Thanks Sierra - I too have enjoyed getting to know the board and reading some of the discussions. RD had been my first and only board I had ever been on and seeing another one 'in action' was an interesting learning experience.
Unfortunately I think that 1 or 2 outspoken members that came from RD tainted the way 2-3 active members on this board viewed the whole of the RD group. I can certainly see how that "brought your collective back" up - believe me, I've moved 14 times in the last 20+ years and know how these situations are created. I have to disagree with this though: "you might have reacted the same way" . Yes, some of us would have. But there would have also been a large fraction that would have publicly stated to 'cut the newcomers some slack' - and THAT would have made a world of difference. Someone that would have taken 'our' side and made us feel welcome by action and not just words. Sorry Sierra - that just didn't happen and it scared some of the less assertive 'newbies' off from posting. I can take a beating, and I am incredibly stubborn - which is why I personally am still here (well, THAT and one man in particular) but as it's been said before - this kind of interaction we got right off the bat isn't for everyone. Now, you can say "good riddance" and that is your right, but at the same time it is their right to move on, and unfortunately I think most of them have.
I just think we all lost a great opportunity to create ONE large, strong board where we could have found a new home and you guys could have found fresh meat to rape, authors to read, opinions to discuss.
FR remembers his reaction to
one of my first posts on this board - so do I. A simple, honest question was turned into an abrasive lecture. I could tell after it was over that there was some reason behind it - now, over time I've come to understand that this was something that had been a 'hot button' topic in the past - men portraying themselves as women and vice versa. I don't have a problem with new rules, but I have to know the rules (even the unspoken ones, the 'culture' of the board) to understand why I'm being rebuked for asking a simple question. That was my 2nd day - my 7th post. Go figure if that made me feel welcome here.
- and FR - I didn't expect you to understand anything that touched on the truth anyway, so I'm not going to pick apart your post and pick it apart line by line.
Suffice it to say - I have no problems with the way the moderators here are doing their job - why you would bring that into it I have no clue! Calling me a 'silly girl' is laughable - so, thanks for the chuckle.
I've said what I was going to say above - I think there is a major misunderstanding of how we (RDers) see/saw this board. I was willing to give it a fair shake and 160+ posts into it I think I am allowed to tell you the way I see it. That done - I would ask any of my 'friends' on here to not necessarily comment on this and get in a shouting match over it. I myself am not sure if I'll feel like 'defending' my opinions or not - I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
This post is not meant as a criticism of the board overall - that would truly BE silly. It is solely intended to give those 5 or 6 of you that are actually regular posters in the discussion threads (where most of the RD refugees would have fit in) something to think about when (IF) you ever wonder why out of the 50 or so RD members that came over to this board you have 2 or so that are still posting on here after roughly one month. Maybe something like this will happen again in the future and instead of seeing it immediately as a threat to 'the way things are' you will see it as an opportunity to gain new members.
And yeah - I realize this is the rowdy room, I just don't use 'fuck' a lot :D
:skull-bee