I've had my hide tattered a few times, here, but oh... When the Cuddle hits right... Draws me back, every time! I try to constantly remind myself that I "live in the world with other people"--- people who have different backgrounds, ideas, beliefs, hopes, dreams... and who have just as much right to be here as I do. It helps. A lot.
These forums have been a hopeful, healing lifeline to me, at times. I sincerely hope we get to keep them. It really IS possible for all of us to work together to make it as great as it could be-- I still like it here!
@OhioMike ~ See? You are That Cat!!!
I can relate a little to all the many reasons that we might get addicted to the forum. @CharlieBear makes sense especially for those who travel a lot. There are people here who I would love to meet in person if I ever get a chance to. Maybe there will be a meet up that I can actually go to.
I will be the first to admit that the more controversial topics are the most interesting to me. Reading only comments from those who agree with me would be boring. Sure, I want to get my point across like anyone else but this has been such a learning experience for me. I know I’ve mentioned many times that it’s been very eye-opening. Just seeing the many different ways we all think, Drastically different views than I’ve ever been exposed to before. It’s actually made me more tolerant of ideas whether I agree with them or not. Yes, I might get annoyed, but I think that I have benefited and grown especially from reading a totally opposite view from mine.
@billiam Your post here was very astute! 👏🏻✨️
~ Sunset Snuggles
🦄 Enthusiast 🏞 Travel Fiend 🐘 Animal Lover
Happy summer vibes! 🐬 🎹
There is nothing with respectful disagreement____________nothing wrong...
Depends on how one would define inviting. I don't personally believe anyone here wants to go out of their way to boot someone new. When you welcome everyone, people from so many different walks of life, that you're bound to bring in room for bickering. Most of you will never see it, but the bickering continues in the flags themselves. Still. In spite of all the grief I feel here at times, I still love this place & it's purpose. That's why I volunteered in the first place. ^.^
This site is worth more than we tend to give it credit for. We're just one big dysfunctional family, & I love ya. 😁🤗
I always loved reading the forums! Unfortunately, I forget to check back, that’s where my Achilles heel is! 🥲🙃
But I enjoy reading posts and comments, even if I’m not actively participating in a thread. Just wanted to share my two cents-hope everyone had a great rest of their evening and a wonderful day tomorrow!
@billiam
I hadn't realized I signed up 10 years ago.
Wow, you’ve been on here for that long? I don’t remember seeing you on the boards in the old days. The only familiar names I remember from way back that I still see are @OhioMike and @pmvines and of course the legendary @respectful reappears every now and then.
Haha!! Thank you, @Shake ! We love you, too!
@Morpheus I didn't visit the boards back then
@SunsetSnuggles Thank you! 😀
I am a firm believer in the forums being a tool, and that you get out of them what you seek - dependant on how well you know how to utilize the tool for that purpose.
A lot of people struggle with text-based communication lacking tone and non-verbal clues that one would get in person. Other people thrive in text because it allows them to organize their thoughts, removes some of their social barriers, and connects them to more supportive communities than they have in person. What many people here tend to call bickering or unwelcoming, I tend to view very differently, but then I've been very active in online text-based socializing for my entire adult life.
I think that the people who tend to feel like the forums are less welcoming now are viewing the past posts through rose tinted glasses. While I was not active here pre-pandemic, simply reading through past threads shows much of the same discussions - with a lot more problematic views about many minority communities and about cuddling in general.
We tend to view the past with nostalgia, forgetting the progress we've made and amplifying the struggles we currently face. Objectively, current times both IRL and online are fundamentally better for a very large portion on the population....but it's easy to forget that when we are facing our current stresses.
I'd be curious to see what, if anything, would change if the people who complain about the culture of the forums instead channels that energy to being the change they want to see. Create more threads on the topics you want to see, practice what you preach, and curate your experience by scrolling past and unsubscribing from threads that do not serve you. Taking breaks to focus on other interests for a time can help as well by putting the cuddling world, and by extension these forums, back into perspective.
still no reason to disrespect or flag others for childless reasons
I dunno. People can be pretty ugly and phony. I'm still reeling from repeated forum jabs and I can't do anything about it except accept that. I like contributing and conversation but certain people pop up on a thread and now I feel the need to avoid their shattitude. Just made up a word! 🤣
Some people just take the internet way too seriously and take criticism and a difference of opinion way too personal
@wilderdude
Some people just take the internet way too seriously
I agree with this 1000%
Let us work together and make CC forums once again an inviting place for all!
They already are!
Anyone with a CC account can peruse the forums and read what they want to read, and not read what they don't want to read.
@dennis22554 you my friend are the Rodney King of the forum and I still believe his words of " Cant we all just get along!"
Speaking of Rodney king, I lived through the LA Riots. Anyone else?
I often read the forums, but my anxiety won’t let me interact much
@SitaRosee Pleased to meet you. You seem like a nice person with a lovely profile. Or is that a lovely person with a nice profile? Either way, sadness that you're on the opposite coast.
Thank you @IronLemon 🥹🥹 that was sweet for you to say! Nice to meet you as well
I must note a certain irony in calling a lemon sweet.
Yes, some people take things too personally. And other people know that and go out of their way to get a rise out of them and start fights.
Yes and when a person is fully aware that they are upsetting someone but then still continues it, that's bullying. Someone being sensitive doesn't excuse the behavior.
People come here to feel safe. Maybe it's a cuddle. Perhaps they will make their way to the forum, a safe place to share their views and a safe place to disagree. It's okay to disagree. We forget that conflict is OK; that conflict often clarifies our thinking about ourselves and others if we are humble. We forget that most conflict is tied to communication gaps. Conflict is not destructive; unresolved conflict is terrible. And I could be wrong; the average user here wants to find or escape something, consciously or subconsciously.
While I mess up, I find it's best to invite others into the conversation, “What do you think?” and be humble. “I could be wrong.” Many forums start as one thing and become something else as they are very organic. It builds enhancement on the site.
How does this sound?
There's not a lot of "I could be wrong" here. Arguments in these forums can get vicious and personal very quickly, which seems to be true across social media, since everyone is "brave" when hiding behind their computer.
@WriterGF posted: "There's not a lot of "I could be wrong" here. Arguments in these forums can get vicious and personal very quickly, which seems to be true across social media"
Exactly. This behavior isn't unique or confined to this message board. It's human nature across the internet and the world.
As much as I hate arguments, and as much as I wish humanity was different, this is an issue with the human condition, much bigger than could possibly be tackled on this message board or this thread. I'm very curious to see ideas, though.
I still say people are overly sensitive. In addition to that, when you let people hurt you, you empower them. As much as I love cuddlecomfort and the community, individually, in the scheme of things, everyone here is absolutely irrelevant in my life. Everyone, do yourself a favor and stop arguing with stupidity and don’t let irrelevant people hurt you.
“…everyone here is absolutely irrelevant in my life.”
As someone who joined years ago my goal was to meet people and become friends eventually. I could never consider the peeps I met here irrelevant. I have been able to make some really close friends because of the CC site. I find that quote quite sad 😔
If trolls could fly, CuddleComfort would be an airport.