Well writen, Kristen, and thank you for your perspective. A valuable one in this conversation, to be sure.

This "am I posting in invisible ink electrons?" question seems to bother pretty much each and every Buffista, on occasion, no matter how long they've been posting, how many Buffistas they've met F2F and with what amounts of hugs and glitter.

Does anybody think that this fact should be put in either the FAQ or any other page? That the threads move really fast, that more likely than not, a post being ignored has nothing to do with anything personal against the poster, just that people have a limited span of attention and it's a shame that on this case this certain person's content is what fell on the wayside? Only, better phrased, of course?

Yes. Not that I have any suggestions. (Hi, Nilly! bye, Nilly!)

PREFACE: The following is offered as observation, and in the spirit and tone of academic discussion.

It is also offered from the perspective of an outsider who has lurked for a fairly long time now, and who felt both piled upon and marginalized with his first offer of perspective in this thread - so it is unavoidably influenced by that experience.

OBSERVATION I don't think that newbies are particularly targeted or treated differently than long term posters.

I don't think newbies are piled upon by 'most of the board'.

DIME-STORE ANALYSIS After watching for a good time now, it seems from my perspective that there exists on this board a very large group of happy posters who go about day to day business on the board without involving themselves in bureaucracy or other threads/issues of controversy. 99 per cent of posters at this place are the most friggin' awesome group of intelligent, humourous and caring people found just about anywhere online.

But overshadowing the majority of posters is a very small group of activist posters who make it their business to involve themselves in most issues. These posters are currently directing the direction of the board by sheer pressure of persistence. These are not necessarily the board moderators, but rather, they are the proverbial squeaky wheels. These activist posters' points are not necessarily stronger in any given debate, and there are even a few posters who will persist in misdirecting debate away from actual points (i.e., the recent discussion over tone evolved without taking into equal consideration the points being forwarded).

It seems from an outside perspective that it has become more important to a small minority of posters to impose their feelings on the board than make the board better for the group.

This has not been specifically directed at newbies or at long-termers, but rather it seems indiscriminate - though it does seem like a few long-termers are being specifically singled out by a few of the activists.

There seems little question that this situation has alienated - at least to some degree - both newbies and long-termers. Some newbies simply leave while others accept the artificial hierarchy of culture. Some veteran posters have been marginalized and driven away from posting by this same situation. Others simply go on with their posting, but have given up trying to offer constructive input because they don't wish the long and largely fruitless debate to follow.

Anyway, this seems to be the way most boards drift over time - even the excellent ones. It seems partly a product of human nature, and partly a result of boards lacking a defined benevolent authority structure.

Let me reiterate - the above is the simple observation of a single person. It is offered only to the extent that the perspective of a lurker and newbie may be valuable in some way. If it is not valuable, useful, wanted or welcome, then please feel free to ignore.

In the interest of total sincerity, I will acknowledge that it is also offered with the smallest hope that it may play a wee part in the effort to bring out or bring back input from that 'silent majority' who are still around, and who were instrumental in making this one of the strongest, most enlightened, accepting, tolerant and tightest knit communities anywhere on the web.

The vast majority of regular posting Buffistas have met each other at least once.

I would take that "vast majority" down to a "many." It seems to me like many/most of us have met at least some of the posters who live in our general geographical area, but I don't think the NYistas have all met the LAistas, or the UnAmericans all know the midwesterners.

Thing is it doesn't feel to me like most people use their real names here, it feels much more like a 50/50 split.

I would agree with ND on this. It's good to have in the FAQ as a historical note, though.

And I think I have to start using that to explain the Buffistas. We aren't weird internet people with an almost cult-like fannish tendency. We're a collective.

This should be in the FAQ.

In an ideal world, everyone would observe for an extended period of time...but I'm among those that are far from ideal.

Me too.

I always wonder what goes on with people who CAN just read a conversation about something they're passionate about for months or years before commenting. I'm lucky if I last two hours.

I think sometimes it's easy to forget that a new poster can feel like they're being condescended to as well.

This is a really importnat point, and thanks for posting it.

Rafmun - thank you for posting.

msbelle beat me to it, but I wanted to thank Rafmun too. There are some painful truths in your very articulate and reasoned post. It would be difficult for me to be as dispassionate and articulate in your place.

Thanks for weighing in Rafmun. Since you put it out there though, I must take issue with this:

But overshadowing the majority of posters is a very small group of activist posters who make it their business to involve themselves in most issues. These posters are currently directing the direction of the board by sheer pressure of persistence. These are not necessarily the board moderators, but rather, they are the proverbial squeaky wheels. These activist posters' points are not necessarily stronger in any given debate, and there are even a few posters who will persist in misdirecting debate away from actual points (i.e., the recent discussion over tone evolved without taking into equal consideration the points being forwarded).

Like any community there are going to be people who are more vocal, more "activist", and more apt to weigh in on any given topic with their opinions. But they reflect the opinions of a broad range of the Buffistas - newbies, oldies and in-betweenies. They are most certainly not "squeaky wheels" - a term which carries a rather negative connotation as if they need to be oiled and shut up. I have also not seen any posters deliberately engaging in misdirection. From what I can see, people here post from the heart - sometimes with emotion, sometimes with intelligence, usually with both, and always with sincerity.

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community. There isn't.

Thanks, Wolfram. I was feeling kinda depressed about us.

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your post seems to imply that there's a secret subversive gang that tries to impose its will on the rest of the community. There isn't.

Except possibly MM and Clovis, although in their cases 'the rest of the community' translates to 'all sentient life'.