[Professor S]

I think regardless of what strategy you take, you will always come across the one truth of all forums: You can have quantity OR quality. You can't have both. If we don't care about quantity, then why are we even having this discussion? I think the hidden truth is that we want more people; some new blood to give the forum a little life.

As for me being hostile, I do not agree, and to be honest I'm sick of that stereotype. Except for one member, I have not flamed or insulted anyone, and even that was a rare occasion out of sheer white hot frustration. Are my posts challenging at times? Sure. Provocative? Absolutely, and if you'll notice when I get going those threads tend to:

1) Get a ton of views. More than just regular active members can provide. That means there are some lurkers enjoying the spectacle of the debate. Thats how I STARTED HERE, if anyone will remember. I became so enthralled by a contentious console war debate I had to join in.

2) Get a ton of posts. I challenge people so that they'll actually think about their own views and find the will to defend them. There is nothing so pathetic and BORING in this world as a lazy opinion. Those "hostile" threads tend to have some of the most thoughtful and intelligent content on the entire forum (myself excluded).

Perhaps we should have more "hostile" threads, and not less, unless we want to resume out average two sentence posts and continue the decline into summer, when the forum might grind to a complete standstill.