09-26-2003, 03:38 PM
I agree with Sudhir on his remarks about creating a library (no discussion)where one can post longer articles. we might want to check out the concept in yahoogroups where they have 2 means of archiving, one is by bookmarking (which we can do now) and the other is by creating archival 'files' with the full length articles (which as far as i can tell we cannot do now)
As far as the reasons for the initiation and development of this forum, Vijay has hit it right on the button. Some of the admins in BR have no interest in expanding beyond military/weapons systems. They particularly abhor topics such as history, economics (even though they tolerate a forum on economics now), politics, cricket, music etc. This is OK and their prerogative, but this forum is an outlet for expressing a variety of topics and views and i trust none will be censored. When asked why not reinstate some topics , the response from the BRadmin has been generally 'if you dont like it leave or it is our way or the highway'. One admin even poked fun at the strategic issues forum at BR and was very emphatic that if he had his druthers that would go. Now I have a great interest in strategic issues and if that was banned from BR i would have very little interest left in the forum. Eventually i got tired of such an attitude and i took their advice.
Furthermore there is a high degree of censorship in BR . Politically incorrect views (mostly viewed from a secularist perspective) have been systematically weeded out, the latest example being Hauma Hamiddha. Such censorship in my view is totally unacceptable and is against the fundamental civilizational ethos of India. Diversity in India does not just mean ethnic or religious diversity but the unfettered access to express a diversity of views (even though one may not agree with them) as long as we do not indulge in vicious attacks against a ethnic group or religion or make personal attacks against other members of the forum. One of the signs of a mature civilization and a mature people is the ability to conduct a civil and reasoned discourse on any subject regardless of how passionately one may disagree with the opposing views. By implicitly assuming that members are incapable of having such a discourse, BR admins have been rather contemptuous of the majority of the members and have chosen to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
As for overlap of topics that is unavoidable and i would be disappointed if the moderators in this forum banned certain topics simply because they are covered in BR. Even so, I have refrained from posting threads on Pakistan , because that is exhaustively covered in BR. Clearly also weapons systems is an area in which the BR forum has a lot of knowledge and an extensive database and it would be best to participate in the BR forum given that they have a passion to talk about this area. But i repeat my assertion (and Vijay's) that any topic other than weapons systems and aircraft is barely tolerated by some of the admins in BR.
Sorry for referring to another forum, but this is a response to a specific request from fanne.
As far as the reasons for the initiation and development of this forum, Vijay has hit it right on the button. Some of the admins in BR have no interest in expanding beyond military/weapons systems. They particularly abhor topics such as history, economics (even though they tolerate a forum on economics now), politics, cricket, music etc. This is OK and their prerogative, but this forum is an outlet for expressing a variety of topics and views and i trust none will be censored. When asked why not reinstate some topics , the response from the BRadmin has been generally 'if you dont like it leave or it is our way or the highway'. One admin even poked fun at the strategic issues forum at BR and was very emphatic that if he had his druthers that would go. Now I have a great interest in strategic issues and if that was banned from BR i would have very little interest left in the forum. Eventually i got tired of such an attitude and i took their advice.
Furthermore there is a high degree of censorship in BR . Politically incorrect views (mostly viewed from a secularist perspective) have been systematically weeded out, the latest example being Hauma Hamiddha. Such censorship in my view is totally unacceptable and is against the fundamental civilizational ethos of India. Diversity in India does not just mean ethnic or religious diversity but the unfettered access to express a diversity of views (even though one may not agree with them) as long as we do not indulge in vicious attacks against a ethnic group or religion or make personal attacks against other members of the forum. One of the signs of a mature civilization and a mature people is the ability to conduct a civil and reasoned discourse on any subject regardless of how passionately one may disagree with the opposing views. By implicitly assuming that members are incapable of having such a discourse, BR admins have been rather contemptuous of the majority of the members and have chosen to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
As for overlap of topics that is unavoidable and i would be disappointed if the moderators in this forum banned certain topics simply because they are covered in BR. Even so, I have refrained from posting threads on Pakistan , because that is exhaustively covered in BR. Clearly also weapons systems is an area in which the BR forum has a lot of knowledge and an extensive database and it would be best to participate in the BR forum given that they have a passion to talk about this area. But i repeat my assertion (and Vijay's) that any topic other than weapons systems and aircraft is barely tolerated by some of the admins in BR.
Sorry for referring to another forum, but this is a response to a specific request from fanne.