After reading all the comments, one thing that I'd like to add is that this Philosophy Forum is much more than a place to argue about philosophical issues. Whether we're talking about metaphysics or religion it doesn't matter because several other things are taking place. Here is a quick list:
- Intellectual Exchange - This forum is designed to promote intellectual exchange of ideas facts. This is healthy for the mind and the growth of the inner-self.
- Learning - When active on a forum such as this one, we are in the process of learning and getting new ideas and refining some of our old ones. We're learning and feeding that desire to learn.
- Making Friends - Socially, the forum is about making friends and sharing ideas amongst friends. A member will develop lifelong contacts and relationships through regular forum usage.
- Being a Member of a Community - No matter the size, it's always nice to be a member of a community and share the benefits of membership.
- Business Contacts - No matter what business you are in, being a regular member in a forum will allow members to establish business relationships that create win win scenarios. Business is all about relationships.
- Getting Questions Answered - Forums provide a place to get questions answered. If you have a specific question about what college to attend or if the time is right to get married?... Doesn't matter, you ask and someone and often times many people will respond.
- Online Reputation - A regular user in the forums, you are building an online reputation with not only the users but the people who read the forums without membership. Your reputation will follow you wherever you go.
- Contributing to Others - What you say in the forum is contributing your thoughts and ideas into the open Internet and can directly contribute to others.
- Information Resource - The Philosophy Forum is becoming and information resource and many of the threads are very informational from History to science.
- Influencing Evolution - As a member here at PhilosophyForum.com you can actually influence the evolution of the forum and it grows as you grow. It can nice to be a part of something that grows with your influence.
- Improves Typing Skills - There is no better way to improve your typing skills aside from writing an entire book. Active forum members literally improve their typing skills and muscle memory. The ability to type is of great benefit today and tomorrow in technology and could help with getting the right job. Also improves formatting skills for effective writing.
There are many benefits to being an active member in a forum, the big question is, which type of forum and how many. There are forums for everything you can imagine and if you are online, you'll eventually become a member of many of them. You'll find great use from many of them... but you'll only call one or maybe two, 'Home'.
A 'Home' forum is where you are at daily to read posts, respond, check the latest happenings and usually a forum where the conversation is the most comfortable. The discussions in the Philosophy Forum tend to be civil and educational on almost any topic you can imagine so it's a place we want people to be able to call home.
So there we have it. Anyone have any benefits of forum usage to add to this?