Discord

The title sounds catchy, but I'm really just here to talk about Discord, the software. It's similar to slack in that you can set up channels to communicate with certain people. The iLRN2020 conference (discussed in the earlier web 2.0 conference post) used Discord as the back channel communication during the conference. It was an effective place to access technical help, find updates, and continue conversations. Subgroups in the channel have carried on since the conference, serving as a space for collaboration and coordination.

Public groups make it potentially an interesting place to get into conversations.My positive experience with iLRN encouraged me to check out another public group. Classical Thinkers seemed like a good option. "This is a server of intellect made for those who enjoy indulging in a complex, yet broad area of various sciences, theories, and humanities such as Mathematics, General Sciences, Psychology, Philosophy, Typology, Linguistics, and more. Don’t hesitate to also delve into the fun aspects of Classical Thinkers such as gaming, nsfw, memes, politics, and debates." Maybe that last sentence should have given me pause. A debate on neural networks and AI devolved into a debate on cocaine and guns....