If you had just joined a new forum, would you...

[Catwoman]

If you had just joined a new forum, would you almost immediately start a controversial or highly personal thread?

 

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I'm wondering if I'm alone in my feelings about it.

 

I have noticed a recent trend here, where a new member will post about 5 times to others' threads, usually saying things like, "I agree," or "No, I wouldn't eat that," and then they start a new thread about a topic that seems either incredibly controversial or that is asking questions about major family issues (and describing the problems in excrutiating detail.) That strikes me as being very odd.

 

Here's what I mean. If I join a homeschooling forum and I start a new thread, it's probably going to be asking about curriculum choices or how I can get the kids to enjoy doing their schoolwork. Even if I start a thread in General Discussion, it will most likely be about some sort of everyday issue that I'd like to know more about.

 

It would never occur to me to ask complete and total strangers to diagnose my child's serious psychological issue, my own serious medical or psychological issues, my marital problems, or to say that I just happened to have heard of some very controversial and polarizing figure, and ask the Hive for their input. Because if I wanted credible advice, why would I ask absolute strangers? Wouldn't I want to get to know the people for a while first, to see if I even wanted to hear their opinions? And is it even possible that I wouldn't have the slightest clue that my thread might be overly personal or highly controversial?

 

I know I'm rambling here, but as I said, I've been wondering about this.

 

I completely understand why someone would ask those sorts of questions after they have been around for a while, once they feel they "know" people and are able to trust their opinions, but my troll-o-meter always goes into overdrive when these topics come from new members, and it bothers me that I may sometimes be overly suspicious. It's just that sometimes I see threads that seem to have been so obviously designed to create a debate and spark a major trainwreck, and I'm wondering if I'm the only one who feels that way.

 

Or maybe I'm just getting paranoid in my old age.

 

And along the same lines, are you comfortable offering potentially sensitive advice to a brand new member, or do you feel awkward about it because you're wondering if she's for real, or if her situation is simply far too serious to discuss on a homeschool forum? (I'm talking about times when someone posts about things like child abuse, severe punishments, spousal abuse, or a serious medical situation, or any number of other topics, where you feel like you should "know" the person a bit better before you respond.)

 

I should mention that I'm not thinking of anyone specific here -- it's more of a general observation -- and I have seen the same things on other forums, too, so I'm not just talking about the WTM forums. (A friend of mine moderates a large forum, and she told me that the trolls come out of the woodwork this time of the year, because many people are dealing with post-holiday doldrums or are bored at home because it's cold and wintry outside, and that's what got me thinking about this topic.)

[SproutMamaK]

I've been lurking here for... wow, I forget if it's two or three years. That's kind of sad isn't it? ANYWAY, I'm just now starting to post, let alone start my own drama threads.

 

Then again, I'm a big chicken.

[unsinkable]

No, I wouldn't eat that.

[unsinkable]

I've been lurking here for... wow, I forget if it's two or three years. That's kind of sad isn't it? ANYWAY, I'm just now starting to post, let alone start my own drama threads.

 

Then again, I'm a big chicken.

 

I feel like I know you tho...cuz of that darling baby...

 

But I don't like you, because you are a Leafs fan!

 

I kid!!!! I like you.

[Guest inoubliable]

I agree, but I wouldn't eat that.

 

ETA: Blast it! You beat me to it!

[Mnemosyne]

I personally wouldn't. I don't really share too much personal information until I get to 'know' the people. However, I often lurk on message boards for a long time before registering (at least a couple months here, for example). When I do register, I feel like I kinda know the members, even though I have a brand new account and they don't know me, KWIM? In those cases, I probably would share a lot more than I would when I just find a board.

 

However, I can see why someone would post something like that. As a new member, you're anonymous, and if you really need an answer, one may feel more comfortable in a more anonymous setting. They could also have been searching for answers for a while before finding a board where it feels safe to ask others. I wouldn't do it myself, but I can see the appeal to asking people that just don't know you.

 

To your moderator friend - I used to moderate a forum that (at the time) had about 250,000 members, and I totally agree with her - I remember there being a lot of trolls around this time of year. The nasty weather and post-holiday blues makes for a great trolling environment (often members are more sensitive too at this time, so if that's what you're going for, this is the time to do it, I guess).

[Catwoman]

No, I wouldn't eat that.

I agree, but I wouldn't eat that.

 

ETA: Blast it! You beat me to it!

 

:D :D :D :D

 

Apparently, great minds think alike! :)

[Catwoman]

I've been lurking here for... wow, I forget if it's two or three years. That's kind of sad isn't it? ANYWAY, I'm just now starting to post, let alone start my own drama threads.

 

Then again, I'm a big chicken.

 

But you've posted over 500 times, so I'm sure a lot of people recognize your name and feel that they "know" you. I know I do! :)

[SproutMamaK]

I feel like I know you tho...cuz of that darling baby...

 

But I don't like you, because you are a Leafs fan!

 

I kid!!!! I like you.

 

That darling baby is now FIVE! Or will be on next week.... my goodness, I'm tempted to erase that sentence just because I don't want it to be true.

 

Realistically, the NHL has been on strike so much over the past few years that I'm not sure I even remember who the Leafs are anymore. :glare:

[Spryte]

No, I wouldn't eat that.

 

 

:smilielol5:

 

 

Where's the drink snorting smilie? You made me snort coffee!!!

[unsinkable]

 

 

That darling baby is now FIVE! Or will be on next week.... my goodness, I'm tempted to erase that sentence just because I don't want it to be true.

 

Realistically, the NHL has been on strike so much over the past few years that I'm not sure I even remember who the Leafs are anymore. :glare:

 

My team should have taken the year off.

 

Hey guys! It's been Game on! for a while now.

 

And he is 5?!?!? Wow!

[Guest inoubliable]

I wouldn't over-share too much personal information as a newbie, no way. I feel like, even if I was lurking for a long time (like I did here), I'd still want to post a few things that were general and benign to see how others interacted with me before I put myself out there for something more personal or controversial. It also seems really odd to me to see someone post just a few times, post something really controversial and has little to do with the general purpose of the board, and then only really respond kindly to other newbies. That happened on a credit repair board I was on before (not the one I shared with some people here, btw!). A few times a newbie would come on and post some blatantly false information or illegal option to repair credit, get all huffy and rude with members who pointed it out and tried to nicely educate them, and then got all buddy buddy with fresher newbies than they were! And they'd end up giving the bad information to the newbies!

[Catwoman]

I personally wouldn't. I don't really share too much personal information until I get to 'know' the people. However, I often lurk on message boards for a long time before registering (at least a couple months here, for example). When I do register, I feel like I kinda know the members, even though I have a brand new account and they don't know me, KWIM? In those cases, I probably would share a lot more than I would when I just find a board.

 

However, I can see why someone would post something like that. As a new member, you're anonymous, and if you really need an answer, one may feel more comfortable in a more anonymous setting. They could also have been searching for answers for a while before finding a board where it feels safe to ask others. I wouldn't do it myself, but I can see the appeal to asking people that just don't know you.

 

To your moderator friend - I used to moderate a forum that (at the time) had about 250,000 members, and I totally agree with her - I remember there being a lot of trolls around this time of year. The nasty weather and post-holiday blues makes for a great trolling environment (often members are more sensitive too at this time, so if that's what you're going for, this is the time to do it, I guess).

 

I can understand the "anonymous" thing. I think part of the issue for me, at least as it relates to this forum, is that sometimes people seem to join so they can ask about serious stuff that has no relationship to homeschooling. It would never dawn on me to join a homeschooling forum so I could start a thread asking about what to do about something like a marital problem (or whatever.) I'm sure there are forums specifically focused on almost any topic, so I would think I'd be looking for one that related to my issue.

 

I'll tell my friend that she's not the only one dealing with the trolls -- I'm sure she will be happy to know that she's not alone! :)

[DragonFaerie]

I wouldn't. Then again, I've been here a while now, and I still do a lot of lurking so maybe I'm not a good one to ask.

[SproutMamaK]

 

And he is 5?!?!? Wow!

 

 

Shhhhh. The more we say it, the more true it becomes, so we can't allow that.

 

And sorry for the thread hijack! I'm stuck at home alone tonight while DH takes the kids to karate, so I'm just overly chatty.

[Catwoman]

I wouldn't over-share too much personal information as a newbie, no way. I feel like, even if I was lurking for a long time (like I did here), I'd still want to post a few things that were general and benign to see how others interacted with me before I put myself out there for something more personal or controversial. It also seems really odd to me to see someone post just a few times, post something really controversial and has little to do with the general purpose of the board, and then only really respond kindly to other newbies. That happened on a credit repair board I was on before (not the one I shared with some people here, btw!). A few times a newbie would come on and post some blatantly false information or illegal option to repair credit, get all huffy and rude with members who pointed it out and tried to nicely educate them, and then got all buddy buddy with fresher newbies than they were! And they'd end up giving the bad information to the newbies!

 

:iagree:

 

I think that's odd, too. You start wondering if it's some sort of troll-a-thon, or if it's just one troll with multiple personalities. I was on one forum where one troll had about half a dozen usernames, and she would have entire conversations among herself. She was creepy.

 

It must have been awful on a credit repair board, because bad advice could cost people money! :eek:

[Catwoman]

 

 

Shhhhh. The more we say it, the more true it becomes, so we can't allow that.

 

And sorry for the thread hijack! I'm stuck at home alone tonight while DH takes the kids to karate, so I'm just overly chatty.

 

Hijacking works for me! I can't exactly complain about it -- I'm very often the idiot who starts talking kilts and cupcakes on other threads, so what goes around comes around! :D

[unsinkable]

 

 

 

Shhhhh. The more we say it, the more true it becomes, so we can't allow that.

 

And sorry for the thread hijack! I'm stuck at home alone tonight while DH takes the kids to karate, so I'm just overly chatty.

 

 

Chat away...let's get you to over 1000 posts.

[Guest inoubliable]

 

:iagree:

 

I think that's odd, too. You start wondering if it's some sort of troll-a-thon, or if it's just one troll with multiple personalities. I was on one forum where one troll had about half a dozen usernames, and she would have entire conversations among herself. She was creepy.

 

It must have been awful on a credit repair board, because bad advice could cost people money! :eek:

 

 

Now that I think about it...that may be more common that I originally thought. DH just reminded me of when I was on the webmd expecting boards when I was preggo with DS8. There was a girl on there who would post about these medical conditions she was going through during her pregnancy. Only some of the medications she stated she was on would have caused MAJOR issues with some of the other medications she was on. Some nurses and medical students who were on the same trimester caught it and pointed it out. Nicely, at first and said she must either be mistaken or she needed to tell her OB EVERY medication she was on because of the potential of harm to her pregnancy. Suddenly newbies were registering and posting as her "mom", "best friend", "boss", "neighbor", and "cousin.". Really? They would take turns defending her, nastily, or reporting that she was in the hospital because she passed out. Once they tried to tell us she was in a coma. Really?? It all came to a head finally when a newbie registered and posted that he was her male cousin and that she couldn't be on the boards that night because she was actually the high school ex-girlfriend of a very popular TV actor at that time. And she was out on a date with him. Riiiight. During the kerfuffle, her "male cousin" logged onto several of those other accounts and posted. She kept mixing up which personality went with which login! We counted almost a full dozen personalities that were all her. It was really bizarre.

[JuanitaL]

I've been lurking here for... wow, I forget if it's two or three years. That's kind of sad isn't it? ANYWAY, I'm just now starting to post, let alone start my own drama threads.

 

Then again, I'm a big chicken.

 

 

This also describes me. (And you have 500+ more posts than I do.) I've been lurking so long that I feel as if I do know some people - which is kind of a ... weird feeling (what's an appropriate smiley?the ninja one?).

 

I'm also a big chicken .... AND it takes me like 5-10 minutes to type a 3 line post because I keep thinking about my words/wording/perception of people reading those words. It's really quite ridiculous (on my part).

 

*I kind of wanted to ask a question earlier today about a specific author/book series, then I did a search and realized there may be some drama there. *

[Catwoman]

This also describes me. (And you have 500+ more posts than I do.) I've been lurking so long that I feel as if I do know some people - which is kind of a ... weird feeling (what's an appropriate smiley?the ninja one?).

 

I'm also a big chicken .... AND it takes me like 5-10 minutes to type a 3 line post because I keep thinking about my words/wording/perception of people reading those words. It's really quite ridiculous (on my part).

 

*I kind of wanted to ask a question earlier today about a specific author/book series, then I did a search and realized there may be some drama there. *

 

 

What's the question? We'll answer it really quickly for you and it'll end up getting buried in the thread, so there won't be any drama! :)

 

And if we all type in really tiny letters, no one will be the wiser. ;)

 

Seriously, though, don't hesitate to post. Who cares if you sometimes phrase something the wrong way? It's not a big deal at all! :) I say stupid stuff all the time, so if you just keep responding to my posts, you can say pretty much anything and still end up sounding like Einstein by comparison. :D

[Tess in the Burbs]

It's weird and I always look at signatures. The childless moms that werent teachers either offering curriculum advice here baffle me the most. Or the patenting advice again from childless moms here. I get researching curriculum before you homeschool but no kids yet? Seems like overkill to be here yet. And these people have more posts than a lot of active people here.

 

But sharing personal stuff so soon is a red flag

[Guest inoubliable]

What's the question? We'll answer it really quickly for you and it'll end up getting buried in the thread, so there won't be any drama! :)

 

And if we all type in really tiny letters, no one will be the wiser. ;)

 

 

Heh. I was going to suggest, too, that if you do a search and find a member who seems knowledgeable, PM them! I've gotten a few PMs from people with no post count asking about a certain subject that they were uncomfortable talking about where everyone could see. Not one of them set off my troll-dar.

[Catwoman]

 

Heh. I was going to suggest, too, that if you do a search and find a member who seems knowledgeable, PM them! I've gotten a few PMs from people with no post count asking about a certain subject that they were uncomfortable talking about where everyone could see. Not one of them set off my troll-dar.

 

 

That's an excellent idea!

[Catwoman]

It's weird and I always look at signatures. The childless moms that werent teachers either offering curriculum advice here baffle me the most. Or the parenting advice again from childless moms here. I get researching curriculum before you homeschool but no kids yet? Seems like overkill to be here yet. And these people have more posts than a lot of active people here.

 

But sharing personal stuff so soon is a red flag

 

 

I could have written your post word-for-word. But you did it better, so I'll just say :iagree:

[Catwoman]

I wouldn't. Then again, I've been here a while now, and I still do a lot of lurking so maybe I'm not a good one to ask.

 

I like it when you post. You're FUNNY!!! :thumbup:

[Loowit]

I have lurked here for a while now. I still don't post much at all. I came here looking at information for homeschooling special needs children of which I have two. I am hesitant to post much about my personal situation, but that is the stuff I have questions about and need some BTDT advice on. I don't have a lot of questions about curriculum or other topics. I have been homeschooling for many years now and I know what is working for us. Once in a while I might have a question about something new to try. My questions are more on the special needs and/or dealing with homeschooling lifestyle in general. So do I have to start posting on mundane topics until I have X number of posts to not seem to be a troll? When is it okay to ask about other peoples experiences on getting help for more personal by nature things which is why I found this site in the first place?

[DragonFaerie]

 

I like it when you post. You're FUNNY!!! :thumbup:

 

Thanks. At least you didn't end that phrase with ......looking! :D

[JuanitaL]

What's the question? We'll answer it really quickly for you and it'll end up getting buried in the thread, so there won't be any drama! :)

 

And if we all type in really tiny letters, no one will be the wiser. ;)

Thanks!

(I'll talk out of the side of my mouth while we both look straight ahead so no one knows we're talking.... it was about MCT. I'd never even thought to look at his stuff before because I thought it was strictly for younger ages, but when I started looking at the vocab books I really felt like I wanted to hit buy right then - for my 9th and 10th graders. What do you think? Even if they end up going through it quickly - which I have no idea if they would or not since I don't have the books to really consider - if they pick up things we've missed before it'll be worth it. OTOH, they're in hs, so as much as I love to keep circling around to make sure we've covered everything we possibly can - we do have to keep driving forward.)

[unsinkable]

I have lurked here for a while now. I still don't post much at all. I came here looking at information for homeschooling special needs children of which I have two. I am hesitant to post much about my personal situation, but that is the stuff I have questions about and need some BTDT advice on. I don't have a lot of questions about curriculum or other topics. I have been homeschooling for many years now and I know what is working for us. Once in a while I might have a question about something new to try. My questions are more on the special needs and/or dealing with homeschooling lifestyle in general. So do I have to start posting on mundane topics until I have X number of posts to not seem to be a troll? When is it okay to ask about other peoples experiences on getting help for more personal by nature things which is why I found this site in the first place?

 

JMO, but the special needs boards have a lot of posters who jump right in and ask question.

 

I'd just ask over there and see if you get the info you need.

[JuanitaL]

 

Heh. I was going to suggest, too, that if you do a search and find a member who seems knowledgeable, PM them! I've gotten a few PMs from people with no post count asking about a certain subject that they were uncomfortable talking about where everyone could see. Not one of them set off my troll-dar.

Ahhhh. Troll-dar. Great, something else to fret over.

(I don't really fret, I just couldn't think of a better word. I'll bet if I order the books I mentioned in the other post I could always have the perfect word to pick.)

[JuanitaL]

I have lurked here for a while now. I still don't post much at all. I came here looking at information for homeschooling special needs children of which I have two. I am hesitant to post much about my personal situation, but that is the stuff I have questions about and need some BTDT advice on. I don't have a lot of questions about curriculum or other topics. I have been homeschooling for many years now and I know what is working for us. Once in a while I might have a question about something new to try. My questions are more on the special needs and/or dealing with homeschooling lifestyle in general. So do I have to start posting on mundane topics until I have X number of posts to not seem to be a troll? When is it okay to ask about other peoples experiences on getting help for more personal by nature things which is why I found this site in the first place?

Look at this. We're coming out of the woodwork tonight. (So I hope no one thinks you and I are the same person - I have 3 kids, all boys, no special needs.)

 

I wonder when I won't have the "just visiting" under my name.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I'd love to go vent about some seriously personal stuff in someplace where I've never talked to anyone before.

[lovinglife]

I have been lurking here since last summer, but (like in real life) I prefer to hang back and watch everybody most of the time, until I am quite comfortable. I guess I could be seen as a troll on some of the boards I frequent, because I don't often post unless I feel something is very important to me. I enjoy getting input without putting it all out on the line in front of people who know me well, you know. I need to jump in more though, I enjoy reading many discussions and need to post more!

[tearose]

I recently stumbled onto the "Warrior Eli is a Hoax" blog/Facebook page--so I have sometimes wondered if some of the more dramatic situations are fictional. The aforementioned blog exposes more extreme cases--like ones exploiting fake illnesses to get donations (it's mind-boggling how much work some of these people have put into their online personas), but it has made me wonder if there are more benign cases out there, even on regular message boards like this one.

 

(full disclosure: I joined a couple years ago and posted sporadically, took a break for about a year, and restarted recently (posting more than I used to!))

[Parrothead]

No, I don't do a lot of drama though.

 

And I'm pretty shy around new people.

 

 

Are you getting at something in particular? I'm probably out of the loop again.

[unsinkable]

I recently stumbled onto the "Warrior Eli is a Hoax" blog/Facebook page--so I have sometimes wondered if some of the more dramatic situations are fictional. The aforementioned blog exposes more extreme cases--like ones exploiting fake illnesses to get donations (it's mind-boggling how much work some of these people have put into their online personas), but it has made me wonder if there are more benign cases out there, even on regular message boards like this one.

 

(full disclosure: I joined a couple years ago and posted sporadically, took a break for about a year, and restarted recently (posting more than I used to!))

 

 

You've probably read this then. I've posted the link before. it's by Cienna Madrid

 

http://www.thestrang...nt?oid=15337239

 

Caution, there is a raunchy ad on their page.

[Guest inoubliable]

You've probably read this then. I've posted the link before:

 

http://www.thestrang...nt?oid=15337239

 

Caution, there is a raunchy ad on their page.

 

 

I read it the first time you posted it. Remarkable.

 

I clicked this time for the raunchy ad. I saw no raunchy ad. I am so disappoint. :(

[unsinkable]

My favorite paragraph from the above article by Cienna Madrid:

 

The lies slowly escalate, pile up, and create an improbable whole. Then one day, you realize you're friends with a 15-year-old chronic migraine sufferer online who also happens to be a fourth-year medical school student who plays drums in a band at night—despite those crippling migraines—to pay his med school tuition because his deaf mother and alcoholic stepfather have no interest in his baby-genius education. Oh, and since he's not yet old enough to drive, he skateboards three miles a day to get to class.

 

And on that day, you feel like a total schmuck.

[unsinkable]

 

I read it the first time you posted it. Remarkable.

 

I clicked this time for the raunchy ad. I saw no raunchy ad. I am so disappoint. :(

 

 

 

That's weird...the ad isn't on my laptop, only my ipad.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I don't expect to make any new friends on the internet, but I'm very thankful for those friends I've known for years and/or that I do not believe to be trolls.

 

There's too much weirdness lately. Trollity has become a sophisticated art form, and I don't care to stay up to date on what to know, so I made a decision recently to not make any more friends online. Will I respond to new people? Yes, if I feel my answer might be universally helpful to someone in that situation (therefore worth putting on the boards for real people, including the newbie if she's real), then I will respond as if I think it's true. Will I become buddies with newbies? Nope. I'm sorry, thank you for your interest, but I'm going with "safe." I'm raising several teenagers which is all the drama anyone needs.

[PachiSusan]

Well, I'm a newbie but jumped right in with both feet, arms and head. LOL Guess you're not talking about me either! :seeya:

I lurked a while until I felt I really wanted to join, and then jumped in.

[AK_Mom4]

I'll admit it... I lurked for a few years before I got sucked into posting....

 

I try to remember to look at the OP's post count before responding and temper my post to match their post count. But, yeah, I'm with you on the "sharing-too-much-personal-stuff" to begin with.

 

I would recommend that all new boardies start off with a thread about parking shopping carts.

[shanvan]

My favorite paragraph from the above article by Cienna Madrid:

 

The lies slowly escalate, pile up, and create an improbable whole. Then one day, you realize you're friends with a 15-year-old chronic migraine sufferer online who also happens to be a fourth-year medical school student who plays drums in a band at night—despite those crippling migraines—to pay his med school tuition because his deaf mother and alcoholic stepfather have no interest in his baby-genius education. Oh, and since he's not yet old enough to drive, he skateboards three miles a day to get to class.

 

And on that day, you feel like a total schmuck.

 

Almost lost my tea all over my laptop at this!

[Guest submarines]

I understand the suspicion, but I don't see this behavior as necessarily indicative of anything abnormal. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't see posting on a board as "sharing with strangers", but rather as an anonymous sharing. If I have issues that I can't discuss with family or friends, I feel comfortable sharing them on a board because it is anonymous. Which is different from walking into a room of people you don't know and unloading your parenting troubles on them. Very different.

 

Also, if someone is a long-time lurker, they might not feel that they are very new to the board. At a certain point they'd just jump in, especially if they have something they struggle with.

[Catwoman]

I'll admit it... I lurked for a few years before I got sucked into posting....

 

I try to remember to look at the OP's post count before responding and temper my post to match their post count. But, yeah, I'm with you on the "sharing-too-much-personal-stuff" to begin with.

 

I would recommend that all new boardies start off with a thread about parking shopping carts.

 

:D :D :D :D

 

Yeah, shopping carts. Or crock pots. How could anyone possibly get upset over those? ;)

[Catwoman]

 

I wonder when I won't have the "just visiting" under my name.

 

LOOK! You've been promoted!!!

 

:party:

[PachiSusan]

:D :D :D :D

 

Yeah, shopping carts. Or crock pots. How could anyone possibly get upset over those? ;)

 

OOPS, my first post was in the tattoo thread! LMAO!!!! I guess I should have introduced myself first, eh?

[Reflections]

I remember the day I posted about something really personal and my hand shook as I hit "post". I guess that makes me A. not a troll and B. neurotic. :)

 

But I love all the information on this board - weekly I tell my dh about the new thing I learned on the forum!

[Catwoman]

I have lurked here for a while now. I still don't post much at all. I came here looking at information for homeschooling special needs children of which I have two. I am hesitant to post much about my personal situation, but that is the stuff I have questions about and need some BTDT advice on. I don't have a lot of questions about curriculum or other topics. I have been homeschooling for many years now and I know what is working for us. Once in a while I might have a question about something new to try. My questions are more on the special needs and/or dealing with homeschooling lifestyle in general. So do I have to start posting on mundane topics until I have X number of posts to not seem to be a troll? When is it okay to ask about other peoples experiences on getting help for more personal by nature things which is why I found this site in the first place?

 

I wouldn't think you were a troll because you'd be asking normal, non-controversial questions that we'd see here pretty frequently.

 

There's a difference between the kinds of questions you mentioned, and the kind I'm talking about. I mean the ones where the topic has absolutely no relationship to homeschooling or education whatsoever, or where the situation is just so unlikely that you read it and wonder if the story could possibly be true. The ones where (and I'm making this up as an example,) someone posts about how her dh beats their kids with a stick every time they get a spelling word wrong, and that she thinks it's because of the dh's addiction to violent video games and p*rn, and she still loves him and besides that, she's already 14 months pregnant with their new quintuplets. The over-the-top stuff like that!