There's no reason discussion can't inculde fact, and indeed fact is an essential ingredient in a good discussion. My point was in how those facts are presented. If a person is a passive participant, ala watching the news on TV, that person absorbs less knowledge than if they actively seek out and discuss these facts themselves. Thus, if I simply read an article on slashdot, I retain a small amount of that information. If I comment on it, I (probably) retain more, and if I get involved in a back and forth exchange where more and more pieces of data enter the discussion, sought out by participants to help argue points, I will likely retain a great deal of that. Or such has been my experience anyway.
In a way, discussion sites like slashdot are a return to the very old idea of the Socratic Method (ala Socrates), where people learn by asking questions and discussing, rather than being presented with information. I've worked for several years now tutoring college freshmen, and I can say with some confidance that student participation invariably leads to better understanding than when i just stand there and explain stuff. Sites like slashdot bring this same type of experience to the news.
On the contrary, I would suggest that you get some priorities. The right to free speech is one of the fundamental foundations of American society which the attack last year was aimed at destroying. While it is definitely important to be aware of the many other ramifications of the attack, such as the threats of war you cited, it is vital to the continued survival of the USA as we know it that citizens remain aware of all threats to our fundamental freedoms.
While it is unquestionably tragic that so many people were murdered by terrorists last year, I believe that the proper way to respect that loss is to continue your life as you see fit (even if that means watching Cowboy Bebop reruns all day). The glory of American freedom is that you have the freedom to live your life (more or less) exactally as you want, and any encroachment on that right is, in my opinion, the worst possible consequence of the attacks.
As Ben Franklin said "Those who would give up essential liberty for a little temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security"
Slashdot Mirror
There's no reason discussion can't inculde fact, and indeed fact is an essential ingredient in a good discussion. My point was in how those facts are presented. If a person is a passive participant, ala watching the news on TV, that person absorbs less knowledge than if they actively seek out and discuss these facts themselves. Thus, if I simply read an article on slashdot, I retain a small amount of that information. If I comment on it, I (probably) retain more, and if I get involved in a back and forth exchange where more and more pieces of data enter the discussion, sought out by participants to help argue points, I will likely retain a great deal of that. Or such has been my experience anyway.
In a way, discussion sites like slashdot are a return to the very old idea of the Socratic Method (ala Socrates), where people learn by asking questions and discussing, rather than being presented with information. I've worked for several years now tutoring college freshmen, and I can say with some confidance that student participation invariably leads to better understanding than when i just stand there and explain stuff. Sites like slashdot bring this same type of experience to the news.
On the contrary, I would suggest that you get some priorities. The right to free speech is one of the fundamental foundations of American society which the attack last year was aimed at destroying. While it is definitely important to be aware of the many other ramifications of the attack, such as the threats of war you cited, it is vital to the continued survival of the USA as we know it that citizens remain aware of all threats to our fundamental freedoms.
While it is unquestionably tragic that so many people were murdered by terrorists last year, I believe that the proper way to respect that loss is to continue your life as you see fit (even if that means watching Cowboy Bebop reruns all day). The glory of American freedom is that you have the freedom to live your life (more or less) exactally as you want, and any encroachment on that right is, in my opinion, the worst possible consequence of the attacks.
As Ben Franklin said "Those who would give up essential liberty for a little temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security"
-CC