Am I losing the power to communicate?

I received this comment on my page on the Published Authors Network:

Quote :

"Since I haven't heard anything from any of the last eleven authors, I'm considering discontinuing the feature."

If you mean the whole PublishedAuthors group, I do find it useful.

Does feature mean network to you?

Whassup girlie?

for the flowers!

I may be daft but I'm not stupid. The comment I posted above was left by one of the eleven authors of the week from whom I've heard nothing. It's clearly time to stop.

Only you can determine that Shelagh. It was time for me to close the public Skribblerz forums and move to a more secluded and peaceful spot and that's what I did. It was a good move and I've got quite a good chunk of my life back as a result. Took me quite a while to think it through and make the decision, but it was the right thing to do.

If it is time to move on, then that's just a part of the changes that make up this thing called life. Enjoy what the feature was and enjoy what you learned from it and enjoy the memories and the experience for the rest of your life.

The feature was of no importance to me. It was just a way of involving members of the network. Author of the Week just took up my time. It wasn't a learning curve; it was a time consuming curve.

I won't be moving on or making any significant changes to the network. It's quite clear that no one will even notice the absence of "Author of the Week". I certainly won't miss it!

I mentioned the lack of communication because the heading is: Featured Author

Did anyone notice that?

Maybe you need some chocolate . . .

Yes please!

George Maciver wrote:

Only you can determine that Shelagh. It was time for me to close the public Skribblerz forums and move to a more secluded and peaceful spot and that's what I did. It was a good move and I've got quite a good chunk of my life back as a result. Took me quite a while to think it through and make the decision, but it was the right thing to do.

If it is time to move on, then that's just a part of the changes that make up this thing called life. Enjoy what the feature was and enjoy what you learned from it and enjoy the memories and the experience for the rest of your life.

It would not be in anyone's interest to close down the Published Authors Network. In the seven months since I set up the network, there have been 12,000 first time visitors. The total membership is less than 400 members, which means thirty times as many visitors to the site than members. The site attracts a great deal of interest and it really is worth the effort to add blogs, join in group discussions and take part on the forum.

This site is also becoming more popular and is underused by the 100+ members. Three members: me, you and Zada have made half the posts on the forum. If you add in Pam, Jenny, and Abe, six members have made 75% of the posts. The top ten posters (adding Brenda, Malcolm, Rhett and Don) account for 80% of all posts. 90 members account for 20% of the posts.

This could be a great place to learn, exchange ideas, advertise, become better known but you can take a horse to water ...

AS I mentioned in a another thread, I am quite busy most of the time working on my various projects. I think my primary need is to work on and try to finish my books and stories. I have been lax a few times and spent much more time on message boards than I should have. I am the secretary of the Wizards Of Words (WOW) and feel I should post there. I hardly every post on the PA forum anymore, I have completely stopped posting on the three political forums I used to frequent, I deleted my membership from the Authors Society forum because they became so one sided in what they wanted everyone to post about, and so this one gets most of my attention right now. Not that I post every day or that I make multiple posts just to be doing something. I usually just post when something interests me, and even then I am not always understood. (See the dog made of wood thread). I was one of the authors of the week and I appreciated it and I even posted about it elsewhere, but I honestly don't know if I posted about it or mentioned it here. Sorry about that, Shelagh.

I like this forum, but I need to use my creative energy and my writing ability to get some things completed, so I hold down the posts that I make here. Add to that the fact that I care very little for feel good threads, or threads that to me say very little, and you can see why I am not here as often as some others.

The really big issue I have with this board is that in many of the threads the first two or three posts are made on topic and then someone posts something they think is clever or funny, something that is usually aimed at only one other person, and the topic becomes lost. Threads are started on a topic for a reason, and we should respect the others enough to post on topic or not post. If we want to make personal comments, we can send PM's, and if we want to go on about a subject that we like, we can start our own threads. This was the single biggest problem with the PA boards, and still goes on with one or two people posting whatever they want to in any thread.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say. I'll post as often as I can,
and I'll try to post on the subject of the thread.

I was talking about the Featured Authors feature Shelagh, that was pretty evident from your post. It never crossed my mind that you were perhaps talking about the site itself. Should have clarified that perhaps.

As Don is now reduced to taking swings at me in public, I don't him and I are going to get along much longer.

Hi Don,

You know you are always welcome here! As for off topic threads. I apologise for taking one of your threads off topic on the Books Board.

Apart from the Chatter Box Board, all threads should stay on topic. I'll try to maintain that in future.

There is no need to stay on topic on the Chatter Box Board. This is a place to chat. When people converse in a group, the topic changes rapidly to keep everyone's interest and not become boring. This is a place to have fun, butt in, have a laugh and enjoy each other's company.

I thought your wooden dog thread was fun and light-hearted and spot on for the Chatter Box Board. You can start threads about anything you are writing about in the same vein and see where it goes. It might even help you in an odd kind of way.

Laughing with friends is good. I've done it all my life. I wouldn't know how not to.

Anyway, how could a girl not flirt with a guy when they add an avatar of themselves looking like Frank Sinatra!

I gave up posting on PublishAmerica's forum for the simple reason it was dominated by people who wanted nothing more than to see their name under every thread. They had little of value to say with regard to the craft of writing a novel.

Apart from the Romance Writer's of America website and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK, I post mainly here.
If I don't pay as much attention as I should to the threads it's because I've busy working on a chapter of my latest W.I.P.

You do such a fantastic job Shelagh, and share your knowledge and technical skill whenever asked, I would hate to this site close.

George Maciver wrote:

I was talking about the Featured Authors feature Shelagh, that was pretty evident from your post. It never crossed my mind that you were perhaps talking about the site itself. Should have clarified that perhaps.

As Don is now reduced to taking swings at me in public, I don't him and I are going to get along much longer.

I'm not going to take sides with you and Don. You are both big boys and can sort things out for yourselves.

Jenny wrote:

I gave up posting on PublishAmerica's forum for the simple reason it was dominated by people who wanted nothing more than to see their name under every thread. They had little of value to say with regard to the craft of writing a novel.

Apart from the Romance Writer's of America website and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK, I post mainly here.
If I don't pay as much attention as I should to the threads it's because I've busy working on a chapter of my latest W.I.P.

You do such a fantastic job Shelagh, and share your knowledge and technical skill whenever asked, I would hate to this site close.

Thanks Jenny! I have lots more to share! I have information that might be useful to all the members here but, if my past experience is anything to go by, only a few will take advantage of the info!

Well, I can assure you that I am one of them!

Interesting to watch this conversation move from the value of the forum to taking pot shots to people who are having a bit of fun. I will deliberately add comments to lighten the mood or add distraction just for a bit of fun, or to explain something or if the mood strikes, for total nonsense and chocolate. I think the way that people actually approach forums is a reflection of who they are; some people are more social and focus on relationship building as much or more than the learning aspects. Others want to cut out any fluff and get straight to the point. I think the fact that you can skim over what you like or hunker down and focus on a particular conversation is one of the things that makes the forums valuable. A forum is not a formal classroom nor is it a textbook. Part of the learning, for me at least, comes from the relationships that form, from the people who come from all over the world and range in experience to the levels of discussion on certain topics, to watching what pushes people buttons to what turns them off or shuts a thread down. I also really appreciate that the place is not cluttered by advertising and popups --arghh!
I am really happy with the way this forum operates Shelagh and have already learned a lot about writing, publishing, and I think even made a few new friends along the way. Good on ya, I say! You may not be able to make all horses drink, but having the option available is really fantastic.

There's my two cents worth (I think that's about 4p or 2.2 cents US).

George, please understand that if I decide to take a swipe at you, I'll use your name. I was speaking in general terms, and if the shoe seemed to fit you, maybe it was you who tried it on.

I have never made any secret of the fact that I don't like posts off topic, and that I think it is disrespectful of the person who started the thread. I made this point on the PA board, and I've made it pretty much on every message board I post on.

If you feel you are making posts off topic, then it's up to you to either continue or stop doing it.

As far as us getting along, I get along just fine with pretty much everyone, but I speak my mind and expect others to do the same. I can carry on an adult discussion, including disagreements and opinions that vary, without getting upset, and I do it because even if I don't agree with a person, I think he or she has the right to state their opinion. I don't get mad at people on message boards for the very simple reason that I personally don't know any of you, I will probably never meet any of you in person, and if we did, I'm sure we would get along just fine.

If I get off topic I will have no problem at all with someone telling me about it, and asking that I don't do it.

Once again, if I have something to say to an individual, I'll address that comment to that person. If I don't use a person's name, then whatever they read into my words must be because they see that they are doing something that I wrote about.

With that in mind, I will take my leave for the time being. I like this board, I've had a lot of respect for Shelagh for some time now, and I think this board will surely go forward with some great input from many of the people here, and, George, I include you among them. I've said I am busy, I mean it. I don't make lots of posts simply because of that, but I like to think that when I do post I add something to the conversation. I'll try to keep from posting if my opinion is not of any value to anyone, or if someone thinks I am aiming things at them.

I will pop in now and then when I see something I think is interesting, but will treat this board much the way I do the PA board.

A very wonderful rest of today to each and every one here, and perhaps I'll cross messages with you guys somewhere else.

Pam says,

"I think the way that people actually approach forums is a reflection of who they are; some people are more social and focus on relationship building as much or more than the learning aspects. Others want to cut out any fluff and get straight to the point. I think the fact that you can skim over what you like or hunker down and focus on a particular conversation is one of the things that makes the forums valuable."

I think there is a place for having fun and I surely don't think every thread should be serious world shattering stuff. I have written about wooden dogs and renting jello, and you can't get much less serious than those two subjects. But the wooden dog post was in a post about pets, and the jello renting as an occupation was in a thread about our other jobs. Both were strange posts, not serious at all, but both were on topic.

So, we can be social, we can be strange, and we can post silly things. But then there is the hijacking of a thread. And there is a difference. Being social is one thing, but showing little respect for others is another thing. People do not have to socialize in every thread, and when you do so it just says that you don't really care what the person who started the thread wanted to talk about, you'd rather talk about something else, and you'll do it anywhere you please.

I know that most do not mean any harm, and they think that anything they post is fine so long as the intent is ok, and I can see how and why they do that. I doubt that anyone deliberately sets out to hijack a thread, but when it gets off topic and never goes back, that is exactly what has happened. I think everyone should remember that the subject of the thread was what the person wanted to talk about, and at least try to comment on the subject even while you are being social.

I do not think that going off topic is necessarily disrespectful actually, Don. Perhaps I did not do a good job of explaining what I meant. I was trying to get at the underlying propensity of people to post in a manner that reflects who they are as a person; some people will post specific to a topic and that's all, while others will embellish their post with social or relational aspects about how they feel at the time. This is no different than a conversation where some people speak direct to a subject and others speak with their hands at the same time. It reflects the dynamics of people.
When a topic digresses to a state I would rather not read, I simply ignore it. I would not, however, want people to screen their thoughts in this forum because they were afraid they might be off topic or perceived as having gone off topic and therefore feel unwelcome in a thread. If people start a thread and it does go off topic, they can always bring it back if they want to. I agree with you that most do not mean to do harm, and in that vein, I would rather see us support openess and creativity rather than institute a moderation of comments to ensure that they remain on topic 100% or avoid mentioning things that are inspired by the topic at hand.

Always the righteous one, eh Don? Perhaps you're used to bullying folks and getting away with it but don't try it on me mate because I fight back and hard. Met too many of your kind in my life.

Want my opinion? I think my posts are more entertaining and fun and informative and interesting than the ridiculous nonsense you post and the bigoted anti-Bush political crap you spew wherever you go.

Now why don't you be a good little boy and wind your neck in?

This is not a reply to the above post. It's a general reply to all members:

I'm not going to halt this thread or moderate it. This is a place to chat and if people can't handle it, that's tough because I'm not going to change the focus of this board, where everyone can join in on any thread. If anyone posts nonsense, ignore it and respond to the posts on threads that interest you.

If you don't like fun, ignore all posts with smilies. They are there for a purpose and can be used as red flags for the more serious minded.

The bottom line is: I rule here.

George Maciver wrote:

Maybe you need some chocolate . . .

... I received some this morning!

My brother (George) sent me an Easter egg! It arrived by post with a label saying "Don't open before Easter!"

Post edited by mistake.

Shelagh,
whatever you do, don't give up. Yes, there are a few problems and I think they have been addressed by Don and Jenny. I almost stopped posting but then decided to just cut back for awhile rather get into some useless argument.

I'm probably too serious most of the time. I like the forum and like to discuss things seriously. Of course some fun can be interjected provided the thread isn't hijacked. Having a thread for "just the fun of it" may be the place to let things hang out. I like having fun as well. A good laugh can be beneficial.

I will try posting more if/when I have something to contribute. I think it is good to congratulate people on their successes and it is good hearing about them. I think there is much to be learned from others and this is the type of forum where it can happen.

Respectfully,
Abe

The board isn't ruined. It isn't even dented.

I will be starting a new thread (possibly with a board of its own) that should spark a serious discussion that will be beneficial to everyone.

The Chatter Box is a place to have fun and there are plenty other boards to have serious conversations.

Don's thread on the Books Board was misused and I didn't stop it; I added to it. I've ported the off-topic posts away from the thread Don set up and I've already apologised.

I'm not perfect; I make mistakes like everyone else. But I do try to make amends.

Everyone's welcome and nobody needs to keep away. In fact, if nobody stayed away and everyone joined in, this board could become the place to be.