Things I love about Peakoil.com, things I hate

thuja

Well as a long time participant here- I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread devoted to self-examination.

Here's my thoughts on what I love and what I hate about this site:

Things I love:

1- Usually a no-holds barred place to discuss and debate not only Peak Oil, but all the subjects related to it such as climate change, resource depletion, overpopulation, farming, preparation, etc.

2- All kinds of folks here- liberals, enviros, cons, libertarians, oil indrustry folks, organic farmers, weirdos, investment bankers, haters, racists, freaks, intellectuals, etc.

3- We continue to be the leading thinkers of what is happening in the world. Most of the economists, cognascenti, media, government- just don't get it. We are right...and most of them are completely wrong.

4- I like to talk to people who get it- since most everyone in my life still doesn't.

OK- Things I hate-

#1- Those labels that Aaron applies to people- Expert, Elite, Troll, Village Idiot. Useless, hierarchical, arbitrary, annoying.

2- Not enough diverse forums on specific subjects. Check out LifeAfterTheOIlCrash. They have a better set up and their food prep forum is awesome! We should learn from others.

3- Not defined enough. TheOIlDrum is for intellectuals studying the matter. LATOC is for the uberdoomer. And PeakOIl.com? All over the map. Whoever talks the loudest and posts the most wins the battle of information disseminator here. Somedays its a doomfest. Somedays theres a lot of brainy charts+graphs people here. Other days its a little cornie. Actually I love and hate this part of the site. But it feels a little ambiguous at times here.

joeltrout

I love that everyone has insight into something. It doesn't matter their age or intellect.

I hate that their are only a few peakoil members that work in the oil industry.

joeltrout
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ENERGY is the basis of our industrial civilization and sustains our standard of living. It is the foundation stone of our national wealth. A nation starved of energy.....will be a nation of starving people.

Pops

I won't disagree with any of that T. except the part about definition.

As you and I have found over time (I think) the fact PO.com is so open allows for all sides of an question to be explored and the reader can decide what to take away based on the merits of the evidence presented and how it applies to their situation.

Most folks don't fit into a little niche especially when what we seem to be facing can't be pigeonholed.

As far as narrowing the scope of forums I have been struggling with the problem of redundant questions and lost quality responses for years. Folks will post up a redundant question in the Open if what they want is down one page in whatever forum and have no idea there is a search function nor the willingness to use it in any event.

This is a talk-board I have been told and now I agree.

I think going forward the main job of Mods will be to direct people to the appropriate thread with the best knowledge regarding their particular question.
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Make a plan and work it:

Grifter

I love the fact that this is a talk board

also love

the fact that I can get angry with something someone writes here but also the fact that I can agree with people

that this site shows that there are peak oil aware women in the world

the crazies

I hate

the expert title

the fact that some seem to think a crash would be fun

the realization that conversations found here are unlike any that I can witness / take part in in the real world

Cashmere · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 1450

I love it here.

My home away from reality.

Keep the expert tags; if for no other reason, then to elicit the whines and complaints of the less than expert.

Twisted Evil

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Massive Human Dieoff must occur as a result of Peak Oil. Many more than half will die. It will occur everywhere, including where you live. If you fail to recognize this, then your odds of living move toward the "going to die" group.

benzoil

I love the middle ground that has developed at PO.com. I enjoy the high falutin' discussions at theoildrum.com but don't have the technical background to participate in most of them. I enjoy the hard core doomerism over LATOC on occasion as well. In the end though, I feel most at home at PO.com. The discussions here cover the gamut without going too far in one direction or another on a regular basis.

About the only con I have is that since the demise of the "Last 24 Hours" list, I've missed out on tons of wonderful topics that I used to discover from that list.
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TANSTAAFL

dinopello

I'm with Pops. No major disagreement except with 3- Not defined enough. Although the labels thing seems so minor to bother 'hating' it.

Some days (or minutes) I'm a depressed doomer, sometimes I'm an exuberant doomer, sometimes everything smells like roses. But, I can always come here and find something to laugh or cry about.

KillTheHumans

seahorse · Expert Joined: Oct 15, 2004 Posts: 2081 Location: Arkansas

KTH doesn't like "non-experts", assuming anyone could ever define and agree on what an expert is. However, I agree with this famous quote of Abraham Lincoln:

mos6507 · Fission Joined: Aug 03, 2007 Posts: 2989

bravo90 · Coal Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 2

bravo90 · Coal Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 2

BigTex

I love: Lively discussions among smart people who represent and defend different points of view.

I hate: Time sink, time sink, time sink, time sink [BigTex moaning incoherently].
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Smile

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1100

Critical thinking is commonplace around here, as is common sense. Traits so rare in my day to day dealings with people. It is also impossible to get away with not doing your research. Put up a statement without documentation to support it, you get cut to pieces.
I listen to people shoot their mouth off at work and elsewhere, others listening eat it up as fact. It's the deaf leading the blind. Can't get away with it around here.
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If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984

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Accept the Facts.

Aaron

On most boards people are afraid of the admins...

I love that you guys bust my chops same as any other member.

As far as labels... well we looked for some way, other than post count, to signify posters of exceptional quality.

Until we can upgrade to better forum software with things like Karma...

I hate hackers.
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"When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F Roberts.

Praise HawkMan