Where have all the Posters gone?

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Is there another forum where the likes of Ag, Orwell, Master Pedant, DWaMum, skafather, panda bear, greenblue, ruveyn, lkl, sand, fnord and many more have gone?

Maybe they've grown bored with the site? Maybe they are fed up with all the technical problems? I can say YES to both and consequently spend a lot less time on WP nowadays. Besides, in PPR you can only take part in so many threads religion vs science, republicans vs democrats, guns are good/bad without repeating the same things.

Very True Tallyman, do you know of any other ASD forums akin to this one?

I had a scout around that time WP went down for more than 12 hours but didn't find any sites with as much traffic as this one. Despite WP's problems it is still the site with the most activity. Some similar sites don't even have a PPR forum as it is considered too difficult to moderate and too "uncivilised".

I'm spending more time nowadays on totally unrelated sites or forums and just doing other things non-internet related. If/when the new version of the site goes live it might introduce a bit more interest. From my perspective there will likely be new moderator and admin tools to play with. Half the current tools on WP are broken.

I actually recently considered leaving the site as well due to the technical issues and the repetitive nature of the PPR.

However, while the debate environment in PPR is much less constructive and fact-based than I had expected from an Autism website, I have yet to find another internet forum with a better environment for political discussions.

Well said.

If this were anywhere else but here, I wouldn't have lasted a week (so I can put up with it).

Dear Wrong Planet;

No, my browser does not need 'checking' every time I log on because there's nothing wrong with my browser, get it? Good. lol

...and no, I am not a 'bot' either, so why do I need to read and enter a verification code to edit every post I make? Did a 'bot' make the post to begin with? I think not.

While we are on the subject, what does 'post ID not specified' have anything to do with me submitting a reply to a thread?

The bugs on here have a sense of humour at least....but all sites have their fair share of technical problems...I guess it's in proportion to how many advertisements they run to pay for it. You cannot win either way.

So, I understand all of that....but honestly...

As for where all your posters have gone? I haven't been here long enough to ascertain this, but I also know that part of the recovery process for a mental illness is to get up off your hiney, go outdoors and do stuff, instead of talking to god knows who about god knows what on the interwebz...

Maybe they have gone out and 'got a life' so to speak...or even better yet, are on the road to recovery/coping/whatever and don't need to be here anymore...

Maybe the quality of debate has deteriorated...who knows?

I hope to be here for a while though.

It's likely to pick up when we get closer to the 2016 elections. It was very busy here in 2011 and especially 2012 on that topic alone.

@TallyMan:

Despite the technical problems, I'm sticking with WP because at least I know who's who here - on other sites the same folk may now have different usernames... I'm hoping they will upgrade it soon 'cos it's a great resource and "meeting of great minds"...

I don't get enough time to post or even to read here as much as I'd like 'cos I also have other interests to pursue and an AS-related blog to attend to, and I guess most of us have various other things to keep busy with... for instance Raptor has stray dogs to look after and feed, MissLizard has her reptiles to feed, and so on...

and the wild birds,chipmunks,squirrels,rabbits and there were seven crows at the feeder today,not the GOT kind.I go in and out to do yard work,when it gets hot I come in and take a break.Think I was weird from too much sun the other day.Sometimes I'm to tired to even get on and chat.Suppose lots are busy with summer stuff,that's a good thing.I should take the corgi to the creek and see how he likes the water.

^^^ What's the GOT kind? Excuse me if this seems ignorant...

Game Of Thrones.

Well, I for one find this section of the WP forum to be distasteful. You would think Autism would cause the posters to be less emotional and more interested at arriving upon a mutual consensus. Instead, most posters tend to be angry and bitterly hold onto their views and commit gross logical fallacies. The moderators also tend to be lax and will only intervene when the discussion becomes debased at which point is is usually locked, with little or no action taken upon the individuals responsible.

I have no problem with the technical issues. It makes me feel like I'm on the Titanic. It's exciting.

I also find it disappointing that PPR often degenerates into ad-hominem mud slinging, and straw man arguments. I still enjoy the forum, though.

Agreed with Stannis.

Y'know it's bad when the debate on sexism in the L&D forum is more interesting than PPR.

@Dent: I've enjoyed our recent conversations. I've been particularly stressed out lately because I had some folks giving me a SERIOUSLY hard time over a Master/Synchro license agreement. People well-established in TV/Film wouldn't get so worked up over it, but I'm just a teeny little backwoods country boy who writes songs every now and then. I'm not used to going up against big Hollywood production company types. I've been more nervous than a long-tailed cat on a porch full of rocking chairs and more scared than a virgin visiting a prison. In the end everyone was nice and we worked everything out and parted on good terms. Given my issues with anxiety and depression, it just hasn't been a good time for certain things I do tend to take very seriously and spend a lot of time on.

FWIW, I miss LKL and Panda. LKL hates me, but I don't care. I wouldn't be surprised if Panda left because he got sick of the mods giving him a hard time. I even sent him a PM to express my support. I hope that's not the issue, though.

I think I last emailed sand about a year ago or so. We sparred a few times, but there were never any hard feelings. He gave me some awesome baking tips, too, and the inspiration from that has indirectly led to a much better relationship between my wife and I (and it didn't suck to begin with).

But I do have to admit that most of the arguments I've participated in all boil down to the same basic issues: assumptions/biases, reading out-of-context, straw man, and ad hominem. I don't read enough non-fiction to hang in there as well as I'd like, but that's what happens when you have kids and you're reading to them before bed most nights. Speaking of which, just finished up the condensed version of "Fox and the Hound." It's deep stuff for a 5 and 7 year old, having to help them read between the lines, but we've all enjoyed it. But I feel for the time being, for me at least, PPR is no longer a place for a "fox, a hound, or a human."

Au Contrairie!

I've seen some quite interesting discussions in PPR.

What especially struck me was the debate over whether Islam, or Christianity, was established in a certain area after the advent of Islam. Evidence was put forward, including coins. Viper participated in the debate as well. It was well-argued, and objectively presented.

I've seen some of the posters mentioned. They have been here recently.

It's difficult to try and judge this....very difficult.

I do not argue with people and hardly ever lose my cool. I don't retort, retaliate, build ad-hominem straw men...nothing like that.

I am always very polite to other people (even though I am highly and strongly opinionated). If I am wrong and it can be proven that I am wrong, I will back down with humility and apology.

If however, it is all just hearsay or, as in the case of the internet; 'pics or it didn't happen' and if I know I am right, why bother trying to convince anybody else of it? I'll just go in, state my case and then I leave.

If anybody rudely takes me to task over it, seeking to start an argument for the sake of it, I usually go 'yeah mate, whatever you reckon is a fair thing' and then I just promptly add them to my 'ignore folder'.

It's very lonely being 'right' all the time - take it from me! (not that I am right all the time, but you get it).

Forums survive when there is 'controversy'...when there are 'arguments' and when people are constantly telling each other off.

I get banned because I am a forum killer!

Usually, I always have the very last say in a thread, ending any thread I post in a couple of posts into it, then that section of the forum remains quiet for weeks thereafter.

There has to be the 'right level' of debate...too much confrontation and people get banned...not enough confrontation and people get banned...

I am still trying to work out where this 'middle ground' is so I don't single-handedly kill forums...it's a curse IRL as well...I stop things from progressing, living and 'moving on'.

There are many dark sides to my personality I wish I could have refined and embraced much earlier than I did.

With all my 'negative characteristics' influencing others and even matter itself, I could have developed super powers by now if this was applied to the nth degree.

Last edited by SoMissunderstood on 01 Jul 2014, 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.