why we love babble

Mon, 2008-02-25 05:37

amandathelifeguard

I am working on an essay about online news discussion forums, focusing on rabble.ca and babble--

if any of you want to let me know why you like to use babble, and whether or not you feel you get a better understanding of news and current affairs through being able to discuss topics of importance-- let me know!

Thanks!!

Mon, 2008-02-25 05:49

#3

oldgoat

Clearly one of the strengths of this place is that is so wisely, dare I say brilliantly moderated.

Mon, 2008-02-25 06:30

#4

rural - Francesca rural - Francesca's picture

quote:

Originally posted by oldgoat:
[b]Clearly one of the strengths of this place is that is so wisely, dare I say brilliantly moderated.[/b]

really??? [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

I like Babble because it often offers a perspective I've never considered, due to lack of exposure to alternative interpretations and experiences.

Mon, 2008-02-25 08:13

#5

1234567

rabble, a bunch of over-educated, left-wing, high-strung, opinionated people who scrap with each other like a bunch of wet cats in a bag. They say the funniest things and......yeah, and the moderators aren't half bad either!

Mon, 2008-02-25 10:30

#6

Slumberjack

quote:

Originally posted by 1234567:
[b]rabble, a bunch of over-educated, left-wing, high-strung, opinionated people who scrap with each other like a bunch of wet cats in a bag. They say the funniest things and......yeah, and the moderators aren't half bad either![/b]

I'm trying to find where I fit in to the above...ah yes, there it is....left wing.

Mon, 2008-02-25 10:33

#7

Michelle

I'd say I fit all of them except "over-educated". [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

Mon, 2008-02-25 13:45

#8

remind

How can someone be over educated?

Mon, 2008-02-25 14:35

#9

1234567

quote:

How can someone be over educated?

Where I'm from, you can have too much book learning and not enough common sense and no common sense around here will get you killed out on the land.

Mon, 2008-02-25 14:55

#10

wage zombie

Babble is the best filter out there for Canadian news. If something happens, people post about it. If it's controversial people with different perspectives respond. Generally the more important something is, the longer it is on the Active Topics.

Online news discussion forums or group blogs make good news sources because different people end up working together to provide a broader view of the news. Sometimes this creates a lot of drama and i'd agree with others that the moderation style here helps tone down the drama disruption.

It's the broader view (to read) that's the value for me. Discussing the news is alright but i mostly just post if i feel like there's a missing perspective. When i do end up getting into discussions i generally end up feeling that i don't have the free time available to post for more than a couple days in a row.

I guess my enjoyment of babble depends pretty directly on the diversity and brightness of the writers here. This seems to hold when i think about how babble and my enjoyment of it have changed over the years.

Mon, 2008-02-25 19:29

#11

Polly B

I don't do well with search engines (understatement)and when something is going on that I need to know about, I love it that I can pop in here and all the hard work is done and the links are already in place.

Otherwise I would be commenting on a topic a full day later than everyone else.

Tue, 2008-02-26 01:41

#12

Michelle

Yeah, that's one of the things I love about it too. (Sorry if it's a conflict of interest for an employee of the site to contribute to this, but I was just a regular user for much longer than I've been staff!)

For a long time, I used to not bother reading newspapers (well, I still don't, except online) or news sites because I knew that any current issue of the day would be here, with links to news sources. babble would be my news aggregator because it would have links to all the major papers as well as all sorts of indie news and commentary sites.

But not just news - also entertainment, cultural stuff, activist stuff, etc. If I hear something through the grapevine, odds are pretty good that someone's started a thread about it on babble. (Or, occasionally you get the thrill of "breaking" it here yourself!)

Love that about this site, always have.

Tue, 2008-02-26 04:18

#13

munroe

I was laid up with a broken leg when I found Babble. It became a part of the daily reading as it added to, enhanced and gave perspectives on my other meandering. I post on topics on which I hope I have a perspective that either adds to the discussion or may not be more generally available.

My only bad experience was with a couple of yahoo self-indulgent nutcases who wanted a forum for their own individual ills, but they didn't survive here (yes the moderating is first rate).

After time, one certainly begins to appreciate both trends in thinking amongst the Left in Canada and a healthy respect for the roots of different tendencies. It is very positive.

Tue, 2008-02-26 04:54

#14

Wilf Day

quote:

Originally posted by wage zombie:
[b]I guess my enjoyment of babble depends pretty directly on the diversity and brightness of the writers here.[/b]

Where else would I get perspectives from everywhere from BC to Cфte-Nord? From Red Tory to Marxist? Let alone multi dimensions of race, gender, and so on?

I can have excellent diverse conversations dropping in at our local pub. But babblers take the prize.

Except some of us are a bit shy. From reading us, you'd bet we were mostly WASPs. I bet someone reading this has origins in India or China, but never says so.

And I bet some lurker reading this has been thinking of joining the conversation.

Don't be shy. And if you think CSIS is reading this, give them your perspective. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

[ 26 February 2008: Message edited by: Wilf Day ]

Tue, 2008-02-26 06:58

#15

amandathelifeguard

thanks so much for all of your input!
i really appreciate it!

i'm new to the site and I will definitely be coming back!

Tue, 2008-02-26 07:21

#16

Geneva

so have you got all the info you need?

I was going to mention the Babble open-bar liquor cabinet as an attraction here, down the stairs and to the left

Tue, 2008-02-26 07:30

#17

martin dufresne

If you can suffer the company of mods railing about how they'd like to strangle ******** and ****************... [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Tue, 2008-02-26 07:48

#18

rural - Francesca rural - Francesca's picture

quote:

Originally posted by Geneva:
[b]so have you got all the info you need?
I was going to mention the Babble open-bar liquor cabinet as an attraction here, down the stairs and to the left[/b]

It's empty!

OldGoat!!!!!!!!!!!! [img]redface.gif" border="0[/img]

Tue, 2008-02-26 07:53

#19

Michelle

Ish oldgroap sloshed on jhe djob again? I'm gonna hash to haz a taalk with himm. Hang on a sec...

He shays whatevra.

Tue, 2008-02-26 08:32

#20

oldgoat

*hic*
.
.
.
.
.
--------*thud*

Tue, 2008-02-26 08:35

#21

mary123

Many times it does help if you post here sloshed. Not mandatory but it helps!

Cheers! [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Tue, 2008-02-26 08:37

#22

oldgoat

God knows it helps if you're a mod.

Tue, 2008-02-26 09:42

#23

mary123

hehe I'd imagine oldgoat. Go easy on the hard stuff and just say no to drugs! [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Wed, 2008-02-27 03:15

#24

Michelle

Is it too early to start drinking again? [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Wed, 2008-02-27 04:28

#25

rural - Francesca rural - Francesca's picture

you mean you stopped? why?

Wed, 2008-02-27 05:10

#26

margrace

Thanks guys for some interesting posts, I have belonged for a while but just started posting, and for a good laugh first thing this cold morning.

Wed, 2008-02-27 06:06

#27

scooter

quote:

Originally posted by wage zombie:
[b]Babble is the best filter out there for Canadian news. If something happens, people post about it.[/b]

Ah, not Canadian news. More like Ontario Canadian news. It's usually disappointing to read dicussions about the Prarie provinces either because they are few and far between or they degenerate into name calling. There are not enough contributors from outside of central Canada to create a better balance of Canadian views.

Wed, 2008-02-27 07:41

#28

1234567

quote:

There are not enough contributors from outside of central Canada to create a better balance of Canadian views.

Well, there are a few of us, but we need more people to drown out those Ontario and Eastern folks. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]

Seriously, Scooter, tell people about this site, get them on here. Don't be shy.

Wed, 2008-02-27 11:47

#29

wwSwimming

I wouldn't have found out about Richard Sanders and his work at COAT (Coation to Oppose the Arms Trade ?) without Babble.

Wed, 2008-02-27 14:33

#30

Farmpunk

Babble is redneck tolerant.

Wed, 2008-02-27 14:39

#31

clersal

[img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]

Wed, 2008-02-27 16:12

#32

HeywoodFloyd

quote:

Originally posted by Michelle:
[b]Ish oldgroap sloshed on jhe djob again? I'm gonna hash to haz a taalk with himm. Hang on a sec...
He shays whatevra.[/b]

That's why I love babble. I can post drunk and no-one cares....but issue one slurring press release in real life and you're all over the press.

Babble, proof that drunk posting is fun.