[fox46]

As a thought experiment: "I love team 2013" is the exact same statement (albeit multiplied by -1) as "I hate team 2013". For one statement to be acceptable and the other not, doesn't really make sense now does it? However, the first is perfectly acceptable to post while the second is not. Each one should be met with the same response if you truly want the most out of our discussions here on CD- "Why do you love/hate team 2013?". The problem is that the first makes everyone feel happy and fuzzy inside and hence goes unquestioned. The second, elicits "That's not GP of you". In either case we fail to discover the merits or deficits of team 2013.

People do not always agree on things. When you appeal to a community for answers to technical questions or solicit an opinion, you have to accept the fact that not everyone is going to agree with each other. Each has their own views of a situation and what the best solution is. If you solicit these responses from people, then be ready for them to defend their views and ways of thinking against each other in whatever method they choose.

For someone to say "I want to know what you all think, but I want everyone to give me the same answer and agree" is not conducive to a productive discussion so don't expect it when you make a post.

Some of the greatest advances in history are a direct result of conflict. Arguments and bickering are indeed part of the discussion- they are the result of individuals attempting to assert themselves in a forum where I am sure many feel as if they are not heard. It may need to be managed, if not to protect the delicate egos of everyone involved, then to simply filter out some of the tripe in many of the threads these days but I implore everyone to STOP HIDING BEHIND THE GUISE OF GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM WHEN SOMEONE DOES NOT AGREE WITH YOU. It cheapens the meaning of the term and does nothing to further the discussion. If someone doesn't agree with you and says your idea will not work, or when someone thinks something or someone is bad etc- don't just hurl the accusation that they are being ungracious. Understand that this person has been influenced by an experience(s) or event(s) that has caused them to arrive at their statement and it is not appropriate for you to dismiss their views simply because they don't make you feel happy inside.

In the end, if you want a forum where valid, discussion takes place- where opinions are collected (and in a discussion forum like this, 99% of what takes place are opinions whether the participants accept this or not) then you're going to have to take the good with the bad and accept the fact that not everyone is as happy as you, not everyone shares the same opinions and not everyone agrees that a swerve drive can overpower a skid steer drive etc.

If you don't like where a discussion is headed, then don't participate. On the internet, everyone considers themselves an expert and everyone has an opinion - this is the reality. If you squelch it because it does not make you feel good then you loose part of what makes an open forum so valuable.

IMHO: Take the bad with the good and get over yourselves. Parse the information you collect using your objective thinking skills and form your own opinions whether they are good or bad, agree with your premises or not. If we get rid of the negativity, we lose half the experience.