I have many mixed feelings on this issue.

Dhammer brought me into FlyerTalk and for that I am very grateful. He is often the first one to welcome newbies on chat and on boards; his generosity with UAL goodies and other stuff is known to many on this board; and he isa an active participant in several other boards where he is just as kind and generous.That's all I want to say about that because there are clearly other issues between he and other FT members that I am not and don't want to be privy to.

About cliques - (or as we called them in High school, which this is all starting to remind me of, "cleeks") I have been welcomed by newbies and "oldies" alike, and I am proud to consider some of the "old guard" among my closest FT frends. As in "real life" I like some people more than I like others. It doesn't seem to be a problem. Where cliques come in for me, is where people use FT for what I feel are inappropriate purposes and gatherings. In my mind, if I post an FT event or respond to a posting about one, I assume al FT'ers are invited, and I take my chances like anyone else that some people there may not be my cup of tea. To me, one of the great glories of FT is that anyone is welcome to participate and I have learned or shared something form just about every FT'er I have met. But I have been privy to several instances where a get together is posted on the board and then all the other arrangements are made privately, shutting out people who might have wanted to attend. That's where cliques seem dangerous and exclusive - NOT the fact that some people have been on FT longer than others and may have opinions on things.


Same thing sometimes happens in chat - I am a relative chat newbie and I notice sometimes people come with questions and we're too busy gabbing to answer. Not a lot and not everyone - but I admire people like dhammer who always go out of their way to make newbies feel like they can get questions answered. I sometimes feel like an outsider in chat cause I just started and don't know everyone's name (and that most chatters who don;t know me think I'm a guy but that's another story) and I appreciate it when chatters help me and others feel more included. And chat is the great equalizer - I now feel like an old timer and it doesn't take long...

I'm not sure what my point is (surprise) except to say I haven't experienced the old vs new split some have and have taken to heart. But I have experienced some of the unpleasantness of cliques, and people talking out of turn about each other and that saddens me...


edited for usual lousy typing - is there a macro I can add to say that on all my posts??


[This message has been edited by squeakr (edited 03-19-2002).]