Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <We, however, were never part of the family, so we stood on the curb and tried to peak over the fence but most of the scenery was covered by the shrubbery. > I've been here since 2000, and I've never felt excluded -/ and I really wouldn't be able to identify this 'inner circle' that's being tossed around. Wondering who you mean...
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I certainly never felt excluded... heck, I was awarded two or three Golden Doobies during my early years here. But there was definitely a clique among some members that wasn't very open to anyone else.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>Interesting. I've been here only a couple of months longer than Goofyernmost, and many others came in around the same time I did. I never really felt the alienation that some of you describe. I always found everyone quite welcoming.<<< I got into the discussions by shear force of will. I guess I had enough self confidence to just charge right in, but I found that I had to keep my sense of humor (good or bad) at arms length for quite a while. That wasn't all that important though, what I am referring to, not very well apparently, is that so many of the posts were only understood by the "family". Even those that weren't in full force kinda knew what was going on. Many of us didn't. The only one that ever reached out to me in the early days was Tall Disney Guy. I do miss his posts, they were the catalyst for many really fun and interesting threads. He e-mailed me because he liked my screen name and we did keep up correspondence for some time. I lost contact with him a couple of years ago and due to a computer crash, lost his e-mail address, but he was special on this site. I think all will agree with that. I don't hold any anger towards anyone nor do I think that there is anything wrong with a group of friends sharing a love of Disney and this site, it's just that it was uncomfortable for the first year or so while trying to get a word in and have it supported by others. That's all it is really. I don't want it to alienate anybody or sound like whining. It's just the way it was back then. I'm sure that there were many good reasons why people left the site. Life does tend to get in the way many times. Unlike myself many of you do have a life. I respect that! I am also not thinking that those that are new or have remained are not worthy of attention. But you, for example, see times when a new person that doesn't understand the "Witches" concept is sometimes downright hostile. I, at least, was never that. I admit I was puzzled many times, but after being called a "duckling" a number of times and getting some "secret" information from someone in the know (not TDG), started to really appreciate those posts and see the humor and work that went into creating them. All those words to say, I think it's too bad that so many very smart and extremely humorous posters left. It took a lot of fun out of everything and the only thing left that had enough "interesting" things in it was WE. Lord save us all!
Originally Posted By u k fan <<<I certainly never felt excluded... heck, I was awarded two or three Golden Doobies during my early years here. But there was definitely a clique among some members that wasn't very open to anyone else.>>> +1 (although I only won one Doobie)!!!
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I wish I had never read this thread. Makes me incredibly sad and makes me continue to think its not worth my time each time I creep back in and start to post. I'm not sure if I'm on a clique list or not. I know if you go back many years into Community and see the threads I started its proof of my sense of involving anyone who wanted to play to be a part of whatever topic I started. Life got complicated and busy for me and I had to make choices about where to spend my online time. As I have found time to come back the meaness turned me away and some of what I read now doesn't really give me hope. I'll never completely go away. I love LP and all the wonderful people & experiences it brought to my life. I hate the drama & try to avoid it but sometimes I have to speak up.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I started LP in what I call "The Silver Age", "The Golden Age" being around about the DL 50th anniversary and its lead up. Although I wasn't here for all that fun, I was welcomed by many when I joined in late '05 and rejoined in mid '06. As for the "in" jokes, I found that if I put myself out there and asked, at least one poster (if not several) would take the time to explain them. And they were never condescending. My early years were a wonderful experience that introduced me to some good friends, some of whom really surprised me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought LVBelle (who's several years younger) and I would have so much fun together, as an example. But, as many have said, life gets in the way, interests wax and wane. I do miss the ebb and flow of conversation that just doesn't happen on Facebook, but find it's much less frustrating spending my online time there than here lately.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip No Lisann... I never saw you as a part of any clique. I didn't always agree with what you said, but I always respected what you had to say.
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger >>The only one that ever reached out to me in the early days was Tall Disney Guy.<< He puts ketchup on hot dogs. His opinions are invalid >>All those words to say, I think it's too bad that so many very smart and extremely humorous posters left. It took a lot of fun out of everything and the only thing left that had enough "interesting" things in it was WE. Lord save us all!<< WE definitely spawned animosity between posters who had never had anything other than minor (and civil) disagreements before. Myself, I developed a new obsession a few years ago - World of Warcraft - and began to hang out on those forums. Like Lissan22, I had limited time and had to decide where to spend it. BTW, the WoW forums really made me appreciate the job that Doobie & co. did/do moderating these forums. They make WE look like a tea party on the ceiling. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy...
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I put both mustard and ketchup on my hot dogs so I can identify either way.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Anyone with any taste knows that the only proper toppings for a hot dog are Chicago style... <<A Chicago-style hot dog, or Chicago Dog, is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard; chopped white onions; bright green sweet pickle relish; a dill pickle spear; tomato slices or wedges; pickled sport peppers; and a dash of celery salt.>> That is all... nothing more or less. But I have no animosity towards those who have not yet discovered true enlightenment. I was in my mid-forties before seeing the light. Sometimes it takes awhile.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Somebody early on mentioned missing the Fabulous Disney Babe. Some of you will remember this, but she actually tried to report me to the Anaheim Police Department and Disney management and heaven knows who else for comments I made about Cynthia Harriss. I wrote something to the effect that if Disney was going to fire her, then they should just pull the trigger and get it over with. She took my "just pull the trigger" as an actual threat to shoot Harriss. She went apecrap on these boards about it. You haven't lived until you have one of the Great Unhinged go after you like that. She even took to posting my comment as her signature on other boards such as travel discussion boards as a way of showing how dangerous I was. She disappeared from view not too long after that, leaving California and becoming strangely obsessed with with some Japanese actor or something or other.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA So true, SPP. Perhaps I should add provisos to my memories of fun posters.
Originally Posted By ecdc I'd forgotten about that, SPP. Wow. Ah, there's nothing quite like when you realize someone isn't just a jerk, but completely mental. I had that moment with another poster here. James Lasdun has even written a memoir about being cyberstalked by a former student bent on, in the student's words, "ruining him." The excerpts I've read are disturbing and fascinating. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374219079/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374219079&linkCode=as2&tag=slatmaga-20" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...tmaga-20</a>
Originally Posted By disney pete I also didnt know fivebearugs had been kicked off the boards he was such a nice guy never said anything bad,i come hear to read everyday (almost)post occasionaly as a lot of people have dissappeared and hardly nobody aske questions on WDW my speciality Topic....still its a great board to be on run by great people.
Originally Posted By TiggerPooh1973 Like Lisann22 said, it does make me a little sad to come back and read this thread, seeing other people describe the old LP the way they are. I was here for "The Golden Age", if that's what you want to call it. Living where I do, I was far removed physically from everyone here. Still, there was never one time that I felt left out, excluded, or in anyway a lesser citizen of LP because of it. I was welcomed with open arms and met so many cool people here. The boards really were a community back then. I would spend SO many hours reading and replying. There were many Winter Bashes. AND I saw others come and go, always welcomed and treated with respect. As someone who was a big contributor to the boards back then, I think, I find it laughable to say there was an inner circle. Sadly, in my opinion it was that sort of mentality that lead to so many wandering away there. Anyway, it's unfair to say people were excluded or had any reason at all to ever feel that was the case.
Originally Posted By LPFan22 I don't understand the "feeling of exclusion" myself. We are all sitting in our homes, schools, book stores, coffee shops, etc. coming to this website freely to partake in various types of conversations. We're all in our little corners of the world and come here when we have a Disney related purpose or simply have something to say. We are free to come and go as we please. There is no exclusion that I can see. By the way, I miss that Disfan1022. She was pretty cool.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Oh there are cliques anywhere, but you don't necessarily have to feel excluded. I've certainly stuck around all these years even though I think it has been quite awhile since I was considered a "popular poster". Ironically, it was probably the posts about my personal life that made me popular while at the same time bringing me the most flack. I decided it was better to maintain a lower profile when it came to my personal life. Popularity and "in groups" exist on any board. At one time I was voted as one of the posters on Dis Boards that people would most like to meet. But that can change overnight. Only about six months after the vote I was banned from the DIS. It was totally my fault... I thought that my supposed popularity would let me push the limits. Pete (yes, THE PETE) called me at home one night and asked me to please cool it. He didn't want to ban me but would have to if I kept crossing the line. I was the master of double-entendre in my posts and I took it too far. Pete banned me and it was entirely my fault. I was so embarrassed that I never went back. I am older and wiser now.
Originally Posted By LPFan22 The term "popular poster" means nothing to me and doesn't make or break the reason I visit a website. No one is better than another... anywhere. I feel we're all equal on the discussion boards.
