Hello, I came on to RR a naive, frazzled, angsty, 14 year old who had a blank sheet on reptiles but knew it's always good to keep one eye open while the other is closed. With this in mind, and my angelical halo flying over my head, I entered the Live Reptile Chat soon after joining the forums. Little did I know, this would be a life changing experience, more so for the better than the worse. That being said, I was in Reptile Rooms Chat. Oh, how freakin' fun the times were. Everyone, the old crew, sitting back and cracking jokes. Remember islds? Or no, remember when Indy won the Superbowl? Remember when I got ops and kicked Clem? Remember, remember? Probably not, but I do. I loved those times. I used to look forward to logging on to #reptilerooms and having FUN. Answering questions. Helping and saving, living and loving. And, even with all the fun we had, when a person came in to ask a question, like I did at my beginnings now months ago (Remember, dumb 14 year old at start), we all stopped to help. No matter how annoying or repetitive, we helped. We had fun, but we helped. In our quirky little world of reptile-madness, our organized anarchy, these were the good times. Slowly I got bored with answering questions like many of the old timers, but I would still help, like every other person. My main draw as had always been, though, were the personalities. The people in this chat kept it booming and fun. We all had problems and hard times, no doubt. Many times we banded together to help each other because that was the strength of our community. The forums, a separate entity in themselves, I did not attend very often. Why should I? I had the funnest chat I had ever been to in my internet travelings. I knew the job of modding and running forums was AWFULLY difficult. It shut me up a lot of times from ever saying anything. As I left my high times and met the bad times, it opened my eyes a bit. I noticed that members were becoming less and less active. Behind the scenes fights were happening and some good people were leaving. I wondered why chats were going dead for days on end. I wondered why we had fights day after day. The transition, it seemed, was so fast it caught me off guard. I realised that I was only spouting off the same facts everyone else said for general care, and not thinking for myself. As I suggested new ideas I was always, time after time shot down, without any reason or logic behind it. I just wanted to learn, right? Why can't we discuss new ideas. I see topics in the forums that become debates, but are locked before any conclusion can be met. Can't we argue? That's how we learn. We argue. 2 sides, one answer. If it gets too hot, lock it. Why are we now being so snappy towards each other, and driving people away. A great chat with 30 or so people regularly has half that now. If you suggested anything, I soon learned, certain people wouldn't hear it over personal grudges. He did this, or she did that. We did this, but they did that. I will not mention and specific incidents because I do not wish to put ANYONE on the spot, even those I dislike to an extent. But think about it and ask am I really making it up? I used to come on Reptile Rooms for an escape from the drama and restrictions of everyday life to have fun. To help. To be a friend of a friend. Now, we are left being general idiots to each other with no general goal. Slowly but surely everyone left that chat room I so dearly loved to be in company with. Slowly but surely I too bowed out because I realised it wasn't my place to be there anymore. Certain individuals who cannot decipher ego from fact pushed a lot of great people away from that chat, and ultimately, from the forums. I gave RR one last chance. I helped revise the much-needed leo articles in the knowledge base. That was February. I wonder if they are updated, because last time I checked they weren't. Are they? I went to the forums instead of chat. Still there, people who are so drowning in their tar pit ego, who take a suggestion like a bullet to their heart, eventually made me fed up - So I left. I left the site I once loved completely. It was hopeless, and I was done. Perhaps it was another fad or a passing feeling, but I knew it wasn't either/or. Recently I came in again hoping for something and noticed it's still the same, with a lot of people missing, but still the same. The bad vibe kept pushing and I knew it was over. Though, I did not want to admit it, I feel the site I once loved isn't coming back. I know my claims have little brunt backing since I will not expose people I happen to dislike, or the incidents that occurred. I could however point out a thread I read today that made me want to write this. I could do a lot of things, but I know I will not put my ego up front, because what I don't like many other people may. It is not my place to put my ego in front of me, because I will trip over it. I know many people will potentially get mad at me for writing this. I am sorry, I shut up a long time for you, but sorry. If you can understand, I hope you know I mean no harm. I just ask that we all step back and take a look. Wonder to yourself if that comment couldve been better unsaid. Suggest your heart out. Learn both sides of an argument before finding an answer. Don't start drama. Don't scrutinize and be egocentric. This hobby is too small. Life is too short. I learned so much from you, Reptile Rooms. I learned so much about common sense, people, and herp care that I cannot even begin to relate to you how much I am thankful. I made such good friends with you. I had good times that helped me up when I was without my sanity and wondering which way was up, or how much longer I had left. You guys have no idea how much I loved RR. It breaks my heart to see it the way it is, like a weathered chair in a back porch, getting neglected and breaking down. Please lift it back up. Please, set aside your egos, your power hungry minds, your @s, your colored names, everything. Remember who you are here for, the people. Above all, the herp hobbiests you want to give the BEST information to, though the BEST information is debateable, don't ride your high horse when someone has a different OPINION. And while doing so, remember the people you pushed away. Read my post and get angered, I do not care. Delete this post, I do not care. Yell at me and say I AM the one starting drama, I do not care. Ban my account, I do not care. I will not post anymore in this thread. I do not expect to be allowed in to RR or RR IRC anymore, though, maybe I will be. I laid my cards out, read them any way you like, but they still all come to one logical conclusion. After all, this is just a post from a naive, frazzled, angsty, now 15 year old kid. Just remember I don't mean any harm. I just want to say what I used to feel was best left unsaid. I wore my feelings on my sleeve, feel free to pick them apart and shrug them off. Or, feel free to do something about what I see. No matter how small, I hope you do. Bon voyage.
For those of us who have been there it's not hard to pick out those who you speak of. I am one of them and I will single myself out. Nope I havn't got the updated care sheet for the leos up and I take the responsibility for that, it fell through the cracks between life, modding, updating the server etc. I also agree that at times I do get angry, at times I over react but in the same respect that is human. I do help, I always have that intention, I don't just regurgitate ideas of others and I don't blatantly shoot down ideas without an explanation of my reasoning. A community has a specific set of beliefs that is what makes it a community. A community must have rules and rules must be enforced so the community does not get over run and snuffed out but in the same sense a community needs some breathing room. If I offend people I expect them to come to me. The forum does have busy and slow times of year depending on season as does the chat. A debate is great, a discussion is great an argument implies negativity and ill intent which is not great. Though I disagree or maybe misunderstand when you suggest that the best info is debatable I can respect that opinion. Not a single person here is perfect, for that reason I give 2nd changes, 3rd chances sometimes 5 chances. You have made faults as have I. I know I am helping, I'm reminded of this by many great users here. I know that leaving will never solve a thing. Remember the book think and grow rich? Do you remember the secret behind that book? Anyway I expect anyone with a problem towards another user step forward in PM and let them know in a polite manner. That includes lolla if he has not done so. It sucks when people feel negatively about something when you really work hard on it but I guess such is life.
Lollapolooza... I hate to say, but I cam to the forums at 13yrs. old mostly interested in fbt. I am fourteen now, and hardly visit the forums now. I dont chat... i just ask and give advise. Well, once in a while I come here, and today, I found this post. I was making a caresheet... making banners... so interested in RR, but I just left. It is funny, you say one thing wrong, and people visit old posts and question you, but that was one incounter. After that i felt struck down... not wanting to give advise anymore. Why be on the RR when you have nothing else to give advise to when you know all the questions you question yourself.. only the big questions i come to the site for.. i dont talk to anyone anymore on this forum. I send out a few private messages here and there, but that is barely nothing. I am 14 now. and barely come on this site anymore... you mostly said everything i would loved to say, but nevr had the courage to do bc of people questioning me and having the thought of someone telling me that I am wrong. I am happy of you and joyest that you would bring up a topic like this, that i couldnt... I feel compassion for you.
I have not been in chat during the "good," period, or even the bad for that matter. The way i see it, from the perspective of someone who wasn't there, is that things got TOO relaxed in there, and people who had OPs started abusing that power. The OP list was wiped, and a new one made, and i am happy with that for the time being. I don't feel we have too many problems in IRC atm, just that things have really gone dead, and have been for a while now. I know if more people came in there, they'd see we're good people really. I have not had MODs on the forum long enough to comment on behaviour level as a whole, but from what i've seen they've had there ups, and their downs. I was not aware of the members on this site, linked in with the IRC we had problems until a couple of months ago. Cheri explained the whole situation with me and i was shocked what i heard. I admit, sometimes i will get shirty, but i do try my hardest to get myself accross in a nice manner. If anyone has a problem with me, i'd like to think that they'd come to me, and tell me what they think i'm doing wrong. The way i see life, and the way i can put it into the forums is to put yourself across, WITHOUT being rude. What some members don't understand when they see comments from some of the mods, is what has gone on behind the scenes. For example, some of us come accross as rude or ignorant in our posts, but what you have to realise is we deal with a lot of people, whether it be on chat, or via PM. If there is anyone in particular that people have problems with, the mods are here for you to come to them. I have dealed with several complaints from people, and a lot of the time, even in the most difficult of cases, i'd say that the majority of the time, things CAN be resolved. I know i'm dragging on now, so i guess my main point is to keep these forums friendly, and contact a mod if you think their actions were wrong, or if you have a problem with someone. And remember, these forums were created to express, teach and learn. Let's come together as a community and do that.
lollapalooza - first I need to say that you have expressed yourself very well, and I personally find a lot of truth in your post. I too remember the good times. I came to this site several years ago, long before many of the current members, and I too loved visiting it. I remember the chat room as it used to be...for that matter I remember the forums as they used to be. Things have changed for sure, and this is part of the reason why I do not visit very often any more. However, the site itself has gone through a lot of change lately, from those running it to those modding it. Running a site like this is very very hard - I know as I am mod on other fourms and I know how much work the admins put in there. Things change and sometimes you just can't go back, I know I feel this way as do other older members who I won't mention. The site still has some great info to offer those wanting to educate themselves about reptiles, and for that reason I still log on to help-out where a question pertains directly to my area of knowledge, but most of the people I liked so much are gone. I think we need to give the current mods their due for taking on the job and accept the site for what it is - a wonderful resource. The community that used to exist is gone, but there is still a bunch of people here who want to help others - and that is a good thing for sure
Hopefully that sense of community will re-invent itself into this site, and who knows, maybe in a couple of months it may come more apparent. I'd just like to say to everyone that people have left for a reason. Many things have been held back, and a LOT of "behind the scenes" affairs have taken place that most of you do not know about. It's for that reason that i ask you not to judge at the moment, and give the site another chance. We really do want to re-invent that sense of community, but we need passionate members to help us do that :wink:
Yup I agree Luke, their are things that lolla doesn't know or really any public members. The chat it's self is ALOT better then it was at 1 point I know that much for sure. I appreciate that jayhay does see how hard it is and appreciates our efforts. Communities change over time, this place has always been a little fragmented between the snake ppl and the lizard ppl and lately I've seen that getting better, people coming together more. If you walk away you won't see what the future holds, their is always a reward for loyalty.
Yeh, the chat has been great lately! I agree with you Tux in that communities are always changing. Things are getting a LOT better now, and i hope that some of our old members will stick around and be able to see that
