Ok then, today let's have a chat about web forums shall we? yes? good :)

They're a lovely idea...a space on the net where, from the comfort of their offices or homes, like-minded people can share views and opinions about the things that interest them. Unfortunately for...well, anyone concerned really...human nature just doesn't work like that and what they *actually* turn into is a place on the web where like-minded people try and convince everyone else that they know best through the power of scathing insults and schoolyard namecalling, eventually the whole thing descends into packs of people who agree with each other marauding about the threads looking for anyone who disagrees with them...or just anyone who happens to be around...and flaming them whilst cackling madly...well perhaps not the cackling madly part...but you get the idea.

But the problem with both the 'Ideal'and 'real' versions of forums is they centre around one idea...the 'sharing' of your opinions (note the quotation marks round the word sharing...yes that means i'm being sarcastic)...which is where it all falls down really, I don't care what anyone says, deep down you always believe that *you* are right...I know I do, even when i'm wrong I still don't care what someone else says, as far as i'm concerned i'm right :) and that's not just me being arrogant ('cos i'm not) it's just the truth, as far as everyone's concerned *their* opinion is the right one...therefore trying to convince them that *they* are wrong is not just intensely difficult, it's impossible...even if they agree with you it's more than likely just to shut you up! you're NEVER going to change someone's opinion by talking to them about it because we're only people...which means we're petty, small minded, jealous, egocentric fools (myself included...obviously to a lesser degree than the rest of the world but still a little bit :)) and I think everyone would save themselves a lot of time and wasted chagrin if they just accepted that "opinions are like arseholes...everyone's got one and everyone elses stinks" :)

Oh, and since this is just my opinion don't think I don't see the irony of me trying to explain my opinion about the pointlessness of trying to explain opinions to people on the web...because I do...yes, very funny :)