Poll: Reasons for Not Contributing

[prudence]

Even if we had some of the short cuts that other sites have, like agree/disagree buttons and the ever famous Like button, am I the only one who sees that kind of "participation" as not actually participating and a bit lazy? I understand being too busy to want to reply to a thread, but it seems like so many places have gone so far towards allowing people to "participate" by doing the least time consuming, least amount of thought put forth sort of thing, and it appeals to many people because they've just spent hours simply reading whatnot, liking comments here and there and adding selfies to their own profiles/walls, so now they're in no shape time wise and mood wise to actually contribute a thought towards an actual discussion? (Sorry for that, I'm sure it's the worst run on sentence I've ever managed in my life time.)

Instant gratification comes to mind, but it seems like it has morphed into its own niche, "instant participation" by doing next to nothing. I like a good discussion, even if I don't add anything to it, just have a look at some of the threads in the Historical section here. There is so much to learn, even if you don't feel comfortable adding a comment, which I can totally understand when it comes to in depth historical discussions. Imagine how silly and superficial a Like button or Agree/Disagree button would be in such a discussion?

I think sometimes if you want to participate, you need to do a little bit more than hit a nifty little button. Elementary school kids know better than to simply say they liked a book when doing a book report. They know their teachers will ask, why did you like it? Explain why. This is a learning forum, not simply a place to chat and express how much we love some deck, even though we can just do that in the appropriate sections. I've learned more here than I ever did from classes or any of the books I've ever read about tarot. And I'd never have learned as much as I have if I hadn't participated in a real way, by asking questions and adding my own thoughts, as well as having them challenged.

 

[prudence]

I'm in the new tarot card reader camp. I've been reading the forums fairly regularly and have contributed to a few posts thus far but TBH, the more I read, the more I realize I have to learn.

I had been reading for about ten years when I joined here, and I felt just like you after I started reading various threads and different sections. I truly feel like I am still learning when I read someone else's take on a card that I'd never thought of before, and it hits me like, wow, I get that. How could I not have seen that before??? It's so cool though, because learning more and more ways of reading is a lot of fun for me. It's very fulfilling. Have fun here and don't feel shy about participating because you feel like you're not as experienced.

 

[euripides]

Even if we had some of the short cuts that other sites have, like agree/disagree buttons and the ever famous Like button, am I the only one who sees that kind of "participation" as not actually participating and a bit lazy?

on the contrary, I think you'll see that quite a few have commented along similar lines a few posts back.

 

[gregory]

Even if we had some of the short cuts that other sites have, like agree/disagree buttons and the ever famous Like button, am I the only one who sees that kind of "participation" as not actually participating and a bit lazy? I understand being too busy to want to reply to a thread, but it seems like so many places have gone so far towards allowing people to "participate" by doing the least time consuming, least amount of thought put forth sort of thing, and it appeals to many people because they've just spent hours simply reading whatnot, liking comments here and there and adding selfies to their own profiles/walls, so now they're in no shape time wise and mood wise to actually contribute a thought towards an actual discussion? (Sorry for that, I'm sure it's the worst run on sentence I've ever managed in my life time.)

Instant gratification comes to mind, but it seems like it has morphed into its own niche, "instant participation" by doing next to nothing. I like a good discussion, even if I don't add anything to it, just have a look at some of the threads in the Historical section here. There is so much to learn, even if you don't feel comfortable adding a comment, which I can totally understand when it comes to in depth historical discussions. Imagine how silly and superficial a Like button or Agree/Disagree button would be in such a discussion?

I think sometimes if you want to participate, you need to do a little bit more than hit a nifty little button. Elementary school kids know better than to simply say they liked a book when doing a book report. They know their teachers will ask, why did you like it? Explain why. This is a learning forum, not simply a place to chat and express how much we love some deck, even though we can just do that in the appropriate sections. I've learned more here than I ever did from classes or any of the books I've ever read about tarot. And I'd never have learned as much as I have if I hadn't participated in a real way, by asking questions and adding my own thoughts, as well as having them challenged.

I agree with every word of this. Though I think some people take it even further and skip the

simply reading whatnot, liking comments here and there and adding selfies to their own profiles/walls

and just click without even looking.

True. But then Photobucket gives me no end of trouble for some reason. (For once, it runs VERY slowly in all my computers, St. Crowley knows why.) Plus it's a waste when you want to show just a single image. A way of making your uploaded pics show straightaway would be nice.

imgur is virtually that - very quick and easy, no account required... I don't use photobucket any more, and I have gone WAY off flickr, too. All too complicated, as they persist in adding crap to "improve your experience"

SOME subforums here do allow actual image uploads (for subscribers). But having them everywhere slows a forum down horribly - and also leads to people clogging the place up with silly memes and - yes - selfies. I know this from the dragons forum... I'd actually much rather we stick to links (except in historical - and even there some pix are uploaded at such a size that they fall off my LARGE monitor !)

But what about if you ... say ... come to the forum with a burning question: "I just got promotion but I keep pulling the Five Pentacles".

Right there in front of you before you even click to open a new thread, is a thread entitled something like "When the Five Pentacles doesn't mean poverty".

Wouldn't you at least *glance* at that pre-existing thread before starting a thread that sits right next to it called "Pulling Five Pentacles but got a pay rise"?

That CAN happen - but more often a beginner will look at the existing thread and it won't quite match what they need to know. Also a new member will often not immediately realise that it's OK to add to a thread like that - they will see it as a thread belonging to someone else. I know I felt that way when I first started to post outside the game that hooked me in here.

 

[Zephyros]

I also don't support adding "like" buttons and similar. Sure, it could be said that the forum software is perhaps a bit dated, as is the idea of forums in general, but there's a lot to be said for the discussions that go on here. I belong to several Facebook groups dealing with Tarot and the occult and such, but it's almost impossible to get a good discussions going there, everyone is clamoring for attention and it feels like yelling in a crowded room where everyone else is also yelling.

Here there are actual discussions, and there's no limit on the number of threads and the topics one can post. People may point out similar threads but that doesn't negate whatever thread it's in. There's also something psychological at play, the even if all someone has to say is that they agree with the post, merely saying that makes them talk and contribute and give opinions which are always interesting to read.

As for why I don't always participate, it's probably because I've been here a long time, and I've seen the same questions asked again and again. If there's a new angle on a familiar question I will contribute to the thread, but as a moderator I also read all new posts on all the threads in my forums and I only have so much time I can be on AT. Some days I have more to say, others not so much, but I'm always here and it's always a pleasure.

 

[gregory]

I also don't support adding "like" buttons and similar. Sure, it could be said that the forum software is perhaps a bit dated, as is the idea of forums in general, but there's a lot to be said for the discussions that go on here. I belong to several Facebook groups dealing with Tarot and the occult and such, but it's almost impossible to get a good discussions going there, everyone is clamoring for attention and it feels like yelling in a crowded room where everyone else is also yelling.

This is exactly why forums are not, and never will be, outdated.

And in what sense is the software here dated ? It is simple, functional and easy to read. (Yes OK the search function is awkward - but manageable, and it's better than the one on another forum I'm on, believe it or not.) This place is like a massive book with a slightly dodgy index, where you can join in and interact with others with the same interests. It's no more dated than - a BOOK !

 

[Barleywine]

My first criterion is how interested I am in the topic. My second is how hard the OP actually tried to figure it out on their own. If I see "I don't understand what this means" with no apparent effort to puzzle through it, I won't bother to join in. In most cases, tarot doesn't offer "instant gratification," you have to work at it and think about it to get the most value out of it. Interactive learning isn't about being spoon-fed, you can get that from books, blogs and YouTube (but there too you have to put it all together thoughtfully or you wind up with a "Frankenstein monster" of disjointed knowledge). One problem I see with modern education is that too often it teaches students to simply "open up and swallow, no chewing required, and then just regurgitate it for the test." Critical thinking seems to be too cumbersome for the modern mind when the average attention span has been reduced to the length of a tweet. I don't see AT as an outlet for social posturing, it has more meat to it than that, and I don't really care if you "Like" what I say. If I think I can add constructively to the discussion I'll probably say it.

 

[Samweiss]

I selected "The topic doesn't interest me enough to join in".

My favorite part of the forums is Thoth section and there's not much activity going on these days, so I'm mainly reading the forums in lurk mode.

I'm also having a tarot slump at the moment. I have seen almost nothing exciting relating to tarot in past few months, all the new decks and books just get a big resounding "meh" from me. Those are the main reasons for my inactivity.

 

[Barleywine]

I selected "The topic doesn't interest me enough to join in".

My favorite part of the forums is Thoth section and there's not much activity going on these days, so I'm mainly reading the forums in lurk mode.

I'm also having a tarot slump at the moment. I have seen almost nothing exciting relating to tarot in past few months, all the new decks and books just get a big resounding "meh" from me. Those are the main reasons for my inactivity.

I've noticed this too. It seems that many of the most experienced and thoughtful contributors to the Thoth area have dropped off the radar. Broader Golden Dawn subjects get a bit more play, but practical discussion of the Thoth seems to be at low ebb right now. Consequently, I've busied myself with other decks and haven't been active there either.

 

[Edward Tarot Hands]

I've been getting fewer and fewer comments on my posts (oh dear, it couldn't be my politics or my occult leanings, could it?

lol

the reason I don't always comment is because I don't spend much time on the internet and I usually look at the top posts have a quick squint then go.
Also sometimes there are already so many replies I have missed the original post
but your posts are really interesting mate. You can talk occult to me anytime you want