Chemistry 104 Forum Project

So you notice an error in Caveman Chemistry but say nothing about it. The error goes uncorrected in the next printing. You notice an error in an online quiz but say nothing about it. The error goes on confusing generations of Caveman to come. You wonder what the deal is with “Stoichiometry in a Nutshell.” Whatever you learn from Caveman Chemistry but keep to yourself, dies with you. But tell another person and the telling itself may take on a life of its own. The Forum in the navigation bar to your left is one mechanism for sending your I-deas and inspirations out into the world.

I guarantee that later in the semester people will appreciate a project which doesn't require a quiz; doesn't take two weeks to boil, brew, or bake. The Forum Project is just what the doctor ordered. When you have made 25 posts to the Forum, the Administrator and Moderators will assess the quality of your posts and let you know what you need to do to get credit for the Forum Project. How will we assess quality? A high-quality post is on-topic, so post your post in the proper category. A high-quality post does not simply echo a previous post; use the “search” feature to look for posts on the same topic. For Errata, in particular, only the first report “counts.” A high-quality post has content; “Wassup, dude,” probably won't qualify. A high-quality post is long enough to get the point across but not so long that it bores the pants off people. A high-quality post may ask a question or answer one. It may continue an established topic or start a new one. A high-quality post is whatever the Administrator or Moderators say it is. In fact, they may prowl the Forum deleting egregiously low-quality posts.

There are two deadlines for the Forum Project: Halloween and Thanksgiving. Caveman who are worth their salt will have made 25 high-quality posts by midnight on Halloween and may be eligible for special opportunities. Craftsmen will have made 25 high-quality posts by midnight on Thanksgiving. Slackers will wait until late November to get started, will make 25 half-assed posts, and will be disappointed to find that 24 of them were deleted by the Moderators the day before Thanksgiving. They may never know the “opportunities” they missed.