Attention Members!

[theimp98]

sorry katie there is not much i can post about ladies and shopping

 

[phenomsmom]

We do tend to get a little silly on here. But its hard not to. TCS really does feel like a family. But I don't want to put anyone off from joining us on the boards. So I will be trying my hardest to keep my posts out of the gutter and on topic and with few inside jokes. And I want to thank the mods for doing their best to keep TCS the best place on the net!

 

[katiemae1277]

Originally Posted by rosiemac

Over 4,000 posts, you've done well Katie

Thanks!! that's one thing people always say about me once they get to know me "I though you were so quiet"

Originally Posted by theimp98

sorry katie there is not much i can post about ladies and shopping

well what about wearing make-up then, Bruce??

 

[AbbysMom]

It's OK to have a few inside jokes. I am sure at some point I will call Susie a nut, and tell Jan to get her mind out of the gutter, etc. I am not pointing a finger at those two, those were the first that came to mind because well, Susie is a nut, and Jan is the Queen of the Gutter, even it is a kinder, gentler gutter.

The problem was that they were starting to overtake the Lounge. There were many threads that were just about the inside joke (and again, it's OK if you have one about the joke, but not 5+), and the jokes were popping up in every thread. Serious threads by members that don't post as much were getting pushed off the front page without many replies because the other threads were overtaking the Lounge.

As for new people that don't feel comfortable posting, you will find that TCS is the most welcoming bunch of people on the Internet. Let us get to know you, post some pictures of your cats, dip your toe into the Lounge. Do you see a post that you think is fantastic, or you can totally relate to? PM the person and let them know. I've done this on many occasions, and it is how I have made some of my TCS pals. If the person doesn't reply, then don't be discouraged, try again.

Susan, I am totally guilty of not visiting the Bridge forum enough. I had tried to for a while, but with Molly's anniversary next week, I just can't go in there. I am also sure some don't post because they feel that whatever they could say will seem insignificant and it won't help anyway. Having been there, I can tell you that yes, not much will help, but it is nice to know that others are thinking of you and understand.

I am also guilty of not visiting New Cats and Fur pics as often as I should.

I apologize for the rambling, but I really need to get more coffee. I'm not awake yet.

 

[rosiemac]

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

:well what about wearing make-up then, Bruce??

Is there something we should know?

 

[luckygirl]

Originally Posted by SchwarzeKatz

I totally understand this feeling. I left another forum because of this and because when I had the nerve to privately express my feelings about it, I got ostracized because I had been mean (for lack of a better word) to a cherished member of a certain clique. Feeling invisible and unappreciated for the effort you've made to give an answer to the question somebody asked stinks. Makes you feel like you've wasted your time. My experience there has left a bad taste in my mouth to these forums so I'm sticking my toe in here tentatively. So far the only thing that has made me feel a little unwelcome are some of the basic rules like not being able to post in the IMO forum. Personally I think if you can't post there, you shouldn't be able to read there either. I'm not going to spend a lot of time in that forum anyway because I don't care or want to know what people's political views are - this is a CAT forum. I read a few of the posts and that was enough for me. I did want to say though that I will not be reading the OJ book! There! I got to say it anyway LOL.

Hi SchwarzeKatz!!!

Welcome to TCS! Despite our obstacles, we really are a great bunch here! I too felt the same way at 1st, not understanding why I couldn't post in IMO. One of the mods explained it, and now I get it. It really is just to protect the newbies, also to prohibit just anyone from getting the conversation more heated than it needs to be. Once I was "allowed" to post there, I think I did once, and that's it. I prefer the lounge, no stress for me!

Mods: point taken! I will watch my P's & Q's! Thanks for the heads up!

 

[satai]

Originally Posted by rosiemac

I know i always ask if members could give their support more in Crossing the Bridge

So what if more could go into New Cats on the Block to welcome the new members?.

Cast your minds back to when you were a newbie?. I know it made my day when i was being welcomed by members

You're right, of course. Being new to anything is hard on the most thick-skinned.

 

[theimp98]

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

well what about wearing make-up then, Bruce??

oh man, you promised not to tell anyone

eheh no thanks, i had to do that a few times on stage, never again,
how you ladies wear that is beyond me

 

[purrpaws]

I agree with making people have 100 posts and being a member for a month and being at least 18 to post in IMO. Another forum that I am on (discussfitness.com) didn't have an IMO just a General Chat (like our lounge). GC has been closed for months now because it was filled with political flaming. Namely, a few individuals would repeatedly post threads on the same very politically sensitive topic, and it would just turn into a big fight. We might never get General Chat back

I am glad there is an IMO here to keep it separate from the lounge posts. I enjoy reading and posting in IMO; I enjoy debating in general. I hope no one takes anything I say there personally. I try to avoid name-calling. But I do enjoy debating and disagreeing, but I still want to be friends, even if I disagree strongly with you.

 

[schwarzekatz]

Originally Posted by LuckyGirl

Hi SchwarzeKatz!!!

Welcome to TCS! Despite our obstacles, we really are a great bunch here! I too felt the same way at 1st, not understanding why I couldn't post in IMO. One of the mods explained it, and now I get it. It really is just to protect the newbies, also to prohibit just anyone from getting the conversation more heated than it needs to be. Once I was "allowed" to post there, I think I did once, and that's it. I prefer the lounge, no stress for me!

Hi LuckyGirl!

Thanks for the welcome. I understand the reason for the rule (although I don't need to be protected) I just don't understand why we're allowed to read if we can't post. What's the point? But it's not that big of a deal; I just saw that one thread about OJ's book and wanted to give my answer and found that I couldn't!

I prefer the lounge myself. I don't know how much time I would spend in the IMO forum but until I'm able to post there I don't see much sense in reading there either. I would just get frustrated because I can't have my say LOL! If it's a political thread I won't even go there though. Those kind of debates just make me angry.

And I didn't come to this cat forum to get angry. I'm with you; I don't need the stress!

 

[russian blue]

I feel like I've been at TCS forever and see this issue surface every so often. I haven't had much time in the last few months for the internet and even less now because of the new job.

But, when I have peeked in to see what's been happening I have even felt a little lost with the inside jokes. And when they start getting into the 'gutter'

I do know that many educational and family friendly computer monitors would be turned off.

Just remember when you post, you are not posting only to a select few, but to any visitor that might be visiting for a first time. And for those who post a lot, take some time out of the popular threads and see if you can respond to the one's that have less replies. The easiest place to do this is the New Members Forum since this is one of the first impressions for a newbie. Or even Fur Pics, it's easy to look at cute cats and leave a reply.

It takes each individual to make a community, so we all have a way to improve the site and make it more welcoming to others.

Ok, my 5 minutes of free time is up....back to the renovations, cooking etc.

 

[jcat]

Originally Posted by SchwarzeKatz

Hi LuckyGirl!

Thanks for the welcome. I understand the reason for the rule (although I don't need to be protected) I just don't understand why we're allowed to read if we can't post. What's the point? But it's not that big of a deal; I just saw that one thread about OJ's book and wanted to give my answer and found that I couldn't!

I prefer the lounge myself. I don't know how much time I would spend in the IMO forum but until I'm able to post there I don't see much sense in reading there either. I would just get frustrated because I can't have my say LOL! If it's a political thread I won't even go there though. Those kind of debates just make me angry.

And I didn't come to this cat forum to get angry. I'm with you; I don't need the stress!

All members (and guests) can read IMO threads so that they can get a "feel" for the forum, and what is considered "acceptable" behavior; basically, they're given an opportunity to dip their toe in, but prevented from just "diving in". Also, the posting restrictions keep the "hit and run trolls" off the forum.

 

[sillyjilly]

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Thank you for the hug - and the other comments I see relating to my post

I guess I should just try to practice more what I want.- posting to show I care. And to keep posting to let folks know of my brilliant insights, wonderful cooking skills etc etc etc (HAH! chuckle & snort) and just figure that even if no response, maybe it's being enjoyed/or is useful.

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

As for feeling left out, I definitely get those feelings sometimes, to me it seems like a couple certain people don't ever reply to my threads, but then I'm a naturally paranoid person, so I'm probably just....being paranoid

I find myself reading a ton of peoples posts and if someone has already stated what I would say, rather than sound unoriginal or like a copy cat I simply do not reply. I would rather sound sincere in my own words that just repeat someone else's post! I personally have not had an issue with posting a thread that was ignored or looked over because I can probably count the number of threads I have started on two hands. But the point I am making is, that even though my thread may not get tons of replies, I value every one that I did get! I've had people tell me to take my cat to the vet and I was not upset by it, I understood that that would be something I would hear from people who are so caring and worry about the well-being of every cat.

I love all the threads or posts and look forward to reading what everyone writes! It is all of our differences that make us all meld so well together! We all need some sort of variety!

Originally Posted by rosiemac

I know i always ask if members could give their support more in Crossing the Bridge

So what if more could go into New Cats on the Block to welcome the new members?.

Cast your minds back to when you were a newbie?. I know it made my day when i was being welcomed by members

I do try to get in there when I can and seem to go through a whole bunch, I will definitely try to get in there more often!

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

As for feeling left out, I definitely get those feelings sometimes, to me it seems like a couple certain people don't ever reply to my threads, but then I'm a naturally paranoid person, so I'm probably just....being paranoid