as elaborately compounded as if the proposed result had been the Elixir of Life.

In his Indian captivity, moreover, he had gained much knowledge of the properties of native herbs and roots; nor did he conceal from his patients that these simple medicines, Nature’s boon to the untutored savage, had quite as large a share of his own confidence as the European Pharmacopoeia, which so many learned doctors had spent centuries in elaborating.>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[list]A PROFESSIONAL
__ {anagram}
RAF POLONAISES[/list]

Re: Is the Asterisk board intimidating?

by rstevenson » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:56 pm

Whether one finds any particular forum intimidating depends entirely on one's inner resources. If you're self-confident to a ridiculous degree -- like me -- then no forum is intimidating. If you enjoy all aspects of learning, including stubbing your toe occasionally, then no forum is intimidating.

Owlice's suggestion of a What Did I See section seems like a good way to get people to hang around long enough to become unintimidated.

Rob

PS
I see I've amassed 221 posts in two years, and the first year of that I was pretty quiet. This place'll suck you right in if you're not careful. :shock:

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