I've heard from several long-time JSHers (long-time is anybody who has
been here longer than I have) that they're thinking about leaving
because the site has "changed so much, there are so many new people all
of a sudden."

And I think that's a little bit short-sighted.

We should be welcoming new people, we should be thankful for new people.
A website is a lot like a living organism, it grows and develops and
changes over time; and since a website like this one is really nothing
more than a collection of people, that growth and change can only be
accomplished through a constant influx of new faces -- not just to
replace those who leave (because, as we've seen, there are those who
leave), but to make the site grow.

The new people here -- the majority of them, anyway -- are here for the
same reasons the rest of us are here. They want to meet people, talk to
people, interact, maybe find someone special. Oh, sure, you may find a
few jerks and whiners -- like the guy who was complaining yesterday that
he's been here THREE WHOLE WEEKS, and nothing has happened yet! Wow.
But there have been jerks and whiners among the old-timers too.

Hey, if you're here because you would like to meet sombody, then a
massive influx of new people should be something you would WELCOME!
It's simple math -- more people means more possibilities, more options,
maybe more locals even. You're not going to love everybody, sure, but
if I was looking for a girlfriend, and everything else being equal, I'd
rather be on a site that has a million girls than a site that has
sixty-two.

Now, it is true that the sites that have a million girls are inevitably
lame and pointless, but that's another topic.

I've said it before and I will say it again, we have to lose this "Them
Or Us" mentality -- and it's not just "new people vs. old-timers," it's
"male vs. female" it's "I like posts about sexual topics vs. I find them
juvenile and offensive" -- it's the whole "clique" thing again, but
broken down into arbitrary (and ultimately meaningless) categories.

In the past few weeks, I have noticed a number of new people from my
general area in JSH, and I think that's a great thing. Even though I
have no interest in actually meeting anyone in person (I'm here to find
people with whom I can discuss literature and llamas), it shows me that
people are discovering JSH and are trying it out.

So, let's look past our own individual situations for a moment, and
let's think about what's good for JSH, as a whole, what's good for our
friends on this site, what's good for the new people coming in who
haven't had a chance to form an opinion yet.

Let's not judge anybody before we even get a chance to know them.

We were all new here once....

Couldn't agree with you more Lex, I am one of the "old timers" in more
ways than one, been here since August and personally love the site. I
frankly have met quiet a few newbies lately who have been wonderful
people and am grateful that I have met them, of course there have been
some jerks float through, but they washed out quickly too and were
banned as soon as they showed their true colors.

There is a real feeling of family on here, if people stick around long
enough to get to know one another, and I enjoy that too. I too, wish
some of the ones who have left would have stayed, but it is their
personal choice.

That is another thing I like about the site, the way Van and Mike keep
it under control and don't allow us to be "beat up" by some of the
others on here. I personally had a really ugly confrontation with a guy
and he was gone really fast, as soon as they found out about it, so I do
appreciate them too.

Well I'am an old timer and I'm not leaving heck ya can't push me out the
door. lol I have not found the love of my
life yet so what. The friends alone I have meet here has been
worth every minute of being here. I stay for the forums and
the poetry of course the ones I have meet here also. I have seen many
come and go for differnt reasons. Some found there love and I'm happy
for that some left to health reasons some came back. This site has grown
alot since I have been here at first I had 5 matches in my area which
has grown to 4 pages lol. I have talked to some on the phone here as
friends and we talk often on IM or in the forums lots of great friends I
have made. I have seen the bashing which was uncalled for from some and
some banned over it too(which needed it at the time) I agree with Lex we
were all new at one time. But for those that don't like the questions in
the post hey think of something good and post it. Can't complain if you
don't try to improve what you see wrong . Hummm guess I better study up
on them there llamas so I can strike up a conversation with Lex lmao
hummm those are those animals that have that long neck right lmao

{{{{{{{{{{{eyes roll}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I aint leavin ..............I dont care who says I stole those
crayons..........................

and no I didn't take johny's scissors either..........

Hummm cat thought they found the crayons but............ hummm did not
know about the scissors missing lmao
How did you?

there were times that i thought about leaving' but i don't leave there
is to many good friends here.

Hanging right with you guys. I am here for the long run. Completely
agree, we all need to just live & let live, respect others opinions.
Don't have to agree, just respect. JSH is such a great place, chatting
with people from all over the continent, think I saw 1 guy from England.
Are we across the pond? Wouldn't that be great, end up being a round
the world site. So I ask all to really think before leaving & ladies if
you are verbally abused here, contact some of the others & get help
handling the problem.

humm i guess im old now? anyhow i didnt use the site
till begining of jan lex. and i love having new people on here. i dont
know how many new people that have imed me and didnt know how to use the
community board. and once they learned it was a whole new place for
them.. alot complained about not getting emails returned.. and were
about to quit. would of been sad to see them go.. cause most of them are
a great person that im sure someone will see. so i know your not tlaking
about this "old" person

to all the new and old
people on jsh!!

that one new guy was from turkey...had to put canada on his profile
cause ya cant put turkey i guess

As a newbie,
Thanks...

LMAO, BigGlen ya old news now

((((Lex))))))
great post, I could not agree more....
I guess I am an old timer,,, I welcome all the
new People coming in to JSH,,, The vast variety
of people is what makes this site Incredible,
If it were not for JSH, I would not have met
Terry and all the Incredible friends I have
made,,, I have found my Soulmate here, But I
am not leaving,, I love to read the forums and
Poems,,, JSH is my home away from home,,,,, The
Friends I have made here I hold close to my heart
you all have given me strength beyond strength
and for that I am Thankful,,, So to all you new
Memebers to JSH,,, I Welcome you to your new
home away from home..

The thing is, everyone here was a "new person" at some point in time.
Sometimes, on these dating sites, the "old people" tend to think, for
some silly reason, that the site "belongs" to them and they should have
a say in who stays and who goes or, just in general, seemingly decide
collectively whether or not they're going to accept certain "new people"
or not.

And I say those people need to get over themselves. People on dating
sites, just as in real life, come and go. Here one day, gone the next,
oftentimes. Deal with it.

i guess it's like antwhere else ,,,if you're not having a good time you
don't go there

anywhere* dang t and y are too close !!!!!!!!!

Preach on brother Lex. I'm still fairly new but have met alot of cool
people from different parts of the country & our neighbors to the north.
I find people very interesting, we are all on the same journey, but our
lives take us down different roads, with different stories, but we ended
up here in the same place.

dang it, lex----how did ya read the mind?

Hell get over it things do change and if you not happy here because new
people are coming in Then move on I mean if you think about it we were
all new at one point so what gives anyone the right to say anything
about new people coming in???

whoa, shadow---hope ya ain't talkin' to the oldie--ain't ya?

whats up oldies and newbies??