I have been using the forums a while now and enjoyed coming in and reading the threads and participating.
There were few subjects that caused heated debate which were interesting,
(the spelling thread, ban smacking, scroungers) as some of the examples
where people has strong opions, and a few desagreements soon started flowing.
But it was good to see that things soon setteled down, before the next clash of personalities came in.
All these threads all make for an interesting read and worth an input, as most people have an opionion on these isssues.
But I have noticed lately everything has gone very quiet!
What has happened?
Where has everyone gone?
Are we all allowed a voice on here?
I pay £15 a month part of the reason I contuine is I have enjoyed the forums the last few months!
Or should I cancel my membership and Move on?
As I have found swinging partners that I am happy with!
Wow, I wasnt even aware there was a monthly fee now? When did SH start charging and why? As we only recently came back to the site a few months ago.
We paid for the Extras pack but thats all.. I kept wondering why people keep asking for differnt forms of contact info when they are PM'ing us, though we never give that info out, as if they are to tight to pay out for membership I often question if they are legit or not.
So theres a debate.. Why have SH started charging for what was once a free site? Not that I'm questioning site ethics or service. We'd have paid now if we hadn't found this site a few years ago.
why don't I post as much as I use to..... Various reasons, work, life, don't have the time, ect ect....
sometimes you just have to take time out...
sometimes there are just so many hijacks you think "why bother"...
sometimes new posters come in, treat it like a new toy, shake everything up, get bored and/or burn themselves out...
sometimes it is just so fluffy that people seem scared to have a position on any topic....
all forums happen to be cyclical in what happens....this one is no different........
Another problem is the amount of recycled subjects that go around again.. When we joined a few years ago, we were encouraged to search previous posts before posting a question ourselves etc..
All I see now is the same old subjects coming up time and again.. I have to admit though that theres a lot of old posts in the database to check through before making sure you dont duplicate them..
I think I may have to take a cold shower.
I, again, agree with FB. :shock:
I am new to the forums and at first it was scary, but have also been encouraged by many to contuine to post threads. If someone disagrees with me I don't take it personal, we all have different opionions. I would find it a challege to see if either of us could find a common groud to disagree. If we could change an opinion of another party all well and good if not I would move on as I havent found anyone who i disagree with on all their posts. I do feel at times some must complain to the Mods (it is a bit like telling Mum or Dad when you are a child)
Are we not all adults water off a ducks back?
If people get upset at such a level as to complain are the forums a place to express your views? If you ask a question you might not like the answer. If you give an opinion someone might not agree.
Isn't that the chance you take when entering into a debate?
There have been several cracker threads which have rolled off the end of the list because nobody was that bothered with them. They didn't attract the 'celebrity' posters or perhaps were a bit too challenging for some, and appeared to wither on the vine.
If they were locked due to arguments, or general dissaproval it was because there was an 'attitude' taken up for some threads but not necessarily for other similar ones.
But its no big deal. They will all come around again, and mostly the topics benefit by losing the contributors with attitude, listening to new people with a new approach. And for the regulars to polish their viewpoints.
The topic of this thread is one of the regular repeaters.
Venus' advice in Jags post above is very wise.
I would add that everybody deserves respect when they are encountered for the first time. Sometimes though people lose the respect because they behave in an obnoxious or anti-social way.
This in itself presents a problem. Some will wish to continue to offer respect whatever and may as a consequence avoid the anti-social poster. This can be difficult because it can create no-go areas on threads merely because 'that person' is there. Others will not be constrained and will let the anti-social poster know exactly what they think of them.
Either course is not unreasonable.
The difficulty can then arise when different regulars realise that someone new is a plonker at different times and the ones who have not yet formed an opinion feel that the plonker is being abused.
I have experienced this on more than one occasion when I have stepped in to defend someone when I thought they were getting the rough end of the stick - only to discover eventually that they are in fact a plonker and deserve everything they're getting. The ones meteing out the stick were in fact way ahead of me and had sussed out the plonker well before me.
There are some people here whom I have learnt to trust as good judges of character and so I will not criticise them for acting in a way that will send the undesirable poster on their way asap. That's how the forum naturally regulates its quality.
One or two of those good judges have received some stick behind the scenes lately and I think it devalues the forum.
This is not intended as a dig at anyone. But I hope it provokes some thought along the lines that it can't all be sweetness and light all the time. Life and the forum just ain't like that - just as long as it stays within the AUP.
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I agree that this is the longest trough there has been here in the forums for a long time. I rarely feel like posting anything in here these days, and skips loads of threads and loads of posters, mainly because of:
professional stirrers
unfunny comedians (or those who think they're comedians)
sneerers and jeerers
those who can't write in intelligible English.