Hec said what I wanted to say, about Natter. It's just too much, and for someone shy like me popping into Natter is hard. It's like jumping into the middle of multiple conversations, none of which you necessarily have anything to add to. So unless I hit it at the right time, I end up skipping and not posting. Not liking that this bothers people, but I think Hec is right about growing pains.

Also, a big UH-OH on the TVGuide Channel mention. I personally have visited websites I've seen on TV, and if I were a Firefly/Joss fanatic who didn't already know about this place and saw the blurb, I'd be signing up right now.

KNUT!!

I've been watching the TV Guide channel for over an hour, it hasn't hit a repeat cycle yet and the Firefly thing hasn't been on. So, it can't be coming up that often. I guess we can be thankful for that. Still they should be ripped a new one for poor reporting and not fact-checking.

edit: Knut made me all blushy and I went to Natter to say so. Really I'm only being slightly passive-aggressive, really.

I just have to say that I heart msbelle.

Being mentioned on TVGuide Channel gives me this weird feeling of standing around with a bunch of friends chatting, then looking over my shoulder and seeing us surrounded by observers. Kind of Truman Show-esque. It's kind of thrilling, being part of a community that's being held up as a source of information. I feel all insidery.

But I do keep looking over my shoulder, wondering who's watching.

Yeah, I just got pinged by someone I know casually in Farscape, who is having fun lurking. People are watching us. Which we knew. But now we know it more.

Eh, time for bed. t /natter

(There's an unclosed end quote for

Don't worry, we're sure to spot Faith first. She's like this cleavagy slut-bomb walking around 'Ooh, check me out, I'm wicked-cool, I'm five-by-five.

Willow, 'This Year's Girl'

)

Last thought on this issue then I'm absenting myself from Bureaucracy for a while because it has more post than Natter these days:

What often kills me is that people will say something in another thread that equates to "Well I can't deal with natter so I'm going to natter about it here instead." And to me that's just weird... it's like so many people fear Natter.

Natter, by name, seems to imply not everything will be read, which is obviously my strategy.

But when I see 1587 new posts in Buffy, I go, oh shit, well that's gonna take time. Because I tend to assume post in show threads are show related and therefore have some actual content. When I read it and realize 1500 of the posts are actually natter, it just cracks me up.

We are a nattery people.

I'm glad music is such a positive posting experience for many, but I don't have the energy to even subscribe to another thread, and probably I don't have so much to contribute either. So for all of you who will spinoff to music never to be seen again, farewell. Cause, from this chair, at this time, that's what it feels like.

And as thread proliferation continues, I'll watch the faces I like to see go away one by one. Which is sad. Because, I'm the opposite of Hec. I can't remember who is where and where I'm supposed to read in order to account for them.

I'm not a very picky or opinionated person on the subject. If anyone wants a thread for whatever reason, it makes me no nevermind.

I will however miss learning about new bands and being reminded of old favorites in natter. I'm not sure that I'd subscribe to a new thread. I may try it.

I agree with Hec’s thoughtful analysis of our growth pains wholeheartedly. It still saddens me. The WX Bitches forum was the first place I ever posted. It was the cozy cocktail party feel that made me stick around. If I visited here the first time after seeing the link on the TVGuide channel yesterday I think I would be very intimidated by the volume of posting.

At this point I have accepted that I will never again be able to read every post and still have time for a job and life. The growth will not drive me away. I will go with the flow, skip, jump in and Natter.

I also am an optimist by nature and believe that things will level out and that the new members that decide to stick around will add another level of richness and diversity to the community.

On the disclaimer, I don’t see how anyone would think we are an official ME site, but I think a disclaimer on the home page would be a good thing.

So for all of you who will spinoff to music never to be seen again, farewell. Cause, from this chair, at this time, that's what it feels like.

I'm not going anywhere. And I don't think anybody else in music is going anywhere.

I will however miss learning about new bands and being reminded of old favorites in natter.

I don't expect people will stop talking about music in Natter either.