The main reason I continue to be an active member is because I've found EM to be a welcoming community. Despite the fact that the majority of us have been here much longer than I, I've never felt that my opinions have been considered as less valid. To the contrary, I feel my input has been appreciated, and even encouraged.
Compared to other Japanese music forums where I have participated, EM exists on a unique, higher plane. This is a rich, vibrant community of intelligent people who engage in interesting discussions on a large number of topics that are actually worth talking about. At another forum where I am a member, most threads have titles like "Count to 2000" or "What Did You Eat Today."
Concerning the lively exchanges about the quality of various albums that occur here, they are the main reason that EM isn't some vacuous shrine. Any artist with an output as varied as Ringo's will inevitably have albums that appeal to some people more than others. And if her fans enjoy debating their relative merit, big fucking deal.
|