Originally posted by: K.Resurrected.
Of course life moves on, it moves on even when people around us die. Of course, this is not the end of the world. Of course, things are ephemeral. But why stop there? Let's take the concept a little further. The earth won't stop spinning even if all life were to be erased off of its face, so much for the significance of life itself. The universe won't disappear if 5 billion years later earth is swallowed up by the Sun. But we can't latch onto these bigger truths per our convenience whenever and wherever to suit our purposes, just to wiggle out of a real debate. There is a time and place for bigger truths and IMO this topic is not it.
If I go short term, you can't start talking long term and invalidate my points. If I go objective, you can't go subjective and invalidate my points. You are not wrong if you do so. You are only pointing out the obvious, the abortive nature of all such debates that I already mentioned.
Going purely by the subject ('is cancellation of IF ID good or bad?"), keeping aside the variables and unknowns (whose cancellation? What is good? What is bad? How good is good? How bad is bad? From whose perspective? Long term or short term? How long is long term and how short is short term?), going somewhat by the human web theory (six degrees of separation), I theorized that, if pivotal people leave, it will affect the connectedness of it all translating to lesser hits and thus, lesser interest in the forum itself. So yes, my answer is that it is bad. You are free to do a spectrum analysis, look closely at various shades, and understand the role the time component plays in such a scenario but, if you do that, you will never zero in on a satisfactory answer.
Okay, let's not talk about bigger truths, let's talk about smaller truths. I'm not exactly sure what you're suggesting here. Are you saying that it is wrong and "phony" for members to move on after someone who appeared close to them on the forum leaves? If that is the case, what exactly do you suggest they do? And why exactly do you expect these emotions and these personal feelings to be displayed publicly on the forum?
@Bold Red-
Although it may feel that way from time to time, it is not true. All of us have left the forum or taken breaks from the forum at some point in time and the forum has continued on its regular business. Things don't stop for anyone here just like life doesn't stop for anyone in reality. Right now, yes you can name a few people and say call them the pillars of DM - the ones that bring the rest of us together, but that doesn't mean they're irreplaceable. People easily come and go on the forum. If one of us leaves today, perhaps there will be a few people who will be disappointed, upset, and they will limit their time and activity on the forum. But after that, new people will emerge, new members will call DM home, and regular activity will resume. The once disappointed members will return and they will make new friends and a new group of people will take their place as the pillars of the section. DM activity is a sinusoidal curve as well - you can only go down so much, after which, you eventually have to make your way back up (with or without the same people).
To give an example - I joined DM when there were a completely different group of people who stood as pillars of this section. Active and entertaining members who held together the rest and it did feel like this was it. But most of those members aren't around anymore - and there is a completely new set of people here that call DM home today. Older members may still reminisce about those days, but there's really nothing you can do accept perhaps stop visiting. Either way, DM will continue running the same way.
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