Suggestions for New Threads/Discussions/Forums

[downer]

Given that we are constantly dealing with different hardware, online software, webpages, and more, and given that this is an ever-increasing  and ever-changing part of our jobs, I really think that there needs to be a separate technology section on the Fora. One thread is not going to do.

[polly_mer]

Given that we are constantly dealing with different hardware, online software, webpages, and more, and given that this is an ever-increasing  and ever-changing part of our jobs, I really think that there needs to be a separate technology section on the Fora. One thread is not going to do.

You are free to start any discussions you like.  When the volume of discussion reaches the point that collecting a set of threads together is the logical thing to do, then we'll do it. 

The point of waiting is to see what naturally arises as people discuss because we might be surprised at what the set is.  After all, the previous fora technology discussion board was not all that active with only 15 threads in the past year.  For perspective, the CHE In the Classroom had 15 threads in the past two weeks and CHE Job-Seeking Experiences had 15 threads in the past month so it makes sense to start with those boards as being active areas.

With many people mentioning that they read using "unread posts since last visit" and "show recent posts", the exact collection of boards may be less important to many of the most active people.

[aside]

With many people mentioning that they read using "unread posts since last visit" and "show recent posts", the exact collection of boards may be less important to many of the most active people.

I imagine most of us read the fora this way, or by "Show new replies to your posts."  I do sometimes look at boards to find something specific, thus having like things grouped together is helpful, yet for me this is not a common path into threads.

[polly_mer]

I've been thinking and I'm giving an additional answer to:

Given that we are constantly dealing with different hardware, online software, webpages, and more, and given that this is an ever-increasing  and ever-changing part of our jobs, I really think that there needs to be a separate technology section on the Fora. One thread is not going to do.

I agree with that list as an ever-changing part of our jobs.  However, because it's a huge part of my job as a computational materials scientist not immune from office work and bureaucracy, I categorize my interests, concerns, and questions differently.

For example, I have ongoing research questions regarding trade-offs on desktop & local cluster & remote supercomputer, scheduling software, data management when we're talking terabytes on a regular basis, integrating VVUQ & SQA & QMU, trade-offs on python wrappers and Fortran/C/C++ for workhorse number crunching, and version control systems.  I wouldn't think to put those questions in a general technology forum here with a very broad audience, but I would be an active participant in someone else's research questions here in those areas.

I have ongoing teaching questions on content related to integrating computation into STEM courses as well as topics like "modern" physics is from the early 20th century and I know there's active research in changing that curriculum.  Also in the teaching category, I wonder about tradeoffs in pedagogical value for opting for certain delivery mechanisms that make my life easier but may not be optimal for learning as well as bringing education into at least the late 20th century state of the art for expectations of skills and knowledge in using standard devices.  I may even start a thread on a different board soliciting opinions on where general education has gaps because modernizing curriculum has to include effects of technology on society and some communication skills that weren't an issue even 25 years ago.

I have questions related to service and administration regarding better/worse systems to share information where the interested individuals experience regular turnover and we need some coherent way to keep the enterprise running when we don't have significant overlap in time on job.  I want to discuss the tradeoffs in having data entry be distributed to "everyone" and the training requirements so that everyone can do the data entry in a coherent fashion on top of all their other duties that require an expert in ways that basic data entry does not.  Is it really reasonable to have faculty do significant data entry when there are so many other things they need to be doing that can't be distributed to other people?  Can we put in place systems that work well together so less manual data entry is needed all around?

I have questions related to my non-work life that weren't even a wild dream when I was a child.  Yes, I've acquired some habits and devices on ad hoc basis, but would there be easier/cheaper/more convenient habits and devices that would solve my home problems?

Thus, when I am working on my list of questions to ensure we have engaging discussions on start-up here, I don't think, "We need a technology board to put all these questions!"; I think, "Does this category need a new question to keep people visiting or should I hold off for today since we have several active threads?"

[Juvenal]

I skimmed through the major categories and the subcategories within and did not see anything directed to "Retirement: Preparing for; Managing it"  Certainly some fraction of the fora are either close to retirement or actually in it (as self is; although I continue to teach a course once or twice a year)

And maybe I missed the old "How Do You Save Money?"  But if it's not there, maybe a more general sub-category on "Money Matters" in the appropriate major category?  Unless, of course, money is something of trivial concern to fora members.  Now you tell one.

[mamselle]

Everyone should read the latest post to the CHE forum which updates the timeline and plans for transition, take-down, etc.

I can't copy on this phone, but changes will begin July 1, with more details in the post/new thread itself.

Just FYI.

M.

[This post on the Future of These Forums thread is probably the correct link -- Polly]

[mamselle]

Sorry for the double, but I'm confused...

I was going to invite someone on the CHE threads to this forum, who just had their VAP confirmed, figuring I'd start a thread if there wasn't one.

But it's not really clear to me where it should go...with the threads on 2018 and 2019 TT groups, or in the threads that include the grad-school life thread(which seems out of place there, but...maybe that's why I'm confused...??

Directional help appreciated...

M.

[eigen]

This is the prompting I need to re-start the VAP Support Thread, I think:

https://www.chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,50153.0.html

I've started it under "General Academic Discussion".

[mamselle]

Great, thanks!

M.

[polly_mer]

But it's not really clear to me where it should go...with the threads on 2018 and 2019 TT groups, or in the threads that include the grad-school life thread(which seems out of place there, but...maybe that's why I'm confused...??

I intentionally started a 2019 summer/fall new job thread that is not limited to a TT cohort ( http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=89.0 ).  VAPs may need extra support, but the joy of a new job isn't reserved for TT only.

[aside]

Sorry for the double, but I'm confused...

I was going to invite someone on the CHE threads to this forum, who just had their VAP confirmed, figuring I'd start a thread if there wasn't one.

But it's not really clear to me where it should go...with the threads on 2018 and 2019 TT groups, or in the threads that include the grad-school life thread(which seems out of place there, but...maybe that's why I'm confused...??

Directional help appreciated...

M.

Okay, you apologized for a double post.  Why do we do that?  We have a thread to answer that question!

[mamselle]

Umm... if you were asking me (not sure) it's a form of courtesy, like not bursting back into someone's office 6 times with "something you forgot to say," but thinking through your claims on others' time and attention and putting all your thoughts together before hitting "send," I think.

M.

[marshwiggle]

Umm... if you were asking me (not sure) it's a form of courtesy, like not bursting back into someone's office 6 times with "something you forgot to say," but thinking through your claims on others' time and attention and putting all your thoughts together before hitting "send," I think.

M.

Sometimes when I see a couple of posts in a thread that sort of go in different directions, and so I want to respond to both. Typically I'll quote both and respond to each within a single post, but I'm curious if two separate posts would be a valid exception to the "no double post" guideline.

Thoughts?

[downer]

When someone posts 2, 3, 4, 5 or more posts in a row, they are dominating the discussion, and stopping it from being a discussion at all.

One might say the same thing about extremely long posts.

Of course, others have the ability to reply as much as they want, so these forms of postings don't really exclude others. But it is more like a real discussion if people limit themselves to a post at a time, of no more than moderate length.

[polly_mer]

When someone posts 2, 3, 4, 5 or more posts in a row, they are dominating the discussion, and stopping it from being a discussion at all.

One might say the same thing about extremely long posts.

Of course, others have the ability to reply as much as they want, so these forms of postings don't really exclude others. But it is more like a real discussion if people limit themselves to a post at a time, of no more than moderate length.

As one who tends to post a lot at length, I am frustrated by people who treat a written discussion as though it should follow the rules of a spoken discussion.  Yes, face-to-face with a handful of people, we should all take turns because we should use our skills to read the room.

However, asynchronously with random people popping in and out of the discussion, it makes more sense to me to act as though we're all writing letters to the editor and post responses to continue a conversation with whomever is still around instead of waiting for that next turn that may never come because I chose wrong in responding to only one of the six posts to which I could respond.

I am also amused by the idea that one should obey a tiny word limit when the goal is productive discussion in areas where many words might be needed to explain a complete thought.  250 words is a double-spaced page of writing.  Are we really as a community of people who think deeply and then want to discuss going to limit individual contributions to less than one page of writing?  Sure, I can tell you about my dinner/pet/kid/joke in under 50 words, but what about something that really matters?

I have to wonder if some people come here more for affirmation that their thoughts are correct than truly exploring an issue and learning what SPADFY means at a deep level (249 words).