Sarah, Could you add some macro that would publish all my posts in 18 point Bold Arial type, and everyone else's in eight point italic Gothic? Thanks. I'd appreciate it very much.

I think Erin is on to something here. Some forums offer enhanced features to premium members. Frankly, I'd be more inclined to become a premium member if I could add photos, user-friendly HTML encoding, expanded emoticons, etc. I find fdbjr's request impractical, but incredibly funny. In fact, I want all my posts in 24 point New Times Roman! :) IM

Food for thought! Thanks very much. Joeanna, we don't have a translation facility already. I like the idea of making international discussion easier. Erin and IM, if you have time for discussing this - what do you think are the benefits of being able to add photos/pictures? How would it change the nature of discussions? (I'm curious.) Making membership more attractive by offering extras seems like good sense - do you think there would then be a tension between our "openness" and limiting extras to those who were able to pay? Or do you think it's fair enough for a forum that does after all need money to stay independent? Looking forward to more replies... Sarah (- forum moderator) BTW, I think the font we have is nice and plain and clear. (I think Times is a default font on computers - which makes things in Times look like errors to my eye.) But my fantasy forum might have a version of Garamond for some moods! :)

Sarah, "Do you find forum watches useful?" Yes, but they've often been intermittent and unreliable, which rather defeats the object.

Special pleading I know but for someone like me who can barely spell, is likely to put an I where it should be E would much appreciate a spell check that does not have to make the correction, then present one with the next error by yet again unreeling those thoughts about which one has increasing despondency-an then again and--. This is a days work for my speeling (and typing) you see double ee where it should be an L and how many more? Oh well i would be gald oops glad.

> When clicking on a thread, it ought to take you to > the last post, not the first. You already have that function by clicking on the screen name of the last poster. Perhaps this needs to be added in a list of "navigation aids" > An "Ignore List" functionality ought to be provided, > allowing some to block the posts of others. God forbid you might have to read something that disagrees with your point of view and changes your mind. Disagree with this one. Neo can be annoying, but I wouldn't put her on the "ignore list." Consider the poster who insists on posting crap about "space aliens" is generally ignored...without the use of a button. > Delete the "edited by" postscript as it is > superfluous. Agree. The only time this is relevant is when it is edited by a third party---the moderator. > Allow small images of a given maximum size, for > sometimes one picture is worth a thousand words. Agree. But there needs to be some guidelines and oversight. For instance, Neo is obsessed with body counts. Would you allow her to barrage the boards with photos of mutilated corpses? No thanks. > Posters who revert to consistent personal abuse of > other posters ought to be barred. Disagree. "personal abuse" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. Frankly, I think democracy is working just fine. The boards pretty much respond to serial abusers. > Threads ought to be opened only by moderators, hence > concentrating the discussion and preventing diffuse > multiple threads on the same topic. Disagree. This is consistent with Neo's politics and desire for the "nanny state." ;) Seriously, once people lose the ability to open a thread of interest, this will no longer be "open" democracy and OD staff will lose the insight into the issues and points of view people are interested and talking about. One new onefor you... Please consider making sign-in easier and faster with cookies (or other device) that "remembers us" and our screen names and passwords in the data windows. Thanks, IM

Neo, No need to lecture me about the realities of war. I've lived it...have you? The realities of war also include the gratifying image of soldiers treating children injured by indiscriminate insurgent attack and freeing imprisoned women from the rape rooms of Saddam Hussein. But thank you for making my point since you clearly find mutilated bodies so sentimental. It's exactly your sentiment which makes posting photos such a dilemma. IM

Ahem. Important and painful though this stuff is, it's probably not going to result in many direct fixes to the website.