Is it better to address the room or to engage the room in conversation?

So as of today I have been a chat board member for exactly 2 years, but I have a measly 307 posts the majority of which happened in Silver's 1 to 365 thread in 2009. (Great thread BTW - if you have never been to the chat board it is worth going just to search for and read this thread, but give yourself LOTS of time to get through all the images). When I cruise the chat boards I find myself seriously disinclined to comment.

When I look at the threads on the chat boards I am overwhelmed by how many of the comments are spiteful at worst and completely unhelpful at best. There appear to be great board members out there whose posts are informative; but woe be unto the new board member who makes an error of opinion, or who disagrees with an older boardie without using suitably humble language to phrase that disagreement. Fire, brimstone, and malicious posts will follow. The newcomer is lambasted as stupid, unreasonable, unknowledgable, and contrary. There is such a limited sense of community, on occasion I read welcome posts to the new members - but most of the positive that I see in the boards is reserved for the 'good old boys' - I understand that you are more likely to share with a friend, I am too; but I joined looking to some kindred spirits, and I haven't really found any there.

Now here - here I have found poeple I can relate too; people who collect what they love and who don't appear to slaughter every mis-posted, mis-quoted, or erroneous statement made. Maybe it just takes too long to click on my name and send an email, allowing time for a comment that might sound insensitive or downright rude to get filtered through the brain before posting. Posting - I think that might be the root of the problem, it is too easy; too fast to add your 2 cents worth and move on; so threads get derailed into diatribes better suited to the late night soaps.

In closing - a portion of the cover for the book of the week - Sea Devils 13. In part because the flaming balls of fire remind me of what a derailed thread reads like.

Thanks for reading my _

Lee