Hey Hoov........well said and very timely. Last week(I forget which day) at one point I counted the OT and or insulting posts, compared to the 'useful discussion' posts.....it was 36(bad) to 8(good) at that point. I started to write a post of my observation but got called away and never got back to it. Well, here are my thoughts a week later.

Dear fellow NOTheads......YOU have lost control of this forum! Look at the numbers above for a random part of one day last week.....not that different than yesterday. In otherwords, this forum is on the skids.....Hoov is absolutely right!!!!

I can see only one reason that this has happened......it's because we allow it to happen......Hoov is right again!!!!

I suggest very strongly that IF we want this forum to be a vibrant AND informative space then we need to take action......and right now!

We all have the tools avaliable......it's called the IGNORE button. We all have the right to flag and report a post or poster. Some of us have the ability to yank posts. I have heard some posters(some senior posters) declare with pride that they have never put a person on ignore, or never pulled a violating post.....I say WAKE UP! What are you thinking? 'Defend it or lose' it is the clarion call of democracy!

It is NOT the bashers and other lowlife that is the problem. After all, some here even welcome them, as this is a sign that we have something worth fighting over.....OKay.....I can see that. But my point(and Hoov's) is that they have taken over and poisoned the dialogue.

I am not blameless in allowing this to happen also. I have been silent and NOT posting since the recent 'issues' regarding Agoracom. I have spread my DD and dialogue away from here, but I still check in and read, as some very knowledgable posters are here(thanks Hoov and others). I also have phone connections and PM chats with some here.

Let's take just one example of a poster.....Joeybelltrollydingdong...... day I did my count he was the flagrant poster.....but.....and here's the point.....the RESPONSES to him were more than he was posting. So.....one person lets a fart out, then a larger group responds in kind.....and very soon it's NOT worth staying in the same room. I do not blame the Joeydingdong types....I blame the rank and file group here, because you allow.....nay encourage him by engaging in a dialogue knowing FULL well, that it is a useless endeavour, because he is here for only one reason......to cause dissention in the retail holders so they will drop their shares. (or whatever)

That's it! That's my take on this.......if everybody just put these types on ignore, then the dialogue would, soon enough steer the right course.....or flag their posts.....or pull them if you have the power.

I will continue to visit this site and when I do I will be more actively participating in the above actions.

................cheers.................