Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf
I think I have a confession to make, something that many of you could have realized. For now, I feel I have to cut the comedy for a moment and get this said.
I admit that the interaction I have on this board is something that really makes me feel alive and kicking. I'm not trying to annoy anyone with the rampant amount of posts I make, with concepts that not many grasp. I just have a severe need to reach out to people, to see where I stand as a human being with my ideas and humor. Something just feels absent when I don't get any bit of a good reply. *"Dream On" by Aerosmith playing on my Walkman as I write this, setting the mood*
Sure, maybe when I really get out in college this shouldn't be as much of a problem. I just see a bunch of socially vibrant individuals in here. It's not that I don't notice you all have the time and input for all I dole out. It's just that I still ponder the different amount of bulletin boards it would take to find the right people to truly understand ALL I have to say. All I'm looking for in this thread is a confirmation of what I'm seeing: the truth of what I've found - when I communicate ideas, I have to expect to not fully be heard/noticed. If such is true, I've known this for much of my social life.
This is just out of respect for all out there. I realize you don't always have to give me attention, and I'm trying to respect your wishes.
I haven't read all of the responses you have received so far, so pardon me if I'm getting off track. I just feel like replying to your original message.
I don't know if message boards are a good way to "reach out to people", but they're a good place to post your ideas and
feel as though you're getting some attention.
Here's a rule of thumb about message boards: you won't always get a reply to each of your messages, but you can be sure that several people (or more) have seen it. I think it's safe to take pleasure in putting your thoughts into words and being clever with the wordplay and the roleplaying, but I think it's best to treat that as an end in itself instead of searching for some kind of "validation" from other people. Indulge yourself.
When it comes to my own posts, I'm not as creative as you are. My posts aren't exactly "concise" (I know I tend to be verbose), but for the most part, they are simply straightforward exposition, usually blunt and not very colorful. If you receive a reply like that to one of your more colorful posts, please don't take it the wrong way. I'm not ignoring you or trying to spoil your fun; I'm just not capable of replying in the same style you use.
The "socially vibrant people" you see on here fall mostly into two groups: those who actually talk back and forth to each other in messages, and those who post in a lot of message threads but don't necessarily feel a strong personal connection to anyone here. The former tend to be familiar with other people on here, and the latter simply enjoy talking about their favorite subjects with anonymous strangers. Neither type is "better" than the other. Don't feel bad if you don't feel like you belong to a "clique", and don't feel bad if the people replying to your messages don't seem to remember you from one post to the next. This is an internet message board and it has limitations. But as I said above, indulge yourself.
