pea >> *yawn*

I'm kind of wondering what excitement people actually expect on a PhD forum such as this. Arguably the nature of the forum hasn't changed but just reverted to its intended purpose. It shouldn't be seen [IMO] as a vehicle to ease the psychological stresses for just a small clique of posters [what it was becoming], but rather should be for the wider PhD community. I’m not suggesting it can’t be fun too but you can’t get away from its primary purpose. There’s a big web out there for those who are just 'bored'.

Yes if you find it so very dreary on here the rest of the web is your oyster….

I don't think my post warrants caustic comments or puerile yawning gestures. Its just a few people have started threads with genuine questions and problems which are troubling them or good news stories about getting funding etc, I think it would have been gracious to simply apologize to the posters you might have offended with alluding to the fact they are dull or simply said nothing, thats why I laughed. I hadn't been on here for 3 or 4 days and the minute I popped a post on MistaG was there - which made me chuckle. Thats all .

Actually pea, if you haven't noticed, I have answered a few of the question/advice type threads myself as per usual. There is nothing wrong with that main element of this forum.

What I was complaining about what losing the "fun" element with a few jokey threads. Yes even I admitted the constant bringing up of old threads was over the top and even DanB and Sylvester could see it. I hardly think by me calling the forum "boring" it is insulting to the posters who have genuine problems/queries, not everyone takes things personally like you do pea. To be fair, it was your posts on this thread that are boring. If you hadn't noticed already, I started it in a "jokey" way, so why bother trying to change it into something serious - lighten up a bit, PhDs are already serious enough as they are. If you don't want to participate in non-serious matters, then please don't. I however feel that it's possible to have a balance of the two, although not in this forum it seems anymore.

H - Did you know that Dublin is the biggest city in the world?

It is you know - it just keeps Dublin and Dublin and Dublin!!

You see - I too agree that there should be a balance of fun and serious posts. It's just when it gets ridiculous "Ban me, ban me" etc that I think enough is enough.

CHILL OUT! Bit like calling the kettle black saying I'm uptight H!
…Personally I find the constant personal slights & underhand digs at people really, really VERY boring H, more boring than anything.

I totally agree the forum needs balance. Its good to have banter & read peoples funny comments but, as Happy Days says it is best to strike a balance so the actual intended purpose of the forum doesn’t get diluted.

If that opinion makes me uptight and doesn't appeal to your sense of humour, well whatever - Why don't you forget about it and go & do something less boring instead!

I am

*YAWN*

I agree the forum has become rather dull. Yes the site is predominately for giving advice to current and prospective postgrad students, but doing a PhD and looking for a studentship etc. are both stressful at times and a site like this provides the opportunity to have a laugh with people in the same situation as yourself who understand what you are going through. From what I have seen the humour has been more or less censored and given way to backbiting. Plus i find it rather hypocritcal that some users are slating the actions of former users when they themselves took part in the frivolity. With this I am signing out good luck to everyone.

*YAWN*