Do we want an "Anything Goes" Forum?

[Tkleather1]

dont need it........... the folks that want it can use the chat line 2nd Tuesday of ever week..

I have decided to change my vote and side with luke here, after Markb showed me the other site mentioned I checked it out and he is right there is plenty of sarcasm and hate on that site, Dont get me wrong I will be checking it often just to have agood laugh but it is not needed here.

[Rayban]

I say don't do it...like someone else said it above somewhere...there's a forum you can go to to rant about just about anything....why use this one??

True story....I was frequenting a forum where...you know how it is....you kinda get to "know" folks, like em, have fun....all is cool.

Then I found myself in a room with them that I wish I hadn't walked in to....and I saw what they had to say about Obama....Jesus.....porn.....etc......it wasn't the same after that.

The other side of the coin....if that password is needed to get into yours...I'll know to never bother with it.

[flyingcuda]

i think this should be steered clear of! i joined this community for the opportunity to better myself. i fell in love with leatherworking...by the way...the "bug" is buzzing around my kids there are enough people out there more than willing to beat us up for our beliefs and morals and so on. my kids have a safe haven at home with us...this place is my safe haven. i can only imagine the hours and hours of hard work put in from those responsible for this place. i only see it going no where good if this happens. we are all human...doesnt matter how thick skin you are...attacks eventually make thier way through. we all have the need to protect our beliefs and when those are being attacked we lose the ability to stay in control of our emotions. first we may snicker at the attack...then the body temp rises...hands get shaky and then we start typing faster...before you know it something is said that should never have been said. this is a positive, helpful and caring place, they are getting hard to find these days! i think if there is a "vent" section..it should be strictly leather related...stuff like a mess up, or the cat you wanna tar and feather cause it just put black paw prints on your what was supposed to be white but isnt white because white doesnt work clouds!!!!! just havin some fun..anyways...good luck with the decision...i like it just the way it is

[Jordan]

After reading more comments, I change my vote from maybe to no we don't need it. Came to this conclusion due to the consensus that this is a leather working site not a forum for pushing personal views, being mean, vindictive or being a S@#! towards kindred spirits.

[Washroad]

It appears from the posts and votes that the majority of people that have read/voted are against such a forum as "Anything Goes." I support that.

I will also support Johanna 100% on any decision she makes as should the rest of us. Without her, "we" wouldn't be here, ya know?

I enjoy this website as it is!

[UKRay]

Y'know, Jordan makes some very good points so I'm also going to change my mind. We definitely don't need a special place for people to be unpleasant to each other. Perhaps the moderators can simply jump on any nastiness a bit earlier?

After reading more comments, I change my vote from maybe to no we don't need it. Came to this conclusion due to the consensus that this is a leather working site not a forum for pushing personal views, being mean, vindictive or being a S@#! towards kindred spirits.

[TexasJack]

I love to discuss politics and such. I think about it deeply and am not shy about discussing my opinions.

HOWEVER, there are forums for that sort of thing.

One of the great things about this place is that Johanna does a great job of keeping people from getting too far out of line. (This may be my imagination, but her icon seems to smile more broadly when she cracks the whip. A little scary, but I guess it does fit with some parts of this forum. Will she jump in and confirm this?)

If she has to address personal attacks and such on an 'open' forum, it will quickly become a huge distraction.

As this network stands, we already discuss some things that are peripheral to leather - for example, new regulations on lead (that could affect leather sales), choosing guns (and holsters), PETA (Prefer Eating Tasty Animals vs. that other bunch), etc. That's all cool, and pretty simple to control.

I hope that we can keep the broad, open nature of Leatherworker.net. But let's stick with the subject that brings us here.

[Ian]

Johanna, another thing to consider is; I you think you are going to have to censor really outragous posts, do you really want to put yourself in that position and all the certain accusations of bias that that will bring?

[David]

no no No No NO NO and hell no.

I really don't want to know what an off-the-wall nut bag some of my fellow members are.

Giving people an opportunity to vent anonymously is like giving a teenager a bottle of booze and the car keys. We don't need to turn this forum into a freak show train wreck.

We have "about us" and "off topic" that is enough. If folks vent politically, remove it...if they do it more than once, warn them, after that ban them..... this is a leather forum, not Meet the Press.

David

[TrooperChuck]

I enjoy discussing current events, and I've been guilty of posting some political opinions in the off-topic section. To me, it was okay because I thought we were all adults and could "agree to disagree" without becoming antagonistic and insulting.

But, then I saw what NoahL was subjected to after he asked about trying to reconcile leatherworking with veganism.

I'm embarassed by the way NoahL was treated. I didn't participate in that discussion but it forced me to re-evaluate why I love visiting this forum. After a lot of thought, this is what I decided...

1. I love the fact I can come here with a question about leatherworking and chances are someone will have the answer I need, and quickly, too.

2. I love the fact that people who are FAR more talented than I post pictures of their projects here. Those pics have often given me great ideas and inspiration.

3. I love it when the rest of us not-so-talented folks are brave enough to post pics of our projects. I get to say to myself, "Wow, I'm not the only person who's had trouble doing that!"

4. I love the way lots of folks jump in to help when someone posts a problem they are having. Whether that problem is leather related, job related, or whatever, it's plainly obvious there are some wonderful people in this group.

My vote is to leave things just the way they are. I don't mind the occasional rant that occurs in the Off Topic section, but I think some of us could tone it down a bit. (Myself included.)

Plus, it seems to me Johanna already has a tough job moderating things as they are. Adding an "Anything Goes" section is just gonna add to that job, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody!