What is Fluther's hidden potential?
From the outside, Fluther can seem like just a stylish forum to ask questions, but is there a hidden feature(s) that you could see being produced from a site like this?
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14 Answers
This site seems to be just another Sodahead. I imagine it will be amusing for a while, then it will get rude and churlish, eventually tedious, and then, dead. But that’s fine. It’s the way most new media go. :)
Fluther could be the catalyst for global improvement and harmony everywhere. My conscience tells me so. I’d like to believe it.
@rwiedeman: Actually we have really great mods here! When things get rude, they keep us in line, so it always seems to stay fun!
well, one thing about it, the Internet assholes and flaming trolls haven’t taken it over yet.
Fluther has a wonderful undercurrent of well educated, sharing, passionate, brilliant minds.
To my knowledge there are no other sites that have this undercurrent coupled with a top-notch moderation staff keeping trolls in check.
Because of this unique combination at least one life has been saved and scores of others helped.
For me the knowledge shared here has answered questions saving me hours of work and money.
So the potential for exponential greatness is being seen now and will only increase over time.
@Dog. Very nice answer. Well done.
let’s hope that day never comes
@rwiedeman, that’s certainly a reasonable supposition, but having been around for a little over two years (a little less than Fluther’s lifespan), it’s as established as it’s ever been, although I’m sure the user base has increased significantly. It ebbs and flows with respect to the stream of quality questions, and discourse does fall into the gutter sometimes, but the vast majority of input is either earnestness or wit.
For me personally, it has catalyzed a lot of learning and thought with respect to the underlying nature of politics and reality itself. It’s almost like a highly concentrated conversation experience, where you can digest immense
diversity of thought in a short period of time, something that is harder to come by in everyday conversation with people you know in real life.
It’s also a good place to learn what you know better than others and work on the articulation of thoughts and ideas that are important to you in a forum where they can be challenged by equally thoughtful people.
Potential?
It’s a fertile ground for fledgling pundits, many of whom will soon be seen working for major media outlets (i.e., they’ll make a living at it).
It’s a bubbling cauldron of writers; an online writing group; from which the next great American (or British, or Australian, or German, etc, etc) novel may come.
We are currently developing the several sensible advice columnists, who will draw the attention of a world looking for wisdom.
We have a resident humorist who, despite the ubiquity of his current profession, is destined to become the next great late-night host. Or at least to star in a few Oscar-winning comedies!
And this is just fluther’s apparent potential.
It’s hidden potential? Uh. Well. That remains hidden, I guess.
It’s hidden potential? The fact that no one knows it’s a front for the CIA….
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