I believe this thread was originally started as reaction to flooding other threads with irrelevant(?) comments.

Also note that the first post of this thread (from GoKunming staff) includes "vent about all things GoKunming" as purpose of this particular thread.

I'm not native speaker, but I would interpret the lack of preposition (for example "about") preceding "GoKuming" in that sentence quite differently from case such preposition was included.

It becomes not only venting about GoKunming website, but also (for example) its users.

But many of you are English teachers, so please correct me if that's wrong interpretation :)

I rather took this thread as thrashbin for random comments from the beginning.

I think some of you need a hobby, or a gf/bf or something...hehe.

JanJal certainly writes better than most English teachers who grace this website. Quite impressive for a non-native speaker.

Wow, look it here, a positive feedback. Liberation from negativity bias. Refreshing. Some folks should try it on for size.

jj123, the fact that many are in relationships yet spend so much time here says a lot about their interracial marriage. Language barrier? Perhaps another topic.

On that note, I'd argue that existence of long-term commitments of that kind (a hobby, gf/bf, or such upgraded to wife/husband with kids) in fact increases the often observed behaviour to vent out in internet forums.

It is because in places like this questionable comments can be thrown without serious consequences, something that is easier said than done in activities you are more heavily committed to in real life.

It is only in context of countries like China, where this does not always (though does most of time) work

that way.

Seriously questionable commentary (perhaps should add, by characters taken seriously) of political or otherwise sensitive nature could land one in trouble resulting in denial of visas or whatever, and as such be damaging to possible long-term commitments in China.

But I think that we can safely assume that not many (if any) of us are characters to be taken that seriously.

napav, you are right. you only have 4 posts on here so your married life is way better than mine.

guys, let me know when you figure out who the downvote phantom is. i give up working on a mystery without any clues.

sorry, please stop me if you think that's muck.

JanJal, I take it back. Your overly parenthesized sentences are getting annoying. LOL

I don't vent in forums nor argue with partner. Coming home, I just kick my pet hamster around for the sole purpose of displacement.

@JanJal: I guess you're right about the original purpose of this thread, so I've been mistaken to think this is how I could get a response from gokunming about gokunming. Mea culpa. Take my post above about not being able to connect with gokuunming as just another comment among all the others that lead nowhere, or anywhere, and are therefore appropriate here. A random shotgun blast into the night sky is indeed unlikely to bring down a pheasant, but watch out for falling buckshot.

Anyway, my connection with gokunming is no longer acting up.

maybe the phantom if a figment of paranoia. maybe there are several people who dont like some of our posts

I bet the cluster of seven down votes was caused by a software glitch.

I don't worry about downvotes unless I see that I'm off topic. You can neither accept nor argue against a downvote until you know what it means.