> Hey all...
>
> After getting fed up with another internet message board, I wandered in here. Is this, I wonder, a oasis in the vast internet wasteland?

Like Quartz said in another reply, Yes. This site and board have actually rekindled my interest in the internet.

> Anyway, since I (like so many others) dislike posts with no real content, I'll pose a question: What is the climate of opinion here? How neutral is the political atmosphere? Or do we not talk about politics? (Due to apathy, disinterest, ect.?) Can I be a loud mouth, or is it wise to be the shy and retiring type, lest I be branded a yahoo, and ignored forever? Is it safe to be a Republican in these quarters, or does Ralph Nader rule the day? (Or, yet, a battleground for Labor/Conservative?)

Politics are discussed freely when somebody wants to bring them up. Religion also seems to come up relatively often. I don't think there IS a general trend in political views on this site-- free debate about them is always interesting and intellectual. I myself am Canadian, and have little to contribute to political discussions, but I LOVE to read them. As for the loudmouth/shy comment, be whatever you want to be. The loudmouths, though, tend to be a lot more fun. ;-)

> Also, a tech question: I filled my handle in the form above. What's to stop someone else from posting under my name?

Nothing at all. However, as Quartz mentioned, most of us regulars are pretty distinctive, and besides, the IP you posted from shows up beside your name. If somebody posted under your name from an IP you had never used before, we would quickly figure out what was going on. That does not seem necessary, though-- this place is VERY friendly (at least, I like to think so) and I doubt any regular here would ever dream of posting under your name.

Having answered your questions, I would like to offer a few suggestions so that you might get the fullest enjoyment out of the site.

1) Try to use the Recent Messages page for keping up with threads. Since older threads get shuffled back onto archive pages, you will never see replies to older threads from the main page. The Recent Messages page, on the other hand, shows messages as they are posted. Once you get used to it (as I have) you will probably prefer it.

2) If you want to get to know the Forum better, read old threads. For the things you mentioned, I would recommend doing a search for posts with the subject "politic"-- That should give you a healthy start. If you want to get to know more about a specific person, you can search for posts by that author. Be warned, though, that some of us have used different names at different times. (I, for example, have used "Don the Monkeyman" as well as "Don" and I think "Don Jackson".)

3) If you LOVE this place, go check out the rest of this site. RinkWorks is a Happy Fun™ place, with lots to do and see. If you REALLY want to get to know the people here on a personal level, drop by RinkChat sometime. For the most part, RinkChat is VERY different from the chat rooms on the rest of the internet. That's not to say we don't goof off at times... You might walk in during a battle of the 733T |-|4X0R5 and never want to come back, but that's the risk you take. :-)

4) I talk WAY too much sometimes. Right now, it is adrenaline and lack of desire to do work that keeps me rambling. Take a look at the "Exciting Times on the Bus" thread if you want to jump right into the personal life of yours truly. (Yes, I know it is very egotistical of me to try to suck someone else into the soap opera that is my life. So sue me.) Anyway, the point of number 4 here is that I'm going to shut up now so you can read something else. :-)

> Jann "I've noticed everyone seems to put a quote in their sig" ette

Don "Yes, the in-name quotes are a heck of a lot of fun. I didn't understand them at all when I first got here (and still don't really understand them now) but they are certainly a nice bit of icing on the cake that is the RinkForum" Monkey