Comment by Mz

I place a high value on treating all people with respect and making information equally accessible to all, yet I am increasingly frustrated with the outcomes that seems to get me. I find that a lot of forums have serious problems rooted in the fact that one or two or a few people set the tone for the entire forum and most folks line up to agree with one side and vehemently disagree with the other. This does not allow for a free exchange of information and ideas, which is something I also value highly. I tend to stand against that clique-ish trend, which frequently puts me in hot water. Yet it seems to me that the fact that I don't have a big ego and don't want to be treated like top dog on some list drastically undermines my credibility....but, I also think that the appearance of popularity I once had on a few small lists was more facade than reality. Spin-off lists I started never attracted more than a few members and my websites have never attracted much traffic. I suspect that a vocal minority made me appear more popular than I was.

This article is much food for thought for issues I have long wrestled with and couldn't seem to get any good info on.