Welcome. There is no real "purpose" to this place; Rinkworks is an entertainment site chock full o' creamy goodness, but the Forum (and chat room) are really just... there. A glance through the archives reveals heated discussions about snack foods, fixing computers, and the fundamental meaning of the universe. I'm not sure whether they've ever been seen in the same thread, though.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. The discussions are as wide-ranging as the minds of those having them, and even the "forbidden topics" of religion and politics come up every now and again. As long as it's not against the policy, it's pretty much Speaker's Corner meets open mic night. The community is fairly tight-knit, yes, with most people here having known each other for a while. But before anyone thinks of raising the old flamebait of being "accepted into the community," you've already done it by posting something.

And you didn't half choose a hairy topic to open with. I frequently lament in private about the erosion of liberties since the T-word reared its head, and almost every day you hear stories about someone being gagged for daring to say, "Hang on a minute..."

On a more concrete note, didn't I hear once that the "separation of church and state" idea wasn't actually a part of the Constitution, or something else along the lines of it not actually being formally guaranteed? Answers not on a postcard because the government will see that you're sending messages to foreigners and so will send the black helicopters to investigate.

Matthew