Happy New Year. Happy Veganuary. 
This site might have run its course a while back but I joined to share my views and learn, and everyone heard me and I did learn, a lot, so to sum up:
I can argue, and so can old-timers here, but by and large this was a healing experiment, for me at least, when we had political and philosophical disagreements and didn't just flood the forum with memes either. Amicable engagement! On fb, a sensitive disagreement can be grounds for blocking and whatnot, and you might conclude that amicable engagement is pointless, but this site shows it is healing and educational - we learn and understand from beyond our ken and find we are pretty similar. It's reflected also in the people I chat with, and can't say that the voting booth or the press or other totems of our free society have as great a healing effect.
Cheers! Peace and Love.
Happy new year.
I hope for many people this place was a good experience.
I think there is still a space for places that allow communities to be comfortable and explore ideas without being ostracised for them, but the idea of being involved gives me heart palpitations. This place took way too much time and effort to allow it to be as it was.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.