> Re-stating your opinion in a half dozen different ways doesn't make it any more (or less) valid, it just makes others feel like you're pushing an issue into their faces.

I appreciate that restating an opinion in half a dozen ways doesn't make it any more (or less valid). I don't think I did this, however.

> it would be nice and interesting to see what other people's opinions are on it.

It surely would.

> But generally I don't change a long-standing community guideline on a whim (or even a single discussion).

Sure. As I said (and sometimes when people misunderstand it IS worth repeating a point so as to clarify) it isn't about effecting change so much as it is about having a discussion.

> When such a guideline wasn't in place, I found a few key community members would orient toward this issue and spend all of their time in the community focusing on it, to the detriment of general emotional support and sharing that communities like this are about. It only takes a handful of people in an online community to cause misery to a far greater number of people. So it is experience-based. (The same reasoning also goes to the discussion of administrative issues.)

Okay. Though of course there are many different online forums with many different ways of doing things. I'm not trying to effect change so much as I am trying to get people to think.

Why? Because I have this funny ideal of what is called a deliberative democracy. The idea with a deliberative democracy is that people talk about their reasons and stuff. What tends to happen with a deliberative democracy is that consensus is reached - or that if consensus is not reached at least people have a good understanding of what the points of difference are. For example, in the course of this discussion you have clarified your stance so that people can better understand your reasons.

It is a process thing (the deliberative democracy idea). It only works insofar as you have a population who can think critically and discuss things without degenerating to personal attacks and insults and so forth. Critical thinking skills improve with practice...

I like to think that one day... There won't be wars because we won't have to use force to assert our will. Rather a deliberative democratic process will ensure everyone is heard and their rationale is taken into account and that consensus is the aim - even if it is not achieved.

Anyhoo... I'll leave the thread now (I guess that was the suggestion)...