Suggestion: Research Board

[red29216]

I'm just wondering if a research board could be created. I find that any research threads in other catogires are swiftly forgotten and left behind. BTW, by research I don't mean creating new constructs, or stuff like that. I mean procedures where data (qualitative, which would be harder, or qualitative, which would be easier and perhaps a little less useful, yet still useful non the less.) would be gathered to determine something. Like if I gave people a survey about psi balls, that asked people to do certain things with them and to have them write about it, to look for common trends and etc.

I just think a separate board for this kind of thing would be helpful.

[neopsychic]

I'd like to see that too. If JediKaren doesn't want to host a board for it I can on my site.

[Fearn]

I doubt that she does. I really don't think she wants any more boards. I know I don't.

But hey, I don't want to sound like I'm talking for her.

[red29216]

But why not have another board? What downsides are there too it?

[Rippy]

I like the idea. It supports production, and that is always good. I would suggest keeping it tightly modded and fluff free, though. "Research" is often seen as a broad term to some feebler minds, so we may need to specify how structured/useful we intend on the research being.

And now for a quickie evaluation. :]

Pros:

- If well regulated, ensures more fluffless and scientific approaches to psionics and has the potential to create a solid, useful amount of data that can benefit the community in various ways: inspiring production, allowing for new ideas, discouraging fluff, attracting a mature, scientific crowd.

Cons:

- The more board sections there are, the more the site has the potential to become hard to navigate.
- Has the potential, under the wrong supervision, to become fluff-filled and therefore create an unreliable source of information. This may scare mature audiences away.

It all comes down to how it's managed.

I wouldn't mind regulating the board, creating rules for it, etc., if you're too busy, Karen.

[meep]

Wouldn't that be similar to the logs section?

[JediKaren]

hmm would you rather have a sub board, or a full time, in your face board?

[Fearn]

Sub-board. I'd put it under General Psionics, or Logs.

[Rippy]

I'd vote subboard in general psionics for now. If it gets popular, or more log-like, then perhaps it could be moved later.

[JediKaren]

what I was thinking was getting rid of the "psi articles" board by moving all the articles back in their first board and then renaming the now empty board to the experimenting board (or something better). What do you think of that?

[meep]

Wow! 4 staff posting in a row! *asplode*

Anyway, that might be a good idea *points to JK's post*, and another thing, maybe you should not make people talk about attacking and stuff, that might happen often (maybe). I'm making no sense whatsoever, am I? Hmm.

[JediKaren]

don't worry, that's already against the rules.

[Rippy]

admin said:

what I was thinking was getting rid of the "psi articles" board by moving all the articles back in their first board and then renaming the now empty board to the experimenting board (or something better). What do you think of that?

Sounds good.

I would name it Research, Research Section, or something similar, though.

[red29216]

Yea, I agree with Rippy on the naming. The names research and experimental can be very different. Like I said before, while I respect those who work on creating new constructs and I respect the work they do, that would fall under the name experimental and yet would not be the kinds of things easily testable.

I think research denotes a more scientific approach, and thus encourages more types of research easily testable. (I still encourage other research, just in a different board.)

If anyone has been to the ld4all.com forum, there is a board section called Lucid Research. In the discussion section all member can post, and good research proposals are accepted and moved into the Lab Experiment Area, and then when the experiments is finished the results are posted in the Lab Results Area.

I'd agree to a sub board as well btw, maybe some of my suggestions above could be implemented.

(And I apologize for the horrible transitions in my post.)
I don't think 3 boards would be necessary at first, but just having one board where you have to apply somehow to get permission to post on it would take away many fluff topics posted by new people.
And on that subject, ld4all Research Boards also have a standard format everyone must post in when proposing new research experiments. I think a similar structure would also be very useful and discouraging for fluff topics.

As for applying - perhaps it could be a straight out application sent to an admin, or a person with x karma would automatically be allowed to post.

[Fearn]

Well....when was the How-to section updated last? I know it hasn't had the little blue ball is forever. I think they should just be stickyed in their respective forums.