How (dys)functional is G&WS compared to other Y!A categories?

Question

I spend a little time in "Religion & Spirituality" (completely nuttily interesting) and "Mathematics" (not quite completely mathematical as it should be but...). I think the dynamic here is a wee bit different. Do you spend time in other Y!A areas? How do they compare?

Answer 1

Sometimes I answer questions in religion and spirituality, too. You're right, it's pretty "nutty" over there, too. In fact, I'd say it's just as "nutty" as it is here. You've got atheists bashing religious people, and religious people (ironically) bashing atheists...no one really willing to listen to someone else's point of view (unless of course it agrees with their own)- sound familiar, folks?

Sometimes I answer questions in psychology...which is not a forum that has too many arguments...which is also kind of ironic considering there are so many different ideas/theories about psychology. But it is far more peaceful than this forum or R & S.

On rare occasions I wander into the politics forum...and there again there is much heated debate always going on...democrats vs. republicans....never ending...sometimes quite dramatic.

And sometimes I answer questions in education and reference...helping kids with homework, mostly in writing/composition. VERY peaceful there.

Answer 2

When I discovered Yahoo Answers, I thought it was a fantastic idea, a great place to learn new things and sometimes an opportunity to share info or helping others.
I used to spend a lot of time in the performing/theatre and dance section, also in the book section and sometimes in Psychology, History and Languages. Very peaceful all of them.
Until....
I had a religious question, as I wanted to understand a friend in real life whom I honestly couldn't (and can't) understand his fanaticism. Wow, I was appalled about the aggressive answers. I stayed for a while reading there until I got bored, as
sometimes the lack of respect was amazing, very familiar isn't it?
I found Politics also interesting and controversial, which I find normal.
But with all the controversy that Religion and Politics can have, I find it worse in Society and Cultures and here in G and WS. Racists and misogynists insult the chore of a person, it is not any more about an isolated ideology, it is about denigrating other people, therefore I find it worse.
G and WS, is a topic that has always interested me, so I used to come here sometimes, but it took me a while to post or respond, as there were /are so many vicious people. With time I "stayed", as I met some wonderful intelligent and compassionate human beings

Answer 3

I think GWS is about the same or not as bad as the religion and spirituality area, the society & cultural area, and the GLBT area in YA. I had to get away from R&S since it was too ugly and too much bible thumping, same with Society and Culture, too many racists. I've hung out in the gay, lesbian, bisexual area, but it was just like being in R&S, constant bible quoting. I use to hang out in the Careers areas a lot, since I've had a zillion careers, and nothing controversial happens there. Sometimes I go to politics, it's really not as bad as here, but it is intense. I sometimes go to Psychology and Sociology, and they are very mellow. I've also answered questions in the Outdoor sports area, but it was so basic I was bored to death (what do you take on a camping trip? was a constant refrain).

Sometimes I'm a positive force in GWS and ask neutral questions, but sometimes I am very bad and ask lots of weird questions. I get tired of the "why are women dumb" questions and just have to do something, which can be a negative something. Actually, when I ask a lot of questions about research I've found, I really don't have an agenda, but since I've asked "bad" questions, the assumption is that I'm promoting something, when a lot of the time, I think the research is wacked too. lol

Answer 4

Some of the language and questions in G&WS seem designed to generate more heat than light (to put it very politely), but in many cases are very good when you consider that one or two of the authors are almost certainly drunken 12 year olds. However I think it is a very positive thing that people are talking about gender relations - I am referring to the prevailing norm of misandry - at all, as in everyday life most people sleepwalk through it, or sweep it under the carpet. When people do recognise it, women often don't want to question it - its much easier to be a passive bystander in the face of an injustice - and men don't want to sleep on the sofa or be thought a misogynist just because they feel they are unfairly treated. Despite the mud slinging, lets keep talking; its better than any of the alternatives.

As for other Y!A categories, I usually go to Psychology. There is much less debate, often just basic questions about psychology as a discipline or about personal mental health issues. Much more peaceful, but much less alive.

Answer 5

I think there's more legitimate questions in here than the religion or politics questions, but there's still a fair share of people trying to rile each other up. On all the opinion based categories, there seems to be WAY too many questions of the type that go: here's something I read that makes those supporting the opposite stance look bad/stupid/stereotypical (not incorrect) - who agrees with me? Basically just polling for people who share the same ignorance is pretty prevalent here and elsewhere.

The "fact" based categories, math, literature, science, etc. are all swamped with people wanting their homework done for them.

Answer 6

Politics is pretty hairy...only there it's the Democrats vs. the Republicans. They can get pretty creative in the finger pointing and name-calling...a lot like here, I guess.

Society and Culture has a lot of racists posting derogatory things about black people, Hispanics, etc. So there are similarities there, too.

Religion and Spirituality seems to very often erupt into a Christian vs. Atheist hissy fight....

I go to other places like Anthropology, Gardening, and Arts, and there are no virtual fist fights in any of those places...go figure!

It seems that whenever you have a vast dichotomy of ideologies, you're going to get this type of vitriol and division...sad, but true.

Answer 7

Oh, we are quite a dysfunctional bunch, hehe.

I've also been in R&S, and yes, there is some craziness going on in that section just as well, but theirs are much funnier than ours.

In P&S, not much, I think that people there bond much more than they argue.

In Psychology, few disagreements, as Tera mentioned.

Occasionally I may stumble upon other sections, because of questions my contacts have posted, and they are usually not as intense as GWS and R&S.