The people who have found it harder to post about sensitive / emotive issues are still here - they haven't gone - but they do say they find it harder to be very open. but they are still here. Personally, I think it is only natural that on a much bigger, busier site, people will be less 'cosy' about some things and more aware that it is the www. So , Twig, and others, I honestly don't think you should feel that it is you, or any well known and supportive or interested visitor to the sn board. These posters are all active in other areas of the board to, and have, and contribute to a great time. But it must be harder to have a bigger constituency to explain things to, more downright awkward people than in the old days (just by sheer average of numbers) - and many mums of sn children often comment that they want to come to MN to realx and have a break...not have to explain, or challenge, when they see something a bit discriminatory.
CicoPops - they are not using 'codes' to be awakward, but they must use these terms all the time to get advice and mutual support...the more people visit, the more often they must explain the acronyms. No-one's fault - and they do always explain if asked - but maybe not in the heat of needing urgent advice form someone who is experienced enough to give it to them. i.e not you and not me. They can give eacj other very expert advice in a specialised area - i think we need to remember that.
Perhaps we older. experienced Mn-ers could assist with that a bit more? The general explaining. Dunno.
Also - Coppertops point below: although mums of sn children (mosnc...a new code!!) have said they feel less able to post certain things, and exhausted by explaining (and no doubt flipped thier lids occasionally) they have not asked for A passworded area. It was a suggestion made constructivey buy MNHQ, for consultation...so please please can we not let the consultation become an exacerbating factor in the development of any 'them and us' situation?
Is there really a very bad problem anyway? There was a row...completely over-heated on many sides, and it wasn't actually 'sn' ranged against 'nt' - many people defending one of the positions were NOT mosnc, anyway. Of course personal abuse shouldn't happen, and needs to be deleted, whoever it comes from...but there have been plenty of big rows on mn before - and many of the people involved in all this (from a mixture of viewpoints), particularly the after-shocks, are intelligent, articulate and are well able to take care of themselves. And most of all, don't want a divide, do want mosnc to feel suopprted, ARE sensitive, and are appreciated and acknowledged as being important to people who use the sn board. this has been said lots of times in the past few days!
Anyway, you'll be glad to hear that I am boring myself stupid with all this reasonableness now...and I'm not always reasonable anyway ...so I'm going to listen / read more and post / say less.....which as a principle think might go a long way to make things better, geberally!
Good luck MNHQ with your consultation...I'm off to other threads!