^I don't really see what that has to do with the rep system but I'll answer some of your questions.
Blues said:
In reality, a lot of the discussion on BL is about drugs in general. People's experiences with different drugs, just life in general
Anecdotes within threads are fine. You'll find them in pretty much every single thread. As long as the discussion doesn't stray too far off-topic, I don't think any moderator has a problem with people sharing their experiences. Unless for example, that certain anecdote is encouraging reckless drug use. An individual may read that experience, and decide that speedballing sounds appetizing even though he never intended to do so in the first place.
Also, there are social threads, which we're somewhat loose about in various parts of the board. If the intention is to carry a long discussion with another individual regarding experiences, those are the perfect places. After all, an original poster wouldn't want to sift through 10 posts of a discussion between me and my pal which has clearly gone on a tangent. And neither do people searching for specific information. It's much easier to contain such discussion in social threads rather than have people sift through back and forth chit-chat in threads.
Blues said:
Completely robotic, clinical presentation of HR "facts" would be so dry and boring
Maybe from your perspective it may seem this seem very clinical, and robotic, but I think it really varies depending on the poster and the forum. Some people will choose to be precise and accurate with their information, others will choose to pass on personal experience, some will be theoretical about certain topics. In my view, I think it's the perfect mix.
Also, different forums vary. In advanced drug discussion, they like hard data while basic drug discussion is on the other end of the spectrum, where data isn't a requirement when presenting some knowledge or information.
Moreover, clinical and robotic, somewhat insinuates that things are accurate and methodological. I personally find nothing wrong with that, because it drives the board into becoming an encyclopedia of precise and immaculate harm reduction information.
Blues said:
Also, it's sometimes completely random when a thread gets closed because it's "not HR"....It seems at times to be an excuse that some mods use to close threads that people they generally disagree with post in...
I think people always complain about such things, yet never take the initiative to discuss them with a staff member once they occur. At the end of the day, staff are regular users of the forum as well. If you feel a post was closed wrongfully, or it has more to offer, send someone a PM, or report the post. No one will have problem with you. On the contrary, it will help us do our jobs because at times, it's important to have someone giving you a perspective from the other side.
Blues said:
a lot of the young people that actually need HR information wouldn't stick around long enough to find it!
That statement is somewhat speculative. I think the fact that the forum is growing at rapid rate is an indication that people (both young and old) value bluelight as a harm reduction tool.
The information, most of the time, is fairly accessible and understandable even to a novice individual. If not, people start their own threads. This is why redundant threads are usually kept open. We take into account that the individual who started a thread about CWE wasn't able to absorb anything else he may have read, and answer their question tailored to their individual needs, and level of understanding.
I see people (staff and members) putting monumental effort and persistence into answering every individuals question to the best possible degree. I rarely see in an individual complain about a question gone unanswered, or not answered to the extent which they would like. If it does happen on occasion, that's only normal.
cool!