puddlepirate44 wrote in post #6229251
Continued:
Welcoming and Hospitable:To put things into perspective, this particular thread is huge. We're on our 12th iteration, with over a million views. We've had many, many people come and go over the last year and a half, some have stayed, some have moved on, others do fly by postings. We have people that participate on this thread that live in various time zones; meaning that while some are posting their morning posts, others are asleep and still others are at work. I come to this thread, usually,
after putting in a ten hour workday. Many of the people that drop by do so while I was "gone". By the time I show up, they've already come and gone. My thinking this is usually, "Why respond when there's NO chance that they'll see it?" If they're here when I'm here, I make the attempt at welcoming them and engaging them in conversation.
There are times, however, when this isn't the case. Like many here, I work a full time job, and POTN isn't my all consuming pastime. Many times, POTN is on the proverbial back burner as I spend the evening drawing, researching, writing, corresponding or, heaven forbid, processing photos. During those times, I don't sit in the office pressing the "User CP" link over and over again with the intention of responding to every post that someone makes. I may take a break occasionally, check in, respond to the pertinent bits, and go back to what I was doing. To expect someone, anyone, to hover over every post and poster is, simply put, insane.
There are many times when I stumble into an ongoing conversation and my "Moo, All" is blindly stepped over. Heck, I've posted TR's and had them completely ignored for hours. Usually this is because I've posted something while others were gone, or in the middle of a "give and take" conversation, or while others are trying to assist someone with a question/problem. I don't see this as offensive, but rather as the normal flow of societal living. To expect everyone to stop what they're doing to recognize my entrance is a bit arrogant. Do I feel ignored? Sure! But that happens even in the real life experiences. If I were to walk into a party at someone's house and everyone there is engaged in their conversations, I don't expect them to drop all that to come to me. I make the effort to engage in conversation, knowing that I'm coming into that conversation in the middle or end.
As for being helpful, c'mon. I've never met a group of people that seem to literally RACE to be the first to post an answer to a question, or provide a link, or give an example. I've often thought that the title to this thread should be changed to the "POTN Service Desk".
Is there room for growth? Of course. Can I be more engaging and gregarious to the new comer? Sure. Is this a good time for a wake up call? Yup. We can all use the occasional rattled cage to make us realize that we've become too familiar with one another and that it might be a bit off putting for someone coming in for the first time.
I would like to add, however, that there are some of us that have been typing at each other since, and even before this thread's inception. I've come to know the participants in this thread well, some in real life. Some friendly banter is to be expected.
The problem arises when we forget that we cannot truly interact with each other. You and I cannot see our body language, or hear the inflections in the voice. I may say something one day, have it very funny, but then, on another day, say something very similar and have it fall flat. This is because I don't know your day, I cannot see your face, I cannot hear your voice. I
assume that you are the same as before, but factors in life change constantly creating different reactions. In those cases, a friendly correction via PM is all it takes to correct the infraction.
I recall the incidence when I was drawing and posting the "Adventures with Jim" TR series in which the characters found themselves in the hostile land of "Weddingzakistan". This all took place during the time when the Wedding Forum was in the midst of a total decompression. In those sensitive times and with emotions running high, I received some friendly advice that the TR should be posted elsewhere until that series was over. For about three weeks, I did not post TR on POTN, only on the TR site. I rushed to finish the series well before its time and out of script due to the feelings on the matter. A couple of PM's was all it took. I say this to illustrate that this is not a group of insensitive clods, but that we're keen to correct any area of real or perceived insensitivity.
hehehehehehe
