I was unaware of any PM groups, and I have only used "ignore" one time for a person who no longer posts and had nothing constructive to post when she did. She may have been banned by Admin for offensive posting, but she is gone. I have to admit I enjoy some posters more than others, but I try to read all the posts on subjects in which I have an interest.
I'm on several senior fora, and am not a prolific poster on any of them. It seems that every one of them has a small group, 3 or 4, of very active posters that have some common axe to grind. Any opposing points of view are quickly shouted down. This one isn't the worst for sure. I don't use the ignore function, so when it becomes intolerable, I just drop out for a month or two. I have no idea of the business side of these sites, and how revenues are generated, but the owners/admin people allow these disruptive folks to drive away other posters.
LOL….Into about the 2nd year, this forum had a clique involving about a half dozen people who were obviously burning up the PM section. Matter of fact, I think this month commemorates when they all grabbed their avatars one day and went bye-bye just to return in a few days. I believe they were mostly dual members with the “other” forum bent on disrupting this one and did cause some discontent but we’re still here. A couple of them started another forum but failed and one of the chiefs even followed folks like myself and Yvonne around to other forums just to try to get us banned. Failed again. The thing is about that revolt is that I don’t recall politics being part of the problem.
I could be wrong, but I'd still chalk that up to the lessening of winter's grip on keeping people indoors.
As well as why more don't join in the first place or leave when they do join in the first place. So many posts here entirely about other subjects will manage to throw in comments trashing people, having nothing to do with what is being discussed. I see it all the time. It's unnecessary and off putting, but since this is such a deliberately insular group it doesn't matter to you. You really don't seem to want more than what you already have.
Why tell me WHY everything had to be political? Tired of everything being split between right and left wings. One person asks a simply question, yet somehow it turns into a debate almost about right wingers and left wingers. Seriously? Maybe that is why some have dwindled away, they to are tried of politics in all conversations . There are many reasons a forum slows down, not always about something that is or is not going on here. I should think it would be more about why those that leave do not come back. Especially,if and when long term people leave , then you want to ask questions,because then there may be a problem. Most of the people on here have managed to get along fairly well, over my five years here, I hope it stays that way. The ignore button is a useful tool. Better to Hit ignore than to leave the forum because of one person.
Well, Lulu, Faye and I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye sometimes, but she is still good on this forum. There have been other members that I haven't seen eye-to-eye with, but I continue to post and do threads.........why? Because this forum has nice people to discuss things with. But, if you really feel the way you do about Faye and this forum, it is probably best that you have absolutely nothing to do with it anymore. Just my opinion.
Isn't it amazing how folks who believe in God, country, family, the constitution, the rule of law and the laws of physics, math and biology are now considered "right wing"! When i was growing up they were called republicans and democrats.
The number of posts and members active has remained steady for a long while now. The feeling of emptiness comes from the fact that we've lost some of our most prolific or long-term members, largely to death or illness.
I have to agree that it is indeed a curious thing. Heck, when someone first told me that I leaned toward the right I had to look in the mirror to check my posture. No matter though. Whether right wing or left wing, if they do not produce together there’s no getting off the ground.
Political division has grown to the point that Liberal and Conservative labels don't really mean what they should any longer. I think Rush Limbaugh confused the issue when he spoke of "Liberals" as a label for Progressives. Progressives are not liberal. Teddy Roosevelt was Progressive, as was Woodrow Wilson, who really established it as a movement. was part of both parties, until FDR made it a base of the Democrats during the Depression. It was "patriotic" Progressivism in those days and still had the welfare of the nation at its heart. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case and power seems to be the name of the game now, with the nation's welfare and that of tis inhabitants not in the picture. John Kennedy certainly was not a conservative, but he would be grouped as one now.