Hi Alikat, I'm hoping more people from around the world will start posting, particularly if there is a forum, where they can feel comfortable posting about what is happening in their countries. Quite a number of people, that are from countries other than the US, do not always make it known publicly, where they are from, so there are more people posting from around the world, than is immediately obvious.

I realise that the Politics Forum debate changes with the political tides, but it is still a nasty place, and many feel uncomfortable and put off, by the nasty way some people behave on that forum. Personal attacks, and personal insults, should not be part of any debate, and it seems that this is allowed to flourish in the politics debate forum, among others. Debate shouldn't be a means of attacking other people personally, this seems to have been excepted as being ok in the Debate Forums here, but that does not mean it is a good thing. Apart from being against the Webmaster's own TOS.

This does put people off posting, even if it is a subject that they are interested in, and have good information to offer. That's the main reason I would like to see a discussion forum on world affairs, one that is well moderated and civil.

I have allowed off topic discussion, in the forum I moderate, on world affairs, because there seemed to be no where else where people could discuss political issues, or even general issues, without being attacked by certain posters. With a dedicated forum for this type of discussion, (but not a debate forum), people could feel comfortable about posting.

I'm hoping that the Webmaster does seriously consider granting this forum, an interesting experiment indeed.

spud

BTW, I love your avatar Alikat, are they your Weiros?

Parrots are such beautiful creatures :)

spud

Hi Alikat. I do agree - that curezone is overloaded with forums, and that Spud's proposed forum might have some value. But the political winds do shift, and very little actual debating has ever gone on in the politics debate forum. Four years ago it was anti-Bush and anti-Iraq war rants.....

Ultimately it boils down to the fact that there is a sensory overload for newbies coming to this site. And that should have some consideration here. While those of us who have been here awhile can wade around and find what we are looking for....

Well the "Home" page here is overwhelming for them. I think it should be redesigned. There is just way too much info and links for a homepage.

And this is Dushan's site, and all things considered he has done a great job running it. Especially considering how it has grown expotentially since he started it. His philosophy is in essence a hands off, laissez faire approach. Some criticize him for this, but I guess he doesn't want to play favorites in terms of forums, and individual posters, and feels that people need to decide for themselves without getting spoonfed.

But I guess I do feel that it would be possible to keep that attitude while also making the site more user friendly for newbies.

The homepage is filled with a thousand links to this and that. And there is no welcoming and link to click on to tell you what the site is about. And where to find things. And what things are.

Yeah, if you hunt and peck around through all it it you can find some of that. But it completely blends in with the other hundreds.

I do think we need to keep the support foums front and center on the homepage. And take over their spot on the far left with just a number of general and important links. That will stand out. How about a link to a mission statement?

And one that gives a little history of the site and Dushan.

And some FAQ front and center. And a description of the rating system, and how to find the highly rated posts.

And one that introduces the private forum owners, and tells the difference between a private forum and public, and gives them an opportunity to briefly indentify themselves and philosophy.

And maybe a link to five highly recommended posts from last week.Doesn't just have to be the BSA's...

And maybe a speaker of the week. You and SB would be intersting to listen to, or Grz, or a newbie who has been affected by curezone, or maybe we can track down Andreas to hear what he has been up to these last five years and if his philosophy has changed. or other alternative health people who don't post here. And it wouldn'd just be a cutnpaste from somewhere else. Essentially hand the floor and podium over to someone who has somethings to tell us, and it may not fit neatly in any one forum, and maybe it would just get buried. I know I would read it every week. And I don't get a chance to check out all of the posts here. so I would probably check out the top five.

Longstory short. Dushan has done a great job here. He was the guy that started this place. But you always have to adapt. Ten years on the internet with only cosmetic changes is a long time. And most of the stuff I just mentioned can be found on curezone, even on the Home page, it is just that it is buried. Newbies should know that they are coming to an alternative health site from the moment they click on the home page. As it is you have to hunt and peck to find much of the "good" stuff, yet the survey for penis size and the latest escapes of the Enchanted Gardner, who doesn't even post here anymore, telling us about his day in San Diego, are there.I am not inferring he is a bad guy, just get it off the home page.

People will say, yeah you can just hide the Debate Forums , but I would almsot rather have that be the default and have people chose to pick them up. And yeah, you need a clear description of the difference between debate and support when you come to the homepage. Not something buried.

Anyway, just a few ideas off the top of my head. I don't really expect to see much change around here, but I figured I would throw these ideas out. And I do have a hell of a lot of respect for Dushan....