I've been reading for about three years, in fact, I was crushed when they switched formats. Although, the color change was good, because black was depressing.
The forums....
How many threads have gone from a simple question to an all out hate fest?
About 99%
How many threads have gone off topic and ended up in insults?
Nearly all of them
How many threads have been locked for the above reasons?
A few too many, but they shouldn't have gone to shit anyway. It's the fault of too many unprofessionals that think they know-it-all, seen-it-all, done-it-all.
Why is there so much hate in the forums?
Because some people are afraid that someone new, may know something that they do not. It is hard for people to accept the ways of others, especially those they do not know, and things that are done differently than they do. For instance, I'm a Paramedic Instructor at a community college. But, I also teach Con-Ed to seasoned professionals, I have to drill into to these old minds that "you can't do it that way" you actually have to follow protocols and document them. It's even worse when we have to teach them something new. CPAP was a horrible expirence, the "we don't need that crowd" changed their minds quick, and the "It's just an expensive version of the demand valve" got a lesson too. But none changed their attitude.
The chat rooms...
Why do we have people who will chat but hate posting because they get insulted?
Less time to think, more of a person to person deal, I'm better in person than on paper, so to say. Some people will seem smarter than a doctor, but be horrible medics in person.
Why do we have people who post but will not chat because they also get insulted?
Some people don't do chat, maybe they have better things to do?
And what about the site in general....
The main page states roughly 6900 registered users, how many actually visit this site anymore?
Maybe some registered in case they want to reply, but just forget about the site.
Why don't they visit?
I covered that.
How many were bothered by the items listed above and want nothing to do with this site anymore?
Probably a lot, some people just do not like being in the company of ass-holes.
And oh yeah, I'm not quitting this site, I love being a pain in the ass!!!
Darn, because you will probably be one of the people responsible for a couple good medics not comming back. Seeing the site as a waste of time. They don't come here to talk to people who are big headded and full of themselves. They come here to talk to other people in the same field. But when that field, which ever of the 50+ they are in, is the target of the so-called hate, why bother?