Being silly is certainly my homage to the Beastie Boys "avec leur beer swilling et glue sniffing " 
Judith I really haven’t followed this thread b/c of it’s sillyness. I agree with everything you just said though. Manny has tried more than once to explain this but apperantly some aren’t listening. I’m truely sorry that these ppl don’t listen.
The “3 word story” thread is for us to laugh at. Please!!! We need to laugh at things every once in awhile.
Doris just replied to your first point: indeed the 3 Word Story is MEANT to go around in circles. Hence it falls in the “Community Games” category of the forum. It’s by no means the focus of the community or something we’d promote on the home page with a banner.
I am not sure what you mean by this:
“it is against the TU policy rules to delete certain replies about certain members names (screen names) in order to preserve the entire topic.”
We try to maintain a certain environment and uphold certain values in order to keep the community strong. This is what we’ve been doing since the beginning and we’ve learned more and more over time. The guidelines and the values have evolved and gotten more and more specific as a result of the lessons we’ve learned.
Why do people leave (or become silent)?
There are lots of reasons, many of which have been stated. They get busy. They found what they were looking for or have learned what they came here to learn. They simply do not participate as much, but they are listening, etc.
Why do people get banned from the site?
Because they do not abide by the values of the community.
I think a very interesting discussion to have is: Why do people keep coming back? About 50% of the visitors to the site (this includes members and non-members) are returning visitors.
tactiques brechtiene…
In fact, I just started a topic to talk about this:
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-you-come-back-to
Holy cow, why didn’t I think of that(?)! Thanks Manny!
Exit Phenomenon. That’s great, Judith. True. A self-fulfilling prophesy as well. “See, they (whoever the particular “they” is) really are against me.”
Thank you bsc, well said
Alan- Manny already opened a new thread that is MUCH, MUCH more positive. I’m thrilled. It makes SO much sense it’s silly… Check it out here -> https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-you-come-back-to
“Bar room brawl”? LOL, again, my purpose in starting the thread was to point out the absurdity of the alleged reason for closure of the original thread (that people were not staying on topic?) and also to point out, via the quoted Jam lyric, written @ the height of their romantic period (quoting Shelly on the back of “Sound Affects”) that it is eerie to have the sense of loss and longing amidst the generally positive sense of BElonging that comes from the thread. I did not in any way mean to suggest that the moderators are evil Saurons or anything like that. Or to be ganged up upon by the defensors fidei suggesting that (quel horreur) I am being silly? I am not sure what is being atttacked. i am certainly not attacking anyone though.
Totally agree!!!
Acid-
I myself couldnt be more happy you started this so my “locked” topic wouldn’t get buried in history without some raw debate. I tried to start a new thread after mine got locked and it was actually “deleted” so when I saw this moments later I was pleased. I never wanted to start an argument but instead try and learn from our mistakes about “why” members would want to leave. With that said…Manny has found a way to address the same concerns in a much more positive way here -> https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-you-come-back-to We as a community SHOULD focus on what will make us stick around, not what will make us leave. I almost regret starting that subject…Ok I do! And the way I look at it now, if you didn’t start this topic acid than Manny wouldn’t have started that one. So thanks for helping produce something positive! Oh and BTW acid, i like that comment about bar room brawls in the NEW thread…LOL!
P.S. I owe you one Acid!
for those of you completely confused…
part1 original thread https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-tu-members-leave-the-tu
part2 about why original thread was locked https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/dislikes-closing-members
part3 Manny starts a positive thread about members https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-you-come-back-to
Thanks for the support everyone. I was concerned that perhaps the ghost comments, as well as my insistence on ghostly recollections, could have been interpreted as negative commens and I wanted to put a positive spin on them and had the Jam song in mind the whole time. I hoped to spin them in a positive (ok, maybe a wierd positive but, well consider the source…) light? I also endeavored to stick to the terms of service because I think they are appropriate and I certianly appreciate the moderators. At the same time, as I may have mentioned before, Albert Camus reportedly had a copy of Nietzsche’s “The Gay Science”, in which FN makes fun of everything, in his valise when he was killed in the car wreck. Since I learned that, I have turned up my natural tendency to try to bring some levity to many topics, including ghastly diseases like diabetes.
Robert-
please don’t get this thread locked like the other one. I started this entire subject that has unexpectedly taken a wrong and negative turn instead of being brutally honest. Just let it go. Nuff said.
-Mikey
Did you read the values statement, Robert? In every administrative decision our team makes, that’s really all there is to it. You can champion a conspiracy theory if you really like, but the only thing that might get you banned is if you were to be warned via email enough times about your forum behavior and then continue that behavior. Those warnings are done privately, as are the suspensions.
No smoke screen. No BS. Just a team of volunteers who are upholding a community code of conduct.
Robert I have to agree with Judith. I am counted multiple instances between the previously closed thread and this thread where Manny and others have referred back to the Terms of Use, in addition to promoting our values.
When individuals do not abide by those, especially after multiple reminders from the admin team if a member continues to disregard the contents of these two important pieces of this site, then at that point a decision is reached.
For example we have had members join with legitimate names and profile picutures only to turn around and begin contacting members or posting information of a commerical nature (whether it be legitimate items or some sort of snake oil promising a cure to diabetes). In these instances, the individuals are warned and the content is removed. If it continues, it is clear their intention is not to be involved in the community, but to use and abuse the community.
Other examples include types of trolling that violate our values, which promote community support and diversity and respect, among others. If individuals cannot abide by these, especially after multiple communications between the admin team and the individual,then that is their own decision. They do, however, have to take responsibility for these actions, and as such, are removed.
These are just a few examples of the types of things that the admin team deals with from day to day to keep the site presentable for members to come together and have some quality dialog.
If you are looking for specifics on any particular past member’s reason for leaving or removal by posing this comment related to smoke and mirrors, then you will be unfortunately disappointed. We clearly do not make it a habit of airing anyone’s business out for the voyeurs and onlookers to get some sort of enjoyment. Referring back to the values mentioned previously, it clearly violates items such as our policy regarding diversity and respect, and it also does nothing to add to the content or to the communication of information (another value) on which this site is based.
I was making what I thought was a legit discussion about why my contributing member friends are gone or banned. But Robert is baiting you guys. Can’t you see when the worm has a hook and string attached to it? Just pretend you have an ignore button. This thread died when Manny Hernandez started this -> https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/why-do-you-come-back-to
I agree, Mikey. Suggest we all ignore comments that are transparently hook & bait.