>>> I don't want to offend anybody (never a good way to start a sentence) but I'd like to suggest that there are limits to this sort of thing. ... Maybe the "intelligent, original, funny" criteria should have a fourth item added: "interesting."....> There is a limit though, and not every bad thing that happens to us is worthy of posting to the Forum>


Well, you'd have to work harder than that if you were trying to offend anyone.
I think there might be some difference of opinion on just where the limits to personal type posts should be, but differences are okay. Some people like more sugar in their coffee than others.


>>>>I know koalamom says she doesn't IM or Chat or read blogs, but that's her choice. It doesn't mean that those things don't exist and are all better conduits for conveying the sort of information that only you and those who know you well would be interested in.... I think the popularity of Web logs helped cut down their numbers, but it may have also helped drive down other posts.


Yes, it is a choice, not a denial of their existence and practical use, or a plea to stop the blogging insanity now! or anything like that. :-) I think blogs are fine.

But they are also like a dish of candy that that you keep in your cubical at work. Sure, if someone stops by, you'll share the candy.. But it's primarily there for your own pleasure. A forum post is like setting the candy dish in the breakroom for everyone to sample; done with that purpose in mind. I think the tone of the forum changed when people started tending their blogs. Which is also a choice (not an implied criticism).

>>>..and if I ever criticize a post or a type of post it's only because I want this to be a flourishing community that is also worth spending the time to read.

I think it's because people care a lot about this place, that treading carefully (with the original, funny, intelligernt & interesting critera in mind) seems appropriate.


koala "stopping now before another food analogy works its way into this post"mom