I see that I have been tardy in participating in several interesting topics in this thread:
The "Are we an Elitist Club" Question:
My desire was to bring attention to something that seemed to be the root of several issues on this board. I cannot, unfortunately, pin it down to attempt to repair it. It is still too ephemeral to my senses. I am hoping that if others critical analyze what I can only barely visualize the source can be found and eliminated.
Now you are discussing what I was talking about. Thank you. Please continue in this vein.
Fixer, if this discussion is what you are talking about, then I have a question.
It seems to me that the question has drifted (thankfully) from an issue about b77 specifically to an issue about MB's in general... how does one make a n00b feel comfortable? How do you not appear off-putting to people who might be lurking while you chat with people you know? I know you have had lots of experience on MB's, so my question is this: is this such an unusual problem?
The only other MB I have much been associated with is TORC, and it was very much an issue for me to feel like I could just "jump in". However, I did jump in, and found marvelously kind people like Holby and Prim and Voronwe who acknowleged my presence and started to recognize me. Isn't this the path of acceptance in any MB community?
The "To Mentor or not to Mentor" question:
Getting adopted, or asking for a mentor, or whatever, is suddenly making a huge deal out of the quest for acceptance, and if it still doesn't work, it just hurts more
Prim, I did get adopted, into Stormy's group; however, immediately after my "adoption", Stormy basically stopped participating at TORC. (It wasn't my fault! I swear!) It was nice, however, to have the Stormy's chat thread to hang out in, because those posters are vigilant about acknowledging anyone who posts by name, even if just to say hi. I was able to ask dumb questions of them, and KNOW that they would answer me; I didn't need to jump in looking like I knew everything already, which is how I sometimes felt in the M00bies forum. I very much understand your concerns with the adoption idea, but it actually served as a HUGE soft place for me to fall.
and to have a place to ask about things without having to wonder what people will think when they ask questions - at least I think that's what makes people become adopted. (That, plus they just think it's a fun idea, I guess.)
Hardly anything that causes me to take a step into a crowded room seems fun to me,
Hobby. (It SO sucks being shy...) But otherwise, I very much agree with your thoughts here!
Just be aware that it may be a loaded term for those from TORC...not a BAD loaded term, but one with baggage from the mentoring done there.
I'm sorry,
Ax, but I don't know what baggage you are referring to! (Sometimes I can really miss stuff that everyone else seems to see...) Was mentoring seen as a negative thing by some TORCers?
I've been thinking about the welcome forum, which I like, but which may in itself be a little off-putting to the most introverted of us.
Ax, another question!
What seems off-putting to you about the welcome forum?
You know, I don't think it's paradoxical at all, it's inevitable. I mean, here everybody who is not a troll is accepted, which means everybody period, because we don't have trolls yet.
Frelga, this is very true. But not being tossed out, as we would do with a troll, is different than feeling "accepted". Feeling accepted is so dependent upon the personality and experience of the individual, that it would not be possible for US to affect that in any way other than simply trying to be universally kind to n00bs (and to go out of one's way to acknowledge their presence when they DO post, because it can be really hurtful to be taking such a risk and to be ignored.
).
The Paltroo question:
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SPANKING, YOUNG LADY -- A MISERABLE POLTROO'S GOT NUTTIN' UNLESS HE'S GOT A REP -- GOTTA PROTECT MY STREET CRED!!!
TORN hunny, I hate to tell you this, but EVERYONE knows that you act all "street rep cred" tough, but you are in actuality just a big paltrooish pussy cat. <scratches TORN under the chin>
The English Grammar Question
That reminds of the word 'hang' for which the past tense is so often used incorrectly. My clothes were hung out to dry, but the criminal was hanged by the neck.
MORE ENGLISH GRAMMAR GEEKISHNESS!!!11 ACKKKKKK!!!111
<faints>
We can see their faces, half-illuminated in the firelight, but they can see us much, much better.
I dunno why, but this makes me sad.