Re: Day 19 of Lengthening Posts

Anya,

I agree with what you said. If people don't like it, they don't have to read it. If a moderator decides it's inappropriate, they can ask the person to move their post in a private message, or they can move it for them.

This is a huge reason why I have stopped looking for any sense of community in online forums or groups. I would like to point out the young man who committed suicide on webcam in a bodybuilding chat room (or something similar) the other day. I'm sure that the people viewing his cam and saying hateful things to him felt very justified and smug in their judgements. People forget that these words being typed on a screen are being typed by a human being. People who are hurting come online to find help. People who are already here should choose to help - or, if they don't want to help, then at least they should choose not to cause more harm.

Every person must judge for him or herself what to do in any situation, but it's obvious that replying to a heartfelt post with snark and haughtiness helps no one. If it's in the wrong place in a message board, so it's in the wrong place on a message board. There are responses to that. The sniping comments that I see posted in reply to Lauray (and other people in the last few months) are disproportionate to the situation, and to be honest, downright rude and petty.

I have been reading this forum off and on for a while, and the one thing that keeps me from getting involved and posting is the drama, drama, drama. Attitudes I had hoped were outgrown in middle school are apparently alive and well here. I don't have room for that in my life. I just try to get what education I can out of the factual posts, and then normally resist replying to anything other than that.

If anyone is wondering what newcomers think of this forum, I can give you one newcomer's account right here: Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there.