How to Post On a Message Board: Part 1 – Figuring Stuff Out to Post
There has been some debate on this topic of what you “need” to have a discussion or make a point and so forth.
There are a number of ways to make sense of the world around us. The Scientific Method, Mathematics and Statistics are examples. But the one I am going to talk about is logic, or rather Deductive and Inductive Reasonings.
Now, you can look these concepts up on wikipedia, in fact:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_reasoninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_reasoningNow you can read up on those topics for quite some time but here is the practical gist:
Deduction: Because A and B then C. You take two known (or assumed) facts and use it to draw a conclusion. See the wikipedia entry for examples.
Induction: You take a number of general observations and create a rule based on them. (And yes this rule is only conditionally accepted) See the wikipedia entry for examples.
Now for some Q and A
Q: What do you mean Assumed?
A: For the purposes of discussion sometimes you will make what are called assumptions. For the purposes of your discussion you are holding things to be true, when in fact they may not be true or may not be true all the time. This is a valid method of reasoning, however your overall argument may be weakened particularly if you are using an ATAMO assumption.
Q: ATAMO?
A: Short for “And then a Miracle Occurred.” Sometimes your assumptions may be outlandish, this is a shorthand way of saying that.
Q: What is Conditionally accepted?
A: When you Inductively prove something, you are not 100% sure that it is true. It may be you have not seen the exception. The thing is, you cannot prove everything perfectly. Check out the wikipedia entry for more details.
Q: Do you need to be perfect in your idea before you post it?
A: No. Nothing would ever get done if that were the case. It is perfectly acceptable to forward an idea, just to see what people think or solicit advice and input.
Discuss. I will add to this post as the discussion evolves. (Oh, and please stay on topic)
