User blog:Chrisiow/Both the best and worst thing about this place

The sense of community is both the best and worst thing about this place.

The good: The bad: I think the first 'bad' point can't be rectified as I think it's pretty normal when anyone joins a new community... whether it is offline or online... that they feel like an outsider at first. To this forum's credit, I only felt like an outsider for a short while, and everyone is lovely.
 * Welcoming, warm and friendly people.
 * Very helpful people. I have learned so much.
 * Newbies often feel like outsiders as it's a tight-knit group.
 * The use of different names as user names, game names and real names is very very confusing, and I've even seen long-time members confused.

I do, however think the constsnt name changing of the names, and the multi-use of names on the forum is confusing and quite intimidating. I can't reconcile who is who, and I'm always worried I'll cause offence by calling someone by a wrong name. I also can't keep up with who is who (even though some keep the first couple of letters of their name in a 'thx' name change. The only way I could is to keep a daily log of who is who, and that would take the fun out of it.

It says something about the forum that even the biggest problem (in this blogger's opinion anyway) is created out of being nice. Acknowledging a friend, or to express sympathy, etc. The underlying reasons are wonderful. For me though, it makes the game that bit less fun, and that bit more confusing... and believe me, it does not take much to confuse me.

Some of my best friends in tha game do this, and I wouldn't change them for the world... nor do I expect them to stop doing it.... I just find it amusing that the best and worst things about the board is basically how wonderful, caring and thoughtful the forum members are.

Chris.