I have taken all that you have said on board. I have read your replies, over and over again, and I will reply in general terms. Hopefully those of you that have contributed too this discussion, will recognise, to whom I am referring.
Right where do I start. Again can I say, that I do not feel an extra forum would contribute to the downfall or weaken the status of this forum. Yes it can be quiet, but so can the whole website. This very forum was started, on the back of the success of the original N. Ireland forum, and has matured and grown in its own way. I do not feel that there would be any trouble caused by creating a new forum, as often as is the case. New forums appear on the rest of the board, on a regular basis. No-one appears to ever have any complaints about a new forum being created, therefore, where is the extra hassle created. Does it not give us something extra to dip into?
A Southern member replied to me, that he felt like a visitor or foreigner, on this UK board. Maybe that's not the exact words he used, but I'm sure you get my drift, well gents that is exactly how I feel, about being in on the Ireland forum, I know that is not the case ofcourse, I make no apologies for it, thats just the way I feel.
This brings me back to the original reason for the suggestion, and that is a personal identity. I have no problem flitting between threads, and contributing, so why should the rest of you? You don't complain or object to any other threads, so why should the existance of a N. Ireland forum, trouble you so much, if you don't want to contribute, don't come in. If you feel it would hold no interest for you, don't come in, but it wouldn't stop me making a valuable contribution anywhere else, including the Ireland Forum. We all have areas in which we like to contribute to, some we don't contribute too at all.
So what is the big problem? Having a N. Ireland forum I believe would give those of us up north, a place to deal with local issues, and therefore not tying up the rest of the Irish section, with what could be described a boring, mundane, dross. I have nowhere to post this type of information, and so don't, because it would be of absolutely no interest to the Southern Brethern, eg, the Joe Duffy's debacle about the price of a bloody tyre, and the endless threads it created.
All of the above I feel reasonable arguement enough to continue this debate, and I realise that most of the newbies mainly from the North, are coming on here for the first time and saying , 'Ah what a great forum!' Yes it is, and I agree whole heartedly, but what I would say to you is, that it was developed and established from previous good work, and it attracted a tremendous amount of attention from our Southern friends, who had no problem joining in. 'They came in their droves', as they say. But please remember where you come from, and don't chastise me because I dare to request what I feel would be a very small change. I still do not feel I ask a lot, and once established, the contributions would flow.
Once again I leave you to chew over this, and hopefully I may have influenced some in part....
