These are the thoughts of members from the ages, some recent posts, others older, all expressing the same thing that is brought up time and time again in recent days.
"Why can't we have peace?"
The disputes...
...I'm not going to name-pull, because I didn't make this thread to start another argument, however, there are members who will do nothing if it is not for a fight. It seems to me that almost every thread I have entered in recent days has a dispute, from Sesame Street, to the Classic Muppets, to Friend and Family, to the Simpsons. Threads that start with innocent intentions, and within the first two posts have turned into personal insults...a recent example could be "Make the Simpsons Funny Again," and the teen titan thread.
Why...? Is that what we are here for?
I will confess, that approximatly two weeks ago I started what some would concider one of these fights, and (in the name of so-called justice) I called out a member and was bitter in my treatment of them. That is why, I think, I can speak here now, becuase I know that it doesn't work that way. Fighting fire with fire has never worked. That is what starts wars, not peace.
Fish-n-wolfe puts it well. If there is a discussion that agrivates you, punch a pillow. I'll add, "Throw a penguin." Or simply turn away from the conversation, as Bear said, if there's nothing for you there, step out of it. Ignore it. Why go into a conversation loking for trouble?
What, then...?
Let's go back to the fundimentals...why are we here? This deep philisophical qquestian has been asked through the ages, and...wait, too far back...
Why are we here at MC? Why did you join?
For me, it was becuase I glimpsed something of the excitment of the forum at Delphi. The strong friendships, and foundation of the Muppets that existed there, and I confess I wanted my part of that. I joined to be a part of that warmth.
You see, people join the forum becuase of the warmth and craziness of it. And if that warmth is replaced with the cold bitterness that is creeping in now, the forum cannot last as anything but an empty shell of it's former self.
What does that mean?
Yes. We are. Jim comes first. The Muppets come first, then MopFam, then me, then other members etc. No, sorry. Wait... *cough*
The Muppets and Jim Henson creations, and discussions of them should come first. That should be the foundation of the site. Deep discussions on Muppet romance, technical talks on how Kermit has the ability to ride a bicycle, interlectual ideas of whether the Muppets are in fact puppets or real, this kind of thing should be the grounding of the site. That is the main purpose of the site, and forum. There was a time when I wouldn't post elsewhere in the forum, until I had posted two sensible posts in the main sections. Quite a good rule to live by here, however...
...eventually you are going to run out of questians, and be bored of repeating old news to new members. What then?
Then we come to the second grounding of MC, the fun. Not the games, the crazyness. Threads that go off topic and spin into random muppet quotes
"Myth! Myth!" "Yeth?" "My myth!" "Have you tried Harry Monster?" These come about in both the spirit of Jim, and the spirit of MC. I'd put them as the second most imprtant part of MC.
Then family, birthdays, parties, Senior Members, deathes, sadness, encouragments...these are an intergral part of MC. Why? Because that's where deep friendships are grounded. However, even these threads I have seen spin off into name-calling in days of late...this is not good.
Games, and Fan-Fiction next. Fan-Fiction should be well thought out, not controversial, and must not be pushed in peoples faces. Some members tend to push their material. Others, get upset over comments. Others leave harsh comments that could have been left unsaid.
Games, there are rules, and....What are the games there for? Fun. Not competition, not winning and loosing, fun. There's a fraggle song..."sometimes when we get a little bored, we play a little game, but we don't keep scores...Friends, friends, friends, till the end..." That says it well.
And so back to the begining point of this thread...
If we want MC to last, and to stay, we must put aside our personal attacks, cut off our toungues (The first thing to go on a frog...) rather than throw comments, restrain our fingers from attack-a-typing...and...most importantly, we need to remeber what MC is about.
And stay there.
Forever.
Bea
{I hope I have said a little...}regard
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