Can we PLEASE raise the level of discourse on this site?

Nice rant… It has become a shit hole. I do like a lot of the new members and I hope they stick around. Hopefully it will sort itself out.

Well I thought it was getting better today than it has been for about a week. Your essay would have been far more relevant on Monday… I do feel your pain though… Just keep reminding the people that they are asking dumb questions, a community has to direct the new members on how it works because no one else is going to do it for us. I haven’t been on Fluther that long but I have noticed a drop in quality over the last couple of months, maybe we’re running out of questions to ask too?!

And get off my lawn!!
Naw just kidding. I’m with ya.

sorry I asked a question about a loan, got one response maybe I’m one if the stupid ones.

well what else are we supposed to ask?? this is an open forum is it not?? we have questions… WHATEVER they may be.. if you dont like what we ask.. THEN DONT READ IT!

I wonder if Fluther has a content cycle
much like news has a news cycle.

I also thought the cloud was finally lifting. Stupid questions don’t seem to be getting as much attention, although leading questions seem to sproutn like weeds in the summertime.

I’m also getting a sense that the Fluther community sort of has a pecking order, which on a long enough timeline eventually gets sorted out. I must admit that I enjoy debating an adversary.

Other than that, excellent rant, and way to wad up the garbage and sink the three pointer.

I love it, a cyber-generation gap!

I wonder what hossman would think?

Look, I’m willing to put some of the blame on the iphone thing. I think some of the younger users seem to think this is some sort of advanced texting machine because they can do it on their phone. If they had to sit at a keyboard and answer questions they would view it as “work” and would go on their way. That being said, I just try to set an example by at least using correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

I’m a iPhone user, I really enjoy this site. I always think everything is my fault hence the comment before. Like I have said before I’m putting more effort into questions. I may have asked a question that was asked before but I do not have a search on here. I hope I haven’t offended anyone with my questions or answers. If I am one of the people you are talking about comment me in private and I will leave. I’m sorry.

I agree with bluemukaki, it is getting better now. Though we are going through growing pains. We are destined to have sub groups of jelly fish that also overlap. I don’t have an interest in all the topics like the drug and sex questions. But if everyone liked what I like where would be the variety.
And cake7 you’re not the problem stick around.

@ironhiway, I don’t know, maybe cake7 is the problem. I mean, look, s/he said “I’m a iPhone user.” Shouldn’t that be an iPhone user? Dog, I wish people on this site would get it together. Some people’s kids. Sheesh. I think I’ll go back to writing letters.

Thanks, I’m sorry I didn’t get to correct everything. One other thing I’m not some people’s kids, actually I have a three, two year old and a four month old. I do not live off my parents, my husband and I work hard for everything we have. I do taxes and he’s a welder.
Oh by the way I’m a girl. If you haven’t got that by now.

I don’t really have room to talk, seeing as i’m thoroughly new. But I do agree. As much as I like to gush about my boyfriend, there’s too many opportunities. ;)

@cake7, I was just joshing around. I don’t actually think you’re the problem. Actually, I don’t think there’s much of a problem as I just choose to skip the questions that don’t interest me. Anyway, aren’t we all someone’s kids???

well true, but on a serious note I haven’t really been a kid since 17.

Like segdeha said, it looks like we have a serious digital generation gap. I don’t think it makes any difference how you wear your hat as long as you put a little thought into what you’re doing.

Diversity keeps things fresh. I would just like to avoid redundancy and laziness.

I’m fairly new to fluther and enjoy all the diversity. I’m not complaining, just here to watch and learn.

Excellent rant Kimble.
I agree.

Excellent rant. I couldn’t agree more. I do own an iPhone, but only use it to post when a computer is not around. Honestly though, if we don’t humor stupid questions, those asking them probably won’t stick around. I see a great number of intelligent, humorous people on this site. I’m not too worried about it getting cluttered with garbage.

For the purpose of context, I should note that I’m 32, and didn’t mean to spray venom onto an entire demographic. I suppose I’d just created a very (perhaps overly) specific image in my head of who my musings were targeting. Spargett is absolutely correct: it doesn’t matter how you wear your hat, it matters what’s happening under it.
My point is simply- I like weed, boobs, and Xbox as much as the next guy, but there are scores upon scores of sites out there more suited to their discussion ad nauseum.
I enjoy Fluther so much because it aims higher, and I would just like to see that integrity continue.
For Vets and Rookies alike, the key here is community, and if my remarks (which despite being overly wordy, were fairly off-the-cuff) seemed to imply I wanted to “close the borders” to newbies—that certainly wasn’t my intent.

So, as to give a bit of context here, my iPhone has a lovely habit of auto-correcting words that don’t require correction. From my observation, the yellow text box seems to be quite difficult to scroll through on the iPhone, which when coupled with the auto-correct feature wreaks havoc on an otherwise coherent statement.

There is a thread regarding suggested improvements for Fluther, and Andrew and Ben have numerous posts and blog updates pointing to very-near future updates to the interface, so we’ll all have to just stay tuned.

Lastly, before I make the request officially I thought that I solicit some feedback on a possible feature: some forums on the internet allow a user to display the details of a question / topic via a rollover of the cursor; that is, by floating your cursor over a question, instead of a URL popping up, the actual details of the main thread appear (in the case of most topics this would be the detail of the question). Perhaps on the iPhone thus could happen if the user holds their finger over the topic (thus has the same effect). Sorry if I’m thread-jacking, but what do you think?

Oh and by the way, nice job GD Kimble-summed up what a lot of us are probably thinking…now if we can clean things up collectively, maybe we’ll find hossman?! Or maybe Jimmy Hoffa…

I always feel like a stickler when correcting grammar here but one neat approach I have seen (a friend here has started using this) is to asterisk (*) words that are misspelled if they are being quoted in a reply post. It’s a simple, elegant, and fairly discrete way to gently point out an obvious error, I think I may join her in implementing this technique.

We keep trying new techniques and rewording the question, to no avail. Fluther may be redefining itself, more’s the pity. GDKimble just gave it another heroic stab.

Seg. just scolded me gently on the recent question (moderated brilliantly by cwilbur) below for being a stick-in-the-mud. Perhaps, but eventually I will relocate if necessary. The question about “why are you home on a Sat. night” got 133 responses,” some interesting, but most of them ridiculous for this site.

http://www.fluther.com/disc/7817/how-do-we-fix-fluther/#quip44653

For the record, I thought your gentle scolding on Riser and delirium was spot on. My point was more to point out how far off topic we’d strayed, not a comment on you. Sorry if it came across that way!

@gailcalled: I think the kids were just having fun in the chat room. I found it highly amusing that it busted the “most reponses” record while the rest of us have been trying to do it in earnest, if it was a warranted topic. Very Alexander and the Gordian knot.

@Kev: agreed that the “kids” were having fun. It’s just not funny for me – unoriginal and tedious and can easily be done elsewhere. Topic was indeed warranted until it wandered around Robin Hood’s barn. And how many of them would understand your reference to Alex. and the Gordian knot? Such references are what make this forum fun for me since I know SO much already – one of the few advantages of being ancient.

@Seg: All is forgiven. I got confused last night and stayed up an hour later than usual, rather than trying to go to bed early..pathetic excuse, I know.

No worries, gail! You rock!

I agree GDKimble thank you for blowing your top I needed that. I was contemplating something less civil and politically correct. Oh yes I miss Hossman too. If you ate still reading please come back. If things don’t improve I too will be like Elvis and Hossman and be exiting the building.

Now, gentlemen and ladies, I have been volunteering for “scold-of-the-week” but would like to pass that job onto any volunteer. Any volunteers?

i think that I will enjoy myself more if doing my taxes.

Even though I am one of those that came across this site from their iPhone I really enjoyed the idea behind Fluther. What about keeping at the top of the home page the questions with the highest number of answers? I noticed that numb questions usually don’t get much of attention.

GD: perhaps it is time to repeat or reword slightly this rant. Another round of fart jokes, booing the intellectuals, tmslang, chat about BBQs, etc.

G