where have all the forumers gone?

I have posted this article in response to Green Peas in redbeanforum. Hi Green Peas, A very big welcome to the forum. You are quite right to say that most of the forumers have disappeared after the general election. I was scratching my head to find out why. I scoured the forums and the activities have really died down except for those threads where forumers were biting at each other. Not many issues are now floating around. Even the news media are still clinging onto the post election bit to push out some articles to keep themselves busy. But the key thing is that Singaporeans are by nature quite conservative, reserve and inhibited in expressing their views. And one cannot run away from the element of fear. Everything we said here may one day be used or misquoted as evidence against us. The best example is Gayle Goh who was warned by all the well wishers to be careful in what she said. And prior to the election, when Balaji came out with the statement that blogs and forums need to be registered, the same quiet enveloped the whole cyberspace. Singaporeans need to speak out and express themselves. We should remove the fear and inhibition within us. We all make mistakes in our lives, in the things we said and do. By not saying or doing anything does not improve things except to minimise our mistakes. But it is through our mistakes that we learn. In general, the people are now more mature and more forgiving, more liberal in their judgement of other people's behaviours and little mistakes. Steve Chia is an example that despite the little skirmishes he had with the law, people still accept him as what he is. Of course there are parties or people who will rush to condemn someone for a little misdemeanour as if they themselves were angels and gods. But they could do so only because they kept their cupboards tightly closed and guarded. Practically everyone, every human being, has a cupboard full of skeletons. Lets be human and live with our mistakes and other people's mistakes. If we can do that, maybe we can speak a bit more freely, and laugh at ourselves. Relax a little, and kick a few arses if needed to and be kicked as well. one thing for sure, the number of new forumers coming to read blogs and forums are growing. i can see it from my statistics.