I don't think jimmyt was generally attacked for posting about this. I certainly only intended to share my own experience in this sort of matter, and ya know, I have been around here for quite some time. Some say I've learned a lot during that time. I know that I hope I have, though maybe not the same things folks feel I did, or should have.

For the information of newer members around here, there is a long tradition that what is said in PMs is not posted in threads, except if the person who said it wants to quote what they sent. The PM system is part of what's designed here to allow for gracious clearing up of misunderstandings and letting off steam-- where it can be hoped a momentary frustration will not boil up into a full forum blow-up. I would be very sad to see this tradition lost as a mutual expectation in the community.

IMO one of the things that had led to the atmosphere some find less than positive is a general lack of using the resources here, in the way they were designed to be used. Max's forum design lends itself, for example, to fast-moving repartee-- much faster than most message boards facilitate. A thread can easily be used like live-text interchange that is more commonly used in chat rooms. If those who most enjoy that kind of posting would use the place designed for it-- MudChat-- the BS side of the forum might gain a sense of being a place for calm, diverse discourse.

So in addition to ignoring what one finds irritating, we have many options here-- many media-- and we can use them with a little more intentionality. If one's intention is to conduct a pissing contest-- MudChat is a great place to do it. If one's intention is to explore a diverse set of experiences, attitudes, opinions, and positions-- BS threads are a fine medium. And if one wants to share and explore the music that IMO is the highest form of communication for us here-- sticking to the music side of the thread list is always an option, as are PalTalk meetings to sing with one another.

If you look at the last posts Jerry made before jimmyt says he decided he'd had enough-- it seems he did what a lot of us do from time to time-- he got stuck in the BS department. I betcha when he comes back it will be more in the music side.

Some have said that how one experiences Mudcat is a function of what one chooses to do. I would go a step further and say it's not just what we do, it's the intentionality we bring.

So I would ask-- Why are you here? Does your posting history reflect that?

~Susan