Have public forums made you a smarter person?

[Gemini Sunrise]

They have not made me smarter, but I now know how cowardly, spineless and biased people can be when they are anonymous.

You had to go to a public forum to realize that? I mean, shit, people are like that in real life, why wouldn't they be like that anywhere else?

[RICH8472]

You had to go to a public forum to realize that? I mean, shit, people are like that in real life, why wouldn't they be like that anywhere else?

I tend not to hang around with those sort of people, either at work or socially, we tell it as it is. I was Raised an Army brat, Joined the forces and it was all I knew. People were straight with each other, the internet showed me the other side that I will have to deal with when I retire.

[Gemini Sunrise]

I tend not to hang around with those sort of people, either at work or socially, we tell it as it is. I was Raised an Army brat, Joined the forces and it was all I knew. People were straight with each other, the internet showed me the other side that I will have to deal with when I retire.

I mean, you don't hang around with em, but you know they exist (at least you did if you are the type that is in any way, shape, or form aware of the world around you). That's what I was confused about.

[Bryntrollian]

Not really. The only thing forums have done for me is show how many grammar Nazis exist ^.^.

Its for your own good.

[Sarac]

Smarter? Not really, but it brings certain points to my interest. But only I google anything, no actual discussing has gained my anything.

[Shootandkill]

I've learned how to form a decent argument. It's also given me insight into how different people think. Basically it's taught me how to form my opinions into words. Which will be helpful if I ever decide to do game journalism, which is something I've been considering.

[-Kisu-]

I wouldn't say smarter though it has made me a little less lazy when just typing blindly.

[Tenver]

I don't know if forums online have made me smarter, but they have certainly improved my knowledge. Whether that is intelligence or not. Informed me where I was wrong whether or not I understood it. It easy to dismiss one's current knowledge when others do not agree as ignorance in others. Also, much easier to forget one's own ignorance. A quote I was thinking of:
"An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Probably pretty much describes it. If I hadn't learned anything, it was probably because I was doing something wrong then. Still, I don't know how that relates to actual intelligence as compared to schematic knowledge in some form or the other. Mostly from reading other people's thoughts and words and putting things out there. Though, online is such a vague and anynomous/uncontrolled form to begin with.

[Usako]

I think so. It keeps my mind active in typing and reading. I don't enjoy reading books all that much, and when I go too long without typing out words I start to have spelling errors and more grammar errors than usual.

I will also point out being apart of the forums here at MMO-Champion have really opened my eyes about many issues and would like to think that my knowledge of the world has grown.

[Alakir the Windlord]

Not sure about smartness, but I'm certain that I have accomulated significant ammounts of knowledge from forums.

[Airwaves]

No, I lose a brain cell every time i read 99% of threads.

[oblivionx]

The only thing public forums have done is remind that the fool will claim everything is a logical fallacy now. It's like the badge of internet disinformers, and used as improperly as a security guard trying to tin his way thru a speeding ticket.

[beardedcandy]

even stupid posts made by stupid people makes you smarter. People are so quick to write something off for a minor disagreement or error. I read forums all the time and reflect on what people say.

That is, forums make you think, which is half the battle imo.

[Adam Jensen]

Yes, it introduced me to new opinions, new ideas and these ideas often sent me to wikipedia or youtube or some other site for more information.

For example, several threads on Fark.com about the evolution/creationism debate taught me a lot about evolution and lead me to research evolution. Watched a lot of Thunderf00t and AronRa's videos and while they do rail hard against religion, I did learn a lot about evolution, the big bang and abiogenesis.

[oblivionx]

The only thing I probably ever learned was that even the most diligent and clever of people can be forced to respond to things they don't want to respond to. I once got the lead developer of a major MMORG to come out swinging at me and reveal pricing data that was being kept "unrevealed at this time" by just making up ridiculously inflated numbers and then arguing against them. I don't want to say which, but it came out as "news" on many sites... something like X responds to internet troll with Y. When it was nothing but an attempt to force that developer to reveal that information.

[Ave07]

I guess it made me more well informed.