I've met a lot of kind people here but @WayOut and @Chinaski immediately come to mind. I've seen them destroy certain (potential) scammers. I really enjoyed that. The scum that prey on the desperate deserve no less than WayOut's wrath and Chinaski's elegant wit :)
Also a shout out to the young people on this board. I'm an old guy, I don't spend much time on the off-topic forum. I mostly come here for practical information. But when I do and I browse through some of the threads that are clearly made by young people, I'm always pleasantly surprised by how they support, respect and communicate with each other. I rarely see that on other boards I visit (music, movies, etc.). On those forums I'm sorry to say, the younglings are usually the trolls.
it makes me sad too. Those trolls will probably go on to become successful while many of the young people here remain stuck in misery. Or they'll ctb of course.
I'm 100% pro-choice and I know it's not up to me to judge their pain but sometimes I really have to bite my tongue when I read certain posts.
I want to tell them to give it some more time. That girl/guy that really sees your worth will come along. Or, you can leave that abusive mother/father behind you. In a few years, you'll have much more control over your own life. Don't make irrevocable decisions yet. Give yourself a real chance.
Instead I return to the main forum to read the latest on how to sweeten the taste of N.
It sucks.
Logged on as usual, expecting much of the same, and I read this. I'm not even going to try to say how much those words moved me. No, not the bit about Chinaski and I, but the entire thing. That's real. From a guy, standing there in front of everyone and just talking from the heart.
I completely get what you say about wanting to tell some of the younger people to take a breath and wait a bit, and sometimes it's heartbreaking to hold back the unwanted unwelcome paternalistic comments.
Chinaski certainly does have the gift of elegant wit. Sadly, I have nothing but the feeble stick of wrath to wave around. Thank you, though, for seeing that it's only aimed at fake, harmful scum who flock to sites like this to troll and scam vulnerable people. These people make me so angry. I know the likes of Chinaski, I and many others can't make them go away and stay away, but at least we can stand our ground and see them off when we can. The unfortunate thing is that I get a lot of negative feedback and I'm seen as aggressive, but so be it.
Yes, I agree, there is something very special when you see genuine young people rallying and supporting each other here. It's hard to say this without sounding patronising, but it's true. There is a lot of kindness here.
Thanks, again, Mud, for your words.