I don't get the purpose of this forum sometimes.

I've seen people here get lectured by mods twice now, once for questioning what they read in a thread, and just recently for what amounted to offering too much advice, or judgement.

Apparently it's fine to start thread after thread after thread about more or less the same topic, elicit feedback from people and then start another thread about pretty much the same thing and at no time is anybody allowed to point out that what the OP is doing is counter productive.

Some have said it's because people just want to 'vent'. Fine

Here's the thing, if a poster just wants to 'vent', why do they have to do it to a group of people who are then shut down if they have something to say about it besides 'there there'?

It seems to me that unless total unconditional (I'd even go so far as to say mindless) agreement is offered, people are censured.

Basically, you can post whatever thread you like about whatever problem you like and say whatever you like, but if anybody dares respond to you, then they're a problem and they have to be shut down because nobody is ever allowed to judge. People are allowed to 'vent' endlessly, and make multiple posts on the same issue, and start discussions about themselves as much as they like, but if an actual discussion happens, then all hell breaks loose.

Forums are for discussion. That's literally what the word forum means. And yet, if anyone actually dares use the forum as such, responding to others posts with their feelings and thoughts on it, they're shut down for being 'judgemental'.

What it amounts to, is the members of this forum being forced into basically acting as therapists for random strangers because they have to express nothing other than completely mythical positivity.

The other option, of course, is to say nothing at all. And that sort of defeats the purpose of a forum, doesn't it?

I think this forum would be much healthier if it wasn't forcing a totally fake level of 'acceptance' which isn't actually there by shutting down any kind of thread where any kind of real feedback might be given.

Sometimes people are way off track, and the community could be of use to them, but it's not allowed to be because all we're allowed to do is hold hands, sing kumbaya and maybe make a vision board.