> I find this place unwelcoming now,
I've found it that way on and off for what I think is years now, except the "unwelcoming" is implemented with shunning/ghosting/canceling instead of confrontation.
> and I don't know how to tell you all.
Then get busy telling us all until you feel like you got it right?
> I read a lot that puts me on edge because it's divisive,
Sounds like a nice problem to have from the point of view of seeing the same space as having, day to day, next to nothing new to read. I'll take "divisive" over nothing any - yea, every - day.
> so should I say something about it?
Looks like you did.
> I'm not convinced that anybody else feels the same > way. What does a step forward look like, and what does > retreating back through the door mean? What does it do?
Why do others have to feel the same way?
What do "forward" and "retreating" mean?
There's only *now*. Make it what you want. But realize that ain't gonna happen by *not* posting/replying. The place only morphs the way you want/need it to by making what might be called "the morphing effort", i.e. participating.
But if you can't/won't participant until everyone else feels the same way you do, well, that just plain never happens in a world of self-centric individuals.
> Above all, what is the Midnight Pub?
Consisting of posts and replies, it's whatever those who participate via posts and replies *most* make it. Quite the democratic situation, really: posts and replies are *votes* slowly determining what this space becomes, and the voting booth is open 365/24/7.
Is this really that complicated? If you need it to be a certain way, make the effort to make it that way. Otherwise, find a place where it's already that way. Right?
I've seen Midnight Pub as a place that an above average amount of above average intelligent people chanced upon. But it seems a majority of them spend more time agonizing over what others might think of them if they type their mind, than typing and posting their mind. I understand that, because I felt that way for quite some time, mostly for feeling the attention lights go out whenever taking bigger expression risks. My God, how quiet this place gets when saying anything other than what everyone is apparently guessing each other thinks *ought* be said or not said!
I think we need to be done thinking - yea, fearing - that way.
But if you can't/won't? That's on you.