ESR

Well, I'm glad I could help out. I was actually doubtful I'd have anything useful to say, but (as is often the case) my unconscious mind was doing a better job of working the problem than my conscious was.

I can find out who they are.

Been using it for half an hour and I still like this webchat interface better than any I've ever seen. Someone did an unobtrusively superb job of design here. I'd rather like to know who.

I think between that title, a good "mechanism vs. policy" FAQ entry, and social pressre, you should be able to manage the problem effectively.

Can you change the display title of the forum? Because another way to reinforce the message would be to have it read not "Parenting" but "Tools for Parenting".

Thanks. She's still quite healthy :-)

Good. You have excellent communications skills and are well-suited to explaining the concept. Expect to have to spend time doing that in the forum.

@HedgeMage Do you know the programming usage? Well enough to explain it?

So I'd say start by having a FAQ entry explaining what "mechanism, not policy" means. You have a high enough percentage of techies that you can usefully point back to the programming usage, and that may even lend it some authority.

:-)

(BTW, the correct answer is "A .22-caliber target pistol similar to a Colt Woodsman.)

The question is about mehanism, and appropriate. The response argus policy and is not.

So, if someone posts asking "what's a good starter type of firearm for a child?" and someone else starts in on "it's a bad idea to tech kids about firearms", you can say "mechanism, not policy".

So I suggest as a first step inventing some kind of tagline you can repeat at people. "Mecanism, not policy" may be too dry and techie; I don't know, not familiar with the demographics here.

Sorry about the typos.

The though you want to convey to people who join here is, I think, a lot like the rule in programming that you want to separate mechanism from policy. Mechanism is what enables you to do thing; policy is your choices about what you do with the mechanism.

All right. I do have one idea.

The (er) trigger for this was the firearms discussion?

That's not an easy one. I've been thinking about it as I waited.

I like this web-chat interface a lot. Clean, uncluttered, non-fussy fonts at good sizes, tasteful use of notification sounds and animations.

(tap, tap) Ah, looks like this thing is on.