Sad

[Hadley]

I miss this board.  I miss the group of moms who hunkered down and focused on the task at hand: educating the next generation.  Over the years, as both a lurker and a poster, it’s been a place of escape for me.

I don’t have a politician that speaks for me at this point.  Yes, I have an allegiance to an ideology, but I don’t believe that a politician will ever be my savior.  I can find fault with each and every one of them.  They are not super humans sent to save the world.

Neither am I evil, or stupid, or crazy if I don’t agree with each and every member of this board.  Sometimes I just see things differently.  I miss the days when that was okay.

The in-fighting really ramped up during coronavirus, and seems to have crossed so many lines during this last week of civil unrest.  

I’m just sad.

[Ausmumof3]

I feel bad replying because I’m probably one of the culprits but just wanted to acknowledge what you said.  Maybe we need some more cupcakes and kilts 😊

the general ed board is always better for good homeschool mum and education chat, maybe worth checking it out a bit and ignoring the almost politics.  
 

I hope at some point this year we don’t have pandemics and riots to discuss.  Or anything else like that!

[Spryte]

Definitely check out the education boards for more focused discussion.  It’s still happening.  I think of the main chat board as a place to come when I don’t have a need to discuss educational issues, either because I’m happy with what we are doing here (I am), or sometimes because I feel a little burned out. Chat board is like a break, for me.

 

[MercyA]

Maybe I've missed the worst of it recently, but I remember times when posters reported each other to moderators left and right and threads were shut down and people were banned. So this doesn't seem too bad to me. 😉 

I'm glad we have the chat board to talk about all kinds of issues. The world is crazy right now, and the intelligent commentary and variety of perspectives here helps me make sense of things in my own mind.

That said, I'm sorry you are sad.   

[Hadley]

18 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I feel bad replying because I’m probably one of the culprits but just wanted to acknowledge what you said.  Maybe we need some more cupcakes and kilts 😊

the general ed board is always better for good homeschool mum and education chat, maybe worth checking it out a bit and ignoring the almost politics.  
 

I hope at some point this year we don’t have pandemics and riots to discuss.  Or anything else like that!

I appreciate this very much.  I am certainly not without blame, myself.

I have learned a ton about viewpoints on the other sides of issues over the years, and I love that!  My issue is really with the mud-slinging and name calling.  I’d like to think this group is better than that.

[Skippy]

If you have been here a long time you must already be aware of the education boards, so I am not really sure why that has been brought up.

I agree with everything you said. I always regret it when I venture into a non-educational thread (and some educational threads). It is sad, and I agree that the support for others and others' viewpoints is largely absent. I know that I get caught up in it and am sure that I am guilty of this as well. I also agree with what you said about not having a politician that speaks for me. I regret how everything must be made political these days.

I really miss having a place where a homeschool mom can be unapologetically pro-homeschooling. I miss the old Homeschool Reviews site, too. Times have changed, but I haven't changed with them. 

[PrincessMommy]

2 hours ago, Hadley said:

I miss this board.  I miss the group of moms who hunkered down and focused on the task at hand: educating the next generation.  Over the years, as both a lurker and a poster, it’s been a place of escape for me.

I don’t have a politician that speaks for me at this point.  Yes, I have an allegiance to an ideology, but I don’t believe that a politician will ever be my savior.  I can find fault with each and every one of them.  They are not super humans sent to save the world.

Neither am I evil, or stupid, or crazy if I don’t agree with each and every member of this board.  Sometimes I just see things differently.  I miss the days when that was okay.

The in-fighting really ramped up during coronavirus, and seems to have crossed so many lines during this last week of civil unrest.  

I’m just sad.

You have written exactly what I have been feeling for a few months.  This place has changed and not for the better.  I'm very sad about it because my other mom forum folded a few years ago and this was my last little spot to come and ask advice and find wisdom.  Now I'm just finding... well.... people who *know* they're right and just step aside.   I've also been horrified by the "Well my PhD makes me qualified to say ....."  Ugh.   

I wish we could go back to cupcakes, crock-pots, tEA, and Kilts.  

[Garga]

Well, this is an unprecedented time, so things will be really crazy until the times change or people settle back down. 

I know a number of boardies who only go on the educational forums. Instead of looking at “All Activity” they’ll only go to each education board and see what’s being posted there.

I’ve considered doing that from time to time.  Right now, everyone is so distracted by the pandemic and protests/riots and so many threads on the chat board are about those 2 topics. But the educational forums are still about education.

I do understand why you’re feeling sad. I’m not sure if it’s this board’s fault, or just the fact that we’re all living through some pretty dramatic times: a pandemic that closed down the entire world.  Even if the older posters were here, I think they’d be distracted by it as well.

I keep coming here hoping for something else to think about other than pandemics/numbers of dead/masks/riots, but that’s not happening like it used to, for sure.  It’s just all too much on people’s minds not to talk about it, I suppose.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Garga

[PrincessMommy]

2 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

Message boards are struggling a bit with the Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat/twitter world we are in, but there is still educational discussion.  The education boards here, as well as AmblesideOnline, are very fruitful forums for academic specific stuff.

There are just a lot of moms like me who educate all day, know what we want to use, don’t really need help, and don’t really feel like talking or thinking more about education at this juncture in our lives. Or the retired educators!  Hence the chat board 🙂

Yes, this is where I am now.  And it's been about 9yrs since I last homeschooled so I don't really have much to add to the education boards.

[MEmama]

OP, I’m sorry you feel you lost something here. It is healthy to grieve.

I know for myself I come to the chat board even though I no longer homeschool. When I did, the education boards captured most of my time and attention, at least until I was secure enough in what I was doing and didn’t need to rely on them so much. They are indeed a wealth of wisdom and experience.

I find that combination here on the chat board as well. It's my only source of social media, precisely because it offers truly diverse voices and experiences. Nowhere else can I go and read this level of educated, well articulated discussions about such a wide range of topics, from all viewpoints. I am genuinely surprised that some posters find it unwelcoming; I find it more respectful than any conversation I can have in “the real world”  with such a diverse group of opinions.

I hope the OP finds an outlet that suits her current needs. Especially in this chaotic and difficult time, we all need a place where we can grow, listen, discuss, scream and be respected. I truly am grateful to have found that here. 

[TracyP]

OP, I am sorry you are sad. 🙁

But I'm not sure these boards have ever been that utopia you describe. I have been here for over 10 years and have often taken breaks from the chat board because it is too much for me. Tomato staking, math wars, biased history books... abortion, gun rights, religion... and so much more...  It's been a long time since there's been a big dramatic "I'm leaving" post if anybody remembers those, lol.

The last week has been bad, it's true. But this too shall pass. It always does. 🙂

[Ottakee]

Sadly, the past few weeks/months have brought out the worst on these boards.  I tend to fall where you do.  I have political leanings but not towards any party/candidate. 

I would love to have some real adult conversations/debates where we can discuss ideas without attacking each other or the nuances of a single word (that might have cultural/regional differences).

Hopefully things will get better around here soon.

[Susan in TX]

36 minutes ago, TracyP said:

OP, I am sorry you are sad. 🙁

But I'm not sure these boards have ever been that utopia you describe. I have been here for over 10 years and have often taken breaks from the chat board because it is too much for me. Tomato staking, math wars, biased history books... abortion, gun rights, religion... and so much more...  It's been a long time since there's been a big dramatic "I'm leaving" post if anybody remembers those, lol.

The last week has been bad, it's true. But this too shall pass. It always does. 🙂

 

I am feeling nostalgia for the days of old when we fought about things like grocery carts and vacuum cleaners. 

I think we could use some kilts.

Susan in TX

[katilac]

 

43 minutes ago, TracyP said:

OP, I am sorry you are sad. 🙁

But I'm not sure these boards have ever been that utopia you describe. I have been here for over 10 years and have often taken breaks from the chat board because it is too much for me. Tomato staking, math wars, biased history books... abortion, gun rights, religion... and so much more...  It's been a long time since there's been a big dramatic "I'm leaving" post if anybody remembers those, lol.

The last week has been bad, it's true. But this too shall pass. It always does. 🙂

100% accurate 

MWI and MWII, as the biggest math wars are commonly known, were as fierce and filled with infighting as any of the current discussions. The Battle of Singapore versus Saxon had exceptionally high casualties and repeatedly violated the humane treatment of boardies who did not want to teach bar models. 

In all seriousness, I think some of y'all are looking at the past with rose-colored glasses. Tomato staking, spanking, and other parenting threads in particular got very ugly at times, usually on both sides of whatever discussion.This board has always had major dust-ups and very opinionated posters, and that was without the stress of a global pandemic and widespread rioting. 

Back in Ye Olde Days, the Chat board didn't exist. It was much harder to avoid off-topic discussions, because they were right there on the General Education board. The way threads were displayed was very different as well, so it was impossible to not read parts of some replies as you scrolled down. Luckily we do have a Chat board now, making it a lot easier to avoid threads that aren't related to education. You can't expect the Chat board to be laser-focused on homeschooling. 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by katilac

[sassenach]

7 minutes ago, Susan in TX said:

 

I am feeling nostalgia for the days of old when we fought about things like grocery carts and vacuum cleaners. 

I think we could use some kilts.

Susan in TX

Grocery carts! We were such grown-ups back then. Letting guests wear their shoes in the house was another extra-special time.

At least right now the strong opinions are about things that actually matter.

[....]

2 hours ago, Skippy said:

I really miss having a place where a homeschool mom can be unapologetically pro-homeschooling. I miss the old Homeschool Reviews site, too. Times have changed, but I haven't changed with them. 

 

Me, too.  Some of it was kinda dated, but there was a TON of information on that Homeschool Reviews website.  The Sonlight forums, too (which are totally worthless now that they've moved to Facebook).  😕  It's just not the same.  

And this just isn't forums, but also FB and geez, just conversations in general nowadays...if I even try to be positive/optimistic, it feels like it I get trampled to death.  Lol.  Oh well.

Anyway, I agree with you, Hadley and Skippy.  One of the FB pages for our kids' activity basically imploded with all the fighting this spring.  People saying things they never would've said to you in person.  Sheesh.

[gardenmom5]

1 minute ago, sassenach said:

Grocery carts! We were such grown-ups back then. Letting guests wear their shoes in the house was another extra-special time.

At least right now the strong opinions are about things that actually matter.

and which way to hang the toilet paper.

[sassenach]

1 minute ago, gardenmom5 said:

and which way to hang the toilet paper.

I don't remember, did that one actually get ugly? Because the two I mentioned definitely did. Like, wow, we can turn a whole lot of nothing into salvation issues around here. But we also have fun, which is why I stick around!

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

I don't remember, did that one actually get ugly? Because the two I mentioned definitely did. Like, wow, we can turn a whole lot of nothing into salvation issues around here. But we also have fun, which is why I stick around!

to a certain degree.  there were some ugly posts - or at least out of line ones (and not remotely amusing).

I remember starting a thread once - I was asking a question.  a mom on another group had a meltdown over someone referring to her spec needs child as a "kidlet".  (they were referring to all children of that age range as "kidlets".)  the questions was if it was offensive or not.

eta: I should emphasize - people were freaking out because everyone was in agreement it wasn't offensive.  It's not something that happens around here.

Edited June 2, 2020 by gardenmom5

[wendyroo]

26 minutes ago, TracyP said:

OP, I am sorry you are sad. 🙁

But I'm not sure these boards have ever been that utopia you describe. I have been here for over 10 years and have often taken breaks from the chat board because it is too much for me. Tomato staking, math wars, biased history books... abortion, gun rights, religion... and so much more...  It's been a long time since there's been a big dramatic "I'm leaving" post if anybody remembers those, lol.

The last week has been bad, it's true. But this too shall pass. It always does. 🙂

I agree.  I have been here 8 years, and to me the chat board actually seems a smidge tamer than in the past.

I like that this is a board where a group of intelligent, invested people, who believe in things strongly come together to discuss them (sometimes heatedly).  Yes, sometimes it is uncomfortable, sometimes feelings get hurt, sometimes the discussion edges on uncivil.  I prefer that to the alternative.  Women have long been indoctrinated to use indirect, pacifying, self-effacing language.  To me it feels like here we have a group of mostly women, some of whom are taking back their strong voices and not softening their ideas and opinions to fit society's image of the "nice girl".  I find it refreshing.  And even when it borders on harsh, I find it much more authentic than discussions steeped in deferential buffering to soften disagreement.

[J-rap]

I'm sorry you feel that way too.  I've been here for about 10 years now, although very little at the start.  I do remember a time (maybe around 7 years ago?) when it seemed quite argumentative, and not in a healthy way.  I'm actually pretty impressed these days with the way most people here stay civil even as the world is becoming more divisive.  There's a lot going on these days and the environment does feel more tense in general, so I'm not surprised by strong opinions.  I actually enjoy some disagreements because it helps me formulate my own thoughts.  But, it crosses the line if you're being called stupid or crazy, of course.

[Hadley]

Thanks for the replies.  I do want to emphasize that I’m not upset that the chat board has non-homeschool discussions.  I, like many of you, am at the end of that journey!

I absolutely value all of the differing viewpoints on this board.  What I don’t value, however, is all of the recent political vitriol.  

So it goes.  I spent the afternoon fighting with the sprinkler system.  I guess I use up all of my fight with my yard, and don’t want to have to expend the energy here!

I appreciate your responses.

[Storygirl]

@Hadley I am sorry that you are sad. I think there is no way for you to not be cheered by the Giant Emoji thread, so I bumped it up, in your honor. Hope it gives you a smile.

Giant Emoji's 1 2 3 4 5

Edited June 2, 2020 by Storygirl

[Hadley]

27 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

@Hadley I am sorry that you are sad. I think there is no way for you to not be cheered by the Giant Emoji thread, so I bumped it up, in your honor. Hope it gives you a smile.

Giant Emoji's 1 2 3 4 5

Thank You!!!  That was a fun one!

[Jean in Newcastle]

We have long needed “big girl panties” and “rhino skin”. Both of these were recommended over ten years ago. We are adults who can choose which threads to participate in. 

[Terabith]

2 hours ago, wendyroo said:

I agree.  I have been here 8 years, and to me the chat board actually seems a smidge tamer than in the past.

I like that this is a board where a group of intelligent, invested people, who believe in things strongly come together to discuss them (sometimes heatedly).  Yes, sometimes it is uncomfortable, sometimes feelings get hurt, sometimes the discussion edges on uncivil.  I prefer that to the alternative.  Women have long been indoctrinated to use indirect, pacifying, self-effacing language.  To me it feels like here we have a group of mostly women, some of whom are taking back their strong voices and not softening their ideas and opinions to fit society's image of the "nice girl".  I find it refreshing.  And even when it borders on harsh, I find it much more authentic than discussions steeped in deferential buffering to soften disagreement.

I have often wondered why this board is that way.  It seems pretty unique.  I have wondered if it is because it is a place that is educated women centric.  

[Hadley]

5 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

We have long needed “big girl panties” and “rhino skin”. Both of these were recommended over ten years ago. We are adults who can choose which threads to participate in. 

I do thank you for this.  Just for clarification, I have participated in neither the the Covid nor the civil unrest threads. I won’t apologize for desiring polite discourse.  

I’m not sure if you meant that as harshly as it sounded.  I don’t want to fight, and I apologize if I am coming across more strongly than you deserve.  

As I said, I’ll save the fight for my lawn.  I just happened to be on as you posted...returning to sunshine now.  

I hope you are having the same beautiful weather as I have here.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Hadley

[Teresa in MO]

I have been on here for the past 10-12 years, and I too over the past few months have been sadden by the tone of this board.  There seems to be no respect if you have a different opinion.  I have noticed a meanness towards others if I different viewpoint is given.  In certain thread some posters have just been hammered over and over again.  I feel the no politics rules has been broken over and over again.

[Jean in Newcastle]

7 minutes ago, Hadley said:

I do thank you for this.  Just for clarification, I have participated in neither the the Covid nor the civil unrest threads. I won’t apologize for desiring polite discourse.  

I’m not sure if you meant that as harshly as it sounded.  I don’t want to fight, and I apologize if I am coming across more strongly than you deserve.  

As I said, I’ll save the fight for my lawn.  I just happened to be on as you posted...returning to sunshine now.  

I hope you are having the same beautiful weather as I have here.

I meant it matter of factly. I choose to participate in some threads and not others. Sometimes I choose to share “sunshine “  on threads designed for that purpose (ones about jokes and puppies and kitties etc). Sometimes I choose to be helpful on threads asking for information or advice. Sometimes I choose to offer support on threads where someone is sharing details either good or bad about their life.
 

Sometimes I choose to debate. Debate isn’t any worse than any other choice I make. I obviously agree with some people and disagree with others. Saying why I disagree doesn’t mean that I am putting the other person down. Debate has always included strong feelings. You can look back at debates over thousands of years to see examples of that.  On this board there have been thoughtful debaters and those who aren’t so thoughtful. I try to engage with the thoughtful ones. Even if we disagree with each other hopefully we will learn from each other. 

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, wendyroo said:

I agree.  I have been here 8 years, and to me the chat board actually seems a smidge tamer than in the past.

Yeah, I've been here long enough (11 years) to remember the discussions about beating children with plastic hoses, defending Ken Ham's attacks on SWB,  heated theological discussions in which posters accused others of not being "true" Christians, a discussion about how "sissy boys" are the worst and if they get beat up it's their own fault, and many others. Not to mention the discussions over circumcision, gay marriage, HSLDA, etc.

Things are not only generally more civil, with far fewer bannings, we also don't seem to get the crazy trolls we used to get — remember that nutty woman who claimed to have all those kids with weird names? Or that creepy person who joined three times under different names and would try to get people to post photos of their little boys with long hair? And there was a person who was posting as both a student and the student's mother who would occasionally get her accounts mixed up. I know there were a bunch of other crazy troll stories, but those are the only ones that pop into my head at the moment.

[gardenmom5]

35 minutes ago, Hadley said:

 

As I said, I’ll save the fight for my lawn.  I just happened to be on as you posted...returning to sunshine now.  

I hope you are having the same beautiful weather as I have here.

I live about 20 minutes from Jean.  . . . It was just outside watering my begonias.   It started raining.  I'm glad I made my offering to my yard waste bin this morning so I won't have to feel guilty/frustrated I refuse to work in the rain.

I'd planned on topping it off on Saturday - it POURED all day, we even got a doozy (for us) of a thunderstorm.  I got out there bright and early Monday morning and was able to feed it before the yard waste truck came.

4 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Yeah, I've been here long enough (11 years) to remember the discussions about beating children with plastic hoses, defending Ken Ham's attacks on SWB,  heated theological discussions in which posters accused others of not being "true" Christians, a discussion about how "sissy boys" are the worst and if they get beat up it's their own fault, and many others. Not to mention the discussions over circumcision, gay marriage, HSLDA, etc.

Things are not only generally more civil, with far fewer bannings, we also don't seem to get the crazy trolls we used to get — remember that nutty woman who claimed to have all those kids with weird names? Or that creepy person who joined three times under different names and would try to get people to post photos of their little boys with long hair? And there was a person who was posting as both a student and the student's mother who would occasionally get her accounts mixed up. I know there were a bunch of other crazy troll stories, but those are the only ones that pop into my head at the moment.

Was that the one where she was banned - and kept trying to open new accounts the very same day?

That one popped into my head.

I also remember the one who would ask Christians leading questions like she sincerely was asking for information - I eventually realized (and apparently others did too) - she didn't care about the answer.  She was 'baiting'.   

[Corraleno]

3 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Was that the one where she was banned - and kept trying to open new accounts the very same day?

I think she did try to come back a few times. She claimed she was trying to buy some incredibly expensive lake house with a zillion bedrooms, and she had like 10-12 kids listed in her signature with really quirky names.  There was another woman who had a really hard luck story and got people to send her money, who I think turned out to be fake. And a few who seemed to be bored teens just looking for entertainment.

I think it's interesting that we used to get so many trolls, but don't seem to get them at all anymore. Maybe there are just a lot more places for people to troll now — and easier marks than a group of well-educated homeschooling moms who can sniff out a BS story pretty quickly, lol.

[MercyA]

@Hadley, I realize I may have been one who offended you with my White House / CDC post. Just so you know, I'm not a Democrat or a Republican or a supporter of any other party. There's basically *no one* I can vote for in good conscience these days. I'm pro-life without exception or apology and a conservative Christian, but I'm also anti-war, anti-police brutality, pro-animal rights. That has put me at odds with almost everyone here at some point--and that's okay. 🙂 

I apologize for pushing it with that thread. That said--I think posters did an *excellent* job of avoiding specific politics and discussing the issues in general, which is exactly what I was hoping for. As usual, this group of (mostly) ladies did not disappoint.

ETA: I edited the CDC thread. 

Edited June 2, 2020 by MercyA

[StaceyinLA]

I totally get it. I have been here a LONG time. Although I don’t particularly think this is the only time it’s been like this, I do avoid the boards a lot more now just because I don’t always want to get in the middle of stuff (not to say I never do).

Sadly, I’ve unfollowed a lot of people on social media recently, and also started avoiding that as well. I just feel like I’m often right in the middle of a lot of issues, so a lot of the drastic stuff on either side just winds up making me frustrated and angry.

Luckily, I’m home schooling a second generation of kiddos (two of my grandkids for my dd who has a new baby and a 5yo on the spectrum), so I have been able to participate in that way, and I’m enjoying it.

[StaceyinLA]

15 minutes ago, MercyA said:

@Hadley, I realize I may have been one who offended you with my White House / CDC post. Just so you know, I'm not a Democrat or a Republican or a supporter of any other party. There's basically *no one* I can vote for in good conscience these days. I'm pro-life without exception or apology and a conservative Christian, but I'm also anti-war, anti-police brutality, pro-animal rights. That has put me at odds with almost everyone here at some point--and that's okay. 🙂 

I apologize for pushing it with that thread. That said--I think posters did an *excellent* job of avoiding specific politics and discussing the issues in general, which is exactly what I was hoping for. As usual, this group of (mostly) ladies did not disappoint.

 

You sound more like me than a lot of people. I’m extremely pro-life myself, and have been since I was a young teen. I’m not anti-war under all circumstances, but I definitely lean really close to you on the other issues. My problem is I tend to ramble and rant with my thoughts when I am passionate about things, so I know I don’t come off the right way. At least I’ve learned to just keep stuff to myself if I can’t be civil.

[MercyA]

25 minutes ago, StaceyinLA said:

 My problem is I tend to ramble and rant with my thoughts when I am passionate about things, so I know I don’t come off the right way. At least I’ve learned to just keep stuff to myself if I can’t be civil.

I've always perceived you to be a very civil, clear-spoken woman, Stacey. Just FYI. 🙂

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

I think she did try to come back a few times. She claimed she was trying to buy some incredibly expensive lake house with a zillion bedrooms, and she had like 10-12 kids listed in her signature with really quirky names.  There was another woman who had a really hard luck story and got people to send her money, who I think turned out to be fake. And a few who seemed to be bored teens just looking for entertainment.

I think it's interesting that we used to get so many trolls, but don't seem to get them at all anymore. Maybe there are just a lot more places for people to troll now — and easier marks than a group of well-educated homeschooling moms who can sniff out a BS story pretty quickly, lol.

I remember it.  I remember thinking it was really odd.

I think as we've all gained experience - we're better at sniffing out the bs stories.  

I've certainly found this to be an educational forum.

[sassenach]

3 hours ago, Corraleno said:

Yeah, I've been here long enough (11 years) to remember the discussions about beating children with plastic hoses, defending Ken Ham's attacks on SWB,  heated theological discussions in which posters accused others of not being "true" Christians, a discussion about how "sissy boys" are the worst and if they get beat up it's their own fault, and many others. Not to mention the discussions over circumcision, gay marriage, HSLDA, etc.

Things are not only generally more civil, with far fewer bannings, we also don't seem to get the crazy trolls we used to get — remember that nutty woman who claimed to have all those kids with weird names? Or that creepy person who joined three times under different names and would try to get people to post photos of their little boys with long hair? And there was a person who was posting as both a student and the student's mother who would occasionally get her accounts mixed up. I know there were a bunch of other crazy troll stories, but those are the only ones that pop into my head at the moment.

I do remember her!! My gosh we’ve had some wild rides around here. 

[PrincessMommy]

6 minutes ago, sassenach said:

I do remember her!! My gosh we’ve had some wild rides around here. 

yes, but did it go on for months with multiple threads?   I remember dust ups for sure... but they were usually 1 thread per topic.  We might have been arguing over crockpots on one thread and cupcakes on another... but we weren't ever arguing about cupcakes on 5 threads (just picking a number) for 6 months.  

I think that is the part that is discouraging and what some of us are talking about.  

 

ETA- not trying to pick on you - just picking your comment that represents what several people have mentioned here. 

Edited June 3, 2020 by PrincessMommy

[sassenach]

16 minutes ago, PrincessMommy said:

yes, but did it go on for months with multiple threads?   I remember dust ups for sure... but they were usually 1 thread per topic.  We might have been arguing over crockpots on one thread and cupcakes on another... but we weren't ever arguing about cupcakes on 5 threads (just picking a number) for 6 months.  

I think that is the part that is discouraging and what some of us are talking about.  

 

ETA- not trying to pick on you - just picking your comment that represents what several people have mentioned here. 

Just politics. It’s banned now for a reason. IIRC we were so out of control in ‘08 that it got banned and I think they tried to let us have it back in ‘12 and decided that we just weren’t capable. I’m pretty sure they gave us 2 chances on that one but I may be wrong. There are definitely themes that have had to be reigned in over the years. The string of anti-Christian threads were allowed to go on for way too long....

Maybe I’ve just learned when to bow out of  a thread but the current climate On here seems civil compared to other parts of the internet. 
 

ETA: I don’t feel picked on! 

Edited June 3, 2020 by sassenach

[Scarlett]

9 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

You have written exactly what I have been feeling for a few months.  This place has changed and not for the better.  I'm very sad about it because my other mom forum folded a few years ago and this was my last little spot to come and ask advice and find wisdom.  Now I'm just finding... well.... people who *know* they're right and just step aside.   I've also been horrified by the "Well my PhD makes me qualified to say ....."  Ugh.   

I wish we could go back to cupcakes, crock-pots, tEA, and Kilts.  

Double ugh.  I have noticed a fair bit of that kind of comments too. I didn’t say anything because although it really rubs me the wrong way I realized it might just be my sour grapes over having no college education myself.  
 

Like @Dreamergal I value the diverse opinions here. And I value the snap  shot of various geographic living situations across this big country we live in as well as the many who are from other parts of the world.  
 

I have lived my entire life outside of mainstream .  That has likely made it easier to accept the divisions that go on here. As a non political person I will say I totally agree the politics have ramped up a lot in the last few years . It is vividly obvious to me.