I've been following the progress of our new members who were either
booted out of, or left, their old, unsatisfactory home.

Frankly, I've been impressed. On the whole, I think we've got a group
of intelligent and sincere people who are genuinely looking for a better
place to be -- and who can blame them for that? Who among us would not
abandon a site that treated us, or our friends, unfairly?

There seem to be some mixed sentiments among the CSers about getting out
of the "Welcome New People" forum and moving on to the other ones. I've
noticed that a lot of them have already done so and seem to be fitting
in well. Others seem to be holding back, watching, perhaps waiting for
the right moment before jumping in.

I liken it to a group of people arriving in a new country for the first
time. Some will be explorers, and will want to go survey the terrain
right away. Others will be a bit more reserved and will want to remain
within their group until they feel comfortable with the situation.

And what I'm saying is there's no right way or wrong way to do it.
Let's let everyone assimilate at their own pace. Let's be welcoming and
supportive and let these folks know that they have chosen the right
place to be.

Let's imagine the roles reversed and how strange this new experience
must be from the other side.

Mike noted on another thread that the ultimate goal of all this is to
have a scenario where, in a few months, nobody even knows where anybody
came from and we're all "just" JSHers. And I completely agree; because,
in the end, it is THIS site that makes a difference in all our lives.

But between now and then, there are going to be some "growing pains,"
some errors, some miscalculations, and some misunderstandings. I have
already seen the seeds of this on one thread, and I think the best way
to deal with this is to NOT rush to judgment, NOT expect the worst of
someone just because they are new, NOT give in to the "Them or Us"
mentality that permeates so many sites and kills any growth they might
have had....

We were all new once, we all had to "make an entrance," and some were
more successful than others.

Now, we have a whole crowd of new people who only want to fit in and be
accepted and be a part of what we have here.

Is that really such a bad thing?

I would love to see all of the former CSers assimilate into our
"culture" here. But I recognize the need for them to do so at their own
pace, and in their own way. And if that means there's a thread of 12
pages of people saying "Hi" and "I was wondering where you were" and
"Did you see if so-and-so got kicked off yet?" -- well, how is that any
worse than "Rate my dog's ears" or "Would you change a tire for the
person above you?" threads....?

Or are we subconsciously thinking, "Well, it's OK if OUR people do that,
but if it's new people from another site...." and there we have a double
standard, and there we have the root problem of the CS site in the first
place.

And the goal should be for US to make sure JSH is NOT like CS.

Just one guy's opinion.

thank you...

I enjoyed reading it...

and appreciate your thoughts...

thank you for trying to understand

our situation...

If this place gets anything like what CS was, I'll be the first to
leave. Notgannadoit.

I don't see that happening here, though; the site is very
well-maintained, and it's obvious the owners care about the site's
members and will listen objectively to any issues that may arise. I've
seen this demonstrated already and I'm very happy with the outcome.

Thanks, guys!

very well put lex and i agree with you 100%

Very well put Lex. I agree this is a great place to be. Mike and Van do
care about us as well as the site. They are just and fair as to how they
operate things around here.

As the new group feathers their wings and moves on through out the site,
get to know us as we get to know them, in the end we'll all be a family.
And what better place to have your friends and family but the comforts
of home right here on JSH

ditto

JSH WILL NEVER EVER EVER be like CS is.

(where is the applauding smiley?)

Thanks so much for your words. We are jolly bunch, and we will make
ourselves at home in no time. It already feels liek home, because of all
the familiar faces here...

Thank you to the pioneers that open the road to us...

Hopefully JSH will never be like CS. We do understand when we are
talked to.

Most of the people that have joined this site from CS, are heavy
thinkers and very opinionated. This place is about to experience a
pleasurable jolt.

I hope all of our new brothers and sisters of JSH will enjoy it as much
as we have so far.

very well put lex.. and very insiteful to.. llary the llama told u what
to write didnt he?...

welcome to ALL the newbies...

Lex, that was very well stated, and I hope that everyone here at JSH
will welcome ALL of those comming over from that former site, and show
them that they have a new home here for as long as they wish to stay.
Welcome to JSH from CS.

I STILL don't get the rules of











-hot biscuit throwing and what a llama smokes.

(disclaimer...have to leave for work so I'll catch up on rules later)

thank you you made me feel peachy again
look out now peaches in back
um where is the bathroom

thank you Lex
i feel it's a great place here, we're glad to be here

Nicely said Lex, but you always know the words.

And you know I would change your tires Just make sure you so not need
your care for a few days as that is how long as it may take me to figure
what I am doing.

Those were very comforting and wise words, spoken by a guy with
intelligence and heart. I thank you for your wisdom and insight on this
subject. You gave my heart reason for comfort and joy. I was scared at
first to leave a familiar, and move on to unknown territory. The fear no
longer exists, and I am truly glad to be here.
Thanks for your reasoning and profound words.
Kat

Well put Lex..

are you sure mauve wouldn't be better in the color scheme?

nope! great just the way it is. organic changes only.

hey change is good
life changes everyday
imagine how boring it would be if if wasnt for new things all the
time

hey change is good
life changes everyday
imagine how boring it would be if if wasnt for new things all the
time

thank you lex for the compassion and wisdom in your statement.