Well, everything is better with kittens.

Maybe not.  Your point, repeatedly, has been that without the shoulder-to-cry-on threads, we have no sense of community.  I dispute that.  I understand if you, personally, only feel connected to people with whom you've shared personal life details.  But I know I, and I assume some others since I can't imagine I'm that unique, keep coming back here for shared interests like the Author boards, a bunch of threads in Media Favorites, and the laughs from LOLCats, among other threads.   My sense of community from this board has nothing to do with the more personal threads.  It does for some, plainly, but your post indicates it's the ONLY way to foster that sense of community.

This is incorrect.

It's not the only way for everyone Kali, but I think it is for many here.  I don't know how many forums I've been to for books, authors, hobbies, movies and the like, but I've never found one like this forum, anywhere, ever.  I've seen Troll Havens where the L33T bash and trash the Ingorant Noobs, I've seen plenty with pleasant aquaintances chatting pleasantly about On Topic Matters, but I've not seen the type of friendship and belonging or wide-ranging inclusiveness I've seen here.  That suggests that there's something in the broth that's different.  Might be just the Healing Power of Jim, but I think the membership and general style had something to do with it.

For some people, intelligent and mannered conversation about the books is all the sense of community they need.  But others have different interests and needs, and came looking not just for people to chat about the books with, but for friends.  I daresay even more didn't know they were looking for friends when they got here, but stayed because of what they found in addition to thoughtful and/or entertaining discussions of Jim's writing.  Some people need a broth with more, fish and fowl and good red meat.  Hell, I'm an ill tempered, cynical bastard, but on more than one occassion I've had my day made by reading some random act of kindness conversations around here.  Just seeing people being nice, trying to help someone who was hurting, has elevated the value of this forum for me by an order of magnitude so I can only imagine what it's done for those people who found themselves recieving good wishes and advice.  And I remember when I was younger, pretty much shunned and isolated, awkward and shy.  (Now that I've led a life and grown into myself, I'm a Power Cat Super Stud of Leisurely Coolness.)  But I know how much I would have valued all the aspects of this community 30 years ago.  And I'd say it's a safe bet there are people using these forums who are wearing shoes that would have fit me perfectly all those years ago.  And I will whup wholesale ass on anyone who shines my tarnished reputation by repeating all this nice, positive shit I"m saing this outside tis thread.  (Ok, I won't whup any ass, but I'll be very disapointed in you.)

I do realize that it does make more work for the mods, which is why I'm asking people for suggestions on how to alleviate that while not limiting the forum to Happy Stuff Only, Book Stuff Only, and LoL Cats.

I think that without a corner where people can seek and offer advice and compassion on non-book matters, provide or receive a shoulder cry on, this forum will be a much colder place if they're being told "I'm sorry about your cat, but this forum is to talk about whether The Accords deal specifically with the matter of Harry's shoe size."  

The place is certainly more friendly and better behaved than most forums I've been to.  Although we should bear in mind that "how bad it is" is really for Iago, the mods and Jim to decide, as aggravation and fixing of fuss lies on the mod's shoulders, and anything stinky that goes on here could splatter on Jim's good name.  So if they say it's bad, I'm not to be arguing with them on it. 

I agree with Paynesgrey this place isn't just somewhere to go and talk about a book, its a place to connect with people who share a common interest. The Community is what makes this place different from other boards and gives it life, I have seen to many boards that only focused on a very narrow topic wither and die as people left them.

I've seen the same happen.  A simple book club doesn't engender the sense of loyalty and belonging that a community does.  Basically a desert until the new book comes out, with a flurry of activity for a month or two afterwards, then back to being a desert save for the odd recurring arguement about the Death Star fighting the Enterprise.

So what solutions do we have to help keep these suggested corners tidy, without things that will puddle and stick to our volunteer mod's shoes?  The obvious and oft stated, oft ignored, "don't be a dick, and if someone is, click click click "report." But I have the impression they were getting dogpiled with complaints and the like.

Iago, would it be of any help if you had some more Limited Authority Mascott types to act as doormen for the pub, try to handle small things before they become annoyances for you and your mods? 

I'd like to note that this community, like much of sci-fi/fantasy fandom, is an Island of Misfit Toys.  We're weirdos, geeks, freaks, oddballs, goofballs, with the odd curmudgeon sprinkled in, most with varied amounts of wear and tear.  Many are rather isolated in their "real world" situations, either from a lack of social skills, or being stuck in an area where there are few who share our interests, most often some combination.  "Huh... whatcha readin' books fer?" "How come you can't, like, you know, like normal things?"

A goodly number of people here have extremely limited "real life" networks of friends or less than supportive family to talk to when life goes south of cheese.  Sometimes people need support, advice, help or just a little comiserating.  That's been a regular event in the Angst Corner, it hasn't been just pissing and moaning.  Sure, there's the occassional chronic "Hey, look at me!  Look at me!  I'm sad again, pay me attention" whining poster, but that's not been the bulk of posters in the Pub or Angst even.  And when it's been a serious and grave matter out of the communities field of expertise, there have invariably been heaps of responders offering some advice while also saying emphatically "You need to talk to a professional counselor/doctor/veterinarian/dietician/whatver, we're your friends and can offer support, but we're not qualified for the help you need in this situation."  

Being "friends" includes being there to offer support and advice when someone has a breakup, job loss, sick pet, not just when that person has "fun!" things like beads to talk about.  The difference between this forum and other forums I've been to is that friendship and community are just heaped all over the place.  I don't even like people, but I've made many friends here despite myself.  This place actually has a sense of communtiy, as opposed to being just a place to talk about Episoded 12 or the newest patch, or if the Enterprise could take out a Star Destroyer.  Because those arguements are always just chok full of "postitive" and "constructive."

I feel that the fact that the Pub has provided a venue for people to find helpful and supporting friends and advice has been a positive pattern. I think that's why people stay here and keep coming back. Most peole aren't here because they want to debate the relatvie merits of oak or ash for a blasting rod, or the unprinted specified details of how the Accords address an miniscule matter the author hasn't even thought of.  They're here to be with the friends they've met through Jim's books, to talk about those books certainly, but also to talk about other interests and issues, and, most importatly, to be with friends.

Make a "Help, amatuer advice and commiseration" corner or "huggy shoulder crying place" or something, but if people can't turn to their friends here for support when shit happens or they just feel a little blue, then how much of a "community" will this place be at that point?  

Good point.  Just like "We" have "intelligence officers", and "They" have "spies."