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A place to discuss topics/games with other webDiplomacy players.
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abgemacht (1076 D(G))
16 Aug 15 UTC
(+1)
World of Warships
I'll be playing World of Warships for a while. If anyone's interested in joining me, feel free to add me.

If you don't know, WoWS is a very fun Free-to-Play game: http://worldofwarships.com/
83 replies
Open
kahudd2000 (157 D)
18 Aug 15 UTC
Where it went wrong
I thought I remember a proposed series called "Where it went wrong" or something like that.

Did no one have a game they wanted dissected? Because I wouldn't mind submitting some of my gunboat play to criticism.
3 replies
Open
A_Tin_Can (2234 D)
19 Aug 15 UTC
Live game this Friday?
see inside!
8 replies
Open
Hamilton Brian (760 D(B))
19 Aug 15 UTC
Sources of Tension
An exploration of those positionings that test an alliance. Feel free to add your thoughts, views, observations, etc. If you shit though, clean up after yourself.
5 replies
Open
Ogion (3817 D)
14 Aug 15 UTC
Welcome back party!
Friends,

I've been away for the last six months, and I thought I'd throw myself a little welcome back bash.
30 replies
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ckroberts (3548 D)
05 Aug 15 UTC
The Mountain Game 4 rules discussion/sign up thread
The Mountain Game 4 will commence soon.
56 replies
Open
Rodgersd09 (100 D)
17 Aug 15 UTC
"A good games" was cancelled - Do any players know why?
Damn - I was enjoying it as well!
3 replies
Open
Constitutional Rights for Embryonic Americans?
In the GOP debate last Thursday, unsurprisingly, abortion was a point of discussion amongst candidates. Obviously they were all pro-life to some extent or another, but Mike Huckabee went so far as to say that abortion was already illegal, because unborn children have the rights to equal protection under the law and due process. Right from conception, they have constitutional rights, he argues.

Regardless of your position on abortion, is this a valid argument?
91 replies
Open
Jamiet99uk (1307 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
(+3)
Mafia
I'm getting sick of muting Mafia threads. Can someone launch a separate site for them or something?
44 replies
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ssorenn (0 DX)
14 Aug 15 UTC
(+1)
Changes to site policy--
With this gunboat tourney going on, I think there should be a change to a site policy. ----see inside---
106 replies
Open
orathaic (1009 D(B))
15 Aug 15 UTC
sex slavery in IS
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/sex-slavery-adopted-and-codified-by-islamic-state-1.2317309
11 replies
Open
2ndWhiteLine (2736 D(B))
12 Aug 15 UTC
(+4)
2015 Gunboat Tournament
See inside.
250 replies
Open
DeathLlama8 (514 D)
15 Aug 15 UTC
What do people use to adjudicate F2F games without a board?
Fairly self-explanatory, really. Backstabbr doesn't really work for me.
15 replies
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Eadan (454 D)
15 Aug 15 UTC
We need someone to step in as Egypt
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=164461#votebar
1 reply
Open
King Mischief (108 D)
15 Aug 15 UTC
world take over-4
come join world take over-4. I'm some what new to the game so, it could be easy $$$.
3 replies
Open
Stubie (1817 D)
14 Aug 15 UTC
Cutting Convoys
Is it possible to stop a supported convoy (where the fleet convoying is supported) with a supported attack of equal support, thus not dislodging the convoying fleet?
10 replies
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Lebosfc17 (20 DX)
14 Aug 15 UTC
To The Mods
Does anybody remember DC35?
17 replies
Open
Fluminator (1500 D)
14 Aug 15 UTC
I need help with a research paper!
It's due tomorrow night and I have to do a 12-15 page paper on how the internet of things and the third industrial revolution will affect society and more importantly the work force and employment.

I'm up to around 10 pages and I have no idea what to write for the last 2.
And no, increasing the font size of each period isn't allowed.
41 replies
Open
4-8-15-16-23-42 (352 D)
14 Aug 15 UTC
Question- Help
See below.
16 replies
Open
general (100 D)
13 Aug 15 UTC
Quick live game
Join my quick live game: http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=165983.

Haven't played in years and want to get back into it :)
1 reply
Open
orathaic (1009 D(B))
13 Aug 15 UTC
Messed up, two 13 year olds tired as adults
m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7979942?cps=gravity_5540_1138476008340655834

So teenagers brains are different from adult brains; that is a reason why we don't let them drink or drive... The frontal lobe which controls will-power and executive function ( ie decision making ) continues developing until about 25.
32 replies
Open
orathaic (1009 D(B))
11 Aug 15 UTC
Risk taking
http://youtu.be/vBX-KulgJ1o
Great video, but the first thing i think of is relationships, (and given that i was recently dumped, this is no surprise) Naturally you could also apply this to diplomacy; but the probabilities get a little messed up, and in Dip not taking a bet means taking a different course, which may also be risky.
14 replies
Open
orathaic (1009 D(B))
10 Aug 15 UTC
Snowden Interview
Recent interview with German tv, apparently not shown in the US and not available on youtube?? m.liveleak.com/view?i=f93_1390833151

He makes some interesting points...
49 replies
Open
fulhamish (4134 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
Climate change - another feedback loop
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150805140254.htm

Time to recalibrate those models..........................again
30 replies
Open
Jamiet99uk (1307 D)
13 Aug 15 UTC
(+4)
The death of the republic
http://diprepublic.net/?reqp=1&reqr=

Oh no. How sad.
9 replies
Open
Tru Ninja (1016 D(S))
05 Aug 15 UTC
ESPN Fantasy Football Signups
For those that will play only ESPN league, post interest here. List your preferred draft day (I prefer late preseason Saturday or Sunday around 1 p.m. Central Time

1. Tru Ninja (Sat Aug 29th or Sun Aug 30th)
81 replies
Open
Thucydides (864 D(B))
04 Aug 15 UTC
GRE scores
What's a good score? Share your score too, if you feel comfortable. I just took the test this morning
65 replies
Open
alulahello (0 DX)
12 Aug 15 UTC
(+2)
halloween costumes 2015
I know, 3 months early blahblah. But I'm bored and I want to talk about Halloween.
Some people are into crazy Costumes and go all out to make them. Brainstrom ideas for costumes and how to make/obtain them. What are you thinking of going as?
1 reply
Open
goldfinger0303 (3157 DMod)
11 Aug 15 UTC
Opposite Gender Friends leads to Lower Academic Performance
Interesting paper I'm reading right now. Not completely done with it, but its methodology seems sound.

http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/app.20140030
*From what I understand it mainly applies to high school students.
bo_sox48 (5202 DMod(G))
11 Aug 15 UTC
Bad friends lead to lower academic performance. I wouldn't be shocked if people tend to make better friends (and much less commonly deal with the idea of being more than friends, which ruins friendships more often than not) within their own gender.
steephie22 (182 D(S))
11 Aug 15 UTC
I prefer hanging around with girls, but that's because girls are much easier to have an interesting/serious/useful/fun conversation with. With guys, an hour is a lot, with girls I can talk all day long when they know they can trust me, and that's mutual. There's no romance involved for me as far as I can tell.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that a) it doesn't have to be because of romance and b) the reason why girls would get my grades down is because they're too fun to be around, making me not want to study instead. It would be because I consider them better friends, not worse.
steephie22 (182 D(S))
11 Aug 15 UTC
No romance involved for me in most cases, anyway :-)
Thucydides (864 D(B))
11 Aug 15 UTC
I had low grades in high school and mostly female friends. So there's a data point. In fact I haven't made a really good friend with a guy since I was like 14. I find it much easier to get along with women.
I just think its a curious piece of information. Girls who hang with girls get better grades than girls who hang with guys. Guys who hang with guys get better grades than guys who hang with girls. This has nothing to do with the overall composition of the class (so not all girls school vs mixed) but I think its interesting nevertheless.

Also, a pretty good economics article to read.
bo_sox48 (5202 DMod(G))
11 Aug 15 UTC
Also, I never hung out with girls in high school (not by my own choice, I'm ugly af), and I had a 3.75 cumulative...
Yoyoyozo (95 D)
11 Aug 15 UTC
I totally agree with this article. My gpa isn't bad but it's low compared to others at my school and my friends consisted of like 80% girls.
Durga (3609 D)
11 Aug 15 UTC
I had a mixed group of friends in high school and my gpa was above average. I think a lot of my friends now are the opposite gender and my grades are still above average... though only very slightly.
ssorenn (0 DX)
11 Aug 15 UTC
all you youngin's. If you all only knew the truth, it would set you free
steephie22 (182 D(S))
11 Aug 15 UTC
Here's another theory:

You spent more time on social skills because the opposite gender does demand a bit more of that, meaning you're not so occupied with learning (skills).

I suppose there's also more tension between boys and girls. Almost certainly..

@bo: Is that low or high?

My grades aren't low btw, but that doesn't neccessarily discredit the theory.
bo_sox48 (5202 DMod(G))
11 Aug 15 UTC
That's high. It's also unweighted.
All these things are measured in terms of standard deviation for a reason, guys :) Becoming friends with Jessica won't make you stupider.

It mentions some interesting things though as to why this might be the case. One of which is that academically unsuccessful people might surround themselves with members of the other sex to make them appear more popular/compensate.
steephie22 (182 D(S))
11 Aug 15 UTC
So you noticed I didn't read the article, huh? :P

I understand standard deviation, but even though my personal experience deviates, I can still see how this result fits into my experience.

Seemed like an analyisis worth mentioning.
MarquisMark (326 D(G))
11 Aug 15 UTC
You think this might have an introversion/extroversion correlation? Extroverts being more socially inclined, more likely to have opposite gender friends, and often not as academically rigorous as introverts?
thorfi (1023 D)
11 Aug 15 UTC
So... Be homosexual, you'll get better grades!

...

Yeah. You know what my pet hate is? Statistical "studies" that conflate correlation and causation. That is annoying as heck.

That is stats 101 level shit - if they're getting that wrong, I'm just going to assume the paper is complete bogus rubbish.
thorfi (1023 D)
11 Aug 15 UTC
Their data collection methodology is probably fine, the correlations are probably real, but their conclusions that the gender balance is causative of the grade difference is ridiculous. Zero proof of that whatsoever. Causation could well be in the other direction, or from other factors which influence the correlation.

Which is it? Zero evidence presented.
Before I respond - thorfi did you read the article?
Let me rephrase that. Did you read the *peer-reviewed journal article from one of the most respected economic journals out there*
thorfi (1023 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
Yeah, I read it. At no point do they appear to actually prove that the link is causal.
thorfi (1023 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
And, to be clear, my problem with that is that they *simply say it is causal in that direction*. I'm not doubting that their data is probably quite real, and that the correlation is real. But they really do several times make the statement that the causality is in a particular direction, when there is no proof of that being the actual causal direction at all.
thorfi (1023 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
*pokes paper again* Hrm. "These estimates have a causal interpretation because the gender composition of same-school neighbors is considered exogenous."

... Ah. So the assumption is, because neighbour gender composition is "external", it must be the causal factor? Dodgy assumption.
Ah, okay. Just making sure you weren't like steephie :)

Been a while since I took stats, but I think this is the basis of their underlying argument

" Students with more opposite gender schoolmates in their close neighborhoods have more opposite gender school friends, and, given that the gender composition of schoolmates in a student’s neighborhood is essentially random, provides plausibly exogenous variation in the share of opposite gender friends from which a causal effect on the outcomes of interest can be estimated."
I haven't read the article but I'll speculate on an idea... you have the choice of people skills or brainy skills but not both... if you have people skills then you are more likely to "make" friends of the opposite gender and you don't have the skills to get good grades. If you have the brainy skills then you are more likely to "perform" better in school. So here is my question is having friends (of the opposite gender) the cause of lower grades or is a lack of friends (of the opposite gender) the effect of having higher grades?
Yeah, I would think that so long as its an exogenous variable that moves with an endogenous variable, the causality there is one way - especially if the exogenous variable is random. I don't think that's too dodgy an assumption.
@CB - the article says that in large part having friends of the opposite gender is a factor of who lives closest to you in your neighborhood. Are the kids in the neighborhood mostly girls or mostly guys?

And they take the popularity bit out of it by limiting the number of people kids could list as friends
thorfi (1023 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
@goldfinger: Yeah, I think that's the dodgy assumption. For one, despite the *neighbour* composition being "exogenous", that doesn't prove at all that the *friend* relation is exogenous.

I think it's a very interesting correlation - don't get me wrong. :-) And the most likely truth is that there are causal links in *both* directions of that correlation too, as well as other factors that influence the correlation.

But I really don't think that paper proves the causality well enough to actually be making that solid a claim.
Well, I don't know enough about stats to argue against you. So this is just another reason why its always a good reason to have mathematicians check economists....though PhD economists are essentially PhD mathematicians.
thorfi (1023 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
Yeah, economists tend to do a lot of model simplification, though. The physics classical example is "assume a spherical cow", but economists tend to often just assume lots of those sorts of things and not even point out they're assumptions.

To be fair, at least in this case they did point out that that is an assumption, even if it was buried in a one liner deep in the midst of a block of text.

It's entirely possible I'm not correct about the causality level implied - I'm not a professional statistician. But nevertheless I don't much like the look of that particular assumption. :-)
IshmaelGuantanamoIV (100 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
(+1)
I'll buy it. Girls don't talk to me, and I'm a fucking genius.
JamesYanik (548 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
How many times does this have to be reiterated??? Judge people on an individual basis, and outside correlations will have no substance to them.
@JY - what on earth does that mean?
JamesYanik (548 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
If you look at a picture in the right way, the picture will be more than what the painter intended of it. You will pour more time into something with less meaning in it, and the ecess goes into a void. You don't find a place for yourself, you lose yourself.
JamesYanik (548 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
Wars are fought by those who are either mad enough or desperate enough to fight in them, but they never start the wars. Those who start the wars are more mad and desperate but in a way different from any other. The people you look to in war are those who seek the end, for they are only desperate.
JamesYanik (548 D)
12 Aug 15 UTC
Damn it I can't find any more quotes, tell me what 2 movies those are collectively from and i'll give you 100 +1s
Weekend at Bernie's. Both of them.
2ndWhiteLine (2736 D(B))
12 Aug 15 UTC
Silent Night Deadly Night 2


37 replies
ssorenn (0 DX)
12 Aug 15 UTC
(+2)
this is interesting--watch the video
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/08/10/everyone-fails-to-ride-this-bike-you-would-too-this-is-what-it-tells-us-about-the-brain/
6 replies
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