March 01, 2005 status
I actually started this post in another thread concerning some site bashing going on over on ReptiRank against this site. Rather comical reading, if you are so inclined to read anonymous postings like that. I think we all have pretty good suspicions on the people behind it, but I don't see any reason to take part in that sort of activity. Trolls just WANT you to get involved with THEM to make themselves seem important. Few things are more comical then to see two or more like minded trolls in a positive feedback situation, working themselves up into a frenzy of unreality. But the best defense for rational people is to just laugh at their antics and let them feed upon themselves. I'm sure they all have a home to go back to at the end of the day, and the worst punishment I can think of for them is they have only themselves who will take them seriously. I guess they are so upset with this site because my plan of using a paid membership has cut them off at the knees and they no longer have free reign here with their fake registrations. But obviously they have other homes to go to now.
Along those same lines, apparently another message board system has taken it upon themselves to try to use the issue of the payment plans here as a stepping stone for their own future. Word is that they are actively recruiting members from this site to come to theirs. Well, more power to them. I really don't care either way. It's not like people can't come and go here as they please, so they can knock themselves out in that effort. If someone believes that another site is a better place to call home, then so be it. I really don't have a problem with that at all.
From the response I have gotten to the paid memberships, it appears we are going to be here for a very long time, but people are going to come and go all of the time. Nearly every day I get emails from people who haven't been by here for a year or more wanting me to help them figure out their logon and password. So yeah, people will leave for one reason or another, but they will probably be back, sooner or later.
We are STILL growing! New registrations are averaging between 20 and 30 PER DAY here. So yeah, maybe we did drop some chaff after the change, but I think the wheat that remains is what is of real value here. More will be undoubtedly coming every day to fill in those gaps, so really there was no appreciable loss to new people coming aboard that I can see. Postings have been slightly lower, but I expected it to be worse. I think many of the postings that would be categorized in the "drivel" realm have been sharply curtailed here. So no big loss, in my opinion, except to those people who may have been coming to this site solely to get their jollies reading such stuff. So yes, I expect those people have gone off to more fertile feeding grounds as well, but I don't consider that as any real loss to this site and it's projected continuing growth.
As for those people who have left here in a huff, no, I am not of the mind that you are either with us or against us. If you find that you no longer need what this site has to offer, then that is fine, no hard feelings. I admit I am disappointed you would take it that way, but that is what freedom of choice is all about. But don't do it thinking you will hurt this site in the process. You are then leaving for the wrong reasons. We are just HERE, and are going to REMAIN here. It is completely up to you to decide about being here or not. If you don't have a need nor desire for what this site has to offer you, then thanks for stopping by and good luck with your pursuits. But please, don't stand there blocking the door so other people can't come in.
seriously, damn my two finger typing 
, but thanks for posting the link also. I gotta figure out how to do that someday.
