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Do Not Ask...

Do Not Ask What Your Community Can Do For You
But instead ask what you can do for your Community...

The Architect asked that I post this on his behalf...

"I wanted to bring this up in the 'Community Climax' thread, but thought it would change the subject too much. Another observation I have noticed that affects how long a Member or even a Moderator will be here is the amount of attention you give to them. For instance, if someone has not come in awhile and then you make contact via instant Messenger or Email then they will show up, at least for a bit and post here and there, some may even come back fully active. Now the question is... do Members feel that they are not getting enough attention? Is it that they are always wondering what the Community supplies them rather than what knowledge and enlightenment they can give to it? Personally, and I am not saying this because I run the site, in all honesty this place always keeps me interested because I am always learning! Many of the things I have learnt here I have even applied in my own life! Although the social interaction is nice, what really grabs me is the experiences, especially the ones that 'teach another way' so that I can see life in another perspective. Alright, enough blabbering, so what do you think... Do most Members concern themselves with giving or taking?"

Ask Do

I think we see this in the members who post that they want to roleplay and then can't post 30 messages. Those are the takers while others who came for the roleplay (such as myself) and have stayed not just for the roleplay, but for the interaction and educational benefit, I think are in a more "giving" role.

This is my personal opinion, of course. But, this applies to life -- there are those who are constant takers, emotional vacuums even! And those that will go out of their way to help you, "the givers." It appears to me that where this community is involved, you get your fair share of takers, but the majority seems to be true givers.

Do Not Ask... Feedback & FAQ News Community

I'll be honest, I'm a taker. I originally came to this site looking for some good serious gaming. Not the play by post crap I've been forced to deal with through the other web sites. But I have been a member for close to a month and I have yet to play my first game. I don't care, I've met so many cool people and read and posted on so many interesting topics that I don't care if I roleplay here. I'm having a fantastic time as it is. Sure, you may count my posts as "giving" but I don't. I'll start giving when I become a premium member.

Ask Do

I have found out through experience here, that there exists allot of people that seem to join because they feel a need to be wanted. This is a community in which people can be excepted for who they are and make friends online. But if thats your main reason for joining, then your stay may be short. I have been friends with some of them, and after a while, I just have to much to deal with to give them a wall to lean on and have to let them go. I'm not saying that those here are not willing to be a shoulder to lean on, it just can't be constant. Members have been here for me when I needed a shoulder, and I have tried to be there for them. But the real reason I am here is to give my opinion and share knowledge on a variety of different subjects. I enjoy giving my thoughts to the forum for everyone to read. In an online community, one should be thinking what they can add, not what they can take.

Ask Do

I think I have found a happy medium, even though it may not appear so on the boards. Call me obsessive compulsive, but I go through my day with the mindset of "What is going to happen today that can inspire a post?" and I am always trying to keep my head up for potential discussions topics. When I'm planning my lessons for my girls at work, I try to think of a way I can turn it into a post here. I know there is more to giving on the site than starting topics, but it's a start. Sometimes I do find myself getting more excited about seeing what a person replies to something I've said than actually saying it. That probably constitutes more as taking than giving, but that's okay. Everybody does need something from a community, be it online or in rea life, in order to remain drawn to participating in that community.

Do Not Ask...

I think all the feedback is great, however, I believe someone makes significant contribution by simply posting constructively while maintaining a suitable presence. If you come here to read and learn then you are a taker of good things, and that is fine - nothing wrong in it at all. They do not have to give money to be a contributor, they just have to show some sort of interest or gratitute by the way they conduct themselves (friendly, considerate, messages worth reading). I say this because I do not want anyone to think that only if you donate financially are you then considered 'contributing' or I will only be interested in you if you donate.

Offtopic but, You know, this whole Community used to be free, people would participate in multiple things without restriction, etc. Then the leeches (mostly teeny boppers and people with a grudge) came an caused problems: they joined games, complained, left. They were rude posted spams and left. So we started making different levels of Membership to cater for the maturity of each user wether they donated or not - that is why the Mature section has nothing to do with Upgrading.