Which Forum Rules?

[Don Dresden]

My own informal review of online discussion forums shows that at this very minute:

Degree.net = 83 users online
Degreeboard.com = 30
Degreeinfo.com = 17
Degreediscussion.com = 5

Of course, there is a difference between quantity and quality, but it appears Degree.net is the current leader in volume, while the discredited Degreeinfo remains in severe decline.  Degreediscussion appears to be even more irrelevant now than when it started.  Degreeboard is the sleeper, with few posters but a lot of lurkers.

To what can we attribute the popularity of Degree.net?  There seems to be a lot of discussion of current distance learning programs, nearly all of it courteous, thoughtful and offered in the spirit of cooperation.  Conversely, the self-proclaimed "experts" and rude mindguards who have befouled the discussions at DI and DD, and AED before that, seem to be absent.  

It's good to see there is still some life in these boards somewhere.  Let's hope the cancer spreaders stay in their DI and DD rat holes and leave the normal people alone.

[Armando Ramos]

Don't forget the UoP Sucks forum (http://www.uopsucks.com/forum/), which just now had 15 people online, nearly the same as DI (16).

Plus they give some of the best advice in distance learning--i.e., don't go to UoP!

[Albert Hidel]

To what can we attribute the popularity of Degree.net?  

There are still lots of links out there referring to Degree.net as Bear's site, which it used to be.  For people who don't know any better Bear still has a lot of credibility, so the site rides on his coattails just like Richie D.