How do you feel after posting on RF?

[tomato1236]

I've been posting here quite regularly for probably just over a month now. There is a lot I've observed about the behavior or the posters, the nature of the debates, the efficacy of those debates, etc. Probably the most interesting observation of all, for me, has been paying attention to how I feel at the end of my workday when I close the laptop and drive home, regardless of what issues or discussions I participated in. Sitting in traffic gives me plenty of time for reflection. I'm curious to know if others feel the same way I do, or if it's just my experience. I'll share what those feelings are, but would prefer to do so after I've received some feedback so as to not bias your responses. I don't want people saying things like "yeah me too" because I think there is a lot revealed in people's efforts to fit their feelings into the definitions of words. I know that this can be a point of vulerability for some, but please, don't be too cautious. I'm not here to critique.

 

[YmirGF]

I have found RF to be quite helpful in a few ways.

1. Interacting with others on the forums has made me much more coherent in everyday conversation. What I mean is that I tend to speak like a reporter and try to leave my interpretation out of things.

2. Now I see, quite rapidly, when folks are using fallacies to make their points. For the most part, they are unaware of the nature of such fallacies.

3. I have always been a very good listener, but now I really do take in what people are saying. That said, I am rarely impressed with the thinking exhibited by others as I have noted that many play foot loose and fancy free with facts, if in fact they let facts intrude on their opinions at all.

4. Posting on RF has also helped me to develop my primitive writing skills and consequently has made me think much more clearly. This is due largely to using conventional terms in the past that I did not really subscribe to, but for lack of better terms, thought little about it. Now, I am paying much more attention to the niggling details.

5. Posting on RF has made me defend my thinking and for the most part, I hold my own with relative ease. The times where my toes are put in the fire as especially rewarding however as I learn a great deal from the experience.

6. Lastly, I have learned to proclaim loud and long that I do not have all the answers - unlike many who will merrily blather on as if they did.

Oh well, that's just off the top of my head....

 

[tomato1236]

I have found RF to be quite helpful in a few ways.

1. Interacting with others on the forums has made me much more coherent in everyday conversation. What I mean is that I tend to speak like a reporter and try to leave my interpretation out of things.

2. Now I see, quite rapidly, when folks are using fallacies to make their points. For the most part, they are unaware of the nature of such fallacies.

3. I have always been a very good listener, but now I really do take in what people are saying. That said, I am rarely impressed with the thinking exhibited by others as I have noted that many play foot loose and fancy free with facts, if in fact they let facts intrude on their opinions at all.

4. Posting on RF has also helped me to develop my primitive writing skills and consequently has made me think much more clearly. This is due largely to using conventional terms in the past that I did not really subscribe to, but for lack of better terms, thought little about it. Now, I am paying much more attention to the niggling details.

5. Posting on RF has made me defend my thinking and for the most part, I hold my own with relative ease. The times where my toes are put in the fire as especially rewarding however as I learn a great deal from the experience.

6. Lastly, I have learned to proclaim loud and long that I do not have all the answers - unlike many who will merrily blather on as if they did.

Oh well, that's just off the top of my head....

Yeah, these things are terrific. I have noticed some of the same in my experience here. But I don't think you mentioned how you actually feel after a while of posting. Is it uplifting? Does it inspire you? Do you feel frustrated? Confident in humanity, etc.? I'm looking more for your emotions, though I do appreciate that you've seen positive results.

 

[Bismillah]

sweaty

 

[YmirGF]

Yeah, these things are terrific. I have noticed some of the same in my experience here. But I don't think you mentioned how you actually feel after a while of posting. Is it uplifting? Does it inspire you? Do you feel frustrated? Confident in humanity, etc.? I'm looking more for your emotions, though I do appreciate that you've seen positive results.

After well over 10,000 posts (I deleted a mound of old post when one used to be able to do so), my emotional viewpoint upon posting is relatively even. Sometimes, I have been annoyed with people and have no difficulty showing that annoyance. Likewise, sometimes I am quite happy. Other times, if the thread is about very serious real life issues, I am of mixed emotions, as I hope the recipient will hear what I am saying. I can safely say that I have never been "over the top" angry in any of my posts, although I have earned the right to be a grumpy ol' man.

 

[Quagmire]

sweaty

Indeed: there have been plenty of days when I've logged out this place feeling like I needed a shower.

 

[Kathryn]

I've been posting here quite regularly for probably just over a month now. There is a lot I've observed about the behavior or the posters, the nature of the debates, the efficacy of those debates, etc. Probably the most interesting observation of all, for me, has been paying attention to how I feel at the end of my workday when I close the laptop and drive home, regardless of what issues or discussions I participated in. Sitting in traffic gives me plenty of time for reflection. I'm curious to know if others feel the same way I do, or if it's just my experience. I'll share what those feelings are, but would prefer to do so after I've received some feedback so as to not bias your responses. I don't want people saying things like "yeah me too" because I think there is a lot revealed in people's efforts to fit their feelings into the definitions of words. I know that this can be a point of vulerability for some, but please, don't be too cautious. I'm not here to critique.

Hmmmm, so you've been posting quite regularly from work? Seems to me how you OUGHT to feel might be GUILTY!

 

[tomato1236]

Hmmmm, so you've been posting quite regularly from work? Seems to me how you OUGHT to feel might be GUILTY!

Well maybe so. Any guilt I had for being unproductive there has been muted by my realization after a year of waiting for things to change that I was really hired to do nothing. My position is the result of a slow-moving, top-down corporate initiative, not of actual need for work to be done.

 

[Kathryn]

Well, I guess if it doesn't bother your chain of command that you spend a considerable amount of company time on personal business, you've got nothing to feel guilty about.

I'm not being sarcastic when I say that, by the way.

 

[tomato1236]

Well, I guess if it doesn't bother your chain of command that you spend a considerable amount of company time on personal business, you've got nothing to feel guilty about.

I'm not being sarcastic when I say that, by the way.

If they gave me work to do, I would gladly do it.

 

[Kathryn]

So do you think they would mind if they knew what you were doing on company time?

Not sure what you do, but where I work, if I run out of work to do, I am expected to find something productive and work related to do. But not all jobs are the same, I realize that. Your company may not mind at all, and if so, that's cool.

 

[Bismillah]

tomato you must have one cushy job. My manager goes beat red when I show up late for work, even if I have midterms. Student jobs are lame.

 

[tomato1236]

So do you think they would mind if they knew what you were doing on company time?

Not sure what you do, but where I work, if I run out of work to do, I am expected to find something productive and work related to do. But not all jobs are the same, I realize that. Your company may not mind at all, and if so, that's cool.

I still feel uncomfortable doing nothing. There is seriously so little to do, I have it all done within a half-hour of arriving at work each day. When I was first hired, I tried to stay busy. I did the amount of online learning courses required per-year to get a special award in two weeks. I asked my manager if there was more he would like me to do. I tried to add to my workload. I'm the only one in the building with my skillset or work type, so I can't help someone else out.

I would be uncomfortable telling my boss what I occupy my time with, but I had my manager review recently and he told me he's really pleased with the work I've done, and that I've done a great job since I started. I was mind-blown. The job I had before this one, I was so busy I was working late frequently. I was basically running the place. I was IT, I was staffing, I was supervising more or less. I was doing financial projections and programming the phone system. Now I post here. And I edit photos. And stuff.

Seriously the only way I could busy myself would be to make my pens parallel and wipe off my desk. Or pack it up and put it into a box.

I have also spent a lot of time looking for another job. I would like to work where I am needed and contribute something to the organization. I just can't find anything that pays as much as this place. As soon as I do, though, I'll be applying.

 

[ButTheCatCameBack]

I always feel immensely relieved. It's one of the few religious discussion boards that is pretty active that I've been on that has not had draconian, idiotic moderation. A lot of the theologically diverse forums I've been to haven't been busy enough to bother staying on.

 

[ButTheCatCameBack]

Like I have wasted my time throwing pearls to swine.

You sell the pearls on Ebay or go to a nice jewelry exchange and you make bacon and boneless porkchops out the pigs. Duh!

 

[Renji]

I feel happy everytime I post here because I was able to express my opinion to other people (not only to my parents, friends and those who know me personally) online.

 

[no-body]

I feel violated after I post here.

Off topic rant:

Well, I guess if it doesn't bother your chain of command that you spend a considerable amount of company time on personal business, you've got nothing to feel guilty about..

Are you in middle management or something? Why are some people incapable of realizing there is downtime in any job and spending a few minutes goofing off on company time makes for more productive employees?

 

[tomato1236]

I feel violated after I post here.

Off topic rant:



Are you in middle management or something? Why are some people incapable of realizing there is downtime in any job and spending a few minutes goofing off on company time makes for more productive employees?

This is a concept that has only become common in business in the last 10 years or so. Older people who have had jobs before then, particularly production jobs, would have no concept of a manager encouraging productive recreation on company time. Companies like Google and Pixar are sort of front-runners on this, and have demonstrated that good things come from happy employees. Of course, both companies have an incredible amount of money to throw around, as does my company.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I feel like I've engaged with people on a level rarely seen in real life. How often do we discuss religion and politics on a daily basis with our friends/family/colleagues? I don't. Well......at least not as much as I do HERE.

 

[Onkara]

I am almost always haunted by regret after posting.