lol
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Freedom of Speech
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I don’t think College Confidential is a public/government forum, so not sure there’s actually any right to freedom of speech. (Not saying I’m against astrology threads, but just saying freedom of speech may not really be an argument here as this is likely a privately owned company, not a government entity.)
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I wonder how many new members CC gained after Discord shut down portal astrology. This may the shot in the arm that this site needs.
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First, I love the term “portal astrology”. It describes perfectly the phenomena and I’ve experienced it myself when waiting for an important result from a large bureaucracy. And yes, it’s frequently inaccurate.
Second, I understand the reasoning behind limiting such discussions. I think it can lead to some negative experiences and moderation challenges.
Third, however, I agree with @skieurope that these discussions are largely harmless. In an information vacuum, humans naturally search for signs and portents. One of the services CC provides during decision season is accurate interpretation of the tea leaves. On their own, students might not have any checks on their speculation. But when they post their guess here, other people can help evaluate the evidence.
Come to think of it, there’s probably a benefit to people having a way to work through their stress by evaluating the evidence together rather than suffering alone.
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Agree with these points.
The only thing I find harmful is when a student asks “I (don’t) see X on my portal. What does it mean?”, and some other poster callously replies “You’ve been rejected”.
Thankfully, it’s not too frequent and hopefully more seasoned users will spot and flag such responses.
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Which, let’s be real, is as accurate as any other answer they will get. And participants should realize that seeking portal astrology divinations from a 17 year old is not the mist productive use of time
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True. And since these questions are typically for highly rejective schools the answer is also statistically the most accurate.
Regardless, my point is: it unnecessarily adds extra stress to an already stressed out kid. And we have no shortage of mental health issues among kids these days. I wish people would be more sensitive about their responses, but yes - often these posters are 17 year olds themselves and don’t realize.
I don’t mind portal astrology. In fact, I view it as a sort of game that students play because it’s a distraction.
@CC_Jon and @CC_Sorin this seems like a really good idea for the next cycle.
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One thing to consider is that it keeps the people engaged and coming back. Don’t we want this on a forum?