We have lost good, active, people because this board is not as comfortable as it once was. It's more confrontational, we have to vent every little damn thing, "scroll by" and "let it slide" seem to happen less and less.

You know what, there ARE people who are more softspoken and there is nothing wrong with trying to take their wishes into account.

There's soft spoken and then there's unspoken. I only have myself to blame if I don't speak up on an issue I feel strongly about. I know that consequences of that. I'm comfortable with it.

For the most part, I feel my feelings get stated here by like-minded buffistas without my having to add to the posts (and hence a feeling of "piling on"). I don't feel like there's a junta directing policies which I have no say in. Unless there's gingham involved.

Hec, thanks. You said that better than I did.

No one is driven away, not really.

From what I have seen, that is false.

implies that "the problems" are a fact, which is a rather large assumption itself, IMO

Asserting that there is no issue is effective only in ignoring, not addressing, the issue. But then, depending on perspective, I would have to concede that the issue would not accurately be termed a 'problem' for those few posters whose wills are more often reflected in the direction the board takes. To them, it's probably all good. =)

We have lost good, active, people because this board is not as comfortable as it once was. It's more confrontational, we have to vent every little damn thing, "scroll by" and "let it slide" seem to happen less and less.

I don't see that happening. It feels to me that by and large the people who come here and get settled in, stay here. Of course there's some attrition -- to life, or other boards, or whatever -- but that's always gonna happen.

And speaking just for myself, I'm scrolling as much as I ever have.

We have lost good, active, people because this board is not as comfortable as it once was. It's more confrontational, we have to vent every little damn thing, "scroll by" and "let it slide" seem to happen less and less.

This is really the choice of the people that left. Threads change, the population changes. People leave for myriad reasons. Bitches is nothing like it once was - it's practically a chenille robe and fuzzy slippers now. How much more comfortable could it get?

It's always such a matter of perspective. Some folks seem to think the board is particularly tense right now, but I've seen it go through much edgier times than this.

We have lost good, active, people because this board is not as comfortable as it once was. It's more confrontational, we have to vent every little damn thing, "scroll by" and "let it slide" seem to happen less and less.

And this is a bad thing for people who don't like confrontation. I'm confrontational, and it's a happier place for me. I'd be miserable if no one ever got into heated debate, and I'd leave for more controversial waters.

I'm not saddened when people leave because they didn't get their way. Should have fought harder. Mine is likely the minority opinion on that, and if everyone pigpiled on me, I wouldn't leave, or even feel unloved or unheard. I'd just accept that I had the minority opinion, advocate as hard as possible, and if it came down to a vote and I lost? So be it. Won't stop me from enjoying the other discussions that occur. Doesn't sour me.

Unless there is a point of discussion to actually vote on, big things should not be changing. The things being discusseed recently seem mostly about personal conduct. While possibly interesting to discuss and debate, it is not something that is going to be regulated, enforced or controlled anymore than is already set out in our pretty basic rules. Could soem people be more pleasant? In my opinion, yes. Does that matter? No.

If anyone has a problem with a specific poster or the specfic handling of an issue, they really have to speak up. And if they think it is something that should be acted upon, the need to go through the mess (a mess I helped set up) of suggesting a vote and seeing if others support them.

If what we are talking about is people not liking others. Well, yeah, it happens, a LOT. I want a filter, I want one real bad, it would make my time here more pleasant. Other people would be much happier here if I stopped posting altogether. Neither one of those is a reality yet, so people need to skim and skip.

My last point has been stated by others, but I feel it needs to be restated. No one will die if they stop posting here. I have left boards. I have left here for a a period of months. We all have emails, many have ljs. If people cannot skim, if they cannot keep themselves from going into threads that get them upset angry or both, then maybe they need to take a break. The internet is a big place, there is a lot out there.

Some folks seem to think the board is particularly tense right now, but I've seen it go through much edgier times than this.

Oh hells yes. The "tone" discussion has been, for the most part, a non-kerfuffle. The disciplinary discussions (back when I was still lurking) were so much worse. I think we did lose a few people at that point, but it was a necessary evil to get those rules hashed out. I, for one, am glad they are in place.

for those few posters whose wills are more often reflected in the direction the board takes.

The direction the board takes is almost entirely dependent on the content of the posts. What gets decided in bureaucracy now is generally limited to adding threads or discipline. The biggest cultural change this board weathered was adding voting - and that was in response to people feeling left out of the decision making, and it was a long, tedious, difficult, parliamentary discussion. But it was instituted and now even the soft-spoken can have their interests addressed.

Anybody is free to bring an issue up for a vote if they want to change the direction of the board. If a majority of registered Buffistas agrees with that change they can bring it into being. Even the lurkers.