I really love seeing all the new DUers on here...

[lovemydog]

96. I found DU from a nice poster at another message board.

I'm pretty deliberate in making decisions. The first board where I posted fell apart over a long period of time. I was new to posting & had some not so great experiences. Once bitten, twice shy. I determined if I were to post at a board again, I'd need to look myself in the mirror so to speak, to make posting a happy experience. Basically, take personal responsibility so that DU adds to, rather than subtracts from, life away from a computer.

So, I bookmarked this site and read it for a few years. As time went on, decided to jump in the ocean. There were a few posters whose posts I really enjoyed. I'd explored the site pretty well before joining. I love the 'Good Reads' section and the Lounge. Some welcomed me and that made me feel more comfortable.

The key thing at first, in deciding to join, was knowing the rules here were stringent enough that I wouldn't feel bullied or picked on, and that it was safe from intrusion into personal life - i.e., that phishing for personal information and / or stalking or any of those really creepy things - would not be tolerated. I think what convinced me that this is a pretty safe place to post (presuming I had now learned self control and not to reveal too much personal info and not to take things too personally and all that stuff) is the sheer number of people posting. That allowed me to feel comfortable that even the inevitably disagreeable posters wouldn't bother me too much. Someone here gave good advice after I joined, maybe in a welcome thread or something like that, saying wade in slowly to get the hang of it. That helped too.

Thanks to the way I approached stuff here, and the volume of cool smart compassionate people who post good posts, I've become a better progressive (in real ways away from the computer) & a better listener in real life. Plus, I love laughing more, both reading & posting here, and in real life.

That's my rambling reply. Thanks for asking.