[ACT-R-users] Forum

[Phil Pavlik]

Clarifications on the intent of the forum (in reply to queries):

- what is its intended relation to this act-r-users email list? what
sort of things would I post to the forum rather than to the email list?

It is intended for questions and items of less importance then would go
on the mailing list.  Many beginning users are afraid to ask these
questions to the entire ACT-R community, since they don't want to send
an e-mail to all the act-r users.  Also, the forum can be used as a
resource for teaching.  It is also good for advanced users that want to
conduct long windy discussions or make comments or such that they don't
want to send to everyone.  The advantage of this format over e-mail is
that it can be looked at and responded to with more leisure and without
clogging everyone's e-mail.  It also provides a more casual format for
networking. 

(The short answer is that you can post whatever you want, but unlike the
e-mail list, you cannot count on everyone seeing it.)

   - for what purposes would I want/need to "log in" to the forum, and 
what username & password would I use?

The way I have things set up logging in allows you to post. (But you can
view messages without registering.) Once you register (which takes 3
minutes and is a link in the corner of the page) you can check a box and
it will retain your information so it will auto-login form your machine.
Having login rather than just free open use promotes a little order
since all posts will be tagged with your user name so we can see who
wrote them.  When registering, you can use your real name (which I have
done), or you could uses a pseudonym of your choosing. You can change
this later if you want.  Pick whatever you like for a password.

  - I can see that a b/board can be useful for a focused discussion, but
my own preference would be to keep as much as possible on the email
list.  Traffic on the list is not heavy, and is unlikely to become so.
That way, I'm kept aware of what's going on, and the discussion comes to
me, I don't have to remember to check it out every so often.

Important posts should still be sent to all the users
(act-r-users at act-r.psy.cmu.edu) Don't ever post to the forum
(http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/forum/) if you need to communicate with
everyone.  I will repost some of the important e-mails on the forum so
that they are handy however.  My concern is that the reason the traffic
has been low on the list is because people don't like to send to a list
that goes to so many people.  If this is why traffic is low, then we
probably need this forum to communicate better.  If no one uses it then
I was wrong.

Philip I. Pavlik Jr.
Psychology Department
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
ppavlik at andrew.cmu.edu
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ppavlik/


-----Original Message-----
From: Richard M Young [mailto:r.m.young at herts.ac.uk] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 6:16 AM
To: Phil Pavlik; act-r-users at act-r.psy.cmu.edu
Subject: Re: [ACT-R-users] Forum

Phil,

Sorry to sound ignorant, but could you explain a little more about 
the forum?  For example:
   - what is its intended relation to this act-r-users email list? 
what sort of things would I post to the forum rather than to the 
email list?
   - for what purposes would I want/need to "log in" to the forum, and 
what username & password would I use?

Thanks,
-- Richard