patrick.net

I started posting on Patrick sometime (I think) around 2004 back when the housing bubble was a big deal. Back then at least it seemed to me that most of what was posted here dealt with actual real estate and the housing bubble proper. We had innumerable intelligent, interesting, thought-provoking conversations that in many ways helped me and I'm sure others make better informed decisions in a time of housing bubble madness. It seemed there was more or less a unified feeling of purpose.

That was then. In the time since then it seems like the site has turned into what every other forum is like: a big shouting match primarily between conservatives and liberals. I'm certainly not innocent of getting caught up in the mayhem. If I said things in the past that were offensive to anyone here I apologize.

Lately I've come to realize that there's hardly a day I come here and find anything that's worth reading anymore. Its the same old crap day in, day out: People simply trying to one-up one another by posting little trite and utterly predictable posts about liberals and conservatives.

In the end it can all be boils down to a simple fact: You can't often change people's minds and especially if your tactics involve insults and negative commentary. I also firmly believe that most people are genuinely decent who likely are in agreement with about 95% of one another no matter which way they lean. Its just that those who yell the loudest tend to get all of the attention and hence the concentration of objectionable content one tends to see on forums.

Seriously- if you're either a Democrat or Republican and you don't approve of the job one or the other politicians is doing your best course of action is to simply vote. There is no need to be ugly about it. Use your rights as an American to make your voice heard through the democratic process. Otherwise by calling each other names and wasting time in endless arguments is pointless.

But lastly the main reason I'm out of here is because while politically-based debates on forums have become a modern-day phenomena and nasty comments can be expected it seems to me that the level of outright insulting comments here has reached a fevered pitch. I'm all for a good debate, even if the debate is heated. But lately a lot of these debates have started crossing the line in what I consider unreasonable. Many have simply turned into contests of whom can be the most insulting to each other. Like I said earlier I am not innocent of this either. But in the end all that happens is people walk away from these sorts of debates with no resolution at all. In other words nothing constructive gets accomplished other than a bunch of people got all pissy.

So for me there's nothing beneficial and thus I've decided to call it quits. For those who stay try to be kind to one another. Keep it civil and if you've got opinions that are known to be offensive to some ( and you know it ) then perhaps its best to either keep them to yourself or share with people whom you actually know.

Lastly,
Thanks to those who I got to know over the years. Its been fun, but its time to move on.

Peace.

#housing