Quote Originally Posted by Keyser Soze View Post
Debate is open disagreement, not an echo chamber. Once you put it out there it is there to be shot at. Nothing personal. Win or Lose, by putting your opinion out there, you are starting debate and provoking thoughts and that itself is value.

I wouldn't call what often goes on on here (or on much of the internet, of course) as debate. Supercilious, dismissive, you're-either-with-us-or-against-us, how-very-dare-you-criticise-Ray-McStay, overemotional rhetoric sometimes but not debate.

It's also kind of ironic that even though there are suggestions not to take it so seriously, many of the posters who have given up or post less were ones who - in the main - didn't take it too seriously. (What happened to Delmbox, for instance?). So, maybe it's not just about taking things too seriously.

And of course, we're mostly middle-aged or old men so heaven forfend we're going about things in the wrong way.

Anyway, all the best to Eric.