Post
by giga17 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:26 pm
Ok just to add my 2 cents. I think it is perfectly fine to encourage people to post their profiles. However, this is an internet forum after all, and the freedom to post or not post anything is of course undeniable. Playful "coercing" is okay in my opinion, but to start demanding (asking nicely is ok) an explanation from someone who hasn't posted their profile crosses the line for me, and to make ad-hoc judgments about people is even worse. The problem with internet anonymity is we tend to be brash and unafraid in the manner we air our opinions, but this is a forum full of smart people, and I think it speaks well of us if we maintain a decent level of civility. Besides, some people don't like to be told what to do (I'm one of them), and to force it down their throats is just counter-productive.
Different people have different levels of paranoia and are paranoid about different things, and it is hardly my place to question them especially when I don't know anyone personally. However, if you think that this forum has helped you, it would be great if you can reciprocate by helping the next batch of applicants. We all know how scary grad school applications can be, and I'm sure a lot of us were very glad to have access to information that made our lives a bit simpler. That said, the point that it is not necessary to post profiles now is perfectly valid, since these information is only useful for the next batch (us current applicants can only wait obviously, nothing else much to do), and I think it's totally fine to wait till one is officially admitted into a school before posting. I suggest that the thread be kept open for a few months after April for people to post as and when they wish to.