Possible Advantages/disadvantges of participating in a forum

[sh50]

I learnt this from one Mr Steve Pavlina

Possible advantages:-

Intellectual exchange
Learning new ideas and refining old ones
Enjoying community membership
Influencing the forum's evolution
Contributing to others
Making new friends and contacts
New business leads
Keeping up with current events
Learning about new opportunities
Here are some potential negative effects of excessive forum usage:

Possible disadvantages:-

Reduced concentration and focus
Reduced productivity
Chronic procrastination
Increased pessimism and/or apathy
Being distracted by endless debates and idle gossip
Gradually substituting tribal group think for your own intelligence
Impaired social skills, neglected relationships, and a weakened social circle (a consequence of substituting online socialization for face-to-face conversations)
Reduced energy (forum participation is sedentary compared to more active social outlets)
Reduced self-esteem
Career and income may suffer (including loss of employment

I thought it would be interesting for many of you who may be participating in other forums too apart from traderji. A tool depends upon how well and to what degree you use it. Everybody need not agree with what Mr PAvlina has pointed out.

[alokdaga]

Originally Posted by sh50

I learnt this from one Mr Steve Pavlina

Possible advantages:-

Intellectual exchange
Learning new ideas and refining old ones
Enjoying community membership
Influencing the forum's evolution
Contributing to others
Making new friends and contacts
New business leads
Keeping up with current events
Learning about new opportunities
Here are some potential negative effects of excessive forum usage:

Possible disadvantages:-

Reduced concentration and focus
Reduced productivity
Chronic procrastination
Increased pessimism and/or apathy
Being distracted by endless debates and idle gossip
Gradually substituting tribal group think for your own intelligence
Impaired social skills, neglected relationships, and a weakened social circle (a consequence of substituting online socialization for face-to-face conversations)
Reduced energy (forum participation is sedentary compared to more active social outlets)
Reduced self-esteem
Career and income may suffer (including loss of employment

I thought it would be interesting for many of you who may be participating in other forums too apart from traderji. A tool depends upon how well and to what degree you use it. Everybody need not agree with what Mr PAvlina has pointed out.

It is a great learning ground provided that you are aware that you are in the forum to learn and not to follow specific buy/sell reco's .

Regards

Alok

[karthikmarar]

Hi Sh50

You are right when you said that a tool depends upon how well and to what degree you use it. Like all things in life we should know where to draw the line. I have seen people being sucked into religious groups like a vortex.

The advantages pointed out are normal and the disadvantages are in extreme cases. In my opinion the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

By the way ..touching on a different subject …on a lighter vein..without any disrespect...I always found your nickname little strange..SH50…you know… I always wonder why people prefer strange nicknames and not their real names…there is member calling himself diesel engine… .What is the psychology behind this…Saint, my friend are you lisening….

warm regards

karthik

[sh50]

Hi Karthik

When I started participating in discussion forums a couple of years ago, I also could not understand why people hide their real identities. I came across strange names in poetry forums also of all things. Thereafter when I started participating in this forum, initially I had my acutal name hiren_shah50 which synchronises with my email. At that time I was the only one using my actual name and it felt both long and strange. So for convenience and sounding a little mysterious I turned it so hs50 but finally sh50.

I also find this feature of aliases somewhat strange. Why should people hide identities and adopt different forms? We are lucky to have a fantastic facility like the net and forums like thsese. People should be straight with one another-that's my honest view. Even when we bring unnecessary complexity , we dig our own grave. Traderji and other traders have said, "Keep it simple" . That should apply to forum ettiquette also.Even the new forums I come across have all these strange names. One also hears of abvusive language in certain forums so there one has to be careful. Anyway, nice of you to raise this point.

[karthikmarar]

Hi Hiren

Like you said the element of mystery is one of the main reasons for peope to go for strange identities. Now sh50 has has lost the element mystery... There is name and it is not difficult to guess where you hail from....

It is very nice to know your real name...Always enjoyed reading your posts full of wisdom...now it will even more so...

warm regards

karthik

[Saint]

Originally Posted by karthikmarar

Hi Sh50

You are right when you said that a tool depends upon how well and to what degree you use it. Like all things in life we should know where to draw the line. I have seen people being sucked into religious groups like a vortex.

The advantages pointed out are normal and the disadvantages are in extreme cases. In my opinion the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

By the way ..touching on a different subject …on a lighter vein..without any disrespect...I always found your nickname little strange..SH50…you know… I always wonder why people prefer strange nicknames and not their real names…there is member calling himself diesel engine… .What is the psychology behind this…Saint, my friend are you lisening….

warm regards

karthik

Karthik................nowadays am more comfortable with Saint than my real name.Previously used to trade the US markets before shifting focus to Indian markets.During that time,used to be in a few forums........was always the done thing to have names different from the actual ones.Not really sure why I picked on Saint.......I suppose there were many reasons behind it.Initially it was anonymity.Later as I started helping other forum members with calls on the US market,I realised that they took the calls and learnt things from a technical take,because their minds were free from any bias .Having a username like Bhairav Singh or Govindasamy Pillai may not have done the trick,as their mental or racial bias prevents possible learning.

Of course later,as respect grew and money made, bias was no more a factor.But by then the name stuck...............So even when I took my many trips to US,although a "dowtrader" would be addressed as John ,strangely Saint was always Saint to them(maybe my name was a bit of a tonguetwister to the American tongue!).

The name stuck in my mind too,I suppose..............so when I was asked for username for Traderji,well Saint of course............... .

Saint

ps:Just to remove some of the so called mystery,my name is Dr Ravindran,and I am from Singapore........hmmm,an introduction after 1217 posts!

[jaideep]

Originally Posted by saint

.....................
ps:Just to remove some of the so called mystery,my name is Dr Sree Kumar Ravindran,and I am from Singapore........hmmm,an introduction after 1217 posts!

Ah-Ah! Knew you were a Doc; you said so somewhere earlier. Now the handle. Nice knowing you Doc. And, 1217 posts is no mean achievement in any forum given the quality of your posts. Great going Doc & keep going. Forgive me if you are addressed as Doc hereafter.

Not very relevant here but just so you know, was in Singapore myself between 1991-1995 employed as a Departmental Marine Engineer in Sembawang Shipyard. Thoroughly enjoyed my stint there & was highly impressed by the work ethics in Singapore, not to mention the other +s that evade the casual tourist. Another thing, knew a Ravindran (P.K. I think) in the shipyard who was the Chief Fire & Safety Officer. Any relation?

[karthikmarar]

Originally Posted by saint

Karthik................nowadays am more comfortable with Saint than my real name.Previously used to trade the US markets before shifting focus to Indian markets.During that time,used to be in a few forums........was always the done thing to have names different from the actual ones.Not really sure why I picked on Saint.......I suppose there were many reasons behind it.Initially it was anonymity.Later as I started helping other forum members with calls on the US market,I realised that they took the calls and learnt things from a technical take,because their minds were free from any bias .Having a username like Bhairav Singh or Govindasamy Pillai may not have done the trick,as their mental or racial bias prevents possible learning.

Of course later,as respect grew and money made, bias was no more a factor.But by then the name stuck...............So even when I took my many trips to US,although a "dowtrader" would be addressed as John ,strangely Saint was always Saint to them(maybe my name was a bit of a tonguetwister to the American tongue!).

The name stuck in my mind too,I suppose..............so when I was asked for username for Traderji,well Saint of course............... .

Saint

ps:Just to remove some of the so called mystery,my name is Dr Sree Kumar Ravindran,and I am from Singapore........hmmm,an introduction after 1217 posts!

Saint

Thans for the introduction after 1217 posts.... .....I still prefer Saint because this name suits you so well.....a real sage imparting wisdom and helping people.....Now Dr.Sree Kumar sounds like a stranger....

I did guess that you could be from singapore from some of your posts.

Doctor...You will always be a SAINT for all of us in this forum....

warm regards

karthik

[rangarajan]

Dear friends,
The topic of discussion has suddenly deviated & the credit goes to karthik for starting an equally interesting subject.As rightly pointed out earlier,the nick name in majoriyy of the times is to keep anonimity coupled with fear complex.Forgive me if i am wrong.The same disappears as u get familiar & popular.
Reg forum participation,it is not only knowledge sharing & acquiring ,but gives u relaxation of mind aswell from routine provided the forum is healthy & not totally material oriented.
Best of lucks,
ranga,Chennai

[Saint]

Originally Posted by jaideep

Ah-Ah! Knew you were a Doc; you said so somewhere earlier. Now the handle. Nice knowing you Doc. And, 1217 posts is no mean achievement in any forum given the quality of your posts. Great going Doc & keep going. Forgive me if you are addressed as Doc hereafter.

Not very relevant here but just so you know, was in Singapore myself between 1991-1995 employed as a Departmental Marine Engineer in Sembawang Shipyard. Thoroughly enjoyed my stint there & was highly impressed by the work ethics in Singapore, not to mention the other +s that evade the casual tourist. Another thing, knew a Ravindran (P.K. I think) in the shipyard who was the Chief Fire & Safety Officer. Any relation?

Hi Jaideep,

Nope.......not a relation to the above mentioned.And interesting to know that you were around 10 years back,...... Thank you for your kind words........no problem with Doc or Saint,anything 's fine...... .

All the best!
Saint