i think the entire world is going through some kind of snippy, short-tempered phase right now, and it's playing out on tribe. there have been arguments in several tribes i frequent, and after getting into one, i am absolutely convinced that *no one* can understand why people behave the way they do on tribe.

people are people. i notice it kind of goes through phases here...i've been on tribe for 3 years and it seems like someone is always jumping someone else, for good reasons or bad ones or none at all. don't take it personally is all i can say :-)

the only time i care whether someone has a 'complete' profile or hasn't really added much at all, or whether they've got a decent number of friends or none at all, or how long they've been on tribe or not, or what tribes they are in or whether they're in any at all, or how much posting they've done or not done, or what kind of pics they have or don't have is when they approach me personally in a friend request, a PM or a comment on one of the pictures in my own profile.

other than that i could care less, and i feel if someone posts a valid question or topic that bears discussing then i try to stay on point and discuss it in the open forum that tribe is supposed to be - for everyone, new, old and anywhere in between.

but that's just me...

I've noticed the irritability and overly sensitive trend myself the last little while. Um, in myself as well. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a weird planetary transit happening, even though I'm trying really hard not to believe in that :-)

Yes, I am a little leery of sketchy profiles. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if a stranger with a bag over his head walks into a party in my living room and starts asking questions about my sex life, I'm not gonna answer. So although I do try to be polite and non-judgemental till creepiness is outruled, I'm not sharing personal information with someone I've never seen post on tribe. And yeah, it is only polite to check back to the thread you started, because many times the discussion needs clarification on what was actually meant, or where the original poster was coming from. No need to jump down your throat for politely requesting context.

we have definitely argued that in here a bunch of times.

and there does seem to be something cosmic going on.

For me...I think maybe I don't put much faith in the pictures and information in someone's profile alot of times anyway. They seem like they give alot of people a false sense of security. So I go by my feel of what the person says. I have one friend who has no information in his profile and no pictures and I've not met him in person, but the discussions we've had in PM and the feel of sincerity in his questions on this forum have made me feel like I have a sense of him. More than pictures or listing where he lives could.

I am well aware that there are people who read this tribe who never post, people who read this tribe who are not in it. People who have been removed who follow every thread. People like my ex's second wife who claims she reads it with her mother, which I need to not think about because her and her mother reading together about my sexual information is just too surreal and bizarre to think about. People who I have no idea who they are and would never give them the information if they asked me personally. But there it is, right here where they can read it.

I have had to many people tell me how this tribe has been a huge help to them(again not necessarily people who post in here) so if I feel a question is respectful and sincere and/or something that other people might be wondering I'll answer it. I have alot of respect for questions and their power not only for the asker and the answerer.

o_o Lack of friends would be a silly thing to be picky about. I think I only have 9 or so and I'm thinking of clearing a few out. I don't like to "friend collect," I'm the same way on myspace. Though I personally know a lot more people on myspace than I do on tribe.

Mercury is retro. As a a couple other plants but I can't remember....

I guess I've been lucky. I have yet to meet a Tribe bully.