I wanted to do a yearend review, both for the new people, since this community has grown so consistently as time has moved on, and for those of us hoo have been here longer can remember some things we might have forget or missed the first time through. It's been fun sharing things with all of you every day, and I hope you've been able to grow your appreciation for our wild world, the animals and plants around us, each other, and our desire for knowledge and to better understand the place we live.
I'll break this down into sections in the comments to keep this in one thread but allow for easy comments, plus i can add more as I come up with it. I hope you enjoy this look back, and we'll all be getting busy soon with the holidays, so Happy New Year in advance to all of you.
Most Controversial Posts
This is mostly for fun. This group getting any downvotes is puzzling to me.
Meme Template
12 Downvotes
No, I was not taking the group in a new direction, just having a bit of fun. I block just about all the meme subs, but I can still participate now and then.
Owls in other languages
10 Downvotes
Surprised to see this on here. This was one of the first big comment threads we had, and probably where I first talked to a few of you who are regulars now. Most of these downvotes are probably because the majority of us in the US had never heard "twit twoo" before since we don't have Tawny Owls. Now we all wish we did have them!
American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People
8 Downvotes
Honestly, this has less than I expected. I see this as an environmental/conservationist group, since owls are often endangered animals suffering from climate change and habitat loss. I try to keep any preachiness to a minimum and avoid any words to trigger any "anti-woke" types. Yes, I disagree with you on almost everything policy-wise, but if you want to be polite and just look at pictures of cute owls, I welcome you here.
Make a Wish
7 Downvotes
This is the only real surprise. Who downvotes the Make a Wish people?! The post is just a guy in a Hogwart's costume with a cute owl...
My guess about the make-a-wish downvotes is that it has more to do with Harry Potter, and more specifically its author, who's been the subject of some controversy in recent years.
That's about the only thing I could think of, but it's not like she's involved directly in this context.
I was a bit older than the target audience when HP was coming out, but through friends and family I eventually became decently excited in the universe she created. If that was your childhood though, and then she came out as hateful to your existence, that's going to have a profound effect on you though for sure.