Hi guys and gals!

[Opus X]

I'm back but not sure for how long.
Medical issues are hitting me hard and I have not had time to participate much on my site much less anywhere else. We (my doctors and I) still have not decided on my losing my legs from the knees down or not is a viable alternative.
I have been thinking about selling it back to the guy I bought it from, but I have hopes for it even though it is a nasty topic to the health nazi's involving that nasty tobacco.
I really wanted to be able to get more involved in my site I purchased but I have not been able to participate in it to the level I would like.
And sadly I don't have the funds to push it to be more than what I currently can offer.
Has anyone else ever faced the issues of medical impact not allowing you to either afford (as in my tobacco related site) or generate content for your niche if it takes money you may not be able to afford?
Meanwhile boys and girls, I wish all of you the best for your sites that you run. I don't think that mine is going to offer me what I thought it would. I was warned about that, but chose to ignore that warning that Tracy gave me.

 

[Arantor]

There is so much to unpack here - I have said more in private - so I will leave the comments to the topics not addressed.

Don’t let the cantankerous mood of some folks here sway you from running a community. Every community is different, with different moods and vibes, and there is no reason that there has to be overlap between people here and people there. I do not invite anyone from here to participate in either of the two communities I currently admin, and that’s entirely for the best. Different worlds, different strokes for different folks. They have little or no overlap, therefore I see no reason to attempt to cross-pollinate. And by extension it means the words spoken here have no power to influence events over there.

A better example might be drivers of certain brands of car. Certain brands produce an air of elitist smugness over their preferential choices, and it might well put people off buying said vehicle. But this in no way changes the fact that the vehicle itself is well made, reliable, a well-executed realisation of the concept. I would not avoid that brand of car just because some of its drivers have undesirable behaviours, if it is the best vehicle for my needs. And if it isn’t, the point is rather moot.

As to the running of a tobacco forum, I don’t see the harm personally. On the contrary I think the silencing of a topic shows a greater fear of the subject than discussing it as rational, thinking people. I think such a venue should exist if people want to talk about it. As long as there is recognition that it is at best a niche topic that won’t ever draw in a huge crowd - I.e. simply being realistic about it - I think it does more good to talk about it openly and honestly than it ever does to make it a bogeyman.