I'll bite....gently ....often what is seen as toxic or trolling ,is a misguided attempt at wit or banter ....forgetting that there is:
a) A generation gap.
b) A lack of comprehension of each nations sense of humour.
c) Misunderstanding of a common language.
d) But the most important is this one ...when you hear the phrase "I play the ukelele"..once upon a time it meant one thing and one style.
That has changed so dramatically on this third Wave of popularity and often leads now to the bust ups and crossed wires .
So many different methods , styles and schools of thought .......and so many different levels of experience.
Still ,it's been fun,mostly.
All your points are valid, but they've also been offered up as an "apology" for someone just being an ass.
From what I've seen lately is when a thread starts to go sideways someone will step in and say "let's keep the aloha spirit in mind" (or something to that effect), and then that person gets attacked from a barrage of people implying first amendment rights, opposing ideas are good, "civil" discussion is needed, etc. etc.
Usually that person is genuinely imbedded in the "aloha spirit" or from Hawaii where it's not only practiced, but an actual law. The people who say the forum Is different aren't romanticizing something that never truly existed, because at one time, when UU was smaller, it did exist.
I think people come aboard now a days trying to establish themselves, to puff out their chests and be noticed as the UU alpha when really we are all guests of the people who truly do own the forum, Rayan, Aaron and Aldrine. Their goal was to spread aloha through the ukulele and the forum is their playground where they allow us to play. We lose sight of that. We think it's ours to control and it's not. This forum is by no means out of control and is still one of the friendliest on the Internet . . . but it isn't as aloha as it used to be and that's not me waxing for the old days.
Like a growing family, as the generations pass, we lose some of our culture and start to blend with the larger society and the elders sit back and mourn the loss of traditions, and cultural identity. The UU Ohana grew fast, and we're just experiencing the result of that growth. We also have less of the original posters participating, many of which are from Hawaii and live that aloha spirit, so there are fewer examples to listen to, and learn from by example.
When people say it's changed, it's because it has.
Are change and growth a good thing?
Not always. But like I said in my earlier post. It is what is or what we make it to be.
). I grew up with old people when I was young and am older now so I span a broad time period and probably have a better grasp of the last 110 years than most here. I'm also fluent in different versions, variations, usages, slang and patois of English.
