msbelle beat me to it, but I wanted to thank Rafmun too. There are some painful truths in your very articulate and reasoned post. It would be difficult for me to be as dispassionate and articulate in your place.

Thanks for weighing in Rafmun. Since you put it out there though, I must take issue with this:

But overshadowing the majority of posters is a very small group of activist posters who make it their business to involve themselves in most issues. These posters are currently directing the direction of the board by sheer pressure of persistence. These are not necessarily the board moderators, but rather, they are the proverbial squeaky wheels. These activist posters' points are not necessarily stronger in any given debate, and there are even a few posters who will persist in misdirecting debate away from actual points (i.e., the recent discussion over tone evolved without taking into equal consideration the points being forwarded).

Like any community there are going to be people who are more vocal, more "activist", and more apt to weigh in on any given topic with their opinions. But they reflect the opinions of a broad range of the Buffistas - newbies, oldies and in-betweenies. They are most certainly not "squeaky wheels" - a term which carries a rather negative connotation as if they need to be oiled and shut up. I have also not seen any posters deliberately engaging in misdirection. From what I can see, people here post from the heart - sometimes with emotion, sometimes with intelligence, usually with both, and always with sincerity.

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community. There isn't.

Thanks, Wolfram. I was feeling kinda depressed about us.

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community. There isn't.

Except possibly MM and Clovis, although in their cases 'the rest of the community' translates to 'all sentient life'.

But they reflect the opinions of a broad range of the Buffistas - newbies, oldies and in-betweenies.

That, right there, is the assumption that leads to the problems. And as an aside, I would also suggest that it is an inadvertant, but minor, example of the type of misdirection I refer to above.

Anyway, I'm not looking for debate of my points - b/c they are simply my observations, and whether or not anyone agrees is out of my hands. The only thing I can confidently say is that they are true for me. Others will or will not speak up for themselves.

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community. There isn't.

I didn't see that implication.

IMHO there are individuals who try to impose their will, but there's no organization to it and I didn't see any implication that there was. Nobody is saying there is some sort of Buffista Illuminati.

Rafmun, I read it a few times. You stated a lot of things I've been frustrated with very well. Thank you.

your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community.

Oh, you''ve met Clovis and my ferrets.

IMHO there are individuals who try to impose their will, but there's no organization to it and I didn't see any implication that there was.

Much better stated. Thank *you* Trudy for helping me clarify.

I disagree with Rafmun, most particularly on two problems. One, the enforcement mechanism, and two, the enforcement mechanism that already exists, which is "getting along."