Greek Chat - should membership be closed?

[skylark]

Yeah (to Ksig), this is admittedly a rant, but I really do encourage people to rant back, if they'd like. And I have participated in other internet forums, always make an effort to learn about the site-culture before sticking my neck out, but I have never been belittled in the ways I have either on threads or by PM like I have on this forum.

Sometimes I want to ask these people, when you were an active in your GLO, did you jump all over your new members when they tried to contribute? If you did, how did that work out for ya?

And yeah, I know this isn't a new topic, but I think that it needs to be discussed again. Why is that a problem?

[Senusret I]

I didn't read the whole thing, but I don't think there should be a probationary period or anything.

But i DO believe that you should have to register before you can lurk.

[cuteASAbug]

I joined greekchat in April because I had trouble finding appropriate clothes for initiation. I have to say that no one attacked me or tried to pull rank on me and that everyone was incredibly nice and helpful, and I'm nor talking about just the ASAs.

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by cuteASAbug

I joined greekchat in April because I had trouble finding appropriate clothes for initiation. I have to say that no one attacked me or tried to pull rank on me and that everyone was incredibly nice and helpful, and I'm nor talking about just the ASAs.

i second that...i joined a non-traditional sorority and was already out of college when i did so, and wasnt 100% familiar with how things worked. this has been one of my favorite things to do to help kill time at work , inform myself of both collegiate and greek issues, and have a good laugh!

[skylark]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

i second that...i joined a non-traditional sorority and was already out of college when i did so, and wasnt 100% familiar with how things worked. this has been one of my favorite things to do to help kill time at work , inform myself of both collegiate and greek issues, and have a good laugh!

I agree with both of you, for the most part. I have had some very valuable advice given and I have enjoyed many of the people on here. I have also been pretty annoyed though, that I keep reading about how annoying it is for new GCers to be involved in conversations.

And you know what? This does not have to do with what happened in one forum earlier today. There was another forum (that I searched for, but may have gotten deleted) that was all about the dos and don'ts of GC and new posters (not me, but I read them) got reamed for even voicing their opinion on the thread. And I've also watched as other newbies have gotten their a$$ handed to them for really only trying to participate.

This is not about what a couple people said to me in one thread this morning. I have thicker skin than that.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by skylark

Yeah (to Ksig), this is admittedly a rant, but I really do encourage people to rant back, if they'd like. And I have participated in other internet forums, always make an effort to learn about the site-culture before sticking my neck out, but I have never been belittled in the ways I have either on threads or by PM like I have on this forum.

Usually I'm quick to hijack but your post (kind of sadly) seems in earnest.

Anyway, I read through some of your posts, and I'm not sure "belittled" is really what I would term it - you said something silly, then argued about it. Not a super endearing start to your career, but it's not like you stabbed a dude. It seems you didn't really check out the (decidedly different) culture of the Chit Chat and Rush areas, which make the other, nicer fora appear as Utopian as Fourier himself imagined.

Esoteric bullshit aside - seriously, you're being overly sensitive here.

Originally Posted by skylark

Sometimes I want to ask these people, when you were an active in your GLO, did you jump all over your new members when they tried to contribute? If you did, how did that work out for ya?

Most of us did, in fact, jump all over new members for one reason or another - in fact, this is kind of why pledging exists, to correct issues with new members before they become fully initiated.

Originally Posted by skylark

And yeah, I know this isn't a new topic, but I think that it needs to be discussed again. Why is that a problem?

It's obviously not a problem, but you're seeing in the responses why searching is (vehemently) encouraged - you're throwing stones against the monolith here, and I'm not sure why you think the monolith should be torn down at your request (and, more importantly, to your benefit).

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Esoteric bullshit aside - seriously, you're being overly sensitive here.

Back on track (for a moment) - yes. We handed you the proverbial olive branch, and you wouldn't let it go. Most of us, me included, have been handed our asses a hell of a lot worse than what happened earlier to you. You can get over it, learn from it, and continue to post, or you can leave. It's not going to make an overall difference to the rest of us either way.

[APhi Sailorgirl]

I rarely post on here, but reading this thread (and other recent ones) it appears that people do not seem to get that life is going to be this way, on a message board or not.

You're new, you know little, you make mistakes, you correct them and learn, and move on. This is the cycle in almost anything. Brush yourself off and move on.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by tld221

crazy newbie GCer? check
Tom Earp response? check
snarky response from Dionysus/AF/whoever else? check
Senurset I "i'm so hot" hijack? check
cat macro? check

are we missing anything else?

oh right, lest not forget the declaration of "omgz you guyz are a bunch of meanies i hate you all im never coming back :stomps e-feet around and refuses to post for 10 minutes pretending not to care:" from crazy newbie GCer.

wait for it, wait for it...