The Farewell to Ornery thread kinda started to do so, but then veered off into nostalgia. So I'd like to make it explicit here.
Thank you, Orson Scott and Karen, and everyone else who contributed to this site. It has been my pleasure to participate at this site for over a decade now. This is the one place that I know where you can speak your mind to conservatives, liberals and everyone in between and not be shouted down or (overly) disparaged or bullied into silence. Yes, we argue and fight and gang up and split up and get banned and do everything a raucous house of debate would be expected to do. But we aren't vicious or nasty or overly personal. And I think the Cards deserve the credit for creating that atmosphere.
I've been able to sharpen my arguments here against those who thought I was nuts. I've modified my arguments by those who showed their weaknesses. And I've reconsidered some of them when shown good information and persuasive points of view. It has shown me that some outrageous ideas are not so outrageous, and some that were even more outrageous than I first thought. But all through dialogue with others I respect and who showed me respect.
You created a fine site here, Mr. Card. It may not have met your hope and expectations, but it did a lot of what you wanted. I don't think anyone had a better political site where all topics could be discussed openly and rationally, and were. This board was unique, and may never be seen again.
So thank you for creating this site, maintaining it for all these years, and giving us all the opportunity to voice our thoughts on the issues of our times. It may have been only a small jewel compared to the rest of the net, but it was a jewel nonetheless.
