What does YA do? Is it like a tavern?

Question

Imagine a tavern in a town. People come and go throughout the day. After work, the place begins to fill up and the volume rises. People sit about and chat. Mostly they cluster with those of like opinions. It is more important to them to maintain their opinions and beliefs than be introspective and question them. Some people flirt, some discuss the day's events. At one end of the bar sits a mean unhappy man. He insults people and tries to start brawls. When he become too obnoxious, the proprietor boots him out. In one corner table a small group is having a lively philosophical discussion. Some people are looking for advice on romance. Others want to avoid the doctor and seek medical advice.


Outside the winds began to whip up. The temperature drops with nightfall. Though the demonized wolves have been pushed to the brink of extinction, there are still stray dogs outside who scavenge for scraps. Sometimes they howl and remind people how safe and warm it is inside.

All in all it is a good place to gather. Inside people can forget that ice bergs are adrift and whole penguin species are threatened.

Answer 1

Very well stated, and elegantly put Urgelwolf. I couldn’t have expressed it anymore eloquently than that myself. It was a very good analogy. Essentially you touched on something interesting that is universal to group dynamics, and it exists in any place where people congregate. The only thing that I would add to your illustration, that probably makes Yahoo Answers better than a tavern is that since we can all hide behind avatars and pseudonyms, and thus find shelter in our anonymity, our thoughts are expressed more boldly than in a tavern. We don’t have to fear someone physically attacking us in a drunken stupor, just because they disagree with us. The most they can do is hurl invectives at us, which for most of us thick skinned Internet questioners/respondents, bounces off us like rain.

Granted there is warmth and camaraderie that suffuses the environment of taverns that we never truly experience on Internet forums like Yahoo Answers, so when it comes to fostering intimate relationships, I don’t think online venues compare to face to face meeting places. However, with regards to discussing topics like religion, politics, culture, and philosophy, - issues that require deliberation and could potentially be inflammatory - the Internet provides us with a sense of security to have more meaningful discourse than an actual physical space.

Once again great question/comment.

Answer 2

Nice comparison and nicely written.

I, though, tend to see it more like a crossword puzzle in a newspaper, which - when I have some time, boredom, or a bad television show on - I take a look at, think about, and scan my mind to come up with the right answer.

Sometimes, though, I see it as the call from the friend with a dilemma during which the friend first bends my ear with details of the dilemma and then I bend the friend's ear with my lengthy attempt to offer some insight.

Maybe I'll start to see it as that tavern now, though - or at least lunch with a bunch of people. (A couple of months ago somebody did offer everyone on Answers coffee because he was getting himself some.)

Answer 3

He smells of elder berries. And geriatric cream Edit: i'm gonna leave my unique answer up. reason i've got self assurance i understand fred properly sufficient to assert he's conscious it replaced into mentioned in jest and solid humor. In responce to the three emails I have been given... i'm not sure what a ******** is, yet i'm effective I truthfully have been referred to as worse. No my techniques test does not come back black... its finished of static reason those machines won't be able to understand the unwell issues that circulate by my head. sure i'm an ****. That being mentioned i'll be extreme in my understand to fredric. In my couple of minutes here he has been a valued touch and has in all probability understood me greater effective than many others. he's no longer basically a guy, yet a gentleman in its truest variety. With him, i've got self assurance the old code of the knights is probably no longer extinct after all. He shows sthength, honor, and compassion and expertise that defys his nevertheless no longer old age. Fredric if my origina placed up of elderberries and gereatric cream offends, i'll swiftly do away with it. No disrespect replaced into meant

Answer 4

yes, I guess it is like a tavern, I only wish they served more drinks! I'd love a good beer right now, barkeep...

Answer 5

Its time for a beer!!!!