Another no vote.

Pagetwo is the only place I feel I can post without having to have all the answers. It's someplace I can whine when I need to without aggravating my family. PTOs are stressful, and pagetwo is a great place to unwind, even if your just reading.

Another "no" vote.

(and heck, it's a virtual bar folks.....we aren't REALLY drinking....its what some people call: FUN & GAMES!... you know... pretend... unless that is not allowed anymore!...not to foreign a concept I hope) :eek:

I vote "NO" on elimination as well.

Imagine the fun we could have in a decadent candy & dessert emporium. Networking, complaining, having a few laughs, and each of us choosing our own sinfully wonderful dessert while doing so.

We've had pies and cakes, every kind of food you can imagine. We've also talked of exotic places. If you had entered the conversation at any time, we would have welcomed you, like we had welcomed everyone who came in. You could have fun with us. Like Metzy said, it has become all the things that you suggested it become except that we did it without guidance from anyone and without rules.
We're open to a little bit of remodeling but to completely tear it down?

I would be one of the people who prefer for the setting not to center around alcohol. There are so many other common areas to congregate. Could we not try something else?

It hasn't always been about alcohol. I suppose I've been one of the more serious offenders in mixing up the alcoholic drinks but in reality, I go out for those kind of beverages every three to four months. I just don't recover as well, now that I'm older. (But I've never gotten ill in page two)
We order Pepsi, Sprite w/Jolly Ranchers, Coke, virgin drinks, it isn't centered around alcohol but a place to have fun.
I have pictured as a home setting, as a bar at times, and even as a greasy spoon type restaurant. (Especially during the onion ring phase)
I don't want it to go. That is my official vote.

I think 'page two' is already what you're proposing. As you can see, it isn't always thought of as a bar. I too believe that the drinking references are all in fun, I mean it is a 'virtual' bar. It doesn't say that it is a drinkers bar, it could be a juice bar after all. I don't see it as a clique. I think that most new posters are looking for help and don't go to the 'bar' until later in their PTOToday experience. I have been posting for a couple years now, but I remember the first few weeks. I didn't find anything here cliquey, to me it was like moving to a new school. I just didn't know anyone. It didn't take me long to make new friends. I jumped in and now I'm one of the girls (and guys...lol). I think that is true of most posters. Some folks are still too new to the PTOToday experience to be able to let their hair down because they have just taken on huge responsibilities PTO-wise. I assure you that sooner or later, EVERYONE gets the comfortable feeling of belonging. When I first started posting, it didn't take long for me to begin experiencing a wonderful sense of commoraderie. That's what page two is. It is a place where the locals hang out. We have never once, in all 10 pages, never once not welcomed anyone. We have never once been unfriendly. We have never been controversial. It's a nice place to go. Even if it does seem cliquey, remember that the individuals who frequent page two are the same individuals who give advice and have contributed to PTOToday publications about not being cliquey. I think that the term 'politically correct' can be over thought. We have become good friends, nay, best friends and it is only natural for us to spend time together.
I suggest that we hold an experiment. Post a vacation spot on page two. See what happens. I'm game to try. I think we can all agree that every couple of weeks a few pages could be eliminated. I think actual references to 'call' drinks could be eliminated, only using phrases like "a tall cool one" or "a double" etc. Maybe that would be a good compromise for our non-alcohol imbibing friends (I don't drink often... getting too old for the headache...lol... but enjoy playing the game of ordering something. At the end of the day it's just fun...). I think we can all compromise, but I don't think closing our bar down is the answer. After all, if it were any other subject that received so many postings, you would know that there was an ongoing need for that thread. This is no different. I'm reminded of Toby Keith's song "I love this bar". We've got all kinds of people who frequent this virtual bar. We come from all walks of life, from all kinds of situations. We transcend income and social boundaries. We allow no predjudices in respect to race, creed, religion, etc. We don't allow smoking in the bar and everyone has their clothes on... most of the time...lol...
I think we can come up with compromises here. Elimination of where best friends hang out seems awfully strong... especially with a new best friend out there on the horizon...
Elizabeth "TheMetzyMom" Metz

P.S. Very eloquently said MichelleB. Very eloquently said. I aspire to write like you.

I've only actually participated in page two once, but it's very comforting knowing it's there if you need it! I definitely don't see it as clique-y, other than the drinking aspect--but if you don't care to partake in the virtual drinking, you don't hop on a stool there, just as you don't partake in other boards on this website! I think worrying about people being left out, while considerate, is going a bit too far. We're all adults here (OK, myself excluded at times), so that really shouldn't be an issue. As I said, I've only actually participated in page 2 once, and I never felt left out, and I "know" most everyone there!

I agree with Tim though--10 pages is a bit much. Is it possible to keep it "page two," but just get rid of the previous 7 or 8 pages every few weeks to keep it less cumbersome?

The funny thing is I never envisioned it being in a bar. I always pictured it as though we were in someone's house hanging out.

I'm not AGAINST it changing in format (i.e. different places), but I feel it takes away from the sponteniety of it all, and that giving it a particular format might exclude some--I've never been to the Caribbean, and would be unlikely to even check out what was going on if that were the "spot of the week."

Just my 0.02.