Isn't the fact that they feel this way something that may need to be addressed in terms of board dynamics?

Tell me what can be done. How is it that someone feels unwelcome anymore?

I sometimes feel ignored in Natter because I can choose to spend the time catching up, or spend it participating. I can't do both. I rarely manage to get into the frequent post-response flow nowadays, the thread moves so fast.

Do I blame the board for that? No. For myself, I go to a thread where I can keep up with people. Or I go to LJ, which, frankly, allows me the time to think. I love this board, but it's not the everything to me.

ETA: There are 1200 people here. Things have changed, not all for the better. What we do about it? I don't know. Allyson's frequent invocation of Clay Shirky comes to mind.

But the unnamed cabal is already a strong element of the posting table beyond bureau. How could I like posting here in any form if I really hated David, Plei and ita,

What part of unnamed cabal was unclear to you, Counselor?

I didn't say you're in a cabal, I said I hated you all.

Should we really be concerned when a user is prompted to leave? I regret that John H felt he had to leave (especially since he was right), but I also consider that his choice and not our collective fault.

It's up to everyone to gently handle all the posters they like and the posters the posters they like like and so on. That's how you maintain social capital.

I've said before that the board seems less kind and more aggressive of late. I've said before that people should perhaps ask for clarification before slamming a post and/or poster. That skimming over things that don't interest/do irritate us is a time-honoured way of dealing with things.

But none of this can me mandated or enforced.

Actually, that vaguely distresses me, when I see that two people can be on the same board and never meet. It's one of those things where, I know it happens; it's too big a board for it not to happen; but it flies in the face of my prevailing myth of the board, which is that everyone at least recognizes everyone else. Which, in my little myth, is the reason why we are all nice to each other -- recognition of our togetherness.

D'you think I'm this nice to strangers? Ha! Off-board, I'm Queen Bitch of the Universe!

I know, my little issue. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that the Buffistas I never meet buy into at least sort of the same board-ideals as me. Which is why we repeat ourselves endlessly, right? Repetition eventually makes a thing true. Just look at George W. Bush!

I didn't say you're in a cabal, I said I hated you all.

Thank you for that clarification.

Ha! Off-board, I'm Queen Bitch of the Universe!

As delusions go, this one is almost as revealing as the one about everybody recognizing each other.

Just look at George W. Bush!

Lookie here, you may be Queen Bitch, but that's just mean.

Off-board, I'm Queen Bitch of the Universe!

Hah! I know better. It's all a myth, a myth I tell you!

I've said before that people should perhaps ask for clarification before slamming a post and/or poster. That skimming over things that don't interest/do irritate us is a time-honoured way of dealing with things.

I think this is good to do, for whatever reason.

So, I got tied up at work and had to skip. What's up?

What's up?

I got promoted to a cabal! Ple and ita and I are planning...stuff. Except ita's got crazy notions. Ple is surprisingly lucid, however.

Nutty's Queen Bitch of the Universe.