*grins* seriously, though, I don't think anyone should feel obliged to comment on every hot topic or refute every stupid statement, nor do I think that this should mean that things get much quieter in general.  Create the topics you want to discuss; make the community that you want to be a part of.

Angelus the Truth Fairy wrote:

I hope I`m not one of those you are referring to Betts, but if you are (and I can be tactless in expressing those views and somewhat tardy in the research area)then I do not intend to give offense and won`t take none in return as long as no personal comment is made.;)

People should feel free to express their opinions. People should express them.

The only thing I've been bothered by here is the occasional attitude of, "Your opinion is stupid, uninformed and therefor you have no right to express it nor will I have anything to do with this discussion while you are doing so". It becomes personal, elitist, and that disturbs me. Opinions are opinions, informed or not.

Well the Mint wouldn't be so dead if Ya'll posted there more than once a month...8)
There's still a few of us hanging out there hoping desperately to have some other than the same few people to talk to every day. Not that we dislike talking to each other but we running out of chatting material too quickly.
  So c'mon down the bar's always open and soem one is ALWAYS home...

Well yeah but that was at Night!
Man Daytime Mint is horrible and I KNOW there are hidden/invisible folks lurking around...drop in say hi! Now and again. I loved, and now miss, the old days when we could fill an entire mint room in a matter of hours.
  I miss my old mint buds, especially those wacky Aussies I haven't heard from in months. I know people are busy but gods...who wasn't willing to blow off projects for quality Mint time? *grin*
But no, ya'll had to go grow up or somesuch.
   Come back! The mint can still be fun!!

No problem there: at least you have something to say.

In other words, I get the impression that some people argue just for the sake of argument and not out of a personal opinion or stake in the discussion at hand.

How do you argue with an opinion anyway?

"I think this."
"No you don't!"
"I do too!"
"Liar!"

immm persecuted.... just cause people get scorched by the radiance of my general wonderffull ness, they complain, bitch bitch bitch, just cause they cann hope to be like meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

i personally i am specially proud o my humility....

Kev wrote:

As for the Mint, I'll just say that the Mint stopped doing it for me a long time ago. That's not a slam at anyone, it's just the way it is...

understandable. the mint, in the beginning, was a great idea (and got even implemented into the story!), so that it was different from the usual chatrooms, which i don´t like at all). but it was never the place for deep thoughts, and that hasn´t changed. a place to hang around and meet the other smarchers, when nothing else is to do. so the mint has no actual function or something like that. i don´t like to hang around in the mint all the time, but now and then it is fun, not to mention the funny typos ;)

and again, it´s the absence of a certain board member...

I don't have the time to post much anymore.  I've got just under 4 weeks until my thesis is due, then up to 3 exams in the week after it is due, then a week of getting shitfaced and generally trying to erase the agony of this year from my mind after that so I won't be around much for at least 6 weeks more.  I check in every couple of days, but when I do it's usually only a quick browse.

I've lost all interest in online debates, not only at smarch but everywhere.  It's probably a cross of my general level of apathy when I'm online for enjoyment and also that I have my opinions and I don't feel I should have to hold them up to the light for everyone to examine, pick apart and dismiss with casual disdain.  (I'm not saying it would happen all the time but I've seen it enough times around the traps and learned my lessons).  I just don't feel like I have the energy to join in the discussions around here anymore.

Also, I want to add that while everyone's entitled to their opinion, some opnions will change / affect the way I think about people, whether I want to associate with them and how much respect I have for them.  Not the "strawberry icecream is better than bubblegum" kind of opinions.  I will have as little as possible to do with people who are sexist, or racist, or homophobic, for example.  Those things can all be called opinions, but I'll be damned if I'll put up with hearing about it.

Well, I consider racism to include believing that the lives of citizens of one country are somehow worth more than the lives of citizens of another. 

But I was mostly just clarifying a point about opinions, and people's rights to have them.

Basically, yeah.  And it hasn't been said implicitly, but that's the idea that seems to be coming across.  Anyway.  I've stopped responding in those topics.