I like the comments I have heard from everyone, my intention of SM is to cater to everyone interested in the Maltese breed, whether they own one, want to, bought it from a breeder, a puppy mill, the newspaper (like me) or heaven forbid from a cage on a side street in New York, I like it to be a happy atmosphere, one without censorship but also with limits, there are real issues with puppymills, bad health and even death that will be discussed here, there will be controversial(sp) subjects, some will get mad, sad and frustrated, some may even leave, new people will appear, the great thing to remember is the friendships made, the lessons learned, the information passed and the celebration of those closest to us, our friends, family and of course our Maltese
I believe BC&N said it best, we should INFORM and that starts with ourselves first and others second, I run another forum with almost 5000 members, growing by 100-200 a month and nearing 400,000 posts, it is very hard work, people are different, ideas are diverse but the greatest thing about growth is what people bring to it, its really awesome in my opinion, I may not psot much but I listen and I care about each and everones opinion, thoughts and ideas, even if I dont agree with each one, I just ask that others do the same
now, on the subject of a seperate forum for puppymills, i think it may be a good idea and one I will consider for awhile, it would be a great avenue to inform people about them, discuss events around them and even for those that have bought from them to share their experiences good and bad without being chastised or looked down upon but at the same time with growth we have to expect and accept that their will be those who wish to do just that, only out of their own ignorance
I think the model we have here, the members we have and will have, the attitude and the love for our Malts will make this one of, if not the best, Maltese dog forums on the internet before its over and I thank everyone for being a part of it and sharing yourself and your white furry friends with everyone else
man i get too deep sometimes