When I joined this forum two and a half years ago, my first posts were to get some phrases translated. As an American of Japanese descent, I am greatly interested in Japanese culture and traditions. This was one place that I could somehow connect, learn, and explore a part of myself which seems distant.

I also enjoy a discussion of substance. I find it stretches me as a critical thinker to have to defend a position or construct an argument. This forum proved a good fertile ground for that also. As a professional educator, I am alway curious about education systems and practices. I also love history, literature and music.

I enjoy a good debate. During the US elections, I found an eclectic and diverse group that had opinions on the candidates that were far different than those available in the American media. Seeing the US through the eyes of those both distant and different gave me a new vantage point from which to view my own politics. I also found the discussions of other American issues intriguing-- whether it was our language, our customs, our history or some kind insight into a difference in culture.

There were interesting discussions of religion-- explorations of limits, beliefs, and the sharing of ideas on faith and belief and thought.

I had incredibly interesting discussions that were outside my area of knowledge such as a long heated debate about the biological basis of race that Bossel and I shared.

Unfortunately most of those topics have been moved to another forum, which has different administration and rules, and indeed that has a different focus and intent, and it was made quite clear that people like me are unwelcome there.

But best of all, I met some of the highest quality, most intelligent, insightful and genuine people that I have ever encountered on the web. Unfortunately again, most of those have left recently...