Ask Ricochet
The Logo ·
Jun 8, 2010 at 1:51pm
You've got questions. We've got answers.
Here's the place to post whatever you'd like us to talk about -- all of us, one of us, or some of us, in any combinations.
We're listening. Fire away.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Do you want Ricochet to remain primarily political? Or how about discussions of sports and culture, like instant replay in baseball?
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
For all:
Is runaway expansion of government and spending ultimately a political problem or a cultural problem? How much have the past century's changes to our government been the result of changing attitudes among common Americans?
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
I'd like to know how to make those fancy indented block quotes, like Diane's comment here, rather than the boxed quotes you get when you click "Quote" on somebody's comment.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
This is awesome! I know you have a special e-mail address for suggestions, but I thought it might be helpful to post a few thoughts about the formatting of Ricochet and then get others' feedback?? My take-away so far is this: I haven't seen a post yet that hasn't drawn my attention and left me impressed with the contributor's talent (and creativity) for the subject choices and the quality of writing. But, what I've discovered is that each conversation is almost like keeping a balloon in the air. Unless you have multiple people keeping it going, it has a short life span. And once the balloon lands it's over. So, when I have a quick minute to scan the main page, see a conversation I would love to join, but don't have time until the end of the day or early the next I don't have high hopes that anyone will still be there by then. I'm not a software programmer, so I don't know if this vision I have in my head for how I would make the navigation map look is realistic, but maybe some of it is??
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
I know you all have a lot on your plate, and what you have with Ricochet already is truly outstanding. So, this is just my two cents…
In thinking about what would get a longer life out of each of the conversations I wonder if you could make another tab at the top. In this tab could be an index, maybe in chronological order, listing only the subject and author on one line. That way you can see a much longer list at one glance of all the conversations available. Another benefit would be if each conversation could still show # of comments, etc. But keep the subjects to one line (maybe two) and have the list as compact as possible and the ability to click on it. It would give each post longer exposure and less opportunity to be lost to a black hole as it’s bumped off the main page by subsequent posts. Your contributors are prolific…that’s a good thing!! But, it may be diluting the time subscribers spend on each conversation. Just my thoughts…and I have a few more. :-)
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
This is obviously a question for Victor Davis Hanson. The Roman Empire: did it fall because of the government or was it "pushed" by the barbarians? I wrote a paper in college. I think I took the Peter Brown-ish view that it was transformed, but it's been a long time. If I were writing it today, I'd go with pushed.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Why, oh, why is California so leftist?
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
I share Andrea's concerns here. At the moment there are so many topics being introduced that often by the time I'm home from work, the discussion in which I'm interested is so far down the scroll that I get the distinct feeling that commenting would be a performance to chirping crickets. Something to consider: I (and I bet others) get a particular thrill when a variety of contributors make comments within one discussion. Therefore, I believe it would be preferable to have fewer but deeper discussions, with contributers focusing their energies more on the comments section than on introducing new topics. Readers want to be flies-on-the-wall witnessing you guys chat about this or that issue, with the added fun of being able to speak up as well. That sentence right there should be the essence of Ricochet.
Re: Ask Ricochet
I'm with Andrea. Her suggestions are excellent.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
I'd like to be able to edit my comments in case I make a typ0.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Is it possible to go back and delete a comment, in case I say something really dumb?
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Ditto.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Scott Reusser
Therefore, I believe it would be preferable to have fewer but deeper discussions, with contributers focusing their energies more on the comments section than on introducing new topics. Readers want to be flies-on-the-wall witnessing you guys chat about this or that issue, with the added fun of being able to speak up as well. That sentence right there should be the essence of Ricochet. · Jun 8 at 10:23pm
Agreed.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
The tone is so collegial (a welcome rarity in political discussion) that it invites the possibility that Ricochet could be a forum for civil debate. It would be nice if you guys would probe the areas in which your contributors may occasionally disagree,
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Not to get too tech support, but why did I suddenly get a flurry of update e-mails yesterday?
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
What, Felicia? Your state (whichever it is) isn't? I can't remember the last time Minnesota had a Republican state Senate, or wasn't owned by teacher unions.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
I am going to do the Miller-Lite-Billy-Martin bit here (I think I just dated myself- probably no one here remembers that series of commercials) and "feel very strongly both ways."
I like a flurry of new topics- and a variety of lengths, plus the opportunity to fight, er, make that debate, some topics in depth over an extended period. There are sites where you always see new stuff in bite-sized chinks- Glenn Reynolds comes to mind- and where the issues are subject to "rightly dividing" in depth, the "word of truth", to go scriptural on you. I, therefore, propose to mess up Andrea's carefully thought out layout and make the lists in two categories- "briefs" (no snarky jokes on that) and "debates".
It would also be nice if we could sub it debate topics and initial writeups for consideration even if we are not Contributors. Maybe "The Certified Official Solution Of The Week To A Previously Intractable Problem As Solved by Ricochet".
Finally- why not some e-mail interviews of Contributors, which they can accept or reject or delay, based on time available, by the proles. Get to know a little bit more.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
Um, my "bite-sized chink" thirds or fourths the wish to be able to correct typos....
Re: Ask Ricochet
Play ball, INRS. We're game. Look -- here's Klavan on the Lakers.
May '10
Re: Ask Ricochet
This is a question for Professors Yoo and Epstein…During the 5/21/10 podcast, Elena Kagan was portrayed as a liberal with mediocre talent and a lack of passion for any particular agenda.
My thought from this is that she would be replacing a Supreme Court Justice who is considered a “Liberal Lion” on the Court with a talent for debate and persuasion. If Kagan doesn’t have a liberal crusade (that we can tell), nor a powerful presence, won’t the liberal bloc of the Court be slightly less effective now when they vie for Justice Kennedy’s opinion?