Maybe try real names instead?

Tall_Mocha said:

Well considering MOL is VERY biased, a little “old fashioned” and not very helpful depending on your views and or interests, that could be a reason. I can remember when I first joined MOL to see what was going on, also used it to get recommendations regarding home repairs, childcare etc, Now, it’s seriously outdated, out of touch and downright boring. Real names mean nothing. 

soma Social media is a train wreck. The Lounge is a nut house. This place is better.

Redfruit said:

soma Social media is a train wreck. The Lounge is a nut house. This place is better.

I can’t comment on those other sites but if you say this place is better…..

Tall_Mocha said:

Redfruit said:

soma Social media is a train wreck. The Lounge is a nut house. This place is better.

I can’t comment on those other sites but if you say this place is better…..

well you have the lounge where they like to pile on. They convicted a Jewish teacher of a crime against a Muslim girl before the facts were presented. It was horrible. You have soma justice, A site that seeks justice for the oppressed of soma. Smallest violin type stuff there. Soma Action  and Maplewood moms where white women attack white  women for being well, white. The best is soma talks, Run by A Latina woman. It’s hilarious because the maplewood moms site is constantly calling her a racist. Yes, white women attacking a Latina woman for being a racist. It would be hilarious if It weren’t so cruel. Soma talks is great.  Mol is a good site too though I do agree it’s aging out and could use some new blood. That was the point of this thread. 

Tall_Mocha said:

Real names mean nothing. 

You should have seen me try to get a booster vaccine without one.

Unbelievably, NextDoor is a huge pile-on mess. These are supposedly our neighbors! I was so shocked when I just said something completely banal and everyone was all: "You are such a Karen" and "What do you expect when you say something like that?". I don't even remember what it was, but it was completely innocuous. I don't think real names make a difference.

So MOL is boring…and the other sites being named here are “nut houses”…pile on messes… train wrecks… cesspools…and you wonder why most posters here don’t use their real name. 
What is it really that you people want? Excitement? Whatever happened to the swingers club? I remember that was real exciting thread some years back. You guys want to go back to the days when trolls were banned within minutes of their second posts? 
We have lost a lot of good people over the years who were daily posters. I remember some folks would be up all 
night arguing. The addiction has worn off I guess, plus some are having health issues. 
I think drummer boy should receive an award for his dedication to this site…. He’s been beating on those drums forever…

Jaytee said:

So MOL is boring…and the other sites being named here are “nut houses”…pile on messes… train wrecks… cesspools…and you wonder why most posters here don’t use their real name. 
What is it really that you people want? Excitement? Whatever happened to the swingers club? I remember that was real exciting thread some years back. You guys want to go back to the days when trolls were banned within minutes of their second posts? 
We have lost a lot of good people over the years who were daily posters. I remember some folks would be up all 
night arguing. The addiction has worn off I guess, plus some are having health issues. 
I think drummer boy should receive an award for his dedication to this site…. He’s been beating on those drums forever…

I think people who are fond of MOL are trying to figure out a way for the site to grow. 

Redfruit said:

I think people who are fond of MOL are trying to figure out a way for the site to grow. 

Aww... you like it here!  Tho, you do have a strange way of showing it...

sprout said:

Redfruit said:

I think people who are fond of MOL are trying to figure out a way for the site to grow. 

Aww... you like it here!  Tho, you do have a strange way of showing it...

well I like what this site once was. If you had been around back in the day you’d feel similarly. 

You've forgotten me again???  I've been here since 2004. (Or are you suggesting that MOL's best days were more than 17 years ago?). 

sprout said:

You've forgotten me again???  I've been here since 2004. (Or are you suggesting that MOL's best days were more than 17 years ago?). 

I can’t not remember you again if I never remembered you in the first place. 

I joined MOL when it was a dial-up, and comments were limited in size, back when Maplewood was having a revaluation, its  first one in 20 years! I’m thinking 2000, 2001? I used my first name, due to the reval insanity going on in town. Had to protect husband and four kids from blowback!

mtierney said:

I joined MOL when it was a dial-up, and comments were limited in size, back when Maplewood was having a revaluation, its  first one in 20 years! I’m thinking 2000, 2001? I used my first name, due to the reval insanity going on in town. Had to protect husband and four kids from blowback!

I arrived around the same time. Poor Vic, with the bullhorn during reval madness. Mol gave him plenty of **** over that. 

Redfruit said:

Jaytee said:

So MOL is boring…and the other

I think people who are fond of MOL are trying to figure out a way for the site to grow. 

Just a thought: When Politics was separated from the Main forum, did its readership begin the decline which @jamie mentioned? The world seems to be all politics all the time. Perhaps the forums need each other?

mtierney said:

Just a thought: When Politics was separated from the Main forum, did its readership begin the decline which @jamie mentioned? The world seems to be all politics all the time. Perhaps the forums need each other?

I think it’s better the way it is now. If you want to argue politics go seek out your poison. I think it’s slowly getting better actually. What I think we need more of are the helpful threads. Sharing knowledge and general things of interest. The plumbers’ thread is a great start. We can have discussions on DIY home and auto projects that I’m sure will garner a lot of interest. 
Politics is a downer… keep it in the basement.

Redfruit said:

well you have the lounge where they like to pile on. They convicted a Jewish teacher of a crime against a Muslim girl before the facts were presented. It was horrible. You have soma justice, A site that seeks justice for the oppressed of soma. Smallest violin type stuff there. Soma Action  and Maplewood moms where white women attack white  women for being well, white. The best is soma talks, Run by A Latina woman. It’s hilarious because the maplewood moms site is constantly calling her a racist. Yes, white women attacking a Latina woman for being a racist. It would be hilarious if It weren’t so cruel. Soma talks is great.  Mol is a good site too though I do agree it’s aging out and could use some new blood. That was the point of this thread. 

New blood won’t stay, unfortunately. Though I imagine that is the goal. MOL is afraid of change. It’s frowned upon

Aah, there’s that stale humor. I rest my case

Redfruit said:

sprout said:

You've forgotten me again???  I've been here since 2004. (Or are you suggesting that MOL's best days were more than 17 years ago?). 

I can’t not remember you again if I never remembered you in the first place. 

Maybe this will help for future memories.  "I am Sprouticus!"

Oh, wait, perhaps this is better...

"The great SPROUT!!"

sprout said:

Redfruit said:

sprout said:

You've forgotten me again???  I've been here since 2004. (Or are you suggesting that MOL's best days were more than 17 years ago?). 

I can’t not remember you again if I never remembered you in the first place. 

Maybe this will help for future memories.  "I am Sprouticus!"

Oh, wait, perhaps this is better...

"The great SPROUT!!"

again, no but for the most part I used to hang in the politics section so maybe that wasn’t your cup of tea. I also used to focus most of my attention on the usual suspect of posters which was why I stopped the straw top 25 postings. I felt it wasn’t giving everyone a fair chance, especially those posters who weren’t so politically involved. I felt bad when someone would tell me they felt left out. Also, the top 25 was rigged.  The goal was to assure Nohero never won and he never did!

Redfruit said:

again, no but for the most part I used to hang in the politics section so maybe that wasn’t your cup of tea. I also used to focus most of my attention on the usual suspect of posters which was why I stopped the straw top 25 postings. I felt it wasn’t giving everyone a fair chance, especially those posters who weren’t so politically involved. I felt bad when someone would tell me they felt left out. Also, the top 25 was rigged.  The goal was to assure Nohero never won and he never did!

obsession with posters on a local message board is quite unhealthy. How are you so sure Nohero is a man? 
You’re suggesting with this thread that posters here should use their real names? To satisfy your obsession? Really?

Jaytee said:

Redfruit said:

again, no but for the most part I used to hang in the politics section so maybe that wasn’t your cup of tea. I also used to focus most of my attention on the usual suspect of posters which was why I stopped the straw top 25 postings. I felt it wasn’t giving everyone a fair chance, especially those posters who weren’t so politically involved. I felt bad when someone would tell me they felt left out. Also, the top 25 was rigged.  The goal was to assure Nohero never won and he never did!

obsession with posters on a local message board is quite unhealthy. How are you so sure Nohero is a man? 
You’re suggesting with this thread that posters here should use their real names? To satisfy your obsession? Really?

Nohero is very much a man. A good guy too. I’ve always enjoyed my real life conversations with him. Now regarding an unhealthy obsession, Would you please stop quoting and tagging me because I find you extremely boring. 

Jaytee said:
You’re suggesting with this thread that posters here should use their real names? To satisfy your obsession? Really?

Tall_Mocha said:

Well considering MOL is VERY biased, a little “old fashioned” and not very helpful depending on your views and or interests, that could be a reason. I can remember when I first joined MOL to see what was going on, also used it to get recommendations regarding home repairs, childcare etc, Now, it’s seriously outdated, out of touch and downright boring. Real names mean nothing. 

MOL used to be a fantastic resource for home improvement information. We had a bunch of experts who would contribute to lengthy threads that would last for years on subjects like steam heating systems and repairing old windows. You could learn everything about a complicated subject from a single thread. I guess that's "old fashioned"?

But then Facebook arrived and people want instant feedback instead of searching for info, and favor witty repartee/sick burns over thoughtful conversation. So everyone who has a question starts a new thread ("Hey, hive mind! Need a cheap plumber who can fix my leaky faucet today! Go!!!"). The experts and knowledgeable residents get bored with the same questions multiple times a week, so people stop responding and traffic drops. 

I visit Lounge periodically but it's always the same stuff - the outrage du jour, requests for cheap plumbers now, requests for date night recommendations, and 16 people asking if there will be recycling pickup after the upcoming holiday weekend. Just not an interesting place to hang out. 

Just as an example, Sheena used to contribute a lot more on MOL and Lounge -- lengthy, excellent explanations of zoning law, development finance, tax abatements,  etc. -- but then two weeks later another clueless SO resident on Lounge would post an outraged screed about a proposed apartment building and how it would overwhelm our schools and the town leadership is in the pocket of greedy developers, etc., etc. Who can blame her for not responding? And that's how conspiracy theories gain traction.

Tall_Mocha said:

New blood won’t stay, unfortunately. Though I imagine that is the goal. MOL is afraid of change. It’s frowned upon

What kind of change are you recommending to revitalize MOL? 

kthnry said:

Tall_Mocha said:

Well considering MOL is VERY biased, a little “old fashioned” and not very helpful depending on your views and or interests, that could be a reason. I can remember when I first joined MOL to see what was going on, also used it to get recommendations regarding home repairs, childcare etc, Now, it’s seriously outdated, out of touch and downright boring. Real names mean nothing. 

MOL used to be a fantastic resource for home improvement information. We had a bunch of experts who would contribute to lengthy threads that would last for years on subjects like steam heating systems and repairing old windows. You could learn everything about a complicated subject from a single thread. I guess that's "old fashioned"?

But then Facebook arrived and people want instant feedback instead of searching for info, and favor witty repartee/sick burns over thoughtful conversation. So everyone who has a question starts a new thread ("Hey, hive mind! Need a cheap plumber who can fix my leaky faucet today! Go!!!"). The experts and knowledgeable residents get bored with the same questions multiple times a week, so people stop responding and traffic drops. 

I visit Lounge periodically but it's always the same stuff - the outrage du jour, requests for cheap plumbers now, requests for date night recommendations, and 16 people asking if there will be recycling pickup after the upcoming holiday weekend. Just not an interesting place to hang out. 

Just as an example, Sheena used to contribute a lot more on MOL and Lounge -- lengthy, excellent explanations of zoning law, development finance, tax abatements,  etc. -- but then two weeks later another clueless SO resident on Lounge would post an outraged screed about a proposed apartment building and how it would overwhelm our schools and the town leadership is in the pocket of greedy developers, etc., etc. Who can blame her for not responding? And that's how conspiracy theories gain traction.

agreed that the Lounge is just no good but regarding Sheena, I think her personal page has become so trafficked that she can post updates there which she does rather regularly. 

kthnry said:

Tall_Mocha said:

New blood won’t stay, unfortunately. Though I imagine that is the goal. MOL is afraid of change. It’s frowned upon

What kind of change are you recommending to revitalize MOL? 

probably younger blood who might be more comfortable conversing under and with people using their real names. I’ve been personally attacked half a dozen times on this thread alone for suggesting maybe we should use our real names so we know who’s attacking us.  I think younger posters would see this poor behavior and say “mol is not for me.” 

Mol is a good site, remarkable for its longevity given the online forum model is pretty much a vestige of the 1990s/2000s. Like a flip phone. Young people are all on TikTok, snap, WhatsApp and whatever else is new and buzzy. And those platforms may well be old hat within a few years, supplanted by newer stuff. 

Even if all real names would appeal to young people (which is questionable), I highly doubt that would bring in young people.

Redfruit said:

kthnry said:

Tall_Mocha said:

New blood won’t stay, unfortunately. Though I imagine that is the goal. MOL is afraid of change. It’s frowned upon

What kind of change are you recommending to revitalize MOL? 

probably younger blood who might be more comfortable conversing under and with people using their real names. I’ve been personally attacked half a dozen times on this thread alone for suggesting maybe we should use our real names so we know who’s attacking us.  I think younger posters would see this poor behavior and say “mol is not for me.” 

You keep talking about using real names, but you never do? Hypocrisy, thy name is Lee.

Redfruit said:

I’ve been personally attacked half a dozen times on this thread alone for suggesting maybe we should use our real names so we know who’s attacking us.

The easier they bruise on social media, the more pseudonyms make sense.

DaveSchmidt said:

The easier they bruise on social media, the more pseudonyms make sense.

six times…