I've tried very hard to keep quiet about Hanson.net up until now. Sometimes, when everyone has something to say on a subject, silence is the most compelling statement. But I can't do it anymore. I can't do it because something is assuredly rotten in Denmark, and it has nothing to do with the lack of moderation (in all senses of the word) over in that neck of the internet.

Since Hanson.net went live, (read: since everyone has been able to get in, not just those who figured out back-door urls) there have been various calls, petitions, battle cries, for an adult forum. It doesn't seem like a bad idea, a place for the older sect of Hanson fans to chat amongst themselves. But if you look more closely, the implications of an adult forum are dangerous, and would only serve to further divide Hanson fans rather than bring them together.

The creation of an adult forum where only "responsible conversations" are held is dangerous because it implies that inappropriate conduct and youth somehow go hand in hand. It upsets me because I'm not too far away from being a kid myself. I started liking Hanson when I was 17, an age that I think falls well within the limits of "childhood." When I was 17, or 14 or 13 or 12 for that matter, I knew the difference between appropriate conduct and not. I knew not to say things that would embarrass both me and my audience, be it a classroom of my peers, or a group of my parent's friends. There is no universal "age" when people suddenly become responsible for and aware of their actions. I've known plenty of adults in my life, and heck, I've even seen a few at Hanson.net who haven't reached that age yet. To create an adult forum would be to assume that all adults are responsible and that all kids are not, and that is simply not true.

Ah, but those who want an adult forum insist that the younger folks would be welcome, if they were responsible in their posts. In saying that, the proponents of an adult forum concede that they don't really want an adult forum. They want a Smart Forum. They want a No Teenies Forum. It's nothing more than a veiled attempt at labeling one group of fans better than another because of the way they choose to love Hanson. No teenie content? Half of the material on this webpage would probably be called into question. The creation of an adult forum would create a perfect environment for criticizing what happens on the other forums, for declaring the "good" fans from the not.

And another thing. Why have we forgotten that Hanson is a young band? They're kids themselves. Why would they want to alienate their young audience? The adults at Hanson.net are a decided minority. Would pointless, inappropriate banter be welcome on an adult forum if it was from Zac Hanson? I think it probably would. There are too many tightropes to walk with an adult forum, too many questions, not of what's appropriate, but of who is allowed to say what, and in what forum. Hanson shouldn't have to make decisions about things like that. They shouldn't have to choose between one group of fans and another.

A lot of what happens at Hanson.net is inappropriate, no one is denying that. But what it needs is more moderators, not an arbitrary forum where all "responsible" conversation will be contained. (And what, after all, is responsible conversation? I talk about Hanson's body parts all the time. I just use spell check.) It's particularly wrong if that arbitrary forum is labeled an adult forum. It's not fair to the young fans who know how to behave in a public forum. I know. I've been there. I understand what it's like to be underestimated by adults who think that by having stood more years on the planet, their opinions are more valid, more interesting and more intelligent. In fact, I've heard many an "adult" use that very argument in prooving that Hanson can't be a good band. They'te too young. What of importance could they possibly have to say? Age is only a number. Until we can figure out the universal age of responsibility, there can be no adult forum at Hanson.net.