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Originally Posted by mak
The reasons I have not bothered to register and/or post are numerous...
I find that there are maybe a dozen people who think that this forum is for their own private use. I will call them "the circle of few". When people ask a legitimate question and it gets bogged down by banter back and forth from "the circle of few", it becomes wasted time. (it's like high school with the private jokes) Blogs and chat rooms are for private discussions. TOTV should be for legitimate discussions that pertain to the majority, not banter that only a few will understand.
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Hmmm, I totally get what Mak, Ouida and Kregski are saying! Even though I am probably one of the frequent posters he is talking about, and perhaps a member of "the circle of few", I have been increasingly more aware of the fact that the chatter in the past month or two has really increased. On the other hand, if the topic is frivolous (e.g. fads, jokes or sadie mae pictures), then it is fair game for fun and chatter, and readers should expect that. But if a topic is serious (lifestyle preview or termites), then I think comments should be topic appropriate. Doesn't mean humour isn't appreciated, within context.
I think we should all respect the site administrators' goals of increasing membership and participation. And I think we should take Mak's comments to heart, as he has been brave enough to express the opinions of what might be a majority. He has been reading posts for six months and has finally given an opinion. I don't think we should dump on him for that! I think the number of times you post isn't important; it is the quality or humour of your posts that people appreciate. We need to consider the potential members that are not enjoying the "circle of few" banter (yes, I know I've been guilty, but I am trying hard to police myself).
I agree with Chelsea that the Chat Room is great .. and that is where we can all kick back and say witty and meaningless stuff, make personal comments, act like teenagers and have fun. Perhaps we should be encouraging more people to frequent Chat at night.
By the way Mak, you said in your post that you feel you won't be a welcome participant after we read your post. That is so untrue. The whole point of our site is that people can be free to express their ideas. So please, keep posting, we welcome all viewpoints.