Now, with ita I may just hide behind the 82nd Airborne and wave a flag that says "Sure, whatever!" Allyson, if we're ever in the same place, I'll share that beer with you.

I'm all for being an elitist prick. That's just me, though.

Nope. It's me, too. But I'm also glad Connie is around to balance me out.

Veteran Buffistas have earned their status by being respectful, funny, thoughtful, kickass, one post at a time, over a lot of time. It's how you introduce yourself, how you make friends.

Coming into a new community means being on your best behavior, being polite, getting to know people, earning your stock. Have to earn it.

I agree 200%. If we were a community that was geographically all gathered together, and we had weekly gatherings, and someone new walked in and started tossing off rude comments, I'd kick his/her/its ass right away. That's not appropriate or respectful.

The fact that people who have been posting here longer *can* tease, and mock, and seemingly be flat-out rude to each other doesn't mean some elitist thing, to me. It just means we've gotten to know each other. We also know what lines to not cross with each other, but that's because of *time spent* in the community. That's how a community is created -- *time spent*.

People who are new aren't required to be all quiet and meek and hang back, but it's simple politeness to observe how the community they're joining actually functions and interacts.

t edit Huh. Almost verbatim x-post with ita. Who can kick me in the head, which is why I agree with her...

Okay, connie, thank you.

And the Deep Of The Night Thread Namers ride again!

Yesss! I say girlish glee.

t stern

t Teppy will be getting a bodyslam hug if I'm ever in the same space as she

I have tried to stay out of this, but I can't seem to keep my mouth shut. So.

RE:

"I'm on Schmoker's side. The situation as I see it: He came in and attempted to to match the snark-level of the old timers, and as I saw it, some folks were quite surprised to find a relative newby immediately attempting to sound like a veteran. I personally dislike the idea of "You're new here, be quiet until you earn your stripes." No, no one used that phrase or even something close to it, but anytime I see "It takes time to fit into a community" or "you might need to watch a bit to figure out how to fit in" or words to that effect, I twitch."

This is basic BBS etiquette going back to the days of 300 baud. You DO watch. You DO lurk. You DO learn. You DON'T assume familiarity until familiarity is EARNED. It's not a case of be quiet until you earn your stripes so much as "learn people's limits before you push them". And he's pushing buttons, and he's not stopping when asked to do so, which is causing toes to feel trod upon.

Walk up to me in a room full of peeps I know, but I don't know you, and you've just been introduced to most of them, you don't make assumptions about what I can take and dish it out. You get to know me first. Get to know what you can reasonably say without getting smacked. If you say "hey, you're an uptight freak" and you don't know me from Adam, it's gonna piss my shit off. If you know me and say something like "Shit, Plei, stop being a spaz. Doblerize your ass.", well, you know me, you've earned the right to talk to me like that.

First rule of polite club is don't talk about polite club. You shouldn't have to point out more than once, if at all, if something's rude.

[Teppy will be getting a bodyslam hug if I'm ever in the same space as she]

Right ON!

It's me, too. But I'm also glad Connie is around to balance me out.

She did more than balance me out with her last post. She swayed me. I need to work on staying calm.

First rule of polite club is don't talk about polite club.

!!!!

Yes. Plei and Allyson and ita speak for me. And that's terribly intimidating company....

You DON'T assume familiarity until familiarity is EARNED. It's not a case of be quiet until you earn your stripes so much as "learn people's limits before you push them".

I got the impression he did lurk and thought he had figured the ropes. He was gauche, granted, and stubborn, but I didn't mind. Granted again, I wasn't in the conversations. And I'm not coming out against anyone's reactions, I'm just putting in my two cents worth.

It's me, too. But I'm also glad Connie is around to balance me out.

She did more than balance me out with her last post.

I just mean that I *know* I'm tribal, and if it were up to me, we'd be Buffista Island. I like my people and ONLY my people.

But when I'm being sane, I realize that being tribal like that isn't always good. So I'm glad to have people around who *like* other people, because they balance out my curmudgeonly ways.