I've been gone too long...

[DancingMommy]

And now I feel like I've wandered into the Rabbit Hole. Can someone please catch me up? There's so much I've missed from being offline here *and* in the studio. Has anything really important happened that I need to know about? It seems "slower" now than it did in 2007. Are people dancing more and posting less?

[fascination]

I think it ebbs and flows...I don't notice any slow down at the moment...I think that often when getting back to something you may just happen to have more energy and time for it that folks who have been participating regularly...and that's great...feel free to start some new thread,s to resurrect old ones, etc....it ebbs and flows...there isn't perhaps as much non-stop chatter but the numbers in terms of posting and membership reflect growth

[DancingMommy]

I'm glad it's growing! Growth is good. I recognise a lot of faces, miss some that I haven't seen in a while and I'm enjoying some of the newer posters I've never "met" before. Which is cool.

[fascination]

alot of our chatty folks in the morning have had job changes...and I miss them too...and alas, I myself am off to the gym...here's hoping it picks up for you ...sometimes it clunks along then a few of us get our gab on or a new thread comes up...and off we go again...waves

[samina]

it has a different energy now than when i joined, less raucous and colorful, more sedate. that's my impression. but i agree with fasc, it does go in waves.

glad to have you back, dancingmommy. :)

[etp777]

Some of us are still trying to keep it raucus and colorful. :)

[samina]

but raucous and colorful is harder on the mods. ;)

[etp777]

Just means we need to tread a fine line. :) And occassionaly moderate myself. :P

[samina]

etp, i think you are very well-behaved. :)

we used to have a sizeable number of frequent posters who were very colorful, less self-moderated individuals. made for a lot of edge-playing. i wonder if the mods feel it's easier these days in general? don't know...

[etp777]

Suspect they wo'nt comment in fear of jinxing it. :)

[wooh]

I think there's a lot that gets moderated before the majority of us see it. :)

[fascination]

yes, excitement sometimes has a high maintainance side to it that that few can appreciate...and yes, it is generally a relief to have less of it...that is all I care to say on the matter...as to etp's behavior...always seems delightful to me....no need to be prudes around here...am all for a re-surgence of occasional flirting and general carnival...that is not usually the issue wrt trouble spots...most issues arise out of psycho social dynamic...make merry ya'll

[DancingMommy]

Some of us are still trying to keep it raucus and colorful. :)

Newbie. ;-) BTW, I really enjoy reading your posts.

[samina]

...no need to be prudes around here...am all for a re-surgence of occasional flirting and general carnival....make merry ya'll
okay, we heard it from the horse's mouth... :p

[DancingMommy]

I think there's a lot that gets moderated before the majority of us see it. :)

I'm sure it does! I've noticed quite a few "banned" members lately and it was weeeeeeird. Back in the "olden days" there weren't many - if any - banned posters. That's the price you pay I supposed for being a force of nature like DF is. It's the best dance-related discussion forum I've ever belonged to. Quite a long time ago, there was a LOT of drama at another forum which I've forgotten the name of since it was ohh.... almost a decade ago. What a time. This place is sedate and calm compared to most forums anywhere. What's funny is that I belong to a family/parenting/religious board and it's REALLY tame. But compared to here? It's rip-roaring and wild, lol. I've been hanging here more often because it's so RELAXING and calm.

[samina]

...as to etp's behavior...always seems delightful to me....
yep, the essence of :)

[latingal]

and we're glad you're back DancingMommy!

[samina]

I've been hanging here more often because it's so RELAXING and calm.
this is how i feel as well, dancingmommy...and that's the benefit of being without the drama & edginess of other times.

[DancingMommy]

Thanks! I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. It's as close to a dance floor as I've been for a long time. Gotta get my fix somehow.

[fascination]

I'm sure it does! I've noticed quite a few "banned" members lately and it was weeeeeeird. Back in the "olden days" there weren't many - if any - banned posters. That's the price you pay I supposed for being a force of nature like DF is. It's the best dance-related discussion forum I've ever belonged to. Quite a long time ago, there was a LOT of drama at another forum which I've forgotten the name of since it was ohh.... almost a decade ago. What a time. This place is sedate and calm compared to most forums anywhere. What's funny is that I belong to a family/parenting/religious board and it's REALLY tame. But compared to here? It's rip-roaring and wild, lol. I've been hanging here more often because it's so RELAXING and calm.
actually banning is very rare here...it is more visible now b/c of a new software option of having the strike through which we are working on changing... b/c we are high traffic these days, we get alot of spammers and have the strikethrough, so you see more of it...but other than spammers I can only think of one permanent banning this year...it is exceedingly rare and only as a very last resort with alot of behind the scenes management....given our high traffic, I am fairly certain that that is down from when I joined...

[fascination]

this is how i feel as well, dancingmommy...and that's the benefit of being without the drama & edginess of other times.
I think it is nice to know that any ugliness will be managed without being inflicted upon the entire membership...people should be able to come on and relax and know that certain guidelines for interacting with each other will be maintained...no place is perfect but it is nice to know that with so much of society nearly always on the verge of some sort of spat:argue:.....it just ain't gonna happen here:nope:

[DancingMommy]

That's why it stood out so boldly. I thought to myself "I've never seen THAT before... What the heck?" But I don't question the mods, lol. I wouldn't WANT the job!

[DancingMommy]

no place is perfect but it is nice to know that with so much of society nearly always on the verge of some sort of spat:argue:.....it just ain't gonna happen here:nope:

It's quite *******ing! :cool:

[DancingMommy]

Weird. One of my posts just got eaten...

[and123]

:oops: sorry, I was REALLY hungry....

[fascination]

That's why it stood out so boldly. I thought to myself "I've never seen THAT before... What the heck?" But I don't question the mods, lol. I wouldn't WANT the job!
it was an option that would help us to see whether or not other mods had gotten a particular spammer or not...there were days when we had dozens of them to get rid of before we could even begin our work...thankfully we have better filters now...

[DancingMommy]

@and123 - very funny. Was it re fresh ing?

@fascination - Wow. Whoda thunk this place would be spamworthy? I mean it's a happening place but wow...

[fascination]

we've got spam up the wa-zoo

[DancingMommy]

Man... So how does it work? You "grant voice" to those who are regulars and then everything else goes into a moderation queue? That's the procedure at another forum where I moderate.

[fascination]

no...spammers have very clear ways of operating...it isn't rocket science...and in fact, our filters pick up most of it and prevent it from appearing to all of you...then we just have to go in and clean it up...occasionally some slip through and regular members report it to us if we miss it...

[DancingMommy]

That's pretty cool. Having a forum of this size on moderation could be really unpleasant.

[fascination]

it doesn't need to be..because we have great members

[SDsalsaguy]

it doesn't need to be..because we have great members
Definitely! ...and a great team of Mods! I can't sufficiently express how grateful I am for all of their efforts, and the membership should know that this site would not be up and running if it wasn't for all of the ceaseless efforts they all volunteer behind the scenes on a daily basis! :notworth:

[Nybz]

hehe, Fasc two not worthies in a night :D

[etp777]

Absolutely, SDSalsaguy. Not said often enough, but have great mods here, and we definitely appreciate all the work they do, even if we don't express it often enough. DF wouldn't be what it is without all of them. :)

[SDsalsaguy]

DF wouldn't be what it is without all of them. :)
Actually, DF wouldn't be without them! ;)

[etp777]

Definitely. correction accepted. :)

[samina]

i agree. i don't think the membership generally realizes what or how much they do in order to protect the culture of decency that exists here...

[wonderwoman]

I had been chatting on a band fan site for years and it got to the point there was no more conversation, it was just trolling, flaming, bashing... And nobody moderating anything. This place was like a breath of fresh air!

[CANI]

Definitely! ...and a great team of Mods! I can't sufficiently express how grateful I am for all of their efforts, and the membership should know that this site would not be up and running if it wasn't for all of the ceaseless efforts they all volunteer behind the scenes on a daily basis! :notworth:

I agree -- can't imagine the amount of volunteer work that goes into making this forum available to us...Thank you!

[latingal]

Thanks to all of you for the acknowledgment of the mods (and our super mods/admins/technical people too!).

It is a lot of work, but it's a great way to give back to the wonderful dance community we get to be part of.

I'm proud of our members and the environment here...

[DancingMommy]

Definitely! ...and a great team of Mods! I can't sufficiently express how grateful I am for all of their efforts, and the membership should know that this site would not be up and running if it wasn't for all of the ceaseless efforts they all volunteer behind the scenes on a daily basis! :notworth:

That is so true and has been from the very beginning. Mad props to DanceMentor for bringing this site to life, as well. We go way back and it's just amazing to see how far we've all come.

[gracie]

So, Dancingmommy, you are back in the studio again with new partner?

[DancingMommy]

Nope. Not yet. There's a lot going on right now. Send me some good vibes that the screenplay I've help to co-write actually *sells*. That will be what gets me back in the studio. 8)

[wonderwoman]

oooh good luck!

[DancingMommy]

Thanks. Once I get back to the studio, then I'll work on getting a new partner. Which is bound to be *fun* considering how long in the tooth I am and how long I've been away from *serious* dancing. :-|