Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

All threads that are locked or marked for deletion will be moved to this forum. The topics will be cleared from this archive on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Locked

Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this?

Poll ended at 23 Apr 2019 23:30

Yes, BRF ought to be home for technical discussions – including scientific subjects not directly related to military.
16
57%
Apart from defense related subjects, no deep discussions on other subjects. Common interest items are okay but there are plenty of other Math/Physics/IT forums so go there.
0
No votes
BRF is not a place for nerds, pompous profs, elites and annoying math equations.
2
7%
All things considered, at present, are you *very* satisfied with quality of technical discussions in BRF ?
3
11%
Neutral - All things considered, are you satisfied (or not unpleased)? (May be like to see a little more (or less) but okay in general.
4
14%
You are not happy.
3
11%
 
Total votes: 28

Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

In your opinion, what should be the role of technical/scientific discussion in BRF? All things considered, at present, in your opinion, what is the quality of such discussions.

Please choose one answer from Q1-3 and one from Q4-6
Last edited by Rahul M on 10 Apr 2019 02:57, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: allowed users to change vote
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is brf a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

I will request the admins to allow this poll for 2 weeks. In fact, I will be happy if they take part in the poll and give active feed back in form of comments. Same request for BRF-oldies/lurkers and new members.

I am starting this poll in the spirit of our PM’s slogan – Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan.

Please at least vote. It will be even better if you, in addition, provide honest/frank feedback as comments. Please do not troll and be respectful to others in allowing comments even you disagree.

Thanks in advance. Hope the data generated will be helpful.
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is brf a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

Some personal perspective:

I wanted to start this thread many times over the last few years but it is here finally.

I joined BRF in 1998 and what attracted me to BRF was technical discussion just after Pokhran II

I remember, our math-team (I was a coach), was visiting our ( US) senator who was quite involved with this( Pokhran) issue from US side. BRF came out to be a very helpful resource to me while I was talking to him. BRF was a very important resource then. There were many who posted using their own names and who were quite known/reputable in academic world too.

Over years, there were many high-quality technical discussions. Many of those for example, nuclear-dhagas are still archived and are quite good. Sure, like any discussion forum there were disagreements, trolling, flame-wars BUT overall the there was enough critical-mass that the discussion archive from those days have valuable technical data.

But again, many things go in cycles – the quality and environment for technical discussion changed over time. Sometimes had excellent quality and environment, some times not so. Sometimes there was interest in Physics, sometimes pseudo-science was glorified and Physics was shunned.

Some recent threads, again brought out some high-quality technical discussion.

I want to get a feel where are we are and whee we are going and what is the vision here.

I have not voted yet, and would like to hear other opinions before I make some more comments.
TIA
Suraj
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15043
Joined: 20 Jan 2002 12:31

Re: Is brf a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Suraj »

What's the purpose of a poll in a subforum that's a place for such discussions and already has both a Maths and Physics thread sitting in page 1 ?

The quality of discussion is entirely on the poster body and their own willingness to self moderate.
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is brf a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

Suraj wrote:What's the purpose of a poll in a subforum that's a place for such discussions and already has both a Maths and Physics thread sitting in page 1 ?

The quality of discussion is entirely on the poster body and their own willingness to self moderate.
Just to gather the interest of the audience (who is generally quiet) and vision of the brf -leadership.

From historic perspective - Many of technical posters, who IMO, attracted me to BRF have left or do not post.

In any case - my request will be, let the poll run - it is only for 2 weeks - and I encourage people to give feed back or vote. One can always use or ignore the data.
Suraj
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15043
Joined: 20 Jan 2002 12:31

Re: Is brf a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Suraj »

The Physics thread has 60+ pages, the Maths thread has 40+ pages. Both are over a decade old.

What does this thread need as an answer that the existence, longevity and participation level of those threads do not provide you ?
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

^^^ Surajji - I already answered your question (about purpose) in my intro.

But you raise a good point about Physics and Maths thread - Do you (and other brfites) enjoy/participate in those kind of threads? Are such threads good or bad for BRF? Should such thread continue, become more active or discontinue? Will be good if you put those opinion in vote and or here in comments.
ArjunPandit
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4056
Joined: 29 Mar 2017 06:37

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by ArjunPandit »

Amber G. wrote:^^^ Surajji - I already answered your question (about purpose) in my intro.

But you raise a good point about Physics and Maths thread - Do you (and other brfites) enjoy/participate in those kind of threads? Are such threads good or bad for BRF? Should such thread continue, become more active or discontinue? Will be good if you put those opinion in vote and or here in comments.
Amber G, first of all thanks for taking a lead on this. i always felt a need of such threads.
I have learnt a bit from you and more importantly learnt that I know a little. Following are my viewpoints
1. While there may be other forums, but I prefer BRF style moderations
2. I Dont like going to multiple sites, over years BRF has been preferred place for me to a. military, political and indo-economic viewpoint in a very timely and pro-indic view

It is very clear that most people are busy in their fields and perhaps that makes them focus on limited threads apart from military and strategic
like Indian eco is Suraj, Physics and maths are you.
One reason I feel there's no adequate discussion is because we dont have adequate representation from students as there's a requirement of corporate or non public id.
nachiket
Forum Moderator
Posts: 9102
Joined: 02 Dec 2008 10:49

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by nachiket »

Amber G. wrote:^^^ Surajji - I already answered your question (about purpose) in my intro.

But you raise a good point about Physics and Maths thread - Do you (and other brfites) enjoy/participate in those kind of threads? Are such threads good or bad for BRF? Should such thread continue, become more active or discontinue? Will be good if you put those opinion in vote and or here in comments.
Amber G, why would Physics/Maths threads be bad for BRF? If they were they would have been shut down.

As for participation, it may vary over time and some people may read the thread but may not post (such as myself) because of a knowledge gap. Doesn't mean we don't learn anything. Not sure where this suddenly came from since mods have not indicated that we were thinking of discontinuing either of those threads.
Suraj
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15043
Joined: 20 Jan 2002 12:31

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Suraj »

Amber G. wrote:But you raise a good point about Physics and Maths thread - Do you (and other brfites) enjoy/participate in those kind of threads? Are such threads good or bad for BRF? Should such thread continue, become more active or discontinue? Will be good if you put those opinion in vote and or here in comments.
These are all navel gazing questions. I don't see any point in a poll asking whether two threads with respectively ~2500 and ~1800 posts, that have both been here for 11 years, are 'good or bad'. It is self-evident that the threads in question have been permitted here for a very long time, and have been quite well patronized.

Just to toy with it, what if I said "they suck, no one cares" ? Is it ok to nuke them both then ? :) In reality I won't participate in the poll because it's just a case of trying to capture interest in those threads, that could be better achieved by actually posting stuff in there that attracts responses from people. Example cases based on real world activities like the ASAT test, for example.
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

Surajji - Fine. Let others vote/put comments, Please.
Last edited by Amber G. on 10 Apr 2019 07:02, edited 1 time in total.
Suraj
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15043
Joined: 20 Jan 2002 12:31

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Suraj »

I'll be locking this thread unless there's a good reason why there's a need for a poll . "I'll tell you after a few days" is not sufficient.
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

To All - To be clear - this is absolutely NOT about any particular dhaga ( like physics or maths) or has any other motives. Just wanted to quantify about how technical discussion is perceived here. These discussion takes place in all kind of threads (particularly threads like nuclear or space related subjects). Point is to gauze how technical people want to go when one reads (or post in) a thread.

Let us not get too-much one-on-one conversation. Please vote and /or post. Let us not criticize/mock even if we don't like other opinions.

I hope the data may help not only the admins but other posters to understand the audience and their taste better.

I may post my perspective (how I voted and why) after waiting a little so that we may have smooth conversation for all . So at present I just want to lurk for a few days.
gakakkad
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4667
Joined: 24 May 2011 08:16

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by gakakkad »

I think we use to have good discussion in the past an ld I remember solving interesting math Olympiad problems . I think we need to continue that along the same lines .
Amber G.
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9265
Joined: 17 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Is BRF a place for STEM type technical discussion? Should it enable/encourages this type of discussion?

Post by Amber G. »

^^^ :) .. Nice to see you gakakkadji.
Locked