I'm giving up. There are better places to waste my time.

I'll now change my password to a random combination of keystrokes, such that I'll never be able to log in again.

It was nice occasionally, but currently it isn't. The US politics board is ompletely immersed in the election - and the other places I visit here are soaked by attention grabbing one issue posters.

Bye, and thanks for the ride! Time to move on for me.

The battle against disinterest and lack of understanding is a tough and long one. Recently, I get caught more and more often in the following pattern of exchange:

(1) Poster X criticises some entity Y's role in issue Z. From what s/he writes, it becomes clear that s/he doesn't understand the context in which issue Z arises.

(2) I try to explain the context of issue Z to poster X, and thereby implicitly ask him/her to reconsider the premature value judgment of entity Y.

(3) I get criticised by poster X for what is seen as my "support" of entity Y, for the very same invalid reasons offered in (1).

This most often happens when some of our more right wing American contributors make negative but uninformed statements about Europe, the UN, or just society at large.

Apparently, it is very hard to properly differentiate between knowledge and opinion. Is this discernment not taught in American schools?

My 'high tide', message board wise, was several years ago, when I read and posted elsewhere, and largely on the politics of Christian faith.

Slowly, my home boards were phased out due to economic reasons. First the Excite boards, then those of Lycos. I found b'net with the exodus from Lycos, and started my career here on 'Christianity Debate' in the old b'net community.

The best message boards I ever participated in was a 100% volunteer effort, created and maintained by someone with the web name jonnyglobal. That was in-depth, cutting edge discussion of science and religion, atheism and faith, morality and amoralism proper. Or so I thought. After 3 years, also the 'global atheist boards' were discontinued -- most of our topics were discussed, newcomers met a not so interested group of oldies, and jonny finally decided to stop it all. I miss it, I miss the fellow posters -- jonny, nat, agnos, michael, and the others -- but would barely find the quality time for anything like that now.

The new b'net feels awkward because, with a six year delay or so, the standards have finally reached those of jonny's forum. I feel nostalgic. These new boards bring back too many memories.

I wonder when I will be over it.