I completely abandoned one forum because the tone of the conversation became unattractive (lots of rants, bullying, paranoia and a complete lack of consideration for others). And I am moving away from another forum because the discussion is becoming stale.
I have my ups and down with this forum. I do take short breaks on occasion, but so far I have always come back. For one thing, the posts on this board are often well written, informative, cordial, entertaining and/or relevant. It sets this community apart from other message boards IMO. I often wonder how this board manages to avoid turning to garbage, like so many other boards have, given the fact that it's open to anyone with a computer and an internet connection. Then there is the human dimension. It's a small community with lots of friendly people. OK, there are a few people I cannot stand, but I probably like 95% of the regular contributors, many with whom I do not agree on a lot of issues but whose opinion I respect. I think that the moderators do a great job keeping the conversation civil, which is very important to me.
If I ever leave, I'll definitely announce it.
