Oh, what a lame question. I'm sorry. I'm having a rotten day.

Just say something nice about the other people here. Whose posts do you look forward to? Who can always be counted on to bring reason to the debate? Who always livens things up? Who makes you laugh?

No bashing. Just say something nice.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Answers

Edging just ahead of you, O our gracious hostess, I say Kim Rollins hands down. On topic, off topic, whatever. I wish there were some way for greenspun to archive the contributions from specific people so I could just go to one page and read all her posts, even without knowing their contexts. Oh Kimmy, we hardly knew ye.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

I appreciate Jim Howard and Jennifer Wade both for their ability to present an issue in a way that I hadn't thought about it, and for their courtesy. Jim's Texas-style conservatism often rubs me the wrong way, but he's obviously a bright and thoughtful guy, and I look forward to his posts. Jen is, I think, farther to the left than I am on a number of issues (not sure where that puts me -- I don't think of myself as a middle-of-the-roader), and also has shown me some issues in a new light.

This little fan letter leaves out a lot of people -- Jackie Collins, Erica Keating, All Schroeder, and Stijn de Jong among them -- who make the forum an interesting place to visit. I think it is the regular contributors who make the xeney forum more fun than any of the other sites I keep on my bookmarks list.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Erica Keating cracks me up even before she's typed anything, because her email address always looks like Eric Cakeating to my eyes.

I also am a big Jennifer Wade fan, because she knows what she's talking about. But aside from her, I can't really separate it out, because it would be easier and quicker to say who I don't like, and that would be mean. So you're all cool, and I also count this forum as the centre of civilised debate in my day.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Gotta say, my favorite debating opponent is Beth, because she's really smart, unfailingly polite, and she never takes it personally when I disagree with her.

I also love Kim Rollins's posts, because she's such a good writer, and is able to articulate her thoughts so well. Same thing goes for Lynda B., whose posts are always thoughtful and clear.

As for the making things lively, well, I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I have a soft spot for Joy Rothke. Again, I don't agree with everything Joy says, but I do find her bluntness to often be amusing.

I thought Dorie Apollonio's posts in the "Third Party Candidate" were terrific. She's another one whose posts I read and then feel that she has said exactly what I was trying to only I did a much clumsier job of it.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Beth, Kim Rollins, Kymm, and Jennifer Wade. Perhaps not a coincidence that theirs were among the first journals I read...

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Kim Rollins, who should just give it up and re-start her online journal.

Beth, Kymm, Tom Dean posts are favorites, too. Oh, and Jackie C.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

You know... I like them all. The thoughtful ones, the passionate ones, the blunt ones, even the ones that seem to drive everyone totally insane. I suppose it's that it's such an outspoken eclectic bunch and the remarkably low ratio of signal to noise - even when we get offtopic, it seems to only be to spawn another interesting topic.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Amen to what Lynda said. She's edged forward as one of all-around favourites just with that brief thought.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

I certainly enjoy discussing issues with Jennifer Wade and the other sincere and articulate liberals here.

I consider most sage adivsors here to be Beth and Lynda B. I stop and listen when they say anything.

But I always enjoy posts from Dave Van, Mike Lung, Jim Valvis, Rob R- H, and Jack Saunders. In fact I wish I could just put those guys into a large bag, shake them up, and then let them out in a room full of web terminals, just to see what would happen.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

A lot of times I'll read a post I like and think, "Who said that?" and I'll look and see that it's Jen, maharishe@yahoo.com. But I couldn't tell you now anything specific that she said.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

i vote for jim howard.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2000

I vote for me as Anonymous Girl, The Poster Who Says Things. You Know. Things. Like That Thing. That She Said. Yeah, That Thing. (But thanks, Gwen! really and true.)

Meanwhile, back at the point: My own favorite posters are Kristin, who is always fun and snap-on, and Beth, who's wicked mean and logical. And smart. But she told me to say that, as she controls my mind, so I don't know if that counts. Also, Gwen is always hysterical.

Oh! The Jackies (how many are there? Geeze) are also way fun to read.

Pah. Who can decide? Y'know what? I love you all. I mean it.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2000

oops. I didn't mean that last to sound as if I was voting for myself as bestest forum person! I'm not! I don't think that!

See, I was just making sort of a joke thing about the unremarkable and mostly forgettable contents of my posts. Like this one. Here. That you're reading. Right now. And forgetting, even as you read. I hope.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2000