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Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 2:40 am
by Jason Hare
This thread is for the discussion of the recently raised question of opening new subforums for specific topics.

What do our members propose for subforums?

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 4:30 pm
by Schubert
I've commented on this topic in the Leviticus thread but will quote myself so that this new thread can be a one stop collection of members' views.
Utilizing subfora would be very helpful. It would make it simpler for those who want to focus on just one or two aspects of Biblical Hebrew, or conversely to ignore certain aspects.

One possible issue is the way in which folks subscribe to different parts of B-Hebrew. So that I don't miss anything of interest, I currently have a subscription to each of the separate fora within B-Hebrew. It would be good if, in the new system, it was not possible to start a thread in the parent part of what is now the "General Discussion" forum. This way, there would be no need to have a subscription to the parent General Discussion forum, which which would then include all subfora – whether a person was interested in a particular subforum or not. This might mean having an appropriately labeled general subforum within what is now "General Discussion". I hope this makes at least some sense.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 8:14 pm
by Schubert
Jason Hare wrote:This thread is for the discussion of the recently raised question of opening new subforums for specific topics.

What do our members propose for subforums?
While thinking about this I realized the obvious fact that a number of categories can overlap. In addition, one of the benefits of forum discussion sometimes arises when the discussion heads off on a tangent from the original topic. That can be a good thing but it can also be an issue if a thread becomes hijacked.

With those caveats out of the way, here are my suggestions for subfora that might be helpful:
– grammar and/or "What does this text mean?"
– etymological issues
– pedagogy
– (as I mentioned in a previous post) a general discussion subforum.
There is nothing original about my suggestions; they have all been mentioned by others but they are ones with which I agree.

There are other possible subfora; but the other ones I've thought of stray a considerable distance from the subject matter charter of B-Hebrew.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 1:38 am
by Jason Hare
The forums exist in this arrangement at the moment:

=====
About the B-Hebrew Forum
⤷ Announcements
⤷ Policies
⤷ Questions
Introductions
General Discussion
Resources
Beginners’ Forum
=====

If we’re going to use “What does this text mean?” as a subforum, I’d recommend that we take this further and perhaps organize the forums as a sort of generic FAQ in some way like this:

Beginning Discussion Forums [category only]
How do I get started with Hebrew? [move Beginners’ Forum here]
What resources are available? [move Resources here]
Advanced Discussion Forums [category only]
What does this text mean? [syntax and semantics / hermeneutics]
Where did this word come from? [etymology and cognate studies]
How can I best learn/teach Hebrew? [pedagogy]
What lies behind this text? [textual and source criticism]

We can add or subtract from these forums, of course.

What do you think?

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 2:22 pm
by Schubert
Jason, subject to two comments, I like your suggested approach.

My first comment is whether the technical descriptions of each subforum will be/should be included after the primary name for the subforum. The issue is most acute for the last subforum "What lies behind this text?" This title by itself does not make it clear that the subforum is restricted to textual and source criticism.

"What lies behind this text?" could well invite theological discussion on questions of divine inspiration, certain aspects of systematic theology, etc.

At the risk of perhaps cluttering the names of the subfora, my preference would be to include the technical descriptions as you have set them out. My concern is that without these descriptions, problems will likely arise in the future as to what is appropriate in certain of the subfora.

My second comment concerns the issue I've raised in previous posts. Is there a need under the "Advanced Discussion Forums" for a general catch-all subforum for matters which do not fit within the other subfora? The answer to that question depends on whether your suggested four advanced fora cover the entire field or whether there's a possibility of legitimate topics lurking out there which do not fall neatly within the four advanced discussion fora. At the moment, I can't think of any but that does not mean they may not exist.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 3:09 pm
by talmid56
Excellent suggestions, Jason. I would add a Hebrew composition practice subforum. I am sure there are others besides me who would like such practice with an opportunity for feedback and correction.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 4:24 pm
by Schubert
talmid56 wrote:Excellent suggestions, Jason. I would add a Hebrew composition practice subforum. I am sure there are others besides me who would like such practice with an opportunity for feedback and correction.
A good idea.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 9:43 am
by Kirk Lowery
Ordinarily, B-Hebrew has only one or two postings in a week. Imagine my astonishment (and delight!) when on the day I left for holidays, B-Hebrew lit up with activity like a Christmas tree! In the last four days alone there were more than 60 posts.

Which illustrates my first comment on the subject of new subfora: a subforum is useful only when there is a constituency of members who have interest in the subject and post on that subject. Otherwise, the subforum stands forlornly empty. And when someone posts with either a question or a proposal, it is very discouraging when there are no responses.

As moderator, I'm first of all concerned with encouraging interaction among members. Even if I disagree with what's going on, if it is within our charter and folks are being polite, I tend to grant wide latitude on conversations. I remind members that experience has shown that social media rarely changes opinions. I like to think of what we do here with the words "illumination" and "enlightenment". I personally am not interested in creating an intellectual "echo chamber", where I can be comfortable in my "safe space". B-Hebrew is a public forum, and there will be a wide diversity of members and conversations. We can expect our ideas to be challenged, even when they are the "scholarly consensus" or my personal opinions. And that's a good thing. It's healthy to have our ideas and dearly held beliefs challenged. It forces me to go back and think through why I hold the opinions that I do. And it is instructive for others to see the grounds on which my opinions are based.

I propose that we begin with the suggested subfora that Jason and others have suggested. Each subforum will have a "top post", a "read me first" type of announcement that defines the purpose and content of that forum. We can adjust both the names of the forums and their purpose/content as we go along. After the first of the year, let's revisit this subject and evaluate how the forums have worked out. We can, of course, make mid-course corrections at any time.

Comments, please! I'll give you all a week. "Qui tacet consentit", that is, "Silence gives assent!" :twisted:

Blessings,
Kirk

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 2:50 pm
by talmid56
Sounds promising, Kirk. I think subfora along the lines suggested can only help us. And I agree, it's healthy to have our beliefs challenged.

Re: Subforums (Discussion)

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 3:17 pm
by Schubert
Kirk Lowery wrote: Comments, please! I'll give you all a week. "Qui tacet consentit", that is, "Silence gives assent!" :twisted:

Blessings,
Kirk
Consentio. ("I agree.")