Isn't a discussion like this a mechanism to influence the gods?

Well yes, I suppose it is and maybe that's why I wrote it. However, over the last 3 years I have seen this subject, and many others, come up every 3 months or so.

The usual form is that one or other of the gods will restate the status quo, or point to previous discussion that does same, to much applause. There then follows a raft of support for the status quo, and few discenting voices against. The discenting posts are either downvoted, summarly dismissed, or ignored.

And the status quo continues.

Search as hard as I might (and I have), I have yet to see the discussion where the status quo was arrived at--and I conclude that things are, the way it was decided by the gods way back when, and thats the way it will stay.

I've also yet to see any occasion where the status quo was over turned on any meaningful subject.

Now, it could be that the status quo is also the general concensus, and for that reason, should remain that way. On the other hand, it could be that the site administrators simply have no intention of changing anything.