edscissors's blog

Our site is great but this week I've experienced the best and the worst of our site - I think.

The worst. I've been chatting with someone here in the UK but have come to believe that a well-known profile has been hi-jacked. I cannot, will not, say any more about this for the moment. Admin have been brilliant, of coure.

The best. I met a lovely guy locally, recently. We met (just down the road for me!), got on really well ... and hope to meet again. Nice guy, a new friend I think.

More importantly, I've had a lovely message today from a guy half a world away from me. He was in my favourites list. Major change in his life ... we've chatted today and I hope I've supported him a little. We're probably not going to meet. Friendships here on MF without actual wrestling ARE possible!!

The UGLY. None of US, surely?

Edward

We see so many posts about young/old: YOUNG guys don't appreciate the skill of older fighters ... OLDER guys all too ready to "diss" youngsters.

Actually, I've arranged to meet a young guy tomorrow, just a few miles from where I live. We've chatted and he seems such a nice guy, articulate, chatty. But a third of my age.

Let's see. I think RESPECT is the key, always.

Edward

As usual there have been some strong reactions to the changes in format to our fine site. It was fine already, of course ... but I think the changes, once we have all got used to them, are good: the look is cleaner and it'll only take a few brief visits to discover where things are. Admin, as ever, has been very proactive today, the first day of the new look. Immediate suggestions have been read and acted on and small tweaks have appeared straight away.

And that's typical. I'm NOT sorry if I appear to be "toadying" because the truth is that Admin works hard and the result is a fine, elegant site which is reliable and in my view the best in its field.

But the site is also its members. I have made some good, genuine friends here. Many of us are old enough to remember life pre-"The Web". But now, ah - the easy, friendly, natural chats I have with good friends here (2 Craigs, some Dans, an Alex or four, a Tom ... and others) about stuff which 20 years ago ... well, I thought it was just me interested in scissors!

I've blogged before about the young generation - often, nowadays, so open, so tolerant, so comfortable with their own bodies. Hats off - or, as the French say, "chapeau"!

So, pretty well exclusively bouquets.

My only brickbats are for people who just don't seem to respond to the positive vibes of our site.

1) Thumbs down for the pathetic person or pathetic people who seem to take pleasure in clicking on " thumb down" for ANY blog or comment however positive. I wonder whether Admin can see who it is?
2) The " block" button is a mixed blessing and, in my view, should only be used as a last resort, maybe with a justification sent to Admin. I've blogged about this too so won't go on about it now. But there are disappointing members among us who misuse it. Dammit, one of the nicest, politest, correctest guys I know here had a negative comment posted by someone who immediately retreated behind the "block" button. And, myself, a while ago, i was totally scammed by a young man in East Kent (still on the site, i think) who, having failed to appear as arranged, blocked me so i couldn't get back the taxi fare i had subbed him. Unfair!

That said (abject apologies for a little rant!), I love our site and spend far too much time here. Why? Because I have made such good, true, friends here.

I shall continue to do all I can to contribute positively. People moan too easily. Not enough of us are prepared to take the trouble to comment positively and with gratitude on a JOB WELL DONE.

I am a musician. We have a shorthand. For instance, "ff" means "fortissimo": play really loud. We'll play quietly if "p" (= piano) is marked. The instruction "sf" (sforzato) tells us to emphasise a particular note.

I'm told that some military musicians used to write " ffss" on their band parts after the last note if a piece finished with a very long, very loud chord. You definitely didn't want to be the only one left blowing when everyone else had stopped! This abbreviation is, however, less official and less known.

FFSS = "for f*ck's sake STOP".

Here at Meetfighters, if we have a visible photo in our profile, we are invited to be part of the peer review process, moderating the photos uploaded by fellow members. I am delighted to do this as I feel it is my opportunity to give something back to our community.

However, I recoil physically and my heart sinks whenever I am asked to moderate yet another photo of someone's prick. Surely you realise such prick-pics will always be rejected as unsuitable for general view?

Please don't submit them. If you really need them, just keep them in your private folder so they won't be sent for review. PLEASE!

Though I am not a military musician, if you are about to post a prick-pic, I urge FFSS.

I always think it's sad when someone registers on our fine site, maybe even uploads some profile photos, perhaps chats a bit ... then disappears again without warning. All within 24 hours.

I wonder if Admin sends an "exit" message, an invitation to say why the site didn't work out for the departing member?