Is the "Open" Forum in decline?

Just a thought from "lurking hybernation".

Is the "Open Forum" in decline?

In the early stages of the new format the "Open" outnumbered all the other forums combined by almost 40%. Today, but more recently, the "Open" is a shadow of itself. With 4245 posts versus 3800 for the others combined, it reflects only a 12% difference now. The biggest drop is in the "threads" department. Now the "Travel" Forum is catching up on the "Open".

Now, it is not that the others or the "Travel" are getting more popular. The problem is the "Open" has been "Hipolitized".

Just like Hipolito does, freedom of speech is being silenced to maintain the status quo. What was the "Open Forum for anyway?
Few threads get large number of viewers anymore, and even less people respond. The gossip attraction is gone. Gossip is a multimillion dollar worldwide business. The last important thread that broke viewing and posting records was banned. DR1 is asking for help to improve. Why? It is important to note that the other forums have large numbers of threads but few responses. People ask a question and most likely between two or three responses later the answer comes in and the thread is dead. The "Open" counts on excitement, gossip, friendly competition and other qualities.

In the effort to get rid of the "roudies" DR1 is killing "roudies" that also put on their "serious" hat in the other forums, which is really where people go for more serious information. People with vast knowledge of DR get swated. You don't have to be banned to disappear. All it takes is a Webmaster getting in the act of publicly attacking its posters. The "quiet" diplomacy of e-mailing warnings is gone. Now, since Hipolito gets away with insulting everyone and getting applauded, it is becoming infectious. The voters will decide later on if he is right after all.

Well, the master plan is working. It has created a boring DR1, which was not helped with the change of format. It is a boring strategy. Save bandwidth!!!

I still say lurking is more exciting than posting here. Back to my hybernating hole..............good night.

TW

To MommC

Dear MommC:

Now that you made it official that it was a trade off of Mommc VS TW let me say that I support you all the way. If it took me going into lurking to let you come out of your lurking days, I will leave DR1 posting and replying all to yourself. I wouldnt want to keep a lady from posting because us "roudies" are upsetting her.

You can have the "Open Forum" all to yourself!!
But, please, please, stop crying about paying for water. It is the law of the land that all water over or underground belongs to the State and the citizens have to pay for it. What you are doing would be called "theft of services" in the United States. If you dont like the salty, polluted water, dont well it up. Leave it there for somebody else to use. You think that DR is a free ride. Forget it!!! Its pay or or shut up. People like you have been getting a free ride for too long. I pay for well water at $1 and regular CAASD water at $4 per 1000 liter or 263 gallons here in Santo Domingo. My well water is even more polluted than yours but we give it a professional treatment and we pay for the pumping, the electricity and the whole investment, but still have to pay the government. Why cant you??

Maybe the government ought to check and see if you pay any luxury taxes on your land too. Hey, no more poor people. Everybody has to pay up or take a boat to Puerto Rico. The hand me down days are over. We are not going to pay for the poor and the slick anymore. I cant stand Hipolito and his crew of gangsters, but they are right in collecting from everyone. It is not them demanding this, it is us the real tax payers.

By the Rob, where is Tiger, Tony C, Tom,CES, Grahame Bush, only to name a few of the people who have disappeared?

TW

Is Islam for gays?

SuarezN:

If Islam is a religion started by and for gays, catholics, jews and protestants are in trouble!!! Be prepared then for a gay world.
In case you dont notice it, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It expands agressively as the Sahara desert over the flood plains of the Niger River in West Africa.

Take West Africa for example. Prior to 700AD before the Empire of Ghana, the Land of Gold, came into being, typical African tribes, like the Dogons dominated the desert. Then Prince Sunjata, a smart administrator and innovator created the great Mali Empire and was succeeded by Emperor Mansa Musa around 1200AD. Mansa Musa made the first pilgrimage to Mecca by any African leader and took so much gold to the East that when he arrived in Egypt, the value of gold went down. He spread gold among the rich and the poor. His influence and reputation grew. Then the Persians, along with the Portuguese, The Spaniards and other Western civilizations went to the east Coast of Africa. But it was the Arabs and Muslim civilizations that prevailed in Swahili land and Islam spread througout the cities of Mombasa,Kilwa,the city of fortunes, Mogadishu(Somalia), Zanzibar,the spice island and all the way to Sofala near the Kalahari. Islam took over most of civilized Africa and other religions were left with their mouth open. Only in a few places the Italians left just monuments, like a prototype of the Arc d Triomphe in Paris, but the minds of the people remain with the prophet Muhammad. Askia Muhammad, another great leader created the nation of Songhai, that occupied most of central West Africa and the Moroccan Berber people dominated the North and later much of Wets Africa. So it was a complete Islamic victory. The history of Asia and the Middle east is well known. Now the great battle is in Europe, where Islam is beginning to get a hold of the poor, the disinchanted and the disenfranchised. The neighborhoods and ghettos of the great cities of Europe is being invaded by Islam. Islam is not longer relegated to dark people anymore. White ministers are opening mosques as big as the great Mosque at Sankore and Jenne in the legendary cities of Timbuktu and Jenne.

So my friend, watch out for the Muslims.

As for MommC: As I said, if you dont like Dominican corruption, try living in Miami corruption, or New York City corruption, or perhaps you may want to trade Hipolito for Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago, theres a good one, who knows how to buy votes. How about L.A. corruption. You think our AMET are tough and abusive? Ever tried fooling around with the corrupt LAPD?

And ladies and gentlemen!!!MommC just discovered $22 bottled water!!!!! It seems we get our Agua Crystal and Planeta Azul for free. Lady take a hike. Either pay up or go gome! Any way, dont worry about Hipolito. The next one will do the same. We are a corrupt society. Learn to live with it. Do you play dirty when your husband is not around? Nothing wrong with it. 80% of Dominican women do it!

TW