Information Diet and this Forum

[StarswirlTheMustached]

I know there are a couple follow-up threads already, but...
when I was reading that post, it felt like the Elephant in the Room. I agree with MMM; I avoid byte-sized news, going for magazine-format essays (or similarly styled long blog posts) from monthly/weekly publications instead. I feel much better for it.

Then I thought of another daily source of information: this Forum. I'm still arguing with myself to decide what I think, but what does everyone else think? How does the forum fit into the low-information diet? Is it just another social network, like Facebook, or distracting form of communication, like e-mail, that we must ration ourselves to avoid being sucked into? Or something more useful, that we should feel free to indulge in?

Or: is board this a lean steak, empty carbs, or somewhere in between?

[grantmeaname]

I'm ambivalent, like you. There's definitely elements of both extremes, but I wonder at what point the signal-to-noise ratio becomes a cause for concern.

[hybrid]

I have no doubt I spend too much of my week in these forums.   For now though it's still new, engaging, and eye-opening.  When engaging and eye-opening becomes old hat I hope I will cut back.

As for Facebook, I did more than cut back there last year.  Don't miss that sinkhole one iota.  Kind of regret ever getting started with it.

[Ottawa]

Then I thought of another daily source of information: this Forum. I'm still arguing with myself to decide what I think, but what does everyone else think? How does the forum fit into the low-information diet? Is it just another social network, like Facebook, or distracting form of communication, like e-mail, that we must ration ourselves to avoid being sucked into? Or something more useful, that we should feel free to indulge in?

Or: is board this a lean steak, empty carbs, or somewhere in between?

Interesting question!  It reminds me that this http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/the-different-types-of-comments-people-leave/ should be mandatory reading for any commenter.  I think the onus is on the individual to be introspective in what it is they feel any given comment is adding to the conversation.  In this way the quality would stay high by 'self policing'.  If not...well, the moderators are there for blatant violations.  I think that perhaps the reasoning behind adding value counters in some forums (elevating remarks..or downgrading remarks) allows this process to occur as well...although a little harsher. 

[Nords]

I know there are a couple follow-up threads already, but...
Or: is board this a lean steak, empty carbs, or somewhere in between?

It's a wiki library.

You can search for the topics you're researching, or you can ask a question from the reference librarians, or you can page through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and the Unabridged Oxford English Dictionary.

Or you can just sit in a corner flipping through the old People magazines left by donors.

[dragoncar]

I definitely spend too much time here.  It certainly doesn't further my FIRE goals, which are on autopilot right now.

Luckily, I'm not following the information diet.  If I were, I would not visit MMM.