The category, "Coffee Shop" is an apt description for this thread. When I first began posting here (way back in the 20th century) it was populated by a core of posters who regularly congregated and had freewheeling discussions on all manner of topics. It really was, in my subjective opinion, a forum for ideas. And a great one at that.
As in any social setting where regulars frequent a "place", a dynamic evolved, and though there was rarely a consensus of opinion on the topics we discussed, there was a general vibe of amiability, interrupted only infrequently by visitors who had pet topics they'd harp on in an inappropriately confrontational manner--without any consideration of (or concern about) the dynamic of the thread. Basically, they were only interested in their soapbox, and not in discussion. They came, they spewed, and departed. Then we resumed our reindeer games.
Several months ago,IMO, the texture of the thread really shifted, when someone showed up, and because of friction with some of the regulars, started posting insults ad naseum. The thread lost much of its impetus (its core posters) and since, has had only occasional moments to remind one of its finer days when it truly was the forum for ideas I described.
So it goes--the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) in full effect. |
