I absolutely agree with you, Rachel. This problem is recurring with increased frequency -- and it always seems that the very defensive response from the sandbox is that the "intellectuals" suck it up and deal with it -- because one of the sandbox might one day be a great historian. It's a nice thought -- but it's not going to happen if they can't get beyond gossiping about handsome dead men and which Grand Duchess was prettiest. The time has come, I think, for the sandbox to give a little ground to more serious discussion.
Perhaps better use could be made of the "Having Fun" forum?
Indeed. My opinion on this matter has changed significantly over the last few months. I'd pretty much been on the side of the kiddos in the past, but now I think that some of this "sandbox" stuff really ought to be managed somehow. Time and again, the scholarly folks have been told to be respectful and tolerant. I think it's only fair to ask the "fun" crew to do the same, and adapt some of their behavoir to accomodate other users. We're coming dangerously close to the lowest common denominator here.
Simply put, there need to be rules for what's considered historical and what's not. All I'm asking for are some boundaries, not ultimatums. Giving the kids free reign is *not* going to help them learn anything, intellectually or socially. I do believe that if the younger folks are making an effort to learn and contribute, then they *should* be encouraged and treated respectfully, no matter how basic (and there IS a difference between "silly" and "basic") their questions seem to the veteran members --
that's how you cultivate the next great historian. The kids who are serious about history WILL rise to our expectations, if we're clear about what's expected. Those who aren't will dabble a while in photo-gazing and pretty-contests, and then go on their merry way. A place for them already exists, and I don't see why we can't be firm about expecting them to use it.
If we really want to make this forum about history, silly questions about who's the most handsome, etc, should not be allowed. They could be deleted if they are created, and the poster who created the thread informed as to why that happened.
Exactly. The prettiest/handsomest debates have nothing to do with history, and ought to be relegated to Having Fun, IMO. Same goes for the Happy Birthday/In Memory threads -- they're not exactly "fun" but they're not historical discussions, either.
I think a good way to start would be getting rid of the separate Grand Duchesses and Alexei boards and just creating one board for all of them. That would reduce the amount of redundant discussion and idol worshipping on those boards.
I DON'T however, agree with the proposal of combining all the OTMAA boards. There is some material of genuine biographical interest in there -- such as Olga's depression, Aleksei's wild & willful behavior, and Tatiana's relationship to her mother -- and combining all the boards would only create an organizational nightmare for those of us who want to refer back to those threads.
I don´t want to disturb anyone, but from my -humble- point of wiew, this forum can be a well-balanced place.
I agree. But the key is "balance" and I think the see-saw has tipped too much in favor of the younger folks lately.
Of course, there are a number of threads containing nothing but castles of sand about pretty princess and handsome men, but this is not a bad thing.
IMO, that *can* sometimes be a bad thing. If Bob's aim is to create a place where serious historical discussions take place, we need to promote an atmosphere conducive to that goal. A library and a playground simply can't coexist in the same space. I'm not saying we should obliterate the silly stuff -- just that it should be confined. We're not going to attract the knowledgeable, serious folks if the boards that purport to be about serious history are overrun with idol-worship and pretty princess chatter. IMO, it is ok to be silly now and then -- just do it in the appropriate place.
And for the record, I have no problem at all with the Discussion boards. They are what they are, and they're clearly labeled as off-topic. Lambasting people for hanging out in this virtual lounge, as it were, is just plain...silly.
