This site has become such a venue for hate and discontent by so many far left and far right members that it has become a lot of useless reading. I for one will be spending a lot less time on here. It has so much good information, it is sad that a few malcontents have taken it to the extremes or political hate. If by chance you happen to see you page views and other things drop, you may begin to see why. This will probably be flagged for removal, but so be it.

Just remember the vitriol rarely spills over to other forums. There are reasons why many boards do not allow discussions on religion, politics or sex. They just become too volatile. I do understand why they are allowed here -- all three are an integral part of a community and TOTV is a community about a community.

I agree with Red. TOTV is a community forum about a community and with a plethora of subjects that different members want to discuss. There are happy threads, informational threads, funny threads, and yes, political threads where things get a bit heated. The great thing is that we can pick and choose what we want to read and to which threads we want to respond.

Nothing going downhill in my opinion......

VK

12Ride - you are right on with your assessment of this site. It has become a tough place to visit due to the very strong opinions and lack respect for some of the posts. It is dominated by about a dozen members who can have 4 -5 -6 posts going art any time. It has become a chat room for a chosen few - and you had better agree with their point of view.
I log on a couple of times a day to see if there is any new info on restaurants or places of interest but my time on line is growing shorter and shorter. This used to be a great site but has gone down hill over the last 4 or 5 months. :dontknow:

This site has become such a venue for hate and discontent.

Your statement is no less volatile or controversial than exactly what you speak of.

Sorry, I don't understand your perseption of TOTV. Yes, there is a political forum here and of course it can get controversial at times. Since when is political discussion not controversial? It's no different than TV or radio. If you don't like the station you have have other choices. There are dozens of other boards on TOTV with thousands of valuable, fun loving, informational posts regarding everyday life in The Villages. It's all in the attitude. If I don't like the subject or content of a post I don't read it. There's plenty of material here to choose from.

I am really disheartened by the fact that some feel that TOTV has deteriorated in quality. I for one have watched it grow and double in size since I joined less than a year ago. This site has given me friends that I later met in person that I will never forget and that have been so helpful

I'll never forget the day when I made an error installing new battery cables on my cart and Villager07 came right to my rescue with a printed out wiring diagram she found on the internet. All because we had become friends right here

I love to discuss politics however believe it or not I purposefully avoid the political forum because I tend to get emotional. Thats the beauty of this site, you can pick and choose your interests

To those who feel TOTV has "gone downhill", please reconsider, and use the site for all the wealth of information it has to offer. The folks that contribute to this site come from an thousand different backgrounds and have so much to share. I once said " I never met a person that couldn't teach me something"

Forgive me for being silly at times, I have always found success in making friends with laughter

Handie :joke:

I'm a newbie, a wannabee and have only been participating on TOTV for a short time but I have been attracted to other cyber FORUMS since going online when I retired 8 years ago. So, here's my two-cents worth of comment:

TOTV is IMHO the best public forum I've encountered.

People will be people; like in the real world... they all have personal issues that we know nothing about. Some are mean-spirited, some are under the influence of drugs or whatever, some have physical and mental pain; most are intelligent, articulate and potential friends.

I try to dismiss the inappropriate comments and "consider the source". This forum is still the most informative site for anyone having an interest in The Villages. Just my humble opinion ;D

I agree, Coney. I log on all through the day to see what has been posted. I thoroughly enjoy this site. I post much more now that I've met so many of you. There are some threads I never read. It's like being a kid and going to HoJo's....lots of flavors...pick what you like.

Sam,

I agree. It is like HoJo's, lots of flavors. I was about to say that it is like a buffet. Take what you want and leave the rest. I like your food comparison better though. I did so love their chocolate chip.

What I find here is that people try to inform and encourage each other if they can. I have found so much help with our decision to buy in TV. I also know that I can find something to chuckle about each day. The fact that we are all in relatively the same age group is good, too. We have some common interests and concerns. I have never posted on a board before. This one works. I think the administrators must be doing an outstanding job because the vile and the pervy don't get through. It's cyberspace. You know they must be trying. I can't imagine how the men behind the curtain protect us from the real nutjobs, but I am sure they fend off a few each day. The internet is the world and all that entails.

I just mostly ignore the limited amount of spew-ese that shows up here from time to time. That's the kind of stuff I avoid with people I can actually see, too.

Is there somebody who is making TOTVers read every single post and I just don't know yet that I am supposed to do that?

Hey, btw, I really like the book reviews that appear here from time to time. I am working on a couple of different books right now but I have not finished either one yet. Maybe somebody who has a good one will dredge up that thread from TOTV and give us a rec. Buttttt - nothing political please. Oh no, now I am turning into the thought police. Help me, Rhonda. Help, help me Rhonda.

I must be off.

Boomer

As one of the most prolific posters, I try to be friendly and respectful towards all other posters no matter what their opinions on politics, religion, or whatever happens to be. I may not be friendly towards various politicians, writers, movie directors, and the like but they are fair game within certain limits of time, place, and content.

TOTV seems to be gaining in page views every minute, attracting new members, and maybe making a difference in the choices people make.

The administrators should be proud of their creation of TOTV.

Believe that many of the other top ten posters are also very respectful of the opinions of others. https://www.talkofthevillages.com/sm...p?action=stats

Ahh my favorite subject is always touched upon sooner or later in many posts. Please do not condemn a totally democratic process for the sake of a few.
By it's very nature, if you go to the political forum, what do you expect to find all nice nice with no controversy.

I tend to think of myself as a constructive non conformist.

No struggle no progress.

I guess some would insist that the media is going down hill because of the way they present their agendas.

I for one salute those that take the time to be heard (read). The problem is, there are not enough willing to take the time or the heat to present their views/case.

Those who frequent forums are experienced to know there are those that do nothing but stir the pot. They become readily recognizeable after a time.

I would not forsake a worthy forum on the internet, the TOTV or many others because there is some consternation.

I used to tell folks....put on your thick skin...jump in and join the fray.....and by all means STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!!!

Please don't tar a god utilitarian forum like TOTV for the few posts that may not be to ones liking.

I agree there are times when folks take a subject to the personal level....here I choose to call that their style.

Our lawmakers actually count on people not wanting to wade into controversy....gives them free reign.

Hats off to the administrators for allowing the 1st amendment to flourish!!!!

BTK

Excellent post, BTK. :bigthumbsup:

I agree BTK :bigthumbsup:, although at times I disagree with some posts. But that is my choice and I will still read and try to understand their viewpoint. Thanks, well said!!

What good is a forum without discontent, differences of opinion, and discussion.

I do sometimes cringe at the barbs and disregard for other people's opinions. That being said TOTV is thriving and still a fountain of information, with a good measure of give and take.

I like Sam visit daily, sometimes several times daily if there is a particular discussion of interest. However, I can as easily choose to not participate.