Are you posting less or more now?

I post less because of the rating system. I no longer have the inspiration for writing poetry because most of what I write has been thumbed down.

"We Plant the Seeds of our Own Destruction" was dowgraded from a 5 to a 1. Georgeob one posted there and now is gone again.

I find more hair on my chin.

BBB

I definately post less. It might just be me but i find the new system too diltued, and no-one seems to answer my threads anymore.

Anytime you make changes (to GUI), it's bound to affect some members of the community. Could we be seeing a natural turnover in the community as we "mature" and the interface changes? I will let others comment on that.

Also there could be a macro phenomena going on. I see a lot of people that are feeling displaced (and grumpier?) now due to more severe economic pressures -- loss of jobs, loss of homes due to foreclosure, loss of financial reserves. Should we think that we as a community are isolated from this? Maybe I'm reaching a bit here...somehow this outside economic effect could be having some trickle- down effect on the dynamics here?

I feel that the welcoming of newbies contributes mightily to the community. It helps bring in new blood and possibly cement them (for awhile). It also gives a good feeling to the veterans that this IS a community not jasut a way of passing the idle hours. So why is it that I don't do it any more?

I can only speak of my own experience here about my own feelings of community. I generally don't see many comments made to me after any of my replies unless it's in the NFL contest threads. I have ceased to make new posts. I don't really know why, frankly. Perhaps, it's me, though. Perhaps I feel more anonymous and disconnected now then I did with other interface, but I may be digging too deeply and off base there.

Also, I think a component of the unwelcoming community problem is the testiness of the recently passed political "season." That should be a temporary effect, however. Or, is it?

The nature of my activity on A2K is such that the changes had no impact.

Can I still contribute lazy one-liners to threads just to make myself laugh? Check.

Can I still challenge myself to find new and creative ways of insulting certain posters? Check.

Can I still author trivial, irrelevant threads about sex, pop culture, and, occasionally, literature? Check.

Can I still make my totally meaningless workday go by faster? Check.


To boot, my way of navigating the site has not changed a whit, either, so I have difficulty sympathizing with what seem like exaggerated claims of laborious searching. My thread filter is set to New Posts. The My Posts functionality is exactly the same. For years that's how I've been getting around. No big deal.

That sucks. But you can't meausure the quality of your stuff by the rating system. First of all, your poem might have been collapsed for more efficient navigation. Second, you have no idea which moron might be judging your poem.

I hope you're still writing, if not on A2K.

Well, that's your opinion, Spendi. Mine differs. Some people get so nasty to each other and I don't being exposed to that so now I can choose to ignore those people. That's my right, and it has nothing to do with whether I agree with what they're saying. And I don't consider myself a bigot - I have no idea what bigotry has to do with ignoring someone.

Thanks a lot nimh, I'll give a try.

Google

I have been wanting to know how to do this since they first changed the site and took away those handy little url boxes. But I guess it don't hurt to know new things and in case I forget I saved your post on my word program.

Letty - I love your poetry! Who is the dimwit who rated down your poem? Can he or she write better?? Anyway, why should YOU worry about some godforsaken twit who obviously has nothing better to do than downgrade other people's work???

Post a link to the poem in question, please, lots of people here want to read it - I know I do

ditto for me, Letty!

I am finding I have to post far more in protest to the new changes than I ever had to do in support of the old a2k.

Great, thanks from me as well. I'll save this for next time.

Well, I just noticed that it went back up to two.

Here's the link, and thanks to all

http://able2know.org/topic/118610-1

dear lettyBetty I never read your poetry and always collapse your threads but it's only because I don't like you, nothing to do with your poetry.

Stop this nonsense, Dys, and quickly go vote UP for Letty's poem - shoo!!

I upped it long ago or I'd do it again

I may be posting slightly more, but I'm reading less, which frustrates me.

ah , YES !
that looks like a much tighter layout !
i would even suggest that we do away with the signature line ; it's really just a space waster isn't it ? i certainly don't spend any time looking at people's sig line .
and i'll cut out my sig line right now - gotta set an example of some kind .
anything that can be done to give a "crisp" layout is going to improve the look of a2k imo .
hbg

Ditto, but I don't use 'Ignore'. With some posters, I automatically just collapse their thread without even opening it. That's my way of ignoring.

Thank you!!! I'd not understood that either!