So I know by now that we've all heard the adage that Internet arguments are pointless because no one ever changes their mind about anything they think. This gets applied especially frequently in political or religious contexts. As I more or less grew up with the Internet, I'd certainly come across plenty of discussions which lived up to the adage, but at the same time I'd found plenty of incredible source material in a much more accessible format than anywhere else.

Subsequently, while the adage still indeed lived itself out a lot of the time (I mean goodness, go look at a Yahoo! comment thread), I came across plenty of Internet discussions that did not. And even while reading ones for which the adage applied to its participants, I also came to realize, through my own mind changing, that even if the participants walk away with the same beliefs they held before - amended, perhaps, slightly, to account for their higher disdain for the other participants - it still wasn't true that no one's mind would change.

I didn't want to single out the one person who comes to mind most for me when I consider this point on the site, as he is a controversial figure, one with whom I've clashed frequently, to whom I've said some nasty things frequently, and as such I felt like it could quickly go south. Plus, I want this, as with all threads, to be an inclusive and constructive thread, and limiting to one person wouldn't serve to do that. But I do have someone in mind.

Putin33, thanks so much for posting here. I've been in my fair share of discussions where I'm the only one on my own side, and I know how tedious it can be to keep showing up, defending your side for days and days against a bunch of other people, sometimes obnoxious trolls who just randomly jump into the middle of threads out of nowhere (*ahem*) or who just aren't taking it seriously. It's definitely not fun, and I think you've done it with more consistency and zeal than anyone I've ever seen. Especially with regard to conversations about gender and sex relations, you've done a lot to help me see my own words and thoughts and views in an entirely different light, and you've honestly changed my point of view completely on the subject. When I showed up here in May 2010 I was still using phrases like "just don't call it marriage," didn't bat an eye at hearing "LOL RAEP" shouted on Xbox Live and laughed off my caricatured understanding of feminism as some silly nonsense perpetuated by academics to give them space to fill in university publications. Just over two years later, I had a conversation with a long-time self-described "radical hippie socialist" of mine about gender relations for the first time (I'd had opportunities in group settings in the past but declined saying anything) a few days after the whole Daniel Tosh incident and found us agreeing completely on that issue and a lot more. Two years ago I might have been parroting some "it's just words" line. I can't even look back a year ago without being ashamed of some of the things I thought to myself - it just all seems so common sense now that I can't even conceive of how I could have thought differently. I have to admit that I still dodge the feminist label because my political climate is rather hostile to it (and because, still taking a perhaps more conciliatory tone toward people who don't seem to get it, I come off rather moderate compared to legitimate long-time feminists I know and don't want to co-opt their label), but where I previously laughed off the idea I'm now firmly in the camp. You were also the first person who ever called me on using the word "girl" indiscriminately, and since then I've definitely changed my vocabulary there. I also know from comments on the forums that I'm not alone in feeling this sentiment; hopefully the individuals I'm thinking of will come forth and recognize the positive impact you've had on them, too. Thanks so much for the conversations, and I'm sorry for the harsh things I've said to you. And, though it might ring somewhat hollow to hear well after the fact - you were right, a lot more than I ever admitted.

I also want to give a shoutout to Mafialligator here. I can also attribute a lot of attitude changes about sex and gender to you. You're by far the most eloquent person with whom I've had these kinds of discussions and you have an incredible gift for walking the tightrope of intentions and effects and showing, with admirable grace and effectiveness, how my (and others') actions are not matching up with my intentions, whatever they may be. You've provided a very welcome, calm presence on the forums; there have been times where I walked away from a discussion on gender with Putin33 after getting nasty and personal and would have just ignored others' opinions, only to read one final post before going to bed, by you, and almost immediately calming down and reconsidering the point and leaving the site for the evening seriously considering what I'd been told that night instead of tossing it out altogether. And on more than one occasion, on reconsidering, I changed my mind. So thank you so much for your calm, diplomatic explanations; they're truly incredible.

And finally I want to thank Mujus. Before you became an active presence on the forums, we became friends over a few enjoyable games together. You've always been very personable and kind to me, and the stories you've told about your life, both on the forum and in private, are simply amazing. You've been through an awful lot in life, there's no doubt about it. It still boggles my mind, as a fairly ardent atheist, how you maintain such strong faith in God to this day. Your gentle words and ability to connect with other people with as much love and care as you do have definitely softened my militancy quite a bit. I'd grown, through my own rough experiences with religion, to be rather cynical of the whole thing and everyone practicing it. Thanks to you and a few other genuine, caring Christians on here as well (semck, Crazy Anglican), that cynicism toward others has been beaten down a bit. I know you're very ardently opposed to swearing, and I also know I've been one of the biggest sailormouths on here, so I hope you can still see this, or if not that someone else will get it to you. There was a really good point you made on the subject that unfortunately has taken months to settle in; it's one that a lot of people have said, but something about the way you said just made me realize that you're right. I've got a better vocabulary than that.

And really, discussions with all of y'all have been a blast, and a lot of y'all have left your own impact. So I also want to give a big big enjoy to shoutout to the whole webDip community. Y'all are awesome.

Now, I want to hear from the rest of y'all! After all, it says "other posters appreciation thread," not "let's let Eden make a big post thanking a few people"! Who do y'all appreciate on here! Any minds changed? Let's hear it!