Here's what I noticed today:

I forget when.

But I noticed that the 5 stars that had been by the How can we get new members thread that I started, had changed to 3. I was sad, of course. I had been surprised to find the 5 stars, and they'd made me happy. So I went around and put 5 stars on a lot of other people's threads, so they'd feel happy to. I was going to put them on all the threads... but then I got confused about whether that would be good or bad.

I also went back to my thread and thought I'd up it to 4 stars by voting myself, for 4 stars. I thought that would tip it back. But it didn't, so then I knew that quite a few people had voted to lower the rating.

Who would want to lower the rating... people in favor of BT2? It didn't seem very likely. People who were mad about the existence of BT2 and how much I said about my experience there. That seemed more likely.

So, when the Attention Whore post came up... well, I chose to laugh about it and I tried to engage people I trusted in laughing about it with me.

I don't know how many people are aware that "Attention Whore" is used on at least one forum the way that the word "member" is used here:
http://community.realitytvworld.com/...ForumID6&omm=0

When I first went there I found it very confusing. I didn't realize it was a part of the forum.

So from that point of view the post didn't bother me. I didn't' mind the young woman in it. She looked happy. She looked healthy.

I think if I could have posted something more like this when I found it, that it would have been better than what I did. Because I could hear in the responses I got that people were more shocked by the words than I was.

What shocked me, was that the number of stars had been changed on the thread about how to get more people here.

But of course that's harder to talk about because it's like me saying, Hey, I really liked the praise and darn it, I want it back!

Now, there are mods.

I don't feel comfortable with mods because of what happened at Brain Talk 1, and because of what happened when I belonged to that Reality forum... and others.

The best way to describe how I feel, is to liken this to the War on Terror. The reduction in my personal liberties does not make me feel safer. Bombing a lot of innocent Iraqis doesn't make me feel safer. In fact, it reminds me of when I used to kill earwigs because they scared me... the way they look. And when I sat outside in the evening, earwigs were always crawling up on my feet and biting my ankles.

Then, a snake, a small grass snake, moved into my yard, or else it had been there and it suddenly let me see it... and I decided I shouldn't kill things that it might want to eat. I've never killed an earwig since, nor have I been bitten by one since.

Okay. So I feel threatened by the mods. I feel that if one wants to ban me, that one will convince the others in the mod group.

Not just me, but anyone whom one of them decided to single out, or feels has singled themselves out in an objectionable manner.

I liked this board. I tried to help get it going. I tried to be supportive. I really appreciated all the support I experienced. I won't hug you all here, but I want you to know that if I did I would increase the length of this post by a lot.

I feel that without mods I am much safer because ordinary people like me tend to like me. I like people.

When a lot of people are all involved then I feel safer than when the power of all the people is delegated to a few.

I remember on BT1 getting these lovely emails from people. But then when I was banned and someone gave me the way to get back on to watch, some code thing, I forget, I saw those people who had seemed to like me, who had written me things that made it clear they respected me, kowtowing to the people who had banned me.

I could see why they did it, they wanted and needed the community and they had to protect themselves by making-nice/ingratiating themselves to the strong arms. It made me sad, not just because they appeared to jettison me, but because they demeaned themselves. It's hard to explain. I can explain, but it would take time and be revealing.

So, all in all, I think I'm better off going back to what I was doing before I found this forum and began to like it. I don't want get involved and then be ostracized. It's not fun.

I'm pretty into fun.

To me, the person who posted the Attention Whore things, was trying to get mods. If they were familiar with forums, they would know that would be a good trigger.

Love you guys.

((((((((((((((((((((((( ct )))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm sorry for what has happened in the past. Give it a chance? Sometimes things really do change and work for good. :)

You said: "I feel that without mods I am much safer because ordinary people like me tend to like me. I like people."

The mods ARE ordinary people just like you. :) They're/we're members. :)

KD

No, not any more than the army in Iraq is just like the Iraqis because everyone wants freedom.

Comparing people who volunteer to help out keeping the community a safe place to the "war on terror" is a stretch and really undermines keeping an open mind about these things, don't ya think?

If you have your mind set, then nothing anyone can say is going to convince you, so I wish you well in your online journeys if indeed you choose not to stay.

John

Here are the Top ten reasons that Zombie Slayer shouldn't be an admin.

Item - 1
He calls himself 'Zombie Slayer'. Now zombies are people to. They may be dead and like to munch on live human flesh, but really we all have our faults certainly no reason to go around slaying them.

Item - 2
He doesn't even use his real name. For those of you who don't know it here it is : Mortimer G. Slomilfinken. For five bucks I'll send you his address.

Item - 3
Take a look at that avatar. Has his head shaped like the Earth. What more do you need to see that he's bent on total world domination?

Item- 4
That's 'easy' as in as easy as stealing candy from a baby. Now do you want to put your trust in a man like that?

Item - 5
He's always telling you to go to 'live chat'. Well if you play that backwards it's 'tahc evil'. Tach is just slang for talk, but evil we all know what that is.

Item - 6
Have you seen his site "Da Garden? Well I have and I'm convinced there's some Mary Jauna in their. Maybe her sister Duya too!

Item - 7
And I have it from a good source (Pof. Harry Hill himself) that Da Garden starts with a 'D' and that rhymes with 'P' and that stands for Pool! Gee Whizz!

Item - 8
Now your going to say that he thinks everyone should be treated equally and that he thinks people should be able to make their own choices. And he's got a pick up truck, he's thrifty (doesn't even have a cable connection). What you've got here is a liberal, conservative redneck yankee!

Item -9
He never signed the Declaration of Independence, didn't vote for Abraham Linclon or even lift a finger to help the sufferagettes. Then he comes up with the lame excuse that he hadn't even been born yet!

Item - 10
He is David H. He's also John L. And he's Charlie Chaplin, all of the Marx bothers, Kermit the frog and The Easter Bunny.

Now that's funny stuff!!!!! :)

TC44 you always make me :D

:) Something has actually made me laugh today thank you TCC

Gillian

here, here
 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank ZS for all he has done on OBT and
BT2.

Zombieslayer is a "mensch" and has always been there for everyone.
He has helped me personally many times, and I am grateful.

I am sure that any further activities he might take on here would be
keeping in character, and very generous of him, considering his other
time consuming activities!

Love,

considerthis - you cracked me up with the star thingie!! What I like best about you is you are so down to earth and geniune. You're not afraid to say you are human and don't hide behind a screen name. What you see is what you get. I like that...I REALLY do.

The subject of mods was brought up before by DJ (I think) so I don't think it was that rude guy sitsonchairs or whatever his name was. You handled that the way it should have been handled - with humor, concern, etc, but not outrage. You know how to handle yourself on a forum, and by doing so you encourage others to do the same by your example.

Some, no matter how much good influence they get from ppl like you, will never know how to handle themselves. For those ppl, mods are helpful. I think mods also do the mundane tasks like move stuff where it belongs, etc. There is no way DJ can do all that by himself. He'd burn out and we'd be stuck back with nowhere to chat with fellow BTr's.

So I HOPE you don't split. PLEASE don't go. You add so much to the flavor here and you have such a great memory for the good posts that were lost on BT. Don't be afraid of mods.

I know what you were saying about 2 faced ppl. Mods or not, by human nature ppl tend to go with the flow. I didn't care for the heavy handedness on BT1 myself, and I wouldn't be here, if I didn't think it was going to be different. DJ is very different from what I've seen. I've actually opened up MORE on this forum than I ever did on BT1, so I know things are different here.

so.....don't go!

TC44 you aint rite :D Thanks for the chuckles and keepem coming.