Okay...my turn....
I'll admit things have gotten different, even weird lately. That's because of all of the turmoil that has gone on here lately. We started with the nWo guy....that got us out of whack a bit and off of our normal feeling for the boards and on the defensive (and offensive in my case). That was the first time ina long time the premium lounge really started getting active. It served as a sounding board. Not as a place to try and have a solution, but a place to vent about him without him seeing it, therefore avoiding any more trouble. Then, when that all finally settled down, we had a guy come on and knock the premium members and even insulted my fiancee, who does not read these boards, much less post. She was attacked, and I threw off the gloves.....she cried when she saw what was written about her. I hate seeing anybody cry, especially women, and in my opinion, short of a death, my love should never have a reason to cry about anything. The premium member lounge again exploded with a thread about "what the (&(*& is going on here"...we were trying to figure out what was going wrong. Most....MOST of the premium members are people that have been here since the boards began, and have a feel for the changing moods on the boards. These were the people I leaned on..the people I consider to be close friends, even though I have never met them. My PM box again filled up in a hurry...I gave a final warning to the guy who made me mad, and I faded away for a bit...perhaps to reconsider if being here was even worth it anymore. I started the thread in the lounge...I was wondering who drugged the water suddenly, that it has gotten so hostile.
To summarize (I guess...).....feelings have been hurt, and people have been attacked. We're all a little bit defensive. The premium members tend to act like the watchdogs, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and even executioners of the boards...nobody asked us to do it...we've just seen how good this board has been to us that we try to maintain it to it's highest level. If that means going after somebody occasionally, then that's how it has to be. But we still welcome people just the same.....our dwindling post counts are just because we have all taken a step back and are not quite sure how to proceed....other than carefully. The joking has slowed down.....
We still welcome new members the same way we would welcome an old friend - with open arms. But if we come at you with open arms, and you punch us in the gut, be prepared for retaliation.
Like I said before...I personally (and i speak only for myself) have been quiet because I'm not sure it's all worth it anymore. It has gotten to the point that too many people I care about and love a great deal have been hurt by something that was built as something of a break from reality....something to smile about. I will still contribute to this site the way I have with my donation. If that doesn't prove to you that I want my friends to be happy, I've got nothing else to say to you. It's not about the title or the lounge for me....it's about family.....