<br>I just would like a new name for the SoapBox!<br>And a better description ...... perhaps we could make that a project for the day?<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

well, i consider myself a MM member and not someone just arriving. i agree with Eck, fwiw. if the MacTech forum is going to become a vibrant part of the MM experience then i'd prefer MM to be 2 main forums just like it was a few weeks ago when folks rarely used the MacTech forum and it had another name. MM has long been a 2 forum community for all intents and purposes. now folks here are acting like MC is trying to change it to 2 forums. from my perspective, it's changed to 3 forums just in the past few weeks. some of us like the MM we had with just weeks ago.<br><br>my recommendation would be to have a MacTech forum and a Lounge forum for non-Apple and technology talk. but that's not happening. <br><br>perhaps we can call the Reader Cafe something different since i am not technically supposed to discuss the articles i read on the MM front page here any more. my recommendation is as follows:<br>Mac Talk (or Reader Cafe)<br>Fluff and Stuff<br>Thinking Cap<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by FSM on 01/22/08 08:51 AM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

[color:blue]I do not care if the Soapbox name changes....</font color=blue><br><br>now we are getting somewhere!<br>Think of it this way: maybe you're not losing an (unloved) division but gaining a community! :)<br><br><br><br><br>

then i'd prefer MM to be 2 main forums just like it was a few weeks ago<br><br>Difference is, I think most of the members here always *wanted* a more thriving Tech-related forum, but it never got off the ground because of a lack of traffic.<br><br>Besides, your motivation for wanting everything to be merged seems to be based more on OCD and/or or a reluctance to have more than one window or tab open... <br><br>[color:purple]Work With ____! </font color=purple>

[color:blue]I am sure none there want to hear me whine about the way American politics treats the rest of the world.</font color=blue><br><br>Why do you think that?<br>Party politics are boring for the most part, but everything else of importance in the world, is somehow political.<br>I have learned a great deal from my years at MC. Interesting links to articles and films, and just reading what others believe and think.<br>And for the most part, even during the heated times of 2003, discourse can remain civil.<br><br><br><br><br>

Whatever everybody decides is fine by me.<br>I'll be relaxing over at MacTech. <br>I'll be back when I see the puff of white smoke.<br><br><br>

<br>[color:blue]I think most of the members here always *wanted* a more thriving Tech-related forum, but it never got off the ground because of a lack of traffic.</font color=blue><br><br>... having us come over may help with that! <br>Our General Forum was quite active, and there are plenty of people here, who have questions and can offer advice. <br><br>I understand and respect your desire to have a zero-controversy room, this one, and since that 3-room set-up is already fait accompli, wouldn't this be an ideal time, to look at the furniture?<br><br>If SoapBox were to become something like "Current Affairs" where all interesting topics could be discussed from various angles, I think that would add to the usefulness of those 3 rooms.<br><br><br><br>

I like it here because of the way the categories of topics are split. I think it is just right but see no reason you can't rename the political forum. <br>I am not the top poster although I am here everyday. I welcome the new people as it is nice to see some names I remember however I don't relish combining any of the forums. I now check the tech section much more. <br><br>oh yeah, that's going in the blog

my motivation is that i my thinking isn't compartmentalized. when i walk into the coffee lounge at work, we talk about work and about politics and about family and life. real people having real discussions. the benefit to being online is that i don't have to sit and listen to Carol talk about her granddaughter when i am online . . . i can just skip right past her post or her topics. easy. but to move Carol to a room down the hall seems silly when i can just skip her posts online when i am not in the mood. score 1 for online discussions without the need to compartmentalize and segregate.<br><br>but, this is a losing position. people are set to have MM now be a 3 forum community. i agree that the political forum should probably be named Current Events and i'd like to see the Reader Cafe get a new name as well since the naming changes are already happening. <br><br>

I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but forum behavior doesn't emulate 'real world' discussions 100% of the time. Whereas facial expressions and tone of voice can go a long way towards maintaining civility in a conversation in meat space, "smilies" don't always cut it here in cyberspace.<br><br>Not to mention that everyone's level of courage increases tenfold when hiding behind an online persona. If half the stuff said to me online was presented to my face in 'real life', there'd probably be punches thrown at some point.<br><br><br><br><br>[color:purple]Work With ____! </font color=purple>