When I came to this board, it was THE Message Board of Cagle and company. We were invited to post our comments about the Cagle political cartoons. I came for a very long time just to see the cartoons, even shared them with others on the internet. Then one day I decided to post my comments. It was interesting back in those days, new people coming in. New ideas. But then Cagle changed format. This "cyberporch" hung in, in the way that Cagle came to post its 2 cents, that we were like a "back room" that no one else knew about. Someone dubbed this a "porch."

And it has steadily ingrown in an incest kind of way. It is like a cross between a Chat Room and a Message Board.

Yet, for all the fact it is composed of just a few people, there is a broad variety of viewpoints, people of different places, latitudes and longitudes, backgrounds, ages, martial status, some have children some don't, etc. A good "cross section" of the nation, the world, in some ways.

What CAN be done with it?

From a board that could be a view into various points of view by the people here, it is often a place of horseshitting (fun fun fun, of course), or of relaying articles from other sources, (intereting of course), rather than the firm-out view of the persons themselves.

Where this board has been its best has been its concern when people here are hurting. When Big Daddy shared how he felt when his girl friend left, when other lovelorn feelings have come up, this board has come through with great love. Such as the support of Dr Bill's leg injury.

There is a high potential for "polyscopicism" here, that has not matured yet. But the potential for what this small board could be is wide open. No censors, no set agendas, a kind of freedom that is exciting.

Yes, as has been touched upon, there are message boards that are highly censored. Delphi Forums, where I have been a member the longest, has a protocol that everyone must read before even posting. Any abusive language brings banishment from the board. One hostess said that we could bash any public figures, Bush and any others, to the hilt, but any abusive tone to those of fellow posters would result in banning, she meant it, SNIPE, SNIPE.

What I look for in this board and other boards on the internet, is a view as to what people are actually thinking about what is going on in the world. I can read the newspapers, see the TV news programs, other programs such as Talk Shows, and hear a version of what people think.

But the real inward feelings of what real people are really thinking are not there in newscast, newspapers, Talk Shows, and the like where everything is dusted off and presented with a view of how we the "public" might react.

I have mentioned Bully Pulpit on Delphi Forums that I like to go to. Often I do not post, just read through what people are talking about and saying, and they talk about everything, everything, going on. I am sometimes surprised to see how thorough they are. Well, it is an old board, lot of people from many places posting.

When I come here, it would be refreshing to me to know how people here are thinking about the issues and happenings in the world. Missing that here, I go elsewhere.

But the potential about "polyscopicism" here is what continues to fascinate me about this "Chat Room/Porch/Message Board.

Dr Bill said once that Big Daddy should post more on what Blacks experience in this society. But when Big Daddy does that, he is put down by being called "Pissanmoanie" etc.

Indeed, Dr Bill is the eyes and ears in Hungary for us here. But where is the interest expressed here as to how people in Hungary feel? How do people in Hungary feel about the USA, how do they feel about the candidates now running for president? How do the people of Hungary feel about the economy of the world, about global warming, and the other issues that are going on in the world? I would like to know more about that. What the people of Hungary could "tell" us via Dr Bill would be most interesting.

Well, now I have to go check about the hurricanes. Big Bertha is churning away in the Atlantic. I hope the forecasters are right and Big Bertha will not dump on the eastern USA. But I have also noticed that the hurricanes do not seem to check with the computers that are clocking them as to where they are supposed to go.

10-4

Pissandmoandaddy is put down for being a 24kt liar; not because he is a black man.

Dr Fran, if your tail end was actually around during BigDaddy's last visit, he might have stuck around.

Unebug isn't much of a help for him, I'm afraid.

Oilthieves too, always AWOL when you need him.

Tsu, you are so wise. Drfran is a fine lady and she has much to offer. I cannot speak for her. I just know she is a jewel.

155; I am still trying to figure you out. So you have never told a lie? . Now here is where my Southern - Yankee upbringing might show. I do not believe in lying either but I also know there is stretching the truth, poetic license, role playing. There is also rudeness.

I am bored to tears with the whole unebug / dr. fran thing. That's why I haven't been coming around as much. All it has done is make them both MORE vocal.

Unebug, not to put to fine a point on things, but this board may be fun for you but I can assure you that one of the reasons people stay away from it is because you do not know when to stop. I have told you this time and time again. You flood the board with your opinions and try to dominate every single discussion. It does not even deter you if you don't understand a topic, you will just make something up. It's fine to communicate, but communication and flooding the board with your opinions are two different things. So go ahead and have your fun at the expense of the board, you are the reason we no longer have a prominent position on the Fray and why so many of our good members have left.

Think about that before you post. It doesn't matter that you think this is fun, you need to learn when to self-monitor so that every single discussion topic doesn't become The Unebug Show.

<<<Yankee upbringing might show. I do not believe in lying either but I also know there is stretching the truth, poetic license, role playing. There is also rudeness.>>>>>

Need I say more? Might show she says?

dr fran more vocal. What a bunch of self centered crap. The woman drops by the Fray and speaks a few posts unless you believe DrFran was her speaking. and you say she is speaking out of line. You have your opinion. I have mine. . I will give your opinion as much value as I give mine. Just opinion, not written in stone. Ignore what you want, contribute when you can. I am so proud of your successes. Ignore others and accept that the world is not run by you or anyone. Free to be you and me. That is life.

Really unebug? I am SOO glad you set me straight on that. Because I was under the assumption that YOU were attempting to run this Fray, let alone the world. I know the world isn't run by me, it would be a lot different if it was. I am not the only one with the opinion that you are flooding this board and that it drives others away. As I said, having an opinion is one thing. Flooding the board is quite another. I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't care about those that have left or who may leave if it doesn't get better. You have been just fine today. You have said what you needed to say without making 50 other posts saying more of the same. Try to do that more often.

Go to Hell, Lady. I am 67 years old and If I feel like posting I will. I will be here for who ever wants to read and argue. I am glad you have other things to do just as I am proud of dr-fran and her activities. This board is not the beginning and the ending of life. Maybe you think you are very talented and you are but you have also been rude to others and I would say the rudeness on this board has driven people away. nasty names etc. I would love to have the writng skills of Samuel Clement ? or the memory of dr.fran but instead I am me plain and simple. I think this porch has done well and I will continue to post until I feel I don't want to. Have a good day.

I hvae to admit I haven't been posting much. It seems like no matter what gets posted, it always turns into an Unebug drama/bashfest

it gets really old.

I do, however stop in once or twice a day to read through a few posts.

No need to wish me to hell unebug, I'm on the express train anyway. First class, right next to April. I'm not telling you not to post, just to limit posts so you aren't posting the same thing over and over. BELIEVE ME, we all do that. Most of us anyway. It's called self-monitoring. Try it and I bet you see all the unebigot / unebitch / unewhatever posts drop considerably and it will be a much more pleasant experience for everyone. Damn lady, you are more hardheaded than me and I didn't think that was even possible. Just stop flooding the board and maybe we can keep the hate posts down and focus on what the board should be.

I'll bring some bluebell and we'll have to see if we can eat it all before it melts....

I'll bring the pina coladas!

unrbug:

Go to Hell, Lady. I am 67 years old and If I feel like posting I will.

Unebigot, you are a fucking retard. I can't believe you'd say that to Tex. This is the problem we have with you, you socialist cunt; you don't want anyone else to express their opinions if they disagree with you. When someone points out anything contrary to your warped mindframe, you either ignore it or insult the person. Well fuck you, you Jew hating, dictator-loving, commie cunt. YOU are the one who deserves to go to hell, you hear me, bitch?

Hurricane I like what drfran said about your language. Did it make you feel better to use the word cunt? Is there nothing sacred. So be it. I was kind of tickled that I told Dem to go to hell. That was considered awful in the 40's and 50's. Once I said "Dam ,Emma" and I could not go to a hay ride with a girl friend. I never said it again.

Language does matter. You boys really say some duzzies. Rob has written some very good post in the past that one person could read innocently and another person would get all the sexual innuendoes. My friend Joseph had to point out some of the ones I was missing. Smart. Just swearing is not intelligent. Now. Dem I might be aggravating as can be but I am here and I do not post on everything, I may have smartened up , we do evolve in life just as I am sure you will . Now what is a bluebell? I googgled it and something about flowers came up. Remember that time you shared with April the blue flowers of Texas. That was lovely. That is what women do and all at once the porch became a place of calmness and beauty. Thanks. Talking and sharing. Evolving and growing. Women also do not like other women to tell them what to do. It might be a mother daughter thing in some families ; my neighbor says my family is not unique. Life is fun. I loved drfrans post about all the different ages and backgrounds. Sharing thoughts.