Just a thought

Funny thing, I just came back to visit based on some instant messages I received over the weekend and started reading some of the postings and read this post with interest. . .  this board is not unlike many other places, people get tangled up in various things, sometimes express their very strong opinions, which sometimes causes a stir and/or hurt feelings, etc., but I've also witnessed people who had bad beginnings with one another, only after some thought about the issues that caused it, take stock and come back stronger for it. 

There was a time, when one of our members was being stalked by someone in their life, wherein the person put up a fictuous profile only to find out what was being said by that other person, we figured it out rather quickly, that person eventually dropped off this board, sadly so did the person being stalked, and there have been other instances where some less savory individuals have come on here and caused people distress, chasing some away for good, others for a time, so while a newbie may not necessarily know these things, as has been stated, this is a pretty open forum and so sometimes there are reasons that you may not be aware of.  I have never seen anyone new really be mistreated, sometimes there is more posting, than at other times and there too, sometimes a conversation has more people with a common interest, so it can seem like you get lost in the mix, I've felt that way at times, but I also know that for years I felt invisible because of my size and other reasons, so in the earlier days of my visits here, sometimes even later, I felt like I was being ignored, I guess we all have our issues prior and post-op.

As for lurkers, as far back as I can remember, people have done that, I always noted the amount of actual postings, as per viewings, differed greatly, just the nature of people, some curious, some fearful to jump in, others feeling like outsiders, but the main purpose of this, as I started out as a lurker, is to gather information on what life post-op was and can be like, which is why, while we band together and share intimate details of our life, we must be sure that there is some measure of giving people encouragement and trying hard not to get into politics, religion and the very things that cause problems in real life discussions. . .

Just my two cents worth. . . :)