Fellowship

[duskpire]

Do you believe some forum communities are so close that they some times do not give newer members the chance to become part of their community?

I joined a forum that has been around for 10 years in 2008 and they were so closely nit together that if you were not doing one of their projects that your membership or your words or suggestions had no weight. So to become part of the group. I donated 10 dollars for a VIP and became a contributor. I donated here and there and still. I was not seen as part of the community still.

I began to the feel resentment towards the staff of that community and their treatment of me.

So, eventually I asked the administrator to delete my account, in which she gladly did and I was on my way.  

The thing was, they were a group of friends in London of the UK that had created a forum and were all best friends and all knew each other by name.

For reasons unknown...The Administrator/Owner traced my IP to my email and to an old Facebook and learned of my identity and that my IP address of the Internet service was registered in my name. Mainly for reasons unknown, which lead to me being run off. I now use a proxy because of it....because it freaked me out. To this day I do not know what software she used to do that. I know Administrators and Moderators can use the forum tools to read IP, but I never knew of one that could trace it to every site that I went to. I guess she might have installed a trojan or key log on to my computer. I know not how.

All in all, I believe there are fellowships in a forum.

thoughts anyone?

 

[Dee]

Oh totally. That happens all the time; however, I feel like Off Topix hasn't been that kind of community. My expended here is that while there are cliques, they're not as tightly knit do that new members don't feel welcome. I do encourage anyone to speak up about that with a staff member if they feel that way here, though. It's important that all members feel welcome.

 

[Hulk's iconHulk]

Heaps of zetaboard forums have the same people over and over again and i feel left out when i first go on one

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

These types of forums are the worst! Those types of people are the worst. I have no problem hitting the logout button and never returning if I am starting to feel like everyone is purposely quoting around my posts and acting like I am invisible. People don't join forums to talk to themselves.

 

[Dee]

These types of forums are the worst!  Those types of people are the worst.  I have no problem hitting the logout button and never returning if I am starting to feel like everyone is purposely quoting around my posts and acting like I am invisible.  People don't join forums to talk to themselves.

I hate this too, Nebulous, especially when I point it out to them. I've only done it on maybe one or two forums, but I felt it needed to be pointed out because of how hypocritical people were being. They claimed they were welcoming and yet after they greeted people in the introduction threads once, they never spoke to that person (and in this case, me) again.

 

[~KAGE-008]

These types of forums are the worst!  Those types of people are the worst.  I have no problem hitting the logout button and never returning if I am starting to feel like everyone is purposely quoting around my posts and acting like I am invisible.  People don't join forums to talk to themselves.

Seconding. Ignoring new people with potential contribution isn't going to let them go anywhere. Seriously.

 

[Enter Username Here]

I believe the newblits like yourself Captain are the most important people in a community. There are tons of communities mostly Role Playing Communities and Admin Communities that do ignore new people. I have had problems in recent times with this. *cough* Atri..*cough* . Sorry, my throat was itchy.

I cannot stand a community where members who have been on the community for years, get all the attention and no one else doe's.

 

[Jazzy]

I joined a forum that has been around for 10 years in 2008 and they were so closely nit together that if you were not doing one of their projects that your membership or your words or suggestions had no weight. So to become part of the group. I donated 10 dollars for a VIP and became a contributor. I donated here and there and still. I was not seen as part of the community still.

I began to the feel resentment towards the staff of that community and their treatment of me.

The thing was, they were a group of friends in London of the UK that had created a forum and were all best friends and all knew each other by name.

This whole thing sounds exactly like a forum I was a member of a long time ago.

 

[seasidemike]

It is no surprise that people that belong to a forum for a long period of time will build friendships and bonds. I expect it going into a forum.

What I see often as the biggest problem is not necessarily the existing group of people, but if that group of people are the kind who all totally are in agreement with each other on every topic and are not open to no ideas or discussions.

I see it too often where a member or members have such strong views on issues that any introduction of an alternate view is responded to with a personal attack. I think that forums where people sit around agreeing with each other are boring, but often forums become a gathering of like minded people who affirm each others beliefs.

 

[duskpire]

I joined a forum that has been around for 10 years in 2008 and they were so closely nit together that if you were not doing one of their projects that your membership or your words or suggestions had no weight. So to become part of the group. I donated 10 dollars for a VIP and became a contributor. I donated here and there and still. I was not seen as part of the community still.

I began to the feel resentment towards the staff of that community and their treatment of me.

The thing was, they were a group of friends in London of the UK that had created a forum and were all best friends and all knew each other by name.

This whole thing sounds exactly like a forum I was a member of a long time ago.

Yeah, a majority of the time. I'd start a topic or post in some one else's thread and no one would respond to anything I said at all. But they would respond to each other's topics. So, I felt like I was being pushed out.

 

[Webster]

These types of forums are the worst! Those types of people are the worst. I have no problem hitting the logout button and never returning if I am starting to feel like everyone is purposely quoting around my posts and acting like I am invisible. People don't join forums to talk to themselves.

I believe the newblits like yourself Captain are the most important people in a community. There are tons of communities mostly Role Playing Communities and Admin Communities that do ignore new people. I have had problems in recent times with this. *cough* Atri..*cough* . Sorry, my throat was itchy.

I cannot stand a community where members who have been on the community for years, get all the attention and no one else doe's.

Agreed on both counts.

 

[Jazzy]

It is no surprise that people that belong to a forum for a long period of time will build friendships and bonds.  I expect it going into a forum.  

What I see often as the biggest problem is not necessarily the existing group of people, but if that group of people are the kind who all totally are in agreement with each other on every topic and are not open to no ideas or discussions.

I see it too often where a member or members have such strong views on issues that any introduction of an alternate view is responded to with a personal attack.  I think that forums where people sit around agreeing with each other are boring, but often forums become a gathering of like minded people who affirm each others beliefs.

Well said. Been there and done that and wound up leaving.

 

[Dee]

It is no surprise that people that belong to a forum for a long period of time will build friendships and bonds.  I expect it going into a forum.  

What I see often as the biggest problem is not necessarily the existing group of people, but if that group of people are the kind who all totally are in agreement with each other on every topic and are not open to no ideas or discussions.

I see it too often where a member or members have such strong views on issues that any introduction of an alternate view is responded to with a personal attack.  I think that forums where people sit around agreeing with each other are boring, but often forums become a gathering of like minded people who affirm each others beliefs.

Well said. Been there and done that and wound up leaving.

This is just a human thing. You'll find it online and off. I have come to discover that many people are so incredibly wrapped up in their minds that they refuse to even consider the fact that there might be other ways of thinking about certain topics.  That's not to say they NEED to change their opinions, but they lack the ability to consider a subject from a different point of view, which is very sad in my opinion and I pity people who cannot or refuse to for whatever ignorant reason. 

 

[Jazzy]

It is no surprise that people that belong to a forum for a long period of time will build friendships and bonds.  I expect it going into a forum.  

What I see often as the biggest problem is not necessarily the existing group of people, but if that group of people are the kind who all totally are in agreement with each other on every topic and are not open to no ideas or discussions.

I see it too often where a member or members have such strong views on issues that any introduction of an alternate view is responded to with a personal attack.  I think that forums where people sit around agreeing with each other are boring, but often forums become a gathering of like minded people who affirm each others beliefs.

Well said. Been there and done that and wound up leaving.

This is just a human thing. You'll find it online and off. I have come to discover that many people are so incredibly wrapped up in their minds that they refuse to even consider the fact that there might be other ways of thinking about certain topics.  That's not to say they NEED to change their opinions, but they lack the ability to consider a subject from a different point of view, which is very sad in my opinion and I pity people who cannot or refuse to for whatever ignorant reason. 

Totally agree with you. There was a forum where there was a 'ring leader' of a certain group of members. Whatever she said they all agreed with her. Many times she was dead wrong but her 'followers' thought she could walk on water. A person (member) can only take so much of that before deciding you're outnumbered and there's no sense in even posting there anymore.

 

[duskpire]

It is no surprise that people that belong to a forum for a long period of time will build friendships and bonds.  I expect it going into a forum.  

What I see often as the biggest problem is not necessarily the existing group of people, but if that group of people are the kind who all totally are in agreement with each other on every topic and are not open to no ideas or discussions.

I see it too often where a member or members have such strong views on issues that any introduction of an alternate view is responded to with a personal attack.  I think that forums where people sit around agreeing with each other are boring, but often forums become a gathering of like minded people who affirm each others beliefs.

Well said. Been there and done that and wound up leaving.

This is just a human thing. You'll find it online and off. I have come to discover that many people are so incredibly wrapped up in their minds that they refuse to even consider the fact that there might be other ways of thinking about certain topics.  That's not to say they NEED to change their opinions, but they lack the ability to consider a subject from a different point of view, which is very sad in my opinion and I pity people who cannot or refuse to for whatever ignorant reason. 

Totally agree with you. There was a forum where there was a 'ring leader' of a certain group of members. Whatever she said they all agreed with her. Many times she was dead wrong but her 'followers' thought she could walk on water. A person (member) can only take so much of that before deciding you're outnumbered and there's no sense in even posting there anymore.

I've heard of that happening before. Some times member ring leaders are responsible for sending a forum into complete chaos. Sure, staff can ban them, but than that just means the other members will leave for an extended period of time.