I'm guessing the volume of natter means that the majority of people are ok with its speed.

I disagree. If there are fewer people or fewere topics or no zeitgest just being displeased may not actually affect the volume in any way.

If people can't catch up, they can't post, right? To me, as long as there appears to be a lot of people posting, all of those people are caught up. It's not a necessary condition, but the alternative would be a few people who post all the time. I'm sure some people feel that way, but I don't.

To me, as long as there appears to be a lot of people posting, all of those people are caught up.

The way in which I'm displeased with Natter is that I wish there were more of it. There's no way I can see to tell from the volume how many people share that feeling.

I do miss seeing posts. There are big chunks of time that pass with no new posts. It's sad.

If we think Natter and Bitches as the de facto social souls of the board, each new thread is like a horcrux (NERD!) that splits that soul a little more.

If we think Natter and Bitches as the de facto social souls of the board, each new thread is like a horcrux (NERD!) that splits that soul a little more.

This is my antiproliferationista stance in a geeky nutshell.

I am ita in this.

I work alone, at home, in my office. Natter is my equivalent of coworker chatter. It keeps me in touch with the greater world, keeps my eyes open, keeps me involved in community. Our community.

When it slows, I disengage and go off (electronically) to do something else.

Interestingly, I am also the other person. There are weeks, months, when I am effectively offline. Then I come back and I make a choice whether to skip or skim. Typically I skim, selectively ignoring threads until I've caught up. But the volume works for me even then. I don't have a problem with finding the material I want through search, bookmark & threadsuck functionality.

I am ita and Kat and Jess and Liese, except for the being offline for months bit.

In the party analogy, the multiple threads is like me sitting at the middle of a long table. Many different discussions are taking place in different sections of the table, but I am trying to participate in them all. I am left with a fragmented sense of discussion, covering all topics that interest me, but without the greater sense of social ebb and flow of an actual conversation.

I'm in natter like I'm at a party, i.e., I barely talk to anybody even if I listen.

I am more participatory in the individual threads which are like smaller conversations which is where I would be more comfortable in real life.

I am ita and Kat and Jess and Liese, except for the being offline for months bit.

Me too, except that it's hours and not months for me, and it always makes me a little sad when it's easy to catch up after several hours away.