Off-topic ghost story threads on various internet forums? They are delicious. Load me with links, please.
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posted by Lou Stuells
on Apr 11, 2013 -
10 answers
So I've been doing a little bit of teaching of free adult classes in my erstwhile academic specialty, an area of literature. (I am not an academic and do not teach except for community stuff.) I have trouble with big group discussion and balancing my role in the class.
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posted by Frowner
on Apr 3, 2013 -
13 answers
Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman had a
discussion about economics back in October 2012 that ran for an hour and a half. What other intellectually stimulating videos exist out there? I just want to sit back and learn stuff, and so either a friendly discussion or a partisan debate (where the debaters are equally matched) could work.
posted by SollosQ
on Jan 17, 2013 -
13 answers
What forums do you know of that discuss good gear at budget prices? I'm aware of
Budget Light Forum for flashlight aficionados and Poor Man's Watch Forum for watch junkies. What else is there? [more inside]
posted by lekvar
on Jan 3, 2013 -
5 answers
Where can I go on the internet to find good articles and discussions about Warhammer 40k? (read on for qualifications of "good")
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posted by tocts
on Oct 5, 2012 -
6 answers
My new roommate just declared to me that there is a rule in our apartment: No dates are allowed to ever sleep over. Can you help me figure out how to have a productive discussion about this with her?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 14, 2012 -
63 answers
I'd like to read substantive writing about MMA that does more than just follow the news. If possible, I'd like to participate in thoughtful discussion about it. Ideally, I'd like a blog, column, or forum that gets updated regularly, but books are fine, too.
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posted by ignignokt
on Aug 14, 2012 -
8 answers
A group of friends and I, all recent college graduates, have decided to meet weekly to discuss interesting recent sociology and psychology research. How would we go about finding it outside of ScienceDaily, and - more importantly - how can we access it now that we're all without database access?
posted by LSK
on Jul 26, 2012 -
10 answers
I want to learn more about the basics of discourse and rhetoric – to understand more formally the nature of constructing arguments and interpreting them. But I'm not huge on the classics, so I feel like going directly to Aristotle would make me lose interest right away. That said, I totally love intricate or intellectual examinations of ideas, so it's not like I need a dumbed-down text, just one that's not quite so stuffily written. Can you recommend me a book that'll help me learn what I want to learn?
posted by Rory Marinich
on Jun 6, 2012 -
13 answers
Should I mention my plan to continue academic research in my interview for a fundraising management job at a small college that is part of a major research university? I have a lot of industry experience and raised strong results. I want to stress that I understand the time pressures but I also do not want to overload myself with more than one back-story. What are your thoughts?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 29, 2012 -
4 answers
Are email lists for group discussion dead? If you were starting a new group -- for networking or to talk about a local issue -- what would you use to bring people together online?
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posted by amanda
on Mar 27, 2012 -
15 answers
I just saw a thought provoking movie the other day, and I'm dying to talk about it. Where is a good forum for discussing movies without either a lot of silly chatter about the cute boy actors, or a lot of art school theory stuff.
posted by thylacinthine
on Feb 22, 2012 -
9 answers
Our roller derby team needs to stop talking derby on Facebook and into its own forum. We'd like it to be a "members only" area of our Wordpress self-hosted website. What's the best, easiest forum platform these days that integrates with Wordpress and doesn't require yet another complicated login (preferably people can sign in with Facebook, Google or YahooID).
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posted by iamkimiam
on Feb 21, 2012 -
9 answers
Are there any political forums where reasonable conservatives discuss politics with reasonable liberals?
posted by goethean
on Feb 6, 2012 -
4 answers
Looking for pointers for leading a great panel discussion or roundtable interview, in front of an audience. Tell me something that made an event you attended really memorable (in a good way), and/or give me some examples of what not to do. Thanks!
posted by hermitosis
on Aug 5, 2011 -
9 answers
I live and work in China and, in addition to my regular job, help a fierociously intelligent nineteen-year-old girl with her English twice a week. I don't so much teach her as talk to her and attempt to develop her debating skills. Though not perfect, her English is very good so discussion is often deep with a tendency to take unpredictable twists and turns. We've taken to reading thoughtful articles together and then discussing the main points in addition to noting down any unfamiliar vocabulary. I'd be grateful if Hivemind could suggest some provocative, not overly academic articles that could serve this purpose. I'm running out of ideas.
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posted by Zé Pequeno
on Jul 21, 2011 -
15 answers
I am looking for one single book, perhaps a college-level read (not much higher), that explains the case for atheism. I'm not looking for any 'new atheist books', though I have enjoyed them -- especially Harris. I have read Bertrand Russell as well. I have a few atheist friends but do not want to talk to them about this as I am a Christian and don't want to give them the impression that I want to change them or judge them. I just want more exposure to it in a sincere and kind fashion without short bumper sticker like explanations. (BTW, I don't look at my friends as "Hey, here come my 'atheist' friends! But mainly here comes "Bob" and "Joe". I just don't think it is right to bug them about their positions or lack thereof. <--Not sure how to state that.) Thanks in advance for your book recommendation.
posted by snap_dragon
on Jul 3, 2011 -
33 answers
How do I tell my vet that it's time to stop trying to diagnose my cat, and help him have a peaceful end? Looking for a possible script to follow.
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posted by nprigoda
on Mar 28, 2011 -
22 answers
How can we develop the kind of family where things like race and sexuality and other big topics are discussed in an open, healthy, relaxed way?
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posted by flail
on Nov 29, 2010 -
17 answers
Have you ever heard the word "palaver" in actual use in English to describe a group discussion? What other English synonyms are there for a workplace group discussion?
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posted by keijo
on Nov 13, 2010 -
40 answers
Well, Hush My Mouth (Quite Literally): help me stop spouting off half-formed, uninformed (and often purposefully-inflammatory) opinions. It wasn't cute at sixteen. It's REALLY not cute now.
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posted by julthumbscrew
on Nov 3, 2010 -
27 answers
What are the best places on the web to discuss politics that are well moderated to maintain courtesy, encourage debate to be logical and well supported, and have good rates of participation from both sides of the political spectrum?
posted by furiousxgeorge
on Aug 2, 2010 -
13 answers
ForumFilter: What advice do you have for seeding a soon-to-launch professional forum with
general topics? What should we bake-in to help build community, serve as social release valves, encourage participation, etc?
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posted by mumkin
on Jul 12, 2010 -
5 answers
What makes a good moderator? How do you deal with someone who is dragging a discussion down?
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posted by shaun uh
on Feb 18, 2010 -
12 answers
I'm looking for suggestions for a "common read" book for a large public university. Any ideas?
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posted by Madamina
on Feb 9, 2010 -
26 answers
I want to create a site which displays a very long text, and allows people to comment on any part of it and discuss it. What would be a good program to use? (Wordpress? Joomla? phpBB forums?) How would I be able to import hundreds of pages of text? How would I let people comment on any part of the text?
Thank You.
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posted by zabraham
on Dec 30, 2009 -
9 answers
A friend's father passed away suddenly and he is having difficulty formulating a way to tell his daughter. What books would you recommend?
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posted by spec80
on Dec 16, 2009 -
11 answers
I need a community board or webblog similar to this one that can accommodate multiple threads and discussions for the non-technologically savvy folks in an organization.
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posted by cachondeo45
on Dec 10, 2009 -
7 answers
So, this dude has been sending me extremely mixed and just plain weird signals for awhile. I've decided to get to the bottom of this. Problem: I'm hella awkward. Help me start this conversation, MeFi!
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 24, 2009 -
11 answers
What are best forums/websites where people post about their work experiences and about the pros and cons of various employers?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 30, 2009 -
2 answers
I'd like to develop a better understanding of the physical and mathematical meanings of the Fourier transform. Can anyone suggest a text that describes some of its applications and elaborates on the importance of the transform to science and mathematics?
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posted by Aanidaani
on Sep 13, 2009 -
11 answers
I'm looking for a forum that hosts discussion in the field of condensed matter physics and/or materials science. I'd like a site where scientists can go to ask and answer questions, similar to Ask.Metafilter, but a general forum would be good as well. Does anyone know of such a site?
posted by Aanidaani
on Aug 17, 2009 -
2 answers
Once upon a time I found myself in an amazing chat room where people actually discussed spirituality, politics, dreams, ologies etc...and did so in a respectful manner. This room was very engaging, challenging and inspiring and I am searching for a new discussion group or chat room that is similar in its dynamic. Any suggestions?
posted by gypseefire
on Jul 23, 2009 -
6 answers
I'm meeting with Mormon missionaries tomorrow for a religious discussion, and they want me to come prepared with questions about Mormon history/ belief/ doctrine, etc. I'm looking for a list of questions that will give me interesting answers and lead to longer discussions about the nature of Mormonism. I'm very interested in their religion, I just don't know enough to know what to ask, and I have three hours with them so I need a good amount of discussion questions.
Thanks!
posted by howgenerica
on Jun 16, 2009 -
75 answers