Poirot I can do nothing but agree, those fears haunt me, the fact we are getting some very weird posters.
Not a recent thing, I have been in deep contemplation for a few mounths about that.
But in truth, I can not settle in leftist only country.
My thoughts and my words, as is my love of Labor, shame at its faceless men, not faceless right wing union power brokers, see rubbish who got spot in SA first.
Shadow Minister, what can I say? he must be this sites biggest contributor.
All the less than intelegent posters are less a pain than him.
Not for his defence of his views but the refusal to see truth.
I increasingly question my self, why do I need OLO.
Read how this country is broke, how we soon will be as bad off as Spain as Greece, see the taunt, that the awful Gillard lies, yet Abbottism see,s his front bench lie every time their mouth opens.
A recent arrival flamed me all day you can bet one of the few sent him.
Poirot at our very worst the ALP gets two party preferred 47%
Yet not only Indy chants mindlessly we are betraying this country? for voting Labor.
You and I have some common ground and some we never will agree on,as is the case with some very good conservative posters and me.
But some now are land mines, I must avoid, that number is increasing with some CLEARLY THROWN out of other forums.
We are our own problem,avoid the ego driven insults of SM avoid those you feel are not worth the trouble.
The Australian Labor Party has a proud history and has played a big part in this country.
Increasingly, posters with suspect IQ claim we,all who vote for them are lessor humans, this site needs some who stand and fight such as SHADOW MINISTER or it is not going to be a two sided debating site.

Belly,

Just further to my previous point. I have in the past visited sites of a more left-wing flavour. Many of them served merely as forums for one particular point of view, and as such, mainly consisted of a cheer-squad for the left. The participants chased away any dissenting opinion. That is not the way to provide a balanced forum for debate.

OLO, is well-placed to provide such a balanced forum. As you note, it is superior in many ways to most blogging sites. Unfortunately, it seems a similar thing is happening here insidiously over time. We know there has always been a dearth of women contributors here, perhaps what I'm noticing is an extension of that phenomenon.

As the song goes: "A good heart these days is hard to find."....seeing people like Lexi and bonmot fall by the wayside saddens me.

I wonder if there's any point continuing to frequent a forum where there is little to find agreeable?

Poirot, what's happened to Lexi?

Ludwig,

To be honest, I have no idea.

The last time she was absent for any length of time, she mentioned ill health...so I'm hoping that she's all right. The other alternative is that she got weary of OLO, although she seemed to be a stayer in that respect, and consequently I'm surprised at her prolonged absence.

Poirot you know we have much common ground stay I need mates.
Too the site needs more women .
Lexi has heart trouble,gee we can hope.
She too as have many, has trouble with the boat people and Muslim riot threads.
We must stop.
Just consider.
Are we to add constantly to the list, the one forced down my throat and every one my age?
Do not talk about politics and God? is it to be refugees and Muslims too?
Not for me, Ludwig tell us what you think, not what you think I want you to say what YOU THINK.
Is free speech only for some things?
My fear? Lexi would have said good by, hope she is well.

Belly,

Yes I'll probably stay. There's little point in lamenting the dwindling number of posters of similar ilk to myself and then adding to it.

When all is said and done, this mode of interaction is rather strange, don't you think? We're all disembodied egos floating in the ether It's fascinating, therefore, how our affinities and antagonisms form, detached, as it were, from the usual checks and balances and contingencies of real life.