math.stackexchange

[mathbalarka]

Did you ever found yourself completely lost in a 10,000 page book on algebraic topology?

If you haven't, try searching anything, perhaps "elliptic diophantine equation" and enter any thread on math.stackexchange!

Man... they write books as answers to the simplest possible problems.

PS : I am not criticizing it or anything, I personally have been very helped by those threads. I am just saying that it would've been better if ... , I don't know ... , if they do things a bit more concisely, otherwise readers like me are having a very hard time to catch up

Balarka
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[ZaidAlyafey]

Think of them as exercises not as the source of knowledge. It is preferable to read books then take a look at these threads to check your understanding.

 

[Jameson]

The StackExchange sites are very nice and I think work well, but it's a particular kind of format and style which might not be for everyone. I think that this fact is a good thing because it allows for sites like MHB and SE to coexist and both still be very productive sites.

 

[Evgeny.Makarov]

So, what needs are served better by MHB than by SE, in your opinion?

 

[Ackbach]

So, what needs are served better by MHB than by SE, in your opinion?

SE sites are very definitely not set up as a discussion site, a fact that is hammered home constantly by moderators over there. Dialogue is not the main event: asking and answering questions authoritatively is the main event. On MHB, in contrast, the vBulletin software is set up specifically to encourage dialogue. In my opinion, this tends to make SE, possibly, a better site for reference, and MHB a better site for active learning.

 

[ZaidAlyafey]

SE sites are very definitely not set up as a discussion site, a fact that is hammered home constantly by moderators over there. Dialogue is not the main event: asking and answering questions authoritatively is the main event. On MHB, in contrast, the vBulletin software is set up specifically to encourage dialogue. In my opinion, this tends to make SE, possibly, a better site for reference, and MHB a better site for active learning.

Completely agree , nicely said !

 

[mathbalarka]

Derp, now I am publishing books there.

 

[Ackbach]

Derp, now I am publishing books there.

Ha! No longer merely guilty by association, eh?

 

[mathbalarka]