Strangely enough that is the non-app thread

I don't see them as "uncool"

I think you're right in identifying a bit of a siege mentality going on and a suspicion of people from the MF. It's a shame. i think the separation was done with the best intentions but it is law of unintended consequences

I don't feel welcome there.

Yes - it can be. There are very few positive threads on the main board this year and the unpleasant minority are sufficiently vocal and vituperative to taint the whole board. I have no idea why some of them even bother watch, other than to take the opportunity to vent their spleen here.

As for cynicism, I'd say I was slap bang in the middle. For me, the balance has really tipped and the SCD experience on DS is not exactly pleasant any more. Much of the time it's a real trial.

I know, I read what you said earlier. And it cheered me up no end. But that is quite honestly the only time I can remember reading a positive view of the App forum down here. If they get mentioned it's usually a kind of 'if you think that you need to go to the attic' type of comment.

But you're dead right there's suspicion going the other way. I do it myself without thinking... did it a few mins ago... make assumptions about what the MF will say, as if the MF is one big ugly beast instead of loads of individuals, mostly well-meaning, interesting and frankly luvverly.

I have gone from 2 to 12 on ignore which helps with my sanity.

Bloody hell, I'm up to 21! and I'm still insane

But then I find that there are a few posters will jump all over the mildest critical post, claiming hate and how the whole board is mean and nasty. I think there are extremes on both sides.

I guess it's a case of reading a post and not assuming the worst all the time or asking for clarification before you bite.

That's a shame.
Have you posted there much - if so, apologies for 'missing' you

well quite.

in my experience, people like to dish it out, but they sure can't take it. and variations there upon.

Agreed.

I'm not sure that's true.

I well remember that there were complaints that the main page contained so many app threads that - shock horror - FMs were having to trawl around on PAGE 2!! to try and find partially defunct threads. In retrospect, I'd quite happily see Ballroom Bill back on the main page if it meant certain threads were condemned to the DS dungeons never to see the light of day again, know what I mean,

Anyway, I digress. Those with appreciative proclivities were, I suspect, becoming pretty pissed off with having the finger pointed at them for one reason or another, and in the poll & accompanying thread, many of the regulars voted for a sub forum. The final vote was actually pretty close - but enough to send half the forum upstairs.

Bad move.

I think to be fair a good two or three of them this year have got it in the neck.

Denise for her dance background, Victoria for being emotional and Louis for being boring. I think Lisa is still behind these three.

21??

I haven't got anyone on ignore. If I see a post from someone I'm not keen on, I scan it, and if I suss that's it's really going to get up my nose, I just skip it altogether and move on (and confirm my prejudices at the same time )

But 21!!

Give us another try hun, we're nice honest and we're easily distracted by food, drink and half naked sportsmen.

Of course. The problem for me is that a number of more even handed, positive posters have been driven upstairs and have stayed there - and some, as we know, have left the forum altogether.

It doesn't feel like an even balance to me any more - and I read far more than I post, so it's perhaps easier to get an overview and a feel for what's going on.

It was last year. Any time I read a post full of class hatred I just put em on ignore. Poor buggers were probably only flying through, but if they come back... I'm ready

I can put up with ripe humour, angry feeling, vehement expression, bad temper, strong opinions, a well-liked poster going off on one and having to apologise, but old fashioned class hatred just gets me.

Shall I go an let em out??? Watch out for a fluttering of wings

It wasn't just Strictly though. I think it was more actually to do with Big Brother as much as anything else. It had been a very fractious year, the year the Appreciation Attics came into being.

I think the mods were swamped with alerts from the appreciation threads and saw a solution. Make them separate and and also specify they are for positivity only. The fact it means threads - or the main forum - are a bit lopsided probably wasn't foreseen.

Oh - Chelsee....I see.

Funny isn't it? Those are the sort I just see as such complete and utter ar$eholes I couldn't even be bothered to curl my lip at them.

In real life I have a quick temper though. Scares me sometimes...

Have empied ignore list

Ah - OK, I expect you're right then.

Big Brother should have its own set of rules though. That's where I started forum life - so SCD was a haven of sanity by comparison. I've hated seeing it slide down the slippery slope.

They didn't really bother me either, I thought it said more about them than it did about Chelsee.

I haven't - I can get riled and it will subside within a nanosecond. Not worth the effort. Occasionally I can really take against someone or soemthing and then it's implacable war.

Please don't run amok now you're exposed to all those wild eyed posters, will you?

I started DS life on Showbiz BB was a walk in the park and SCD positively sedate

Even now it barely reaches slight grr on the forum clapometer compared to those heady days!

No, it's a good discipline to try to do this without stabilisers

Wish I had your self-righting good temper though