What has happened to GN just lately?

Spot on phoenix

No need to shout !!

Ooops! Seemed to skip a page there, to avoid confusion, that was addressed to Kali.

Oh, let's just start again!!! From today!!!

Clean slate. #hadenoughof it all

#itsprobablyallmyfaultitusuallyis

#knockitonthehead

Good idea j07 , knocking it on the head, that is.

Doubt very much that its all your fault though Let's not play the blame game.

It has already been played baubles

I always think bangles and beads when I see your name

Compare joining Gransnet with moving to a new house in another area. If you have just moved in, and walk along your street, you are likely to meet a couple of neighbours discussing something. You say hello as you pass, and they say hello back. If what they are discussing is of no interest to you, you go on your way. If you want to know them better and be included, you introduce yourself. Then you say, "As I passed I heard you talking about ( whatever. ) My opinion on that is ( whatever. ) If your first words to them as a stranger had been on the lines of "You are talking a load of bo****ks", you would not be surprised if they were a bit sharp in their reaction to you.

There are some new joiners (a minority) who do just that - They have perhaps been lurking and not posting, then disagree so violently with what has been said that they must reply, but they forget that their post comes out of the blue, and is exactly how a troublemaker posts messages on random forums to get posters at odds with each other.

There have in the past been a few of those troublemakers. The thread would divide between those who answered the objection with equally strong words, and those who thought that a newcomer was being victimised.

I apologise if anyone thought I was saying new members weren't welcome. Of course they are. What I was trying to say was that maybe, as the membership changes, so will the dynamic and, as we have had a large influx of new members, I am finding it difficult to keep up with the names.

And, whilst the house is strange without the dog, I am not upset enough to deliberately try to offend all the new members of GN and I am sad that anyone would think I was. It maybe proves my point that we haven't all gelled yet.

Ah, Elegran I hope you don't mind being compared with a wise old owl

No one thought that kitty.

(((group hug)))

Did I really say that?!

BTW I was talking very generally there, and not about any particular poster.

What I should have added is that the "old hands" need to make allowances for posters who - as in any new environment - are not aware of the existing dynamics (and these may well change as a reult of the new blood.)

The problem get bigger as Gransnegt gets bigger. It is not always obvious that a poster is new and needs welcoming, as there are so many threads to read. Large organisations have more difficulties with people feeling excluded that smaller ones, and there is no "acclimatisation course" on Gransnet.

Typed that with the in my eyes behind the laptop, hence the typos.

Moved me too

Well said, Jings...

A wise old, not so old! ele

*kitty I see you as a warm sensible, kind member of GN, I' m sure you have not caused offence (((hugs)))

? Lucky Edinburghers! Here the sky is uniformly grey though at the moment the snow seems to be thawing. Still cold though!

anno I looked up to the sky earlier on, and all I could see for miles around was clouds full of snow ready to drop on us! It's lifted a bit now, but some poor souls are going to have several feet deep of the stuff when it decides to come down somewhere in the north west!

Not a single flake has fallen in Kintyre, when. The sky is mostly blue and there's very little breeze.

When newbies first post it is quite difficult to keep stock when they announce their arrival in the middle of a thread. It might be useful to have a dedicated thread where they can announce they are here.
I can never remember who I have greeted and who has slipped through the net, apologies to all those who have not been warmly greeted.

In my opinion Kali made some very valid points.

I say this because there have been attempts to convince her that she is mistaken.

Thank you grannyeggs

There have been threads where newbies can introduce themselves, but they slip down the list if no-one joins for a bit, and not everyone reads them anyway. People could have said a bit about themselves on one thread, then post on another where they are not known.

It is only a forum and to be upset by a completely unknown person who scorns your opinion just because they post a lot is astonishing. If you have met them at one of the meetups and then they rubbish you then I think there is reason to be upset because that is not very civilised.I lurk frequently but when I post I tend to think enough and get on with life. Then I dont see any comments until my next lurk and I cant say I care if anyone agrees with me or not. For instance i don't know who David williams is or what he did and i assumed Jeni called someone JO Rose because they knew each other off air as it were. On the whole gransnet is quite funny and informative and people seem to respond courteously. Perhaps there is a bit of cabin fever about