Fora similar to these but...

[Newman]

I'm looking for fora with a very strict moderation, a friendly, wholesome atmosphere, and no raiding or mocking-others culture. I'm especially interested in ones where real-life topics would be discussed intelligently. I am especially interested in technical, engineer-ish matters.

Any recommendations?

[Asthix]

Someone recently mentioned a steampunk forum even nicer than ours where everyone calls each other sir or madam.

Unfortunately I do not remember the specific name. Serp?

[Arminius]

Someone recently mentioned a steampunk forum even nicer than ours where everyone calls each other sir or madam.

Unfortunately I do not remember the specific name. Serp?
I'm not Serp, but I think it might be called Brass Goggles (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php). I don't spend a lot of time there, but they have a nice section about mechanical watches and everyone there seems very friendly and polite in my admittedly limited observation.

[Melayl]

The Cartographers' Guild (http://www.cartographersguild.com/) forums are quite friendly (from the lurking I've done), and involve some quite technical discussions on cartography (as one might imagine) as well as world-building and use of various graphic design programs.

[Newman]

... That steampunk place is weird...

I like it.

[Weezer]

An interesting forum is the xkcd subforum Serious Business (http://forums.xkcd.com/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=dc9d0ae1980341231dd9806f98a702d8), pretty rational and reasonable discussion of interesting topics.

[Asta Kask]

I'm looking for fora with a very strict moderation, a friendly, wholesome atmosphere, and no raiding or mocking-others culture. I'm especially interested in ones where real-life topics would be discussed intelligently. I am especially interested in technical, engineer-ish matters.

Any recommendations?

Skeptics' Guide to the Universe (http://sguforums.com/index.php)

You should also listen to the podcast with the same name.

[Dr.Epic]

Fora is the plural of forum? I thought it was forums. Are both acceptable? I did not know that. Shows how much I know about the English language.

[Asta Kask]

It should be forums. It's been part of the English language for so long that it's become an English word.

[Blisstake]

Both are technically acceptable, but "fora" leans on the archaic side.

[Newman]

Me likes archaic. It's like saying virii rather than "viruses".

[Savannah]

Both are technically acceptable, but "fora" leans on the archaic side.

Not so much archaic as different meaning, per Rawhide. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8723286&postcount=5)

[Newman]

I beg to differ. Forum as "a meeting or medium for an exchange of views" is simply a metaphor, by equating the function with the most basic locale in which it would take place: the actual marketplace. So we're still talking about "(in ancient Roman cities) a public square or marketplace used for judicial and other business", if figuratively. It's basically "a place to argue and exchange". I also see no need for the qualifier "in roman cities", it's not like the Romans would call the marketplaces and outdoors of cities of other cultures with a different name. When a horse is in Arabia we still call it a horse, and not, say, a hisan.

[Coidzor]

Meh, just makes people look like they are trying to be pretentious.

Also your most recent post just contradicted itself by rejecting hisan but arguing in favor of fora over forums.

[Rawhide]

Somebody called my name?


The fact of the matter is that the word forum has been naturalised into the English language and, upon doing so, it has been given an English pluralisation. As you can see from both of the references I cited, this is not just a personal preference, but one adopted by the premier English dictionary and other such sources. The reason that we still refer to the Roman marketplaces as fora is due to the historical usage.

Also, for the record, neither virii nor viri is the correct plural form of virus, nor were they ever. Viruses is the correct English pluralisation, Latin had none (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/g63.html).

The English plural of octopus is octopuses. In Latin it was octopodes, not octopi.

[shawnhcorey]

The English plural of octopus is octopuses. In Latin it was octopodes, not octopi.

That would make the plural of forum, forodes. Cool. Any day you get to invent a new word is a good day. :smallbiggrin:

[Rawhide]

That would make the plural of forum, forodes. Cool. Any day you get to invent a new word is a good day. :smallbiggrin:

P.S. If that were the correct plural, it would be pronounced four o' dees :smallwink:.

[Newman]

Meh, just makes people look like they are trying to be pretentious.

Also your most recent post just contradicted itself by rejecting hisan but arguing in favor of fora over forums.

It's called Rule Of Cool, i.e. whatever sounds more tasty. As for the second paragraph, no it didn't. :amused:

[Howler Dagger]

When I say fora ithought you had misspelled "Flora" and had pictures of plants inside. I was dissapointed.

[Kindablue]

It's called Rule Of Cool, i.e. whatever sounds more tasty. As for the second paragraph, no it didn't. :amused:

Yeah, there's glory for you!

[Tirian]

Viruses is the correct English pluralisation, Latin had none (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/g63.html).

The English plural of octopus is octopuses. In Latin it was octopodes, not octopi.

People called Romanes, they go, the house?

[Rawhide]

It's called Rule Of Cool, i.e. whatever sounds more tasty.

Except for the fact that it isn't cool. As others have mentioned, it makes one look like they're trying to be pretentious. I say trying to, because it actually makes them look ignorant.

[The Succubus]

The English plural of octopus is octopuses. In Latin it was octopodes, not octopi.

Actually, the plural of octopuses in Latin is "Seafood Banquet", or possibly calamari.

[Blisstake]

Look how quickly we can go off topic!

[The Succubus]

Look how quickly we can go off topic!

All part of the service here. o7

[Rawhide]

When I say fora ithought you had misspelled "Flora" and had pictures of plants inside. I was dissapointed.

Oh, I should also point out that this is also what I thought, and why I took so long to read the thread and reply. I thought you were looking for a particular type of plant.