The more I see of self-appointed spokespeople expounding about a certain site they don't actually have a fucking clue about, the more I have to laugh ironically.

You see -- this site they don't normally deign to participate in isn't, as they imply, simply an inferior version of their prefered but temporarily unavailable option. It's a living place with its own particular flavour and 'culture', and its own regular and loyal community who love and appreciate it. Contrary to what these 'experts' preach, they would be doing it no favours by invading and trying to imposing their own cliques and conceptions on it.

In fairness, I have no doubt that many of the recent visitors see nothing patronising or hypocritical about using this ordinarily maligned community as a make-do refuge in their time of deprivation - after all, most of them make no pretense otherwise. But I'd like to think that maybe one or two of these tourists will arrive without force-fed preconceptions, without the need to compare our community with another, with an enquiring and open mind and a preparedness to participate instead of preach.

If they do, they may well be pleasantly surprised by what they find. And one or two such people would be so much more valuable than an influx of refugees who just want to rebuild in their own likeness.