Thread for comments related to other math sites

[Jameson]

Math Help Boards is still quite young and because many of our members belong or have belonged to other math help sites, we are getting lots of threads really about the same thing. We recognize that we have all spent time at other places and many continue to do so. This often leads to discussion of this site versus that site, things we don't have that they do, etc. We want you to voice your opinions but we ask you to help us keep organized by posting comments about other sites in this thread and not in a bunch of other places. MHB is not connected to any other sites and while we are still very young and small, we are aiming to provide the best math community on the net. This means that we want to make this site better every day. This site is not a copy of other ones and we aren't trying to be like any of them. We are getting better by the day regardless of how many people see it at this very moment. The quality we are aiming for and will provide isn't something that can be measured immediately by internet statistics or rankings, isn't something that will be recognized immediately. The highest quality is our focus and the rest will work itself out. I and many others have seen this prove to be true before.

So, that said, this is the place to say what you want to about other sites and/or how we compare to them. It has been a popular topic lately and we will listen to your comments, good or bad. Please take it easy on mass linking though. This isn't a links thread.

 

[chisigma]

Of course I agree 'cent per cent' about the necessity to improve the quality of the site every day and also about the necessity of 'regularizing' our comments on the material published on other sites and about that I have a question: from now on shall we post our comments on the material on other sites in this thread?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$

 

[Jameson]

I would say that posting problems from other sites is fine as well as posting general math resources. If you are posting something new and constructive then there's no need to worry about making a new thread. However, if you or anyone wants to directly compare us to another competing website then this is the place to do so.

 

[CaptainBlack]

I cant find the thread where someone had noted that they could not post links in PMs on another site to MHB.

It appears that the admin there has set things up so that the MathHelpBoards is stripped out of the URL when you post a link, I think this applies to everyone.

A bit of a shame that we cannot tell authors of unanswered threads where we have posted the solution... or can we.

As you can tell I have been looking around over there and am struck by the relative neglect, the owner seems to be online about once every 3 days or so at present.


CB

 

[Ackbach]

I cant find the thread where someone had noted that they could not post links in PMs on another site to MHB.

It appears that the admin there has set things up so that the MathHelpBoards is stripped out of the URL when you post a link, I think this applies to everyone.

You mean this thread?

 

[CaptainBlack]

You mean this thread?

That's the one

CB

 

[Klaas van Aarsen]

To reiterate (I posted in forum feedback), I got an infraction warning on this site for posting in the wrong sub forum (on my 2nd post!).

I've posted the same problem in MHF where I actually got a useful answer.
Somehow that makes me wonder what the right forum is...

 

[dwsmith]

To reiterate (I posted in forum feedback), I got an infraction warning on this site for posting in the wrong sub forum (on my 2nd post!).

I've posted the same problem in MHF where I actually got a useful answer.
Somehow that makes me wonder what the right forum is...

Did you post a math question in forum feedback? If so, that is wrong.

Just like on MHF, there are forums for math topics. Math questions go there.

 

[Klaas van Aarsen]

Did you post a math question in forum feedback? If so, that is wrong.

Just like on MHF, there are forums for math topics. Math questions go there.

No, I did not post a math question in forum feedback.
I only vented my frustration there for getting an infraction.
I don't like getting warnings when I feel I haven't done anything wrong.

 

[Chris L T521]

To reiterate (I posted in forum feedback), I got an infraction warning on this site for posting in the wrong sub forum (on my 2nd post!).

I've posted the same problem in MHF where I actually got a useful answer.
Somehow that makes me wonder what the right forum is...

If you think you get better help on MHF than here, you can go back to them; none of us are stopping you from doing so. We just don't want to be advertising them here because they're competition after all.

Over here, we're trying to carry out our vision for what MHF could have been (everyone on our staff now are (ex-)staff members on MHF), but mash (the guy who came way out of left field and bought the site) has a different way of moving forward with MHF.

Ultimately, it's your choice of where to go.

 

[Chris L T521]

No, I did not post a math question in forum feedback.
I only vented my frustration there for getting an infraction.
I don't like getting warnings when I feel I haven't done anything wrong.

After looking at your record, it was a warning and not an infraction - there is a big difference. If you receive 30 infraction points, you get banned for a week. However, you can receive infinite warnings and nothing happens to your account.

The purpose of a warning is to inform you that you have "broken" one of our rules, and an infraction may be given if there's a repeat offense.

 

[Klaas van Aarsen]

If you think you get better help on MHF than here, you can go back to them; none of us are stopping you from doing so. We just don't want to be advertising them here because they're competition after all.

Over here, we're trying to carry out our vision for what MHF could have been (everyone on our staff now are (ex-)staff members on MHF), but mash (the guy who came way out of left field and bought the site) has a different way of moving forward with MHF.

Ultimately, in the end, it's your choice of where to go.

The reason I've posted here is because I was not happy with how things turned out with MHF in the past.
I'm still wondering where I should go.
I'm pretty active at physicsforums.com (PF) that also has a math section, but I was also active on MHF.

I had the impression that many of the superb mathematicians also had the feeling that MHF was lacking.
But now I'm not sure.
I have to choose.

As it is, I've posted a problem of a 1st year algebra course (not an easy one!) on the 3 forums, and I wondered what would come of it (I'm tutoring someone on this course).
On PF there was no response at all.
On MHB I got an infraction.
On MHF I got an answer.

Actually, I'm kind of disappointed.
I had expected to get a useful answer on MHB.
Then I would have discarded MHF and would have moved on to MHB...

 

[dwsmith]

The reason I've posted here is because I was not happy with how things turned out with MHF in the past.
I'm still wondering where I should go.
I'm pretty active at physicsforums.com (PF) that also has a math section, but I was also active on MHF.

I had the impression that many of the superb mathematicians also had the feeling that MHF was lacking.
But now I'm not sure.
I have to choose.

As it is, I've posted a problem of a 1st year algebra course (not an easy one!) on the 3 forums, and I wondered what would come of it (I'm tutoring someone on this course).
On PF there was no response at all.
On MHB I got an infraction.
On MHF I got an answer.

Actually, I'm kind of disappointed.
I had expected to get a useful answer on MHB.
Then I would have discarded MHF and would have moved on to MHB...

You posted a number theory question in an algebra forum. You made a mistake. Oh well. Learn to identify the difference between number theory and algebra, post correctly, and move on.

 

[Klaas van Aarsen]

After looking at your record, it was a warning and not an infraction - there is a big difference. If you receive 30 infraction points, you get banned for a week. However, you can receive infinite warnings and nothing happens to your account.

The purpose of a warning is to inform you that you have "broken" one of our rules, and an infraction may be given if there's a repeat offense.

What's the difference?
So I didn't get any infraction points.
It only means that I do not get banned right away.

The fact remains that I got a *WARNING*.
I don't like getting *WARNINGS* when I don't feel I did anything (really) wrong.

I guess you didn't get any of those warnings.
But to me it signals (non-verbally) to stay away from this site or else!

---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:10 ----------

You posted a number theory question in an algebra forum. You made a mistake. Oh well. Learn to identify the difference between number theory and algebra, post correctly, and move on.

Not a big deal really.
So why did I need to get a *WARNING* on my 2nd post?

 

[dwsmith]

---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:10 ----------



Not a big deal really.
So why did I need to get a *WARNING* on my 2nd post?

So you are cognizant of the mistake and won't make it again.

 

[Klaas van Aarsen]

So you are cognizant of the mistake and won't make it again.

I appreciate the fact that you were the only one to respond to my post.
But to be realistic, you did not really have an answer to my problem, when Sylvia (a recent member on MHF) did.

 

[dwsmith]

I appreciate the fact that you were the only one to respond to my post.
But to be realistic, you did not really have an answer to my problem, when Sylvia (a recent member on MHF) did.

You had something very confusing in your post that wasn't explained that I was wondering about. That is why I answered.

 

[CaptainBlack]

No, I did not post a math question in forum feedback.
I only vented my frustration there for getting an infraction.
I don't like getting warnings when I feel I haven't done anything wrong.

You were not given an infraction, you were given a warning (Which is what it says in the title of what you got. I know infraction is mentioned in the body, but if it had not been a warning it would have carried infraction points). That is the equivalent of being told you have posted in an inappropriate part of MHB and asking in future you post in the appropriate area.

If your post is now in an appropriate area it is because I moved it. That I had to move it means that you have wasted my time and so you will be told so (even though it wastes more of my time) in the hope that you will spend a little more time and thought and so not waste the admin/moderators time in future.

CB

 

[CaptainBlack]

Alexa Rank

As of today MHB Alexa rank has dropped (risen? smaller is better) to 3,091,444 from 3,582,631 on the 2012/04/18 (4 days)

The other place has gone from 351,395 on 2012/03/31 to 384,714 today.

The rankings of both sites are (slightly) confounded by recent history, probably a couple more months will be needed to get a clearer picture.

CB

 

[CaptainBlack]

Re: Alexa Rank

Due to the low traffic levels here I have been looking at the replies to posts on another maths help site. Now I have not looked at many (say about 10 threads with replies today) and it is noticeable that the standard is generally low except for a few from some well known suspects and one new suspect (though in the case of one well known suspect the standard is also low in the post that I saw, make that two posts now).

We have such gems as someone attempting to help with a question who does not know that an aperiodic decimal expansion is indicative of an irrational (the knowledge of which would of course answer the question as asked). Hopefully the suspect (or another of the usual suspects) might read this and provide the OP with an appropriate hint or more likely the answer, you never know.

CB

 

[Jameson]

Re: Alexa Rank

I don't know if this is the best thread for me to comment on this but since we are talking about the low traffic here I wanted to say I think it's time for another round of Google ads for MHB. I will talk to Chris L T521 about this today and perhaps get them going this week.

 

[CaptainBlack]

Re: Alexa Rank

"Other Place" server too busy to service traffic!?

I get this message:

"The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later."

Is Friday a peak period for maths help sites?

CB

 

[Jameson]

Re: Alexa Rank

I can connect now, but I noticed that the other place is basically unmoderated.

I believe in the US right now it's exam week for many universities and nearing the end for high schools so it makes sense many are studying more than usual right now, at least in the US.

 

[CaptainBlack]

Re: Alexa Rank

I can connect now, but I noticed that the other place is basically unmoderated.

I believe in the US right now it's exam week for many universities and nearing the end for high schools so it makes sense many are studying more than usual right now, at least in the US.

I had noticed that mash seemed only to visit every four to five days.

Also the server is still busy for me.

CB

 

[Jameson]

Re: Alexa Rank

I had noticed that mash seemed only to visit every four to five days.

Also the server is still busy for me.

CB

This may sound a little paranoid, but maybe try through a proxy server? I don't know if your IP address has been blocked somehow. That site is a complete mess. Even if I was handed the keys to it now it could take weeks to clean up and it's only going to get worse. This only reinforces how happy I am with things here. I know it's slow now but quality >>> quantity.