USVI-On-Line

Everyone, can we just chill with some of these posts? How about off topic is food, wine, beer, books, art, music, <strike>sex</strike>, travels to other places, and things VI lovers share in common, etc - but not politics? Hang out on the political blogs to get into this stuff - there are so many of them (I will provide a list if needed). I really can't take seeing this forum turning into this. I am trying to accommodate users here by making this available, but not at the expense of it being a giant headache and me needing to monitor it all the time.
Thanks -

Right on, Anthony.
Smiles-
MJ

Sorry Anthony & forum folks.

I'll keep to my word.

Yay, Anthony!

Anthony - I try not to talk about my neighbors.

I'm all for it! More tunes, more food porn, please!!! Oh yeah, more trip reports from places I will never see in my lifetime! And thank you for all of these posts, I really do enjoy and appreciate them!

Thanks Anthony!
I totally agree!!

Thank you, Anthony

I've been quite pleased that I was able to refrain from soiling myself in the latest muckup. I have gotten involved in this sort of stuff before and usually end up regretting it, feeling tainted, apologize and vow to avoid from pointless argument, sarcasm, nastiness. My impulse control has definitely improved. But I'm certainly a lot less fond of this forum than I once was. But as distasteful as much of this has been, it keeps going because enough people here want it to. I generally favor leaving one thread where trolls and other such folks can go and bicker and insult one another. It keeps it contained and doesn't contaminate the rest of the forum. People quickly learn what goes on in there and can choose to get involved or avoid it like the plague that it sometimes is. It's like the dump, or maybe a cesspool.

I've also appreciated having deeper insight into some posters so that I can escape quickly if I ever chance to meet them. If the input just stayed with beaches and restaurants, some posters could pass for normal, likeable people. This forum has a component that really intrigues me. I don't know if they might be called "resident trolls" or maybe "troll moles". Usually a troll just drops into a forum, creates chaos and conflict, then vanishes. This forum has some members who are able to pass as regular people for a period, suddenly unleash troll-like behaviors, then attempt to blend in again. I think that M.O. is pretty sophisticated and unusual. For me the distasteful aspect has always been the style or tone rather than the content.

Anthony mentions something that I've wondered about. Why is this where people come to do this rather than on political blogs? Some folks have posted considerably more on political, off topic threads than they have on travel/vacation threads. What is it about this forum that they use it for that?

I've located a few sites that some people may want to explore now that Anthony has requested that political clashes cease. I'll post them on that other thread. I remember years ago that a group from this forum actually started their own site after much conflict with Anthony over a number of issues. So that's a possibility.

In closing, I wanted to provide a couple of links that some folks may find interesting. I've posted both before, but it may be time again and some may have missed them. This one explores different internet personality disorders (there are several obvious examples on this forum)

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.htm

An this one takes a look at internet addiction. It includes a short questionair to assess yourself:

http://www.netaddiction.com/resources/i ... n_test.htm

Thank you, Anthony. All this bantering has gone on too long.

Cool, I could not agree more! When my post got hijacked about needing a place to stay really got on my nerves. I stayed out of the rest of the threads about politics, I come here to get away from my world in the bubble.

I need info on Chili, anyone care to help! We have an invite from one of my husbands college friends. We are planning to visit in the next year.

Sandy

Thank god and thanks Anthony!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DC I like mine with out beans.

Oops I guess I need to learn to spell it before going! I was typing too fast! Chile is the correct spelling. I only do that when I type for some reason. Good thing I'm a photogapher and not a writer.

DC you need to start a sep thread in the hopes of getting any input.

That said, dont know what part of Chile you are going to (likely Santiago, no?) but the landscapes in the southernmost region of Chile/Argentina known as Patagonia will make any photographers heart race and might be worth the extra effort to get there. Thats just based on NatGeo etc stuff I've seem from there.