You’ll see I have only a handful of posts so far. Those who have a handful of posts tend to get one of three responses:
“We are nice, have a piece of cake.” Some may appreciate this, but really: whacko. I’m looking for a discussion, not to be snuggly puppy de jour.
Trolls. If you want a response to your first few posts, be a troll: the locals behave as if they love 'em, deep down. If the response is supposed to be a disincentive, think again. Any response is what they want. Is this not clear, or do those with a thousand posts get frequent flier points for despatching them with what passes for elan?
Thunderous round of apathy. Most people who register want to join a substantive discussion. You probably want to encourage them. This is easy: indicate you have read their responses. Someone did for one of my early ones and I’ve stayed. You don’t have to quote or name the new poster (although it wouldn’t hurt), you don’t have to say how cuddly everyone is, just indicate that that their post has been seen.
Hope this isn’t thought to be to much of a whinge. picmr
Maybe you should try some of the other forums as well. Over in MPSIMS we get some great threads going on pointless stuff that you could care less about. In the Pit we bbq people just for fun. In Great Debates you can have an opinion but it doesn’t really matter much cause someone else has a better one (just kidding).
** Sigh. So many men, so few who can afford me ** Original by Wally
I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
Homepage: www.superlativeandsassy.com
Occupation: Temptress
Location: Ultra, California
Interests: surpluses, excesses, abundances, extras, lagniappes profile by UncleBeer
I’ve posted to a few fora, and the OP was not a complaint so much as feedback. I posted it here since it seemed the right place to say it.
My experience in the Pit so far is so tame that someone suggested the thread in which I posted (commandments in Schools - sorry, don’t know how to link yet) should be promoted (cringe). Fortunately, someone said “fuck” a few times, so that ignomany is avoided.
Seriously, I think you have a valid criticism. Many posters don’t necessarily expect or demand that you heartily welcome them aboard. They just want someone to acknowledge they’ve contributed. In fact, wouldn’t it be a real annoyance to post a substantive question or comment and all you get is a series of “welcome” responses, with no discussion of the topic?
I felt like that my first dozen posts or so in MPSIMS. Seems like I was the last poster in several threads, and ignored in a few others. After they got to know me, though, it got better.
I agree.
Get your post count up and people will talk to you. It sounds silly, but that was my experiance. I suggest about 30 or so “test” posts in this forum.
I am still a newbie so I try to say hello and also reply to fellow newbies.
picmr: Hate to tell you this, but even after six hundred-some posts, I still get the feeling that my statements are met with thunderous waves of apathy.
Thankfully, I’m stubborn enough to try and keeping forcing everyone; and I think that’s the attitude that needs to be kept up here, as well.
It’s not so much a matter of “this board”, either; I think that’s the way the Internet is, in general. You can’t tell if anyone else is reading your posts, or what reaction they’re having. So best just to keep talking and pretend you’re getting the reaction you want until someone tells you differently.
JMCJ
“Y’know, I would invite y’all to go feltch a dead goat, but that would be abuse of a perfectly good dead goat and an insult to all those who engage in that practice for fun.” -weirddave, set to maximum flame
It seems to me that the normal course of posting is that everyone chimes in and adds to the discourse with very few direct follow-ups to a particular post.
Just like you don’t want everyone gushing over a newbie, you don’t want a lot of “ditto!” or “well said!” either. And so, most posts, even those of the regulars go unreplied to.
The exceptions to the rule are:
trolls who are slapped around like cats playing with mice;
saying something someone feels the need to argue with (whether because there is honest difference of opinion or because one of you is stupid ); or,
some long time members with long time admirers who get personal remarks when they post (and in some annoying cases, every time they post).
So, we’re not inhospitable, we’re just very laissez faire about what people say until it strikes our funny bone or sense of outrage over public displays of ignorance.
If you want to get into a dialogue, then go ahead and pick a fight with something someone says (a fair fight over a real issue, otherwise, you’d be a troll).
And as far as newbies ‘not getting the feel for this’ – well, there’s a bit of netiquette which goes: “Observe a chat room or discussion board for a while in order to get a sense of how they operate before you start participating.”
Those who do so will realize there’s no disrespect in silence – in fact, it’s a sign they’re not saying anything dumb!
Peace.
If I could live for a thousand years, the drool would surge like a mighty river.
When I started posting a whole eight weeks ago, I pretty much stayed in GD and GQ, where the substance of my comments counted more than my personal reputation. I was fortunate that there were some juicy debates going on that I could contribute to.
Once I felt solidly on my feet here, I started some fairly provocative thread, mostly having to do with libertarianism (I love libertarians, BTW: they’re smart, rational people with whom I disagree about almost everything).
I was in the hundreds of posts and had built some sort of reputation before I posted at all in MPSIMS. Even then, it took far longer to gain a reputation there than it did in GD.
Much depends on your personal style. I’m not really socially ept in large groups, so my style is going to have a better reception in GD. Other people are far more social than I am, but are not so much into the nitty-gritty of debate. They do better in MPSIMS.
Find a place where you feel like your style is a good match, and post there for a week or so. I will tell you this, if you post in GD and you say intelligent things with which I disagree, I will respond.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
); or,