Jackie, I think hoping that posts remain strictly about words is counterproductive to getting this place back to its former glory. If you remember, no matter how often we strayed into other territories, we always had a heavy core of word-related posts because, let’s face it, we’re all grammar geeks and we love it.
The different threads, and the friendly chatter among friends, made this a place everybody wanted to come to. We couldn’t imagine not coming in to talk to our pals.
The reason this place has become unpleasant is that people are afraid to open up anymore – to have fun. In the past, I never hesitated to say personal things on this site, but I’d never do it now for fear of somebody harping on it ad nauseum, and I’d get hurt.
It’ll take time to bring that original jovial environment back, or to get people comfortable again. I’m not even sure we can do it what with the negative atmosphere created by posts that attack, accuse and constantly harp on members – but damn, I’m trying to do my little bit.
Keeping the posts antiseptically word-related is tremendously dull, and certainly not something I’d look forward to getting to every day – that’s for sure.
