Posted By:
E, DanielI have to say that I completely understand people's desire to remain confidential. You will probably find that the same people who protect their identities to a greater extent on this forum, do similarly in the rest of their lives. It should be their prerogative. I would simply make being a member of this forum a more responsible act by requiring more registration information so that truly questionable activity can be followed up.
And I want to get political again, because this issue is about society.
It used to be that you could bravely and proudly talk about your political persuasion without being condemned, you cannot anymore on either side. There is more hate, more open disgust, less understanding, less willingness to shift one's vote with stated policies or "impressiveness" of the candidate - than is even imagineable.
It used to be that your religion was yours to cherish, and practice, but today identifying yourself religiously is often an act of aggression, or overbearing proselyitization, or must be muttered sheepishly if you do not profess a faith in the supernatural. Everywhere, it is shoved down everyone's throat. Exactly who the hell is doing the judging? Aren't we all just fallible human beings?
And lastly, for exactly the rant above, people would wish to remain anonomous.
Because this forum does touch on other topics, and the candor and humour exhibited would not always look and sound the same if copied and pasted, and repeated elsewhere by other lips.
And leon, of the hundreds - maybe thousand or so, who read (derisively coded as lurking) and occasionally post, how many will manage to ever catch up at a Network54 dinner? Or at the National? Or privately?
I understand your preference for real interaction with genuine people, but your ability to make that work and for the select few others who can similarly, does not mean many should not enjoy the possibilities of this forum. Both the learning, and the camaraderie.
So for those others I say, join, have your say, make sure what you say has been thought out and is as true a statement as you can make, say it without malevolence................"Say it true, say it loud, you can hear - we don't see - eye to IIIIIIIIII".