Well, either it's a community, or it's a gift. It cannot be both.
If it's a community, then those in the community have the right to have have their opinions heard and acted upon.
If it's a gift, then it's just down to the owners.
But it cannot be both.
Really? It's been both since day 1. It's a gift because it's all free, we aren't tyrants, we don't say "my way or the highway". It's never been that way. So actually, it is a gift & a community. There's no one here who can say we haven't left them say their piece. Sometimes it's a great discussion, sometimes an amicable debate, sometimes a dramatic throw-down, but no matter what they get their say. You've had it now for almost 3 pages.
I'm more than happy to debate this topic all day, but don't forget I've been here since day 1, I know everything about what went on in this forum from day 1 until now. The "glory days" supposedly, that keep getting referenced, were dramatic too and people in your list of highly regarded members were part of that drama, some of them were even banned at one point or another. You cannot fool me into thinking that this forum boils down to one list of several members who left. I'm not going to judge the people here by people who don't care about this community, and LEFT. You compared the people still here to McDonald's ammonia-laden meat, you implied anyone who is blue now is just a matter of calculation of dates & that we should be sorry for them, and a slew of other tepidly insulting remarks.
I think that some of you who've been here awhile have grown pious and want to throw around some sort of intimidating factor that anyone here cannot live up to the "glory days" or the "glory members", but you're wrong, and it's just a form of bullying in my eyes. You can't put members who abandoned this community on a pedestal and try to tell everyone that they can't live up to them and that this forum was only good when they were here. That's complete bull and I'm not going to stand for it. There's really good people on this forum who care about this community and they care about it each other. Every large community is going to have their fights, their dramas, their cliques, but you know what, this forum has been here a LONG time, even before some of those "glory members" were here. It was good before they were here because back then we had good people on the board too. It was good when the "glory members" were here, it's good now, and it will be good in the future.
As far as the color system goes, I believe in recognizing people who are dedicated to something. When those glory members were here I recognized them for their contribution & their input. And for the members who are here now I recognize them for their input & contributions. This forum has been blessed in having long-term members, the average length of time someone belongs to & actively contributes to a forum is usually 90 days. So to have people who have been here 12 months or 18 month, or even longer, yes, I think they deserve recognition. I think they deserve a standing ovation. You're not going to dissuade me from believing that. I'm fiercely loyal to those who are loyal to this community, fiercely. And as I said before the people on that list can testify to that because some of them I defended not only on here but other places as well. They were all given a voice, some of them came to me with concerns, I addressed what I could & I suggested solutions for the rest, it was their choice of leave. But I will not, ever, judge present forum members by people who left, for that topic, it's end of discussion.
My loyalty is to this community, which means the members who are actually here have my objective attention. I'd go to bat for you as well, Spiked, if need be. But, on this subject you & I see things differently. Perhaps if you were in my shoes you would too, but I know what I know, I was here, and I know what discussions transpired between myself & others, and every person actively decides to be here, or not, and that's their choice. I am not going to judge this community as a whole, nor am I going to judge the individual participants here, by a handful of people you like who decided to leave.
Well, this is the THIRD time in a few hours that I've had to refute your assertion that I'm trying to insult people. After the first time, in this very thread I believe, a number of people posted saying that they understood that I was NOT trying to insult anyone, so I can really only conclude that you're deliberately "misunderstanding" and trying to misrepresent what I have been saying. I don't understand why you would choose to do that? Perhaps because on some level you know I'm right? And maybe you don't even want to admit that to yourself? Or just as a bullying tactic from the Site Owner - "if your argument against the message is weak, attack the messenger"
