For the rude answerers and RA goers

BTW, I pretty well always have fun with my leisure time. Or I change the leisure activity.

That includes time at work, mis-spent reading the forum. Especially have fun in RA. Especially in threads like these.

Sorry. Actually, I love Canada. I've always thought we should colonize it. We don't have any more room for new stars on the flag, so we can't offer you statehood, and you'd be behind Puerto Rico and Guam in line anyway, but you would make lovely colonies. I think we could take you as a tax write-off. Plus, it might get easier for me to smuggle Cuban cigars across the border.

Not that I have EVER smuggled Cuban cigars across the border from Vancouver. EVER. The thought never crossed my mind. I promise. Those were all from some country with some sort of legitimate trade relations with the stupid US and its stupid policy on Cuba.

I think there are two main reasons for this perception of a "clique."

One is that there are quite a few people who have been posting here a long while (full disclosure: in SL anything over a month is a long while), and they have built up a history with each other. There are friendships and antagonisms, and lots of "in" references that are not so much "in" as references to things past that a new arrival knows nothing about. To some extent, RA is an ongoing conversation, and I can see where some may find it daunting to break in and insert a post or two edgewise. People who feel that way, please don't. Everybody here was a first-time poster sometime. If you have something helpful or worthwhile to say, or a question of any kind, you are a welcome and beneficial presence here. Post away! It's not really a clique.

The other thing is that here people do not mince words. If someone thinks you are being any of several flavors of idiot, they will not hesitate to say so. (My favorite is people who wrap themselves in Political Correctness. LOVE to puncture them, but that's just me.) And if people disagree with you, they will do so in no uncertain terms. I can see where that can be intimidating too. If you feel like an "outsider" (which really only means you are a new poster here), it may feel like a pack driving you off its turf. It ain't. The best protection against being attacked: Be a reasonable person. If you are then attacked by some idiot, you will soon find people here ganging up on the idiot, not you. But in the meantime it does help to have a thicker skin. Sensitive plants do not do well in a rigorous climate, and it is true, RA is a fairly - refreshing - climate. : )

But it's not personal. And it's not cliquish. It's just that this is friendly arm-wrestling, not patty-cake. Welcome!

I nearly went through last night to delete all my posts to this Forum and just use the technical ones.

Can I have your vowels?

Can I have your vowels?

Superb post! and pretty much sums up how I feel about the "clique" thing.
/me bows to Har and his tactful wizardry
Lotta people don't understand that "oldbies" high-five each other. They also butt ego's in a jestful kinda way... that's just what they do. You really can't read too much into hidden meanings of either or you'll walk away with a tainted impression of the exchange.

Actually..*giggles* Someone told me one of my posts in another thread read like I was pointing fingers and crying "clique". *laughs* Promise, if it's the one I think it might have been, that wasn't the intent at all. Was merely pointing out something that might have been construed as cliquish, with a heaping dose of sarcasm to boot. Sorry to those who might have taken it differently from it's intent. /me goes back to my corner and dons the dunce hat again lol.

There Is No Cabal.

Those are NOT black helicopters hovering outside your home.

Thank you very much. Have a nice day.

Since Brenda is a no-show, we are settling for a swordfight.

There are two helicopters on the roof of the hangout. Sometimes one of the helicopters turns into a balloon, but I might have been seeing things that one time.

I tried to steal one of them once, but it wouldn't start. *shakes fist*

Did it let you sit? And if so, how long did you just sit there trying to move?

There's an awful lot of oldbies who don't have to keep high fiving every two minutes tho ...

Nope ... stop .. stop typing now Cherry

Yes, please stop typing now, Cherry, because their number is actually quite few, and I would have agreed with Ava that you would have been part of any perceived "clique." Of course you disagree, but it says a lot about the way we view ourselves here.

There are a lot of strong personalities here, and as Har said, people don't mince words. I believe that the vast majority of the time, we respect each other's differences without taking cheap shots. I believe there are some folks who have a natural affinity toward each other in here, because they share similar beliefs and have been around a while. The anti-banline group would be one, the anti-campers would be another, and there is a large subset that encompasses both. People are passionate about these subjects and these two things are the most divisive issues that I have observed in the forum, outside of VAT. There may appear to be no room for the moderates or pro-banliners, or pro-campers.

But if we can just take the differences without taking it personally, like some do here, we would have far less of those "the forums are mean" posts.

My point was about "oldies". No more, no less. I've already said I am shocked anyone thought anything I said was representational especially given how many people do disagree with me.

However I have ever bit as much right to post here as everyone else. I've never yet told anyone else to stop posting.

The few really oldbies that are still regulars here post far more infrequently than anyone from 2006 and forward, for the most part. I don't see them high-fiving each other every 3 minutes.

Never said that. What I think I mean to say is that there are some people who are very vocal and their opinions are highly respected. And I perceive that your opinions are highly respected, no matter what position you take. That may be what makes you part of the so-called clique.

There's an awful lot of oldbies who don't have to keep high fiving every two minutes tho ...

Nope ... stop .. stop typing now Cherry

/me struggles with this concept because opinionated as I might be, I also don't have a huge ego.

For the record I wish I'd never posted to this thread, not because I regret what has been said, but it has gone on way too long really, I am feeling embarassed about the amount I''ve posted here.

This is what you said. Sounds to me like you're complaining that oldbies are constantly high-fiving every two minutes.

The few really oldbies that are still regulars here post far more infrequently than anyone from 2006 and forward, for the most part. I don't see them high-fiving each other every 3 minutes.