The state of the disunion

JMPD · **JMPD**

A long time ago, I stumbled across a forum that seemed very active and interesting with thousands of members. I joined it and it became the second forum that I was a member of. The name of the place was Unexplained Mysteries and I met many new friends and some brilliant minds.

Then, as a member there, I was invited to join a sub-group of members who seemed to like my thoughts and the way I expressed them. They were known as: "The Lords and Ladies of Uppity Annoyance", and I was probably one of the last members recruited before the group reorganized as "The Steel Circle". Then the admin of UM clamped down on 'exclusive' gropus and the Steel Circle 'leader' went on to form his own forum to which I and many others joined.

And that, dear friends, is when the troubles started. It seemed that without advasaries, the group became bored, and started to turn inward upon itself. That and the fact that several members started their own little forums and bled away the membership of SC. Then, these forums suffered the same fate of 'bleed away' and infighting. As new forums sprang up, members became desparate to draw attention to their own sites to the detriment of ALL the sites. It started to feel somewhat incestuous as members formed new forums and made other admins of other sites mods on their own sites. Looking at the various sites I was a member of, the roster of admins and moderators was all the same, just different titles: who was an admin on site x was a mod on site y and vice versa.

With all the competing sites, friendships wore thin and tempers flared. Those who were once fierce friends became even fiercer enemies.

And then came the "forum Wars" where members of various sites, all with members who had a common heritage, were forced to either choose sides or watch people they had considered friends tear each other apart. Who stole this skin? who posted that nasty message? who is posing as a >>disinterested 3rd party<< and continues to stir the pot? who accused who and who was the 'victim'?

Even now, after months have passed where former friends still will not speak to one another, there are agitators: people who seem to thrive on the chaos and will not let old history die. A select few are laughing their asses off as they plant suspicion and innuendo amongst the 3rd generation of forums that all sprang from a group of like minded people on UM.

It has gotten to the point where I am quite full of the drama and the trauma of these internicine, silly childish fights. And although I cannot force people to behave, I would sincerely hope that they will just stop it.

I am not interested in who is at fault or why people feel the need to lash out and pick at old wounds, merely that it stop. There is too much BS and fallout from old arguements being spread to new arenas, new forums where this nonsense has no place. New people are being drawn into a dead conflict and are picking sides where they ought not.

My thoughts on a very trying subject. If you think what I have said indicates that I am talking about YOU, then maybe you need to examine your behavior.

And, just for the record, I will be posting this on all the sites that I am a member of so that no one feels picked on, or left out.

Thank you for your attention,
sincerely
The Badger
JMPD1
JMPD
Just Joe
Laserbait

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Masks reveal what they conceal. Indeed, a person does not hide behind a mask so much as struggle beneath the weight of it.

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vincent · **vincent**

You know Joe I thought I was the only one who seen this. I seen the same and thought it was just my imagination.

Thank you for confirming my so called sanity...I think

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NATIVE AMERICAN WISDOM