When I first joined here, back in I think 2008, I moved to the journals section and like a busy little beaver began building. I built myself a little house (not as tiny as Freebase's, but quite small) and half-closed the door, just leaving it open enough for light and the occasional comment to pass through. I was in fact completely insulated and isolated from the rest of the forum. When people began basically slagging me off for not knowing this band or that band, or being into the music I was, I lasted for a short time before getting very hurt and eventually I sold my house, packed up and left, leaving a very emotional and over-the-top farewell note on my door. I feel embarrassed about it even now: what a dweeb!
What I failed to take into account is that people will disagree with you, even laugh at you, but you have to take it in good humour and in the end say, if they don't like my music then **** 'em, I'm not going to stop liking it just cos some anonymous internet presence(s) says or say I should. And so I gave it another go, came back and this time (after a while) ventured out into the main forum, where I began discussing and meeting people, and found this to be a very friendly and on the whole accepting place. I don't have a huge amount of experience in forums (I've joined some to ask a question then left once it was answered) but of the ones I've joined on a more or less permanent basis, I would have no hesitation in saying this is the best and friendliest.
I'd be intrigued to see who these "hundreds of members" Slappy Jenkins refers to are. I've seen I think about three or four, maybe stretch it to up to ten, members who actively complained about either how the place is run or about their personal treatment. 10 out of thousands is not a majority. I think most people who live in the real world as it were have no real problem with the way the forum is run. It seems to be more a personal thing: someone gets upset (rightly or wrongly) and immediately sounds the trumpets, leading all the disaffected into battle (whether they want to go or not!) and making it seem like a problem exist where it doesn't, or where if it does it's a pretty isolated incident they're trying to make a more general thing.
As for Whiskey: he must have sent me dozens of PMs in one week, one day four all at once. One of them was to ask how was it that my journal "Bitesize" was supposed to be a daily update but wasn't? Duh! He really annoyed me though when, after asking me for ideas how he could improve his journal, he then told me my ideas were "terrible". I was quite insulted at that, and told him so. I pointed out that there was no need to be rude, and that I was only trying to help him, which I was under no obligation to do. He responded by sending me a series of PMs, the last of which asked was I sulking because he had called my ideas terrible? He wanted to know if I was being grumpy? WTF? So I told him not to send me any more PMs; I wasn't his friend nor could he, as he seemed to believe he could, monopolise my time and then complain if I didn't respond immediately.
Anyone like to guess what happened next? Yup, he sent me a PM, which I deleted and then put him on "ignore", the first time I'd ever had to do that. But the guy would not be told. I mean, who doesn't understand the clear instruction, "don't send me any more PMs as they'll just be deleted"?
The guy just seems to want all the attention, and also seems to take a perverse delight in being snide and smart particularly to those who give him a chance, which I have to say now I'm sorry I did. Little wanker.