Jeri
I can only speak for myself, but I have been left with the impression that most people here post for the same reason I do, because the subjects we post on interest us
I have had a lifelong interest in both politics and music - I've been active in both since I was a teenager
This forum satisfies both in enabling me to share ideas with others
I had no problem doing so regularly in Britain where I lived in three major cities - no longer the case in rural Ireland, so I am grateful to be able to continue to share ideas with people who share my interests
Over the time I have been here I have learned a tremendous amount from others and have been inspired to look elsewhere based on these discussions
Most of us have no voice, no outlet for our ideas and no opportunity to add or subtract from them
Without naming names, the few who don't and who give the appearance of treating these discussions as a win/lose game spoil it for those who don't behave like that
A few, a believe, come to use this forum as a propaganda platform - I know some people in the past have been thrown off for doing so.
I was appalled recently when this forum was used to promote a known Nazi and collect signatures to protest his arrest
To be honest, I take offence as your "psychopathic" reference - you would have closed a thread if one of us had said similar
Some of us take our interests seriously and blow our tops occasionally - I may be disremembering but wasn't it a mod who blew her top and became abusive at an adverse comment about Bob Dylan ?
It happens to the best of us
I was asked to ne a mod once - a long, long time ago - must have been far more moderate than I am now!
Personally, I wouldn't have your job for a big clock - it must be as difficult as herding fog and certainly as thankless
Some of us have tried to clean up our own act and those of others - it's worked to a degree but some differences in attitude seem impossible to resolve
I decided to handle one of my main problems by ignoring the person involved and I suggested to some I knew felt as I did that they did the same - reading some of the comments here - it seems your damned if you do, you're damned if you don't
It's never a question of disagreement - happy to disagree until the cows come home - I sorely miss a poster who died some time ago, though, whenever certain subjects came up we virtually spat at each other, yet we continued to be friends - there aren't many MtheGMs around
It really is a matter of self-awareness and behaviour - that goes for all of us.
I think there has to be a Plimsoll Line of behaviour below which we don't tolerate
I have always been disappointed that there are not many people from other cultures on this forum, both above and below the line - If I were an immigrant or a Traveller I wouldn't come near this site without protective clothing - it's bad enough having Irish connections sometimes.
There are nowhere near enough women posting - this does tend to be a WASP boys club   
I too am sad to have seen people depart, and I feel guilty that I may have been part of them doing so
That feeling appears not to be shared by some people until it is we will continue to have these problems
Sorry to bang on - thanks fro your toleration
Jim Carroll