I am Home.
 

Kaltxì, ma oeyä ayeylan.

I didn't come to ToS for the reasons that most of you have... I wasn't a part of the "drama" (I'm still not even sure exactly what happened), I wasn't banned from AF and forced to find another forum. I am here because AF was no longer a home to me. It was not the same place that it was four months ago when I joined.

I remember when I heard about ToS for the first time. I read that some of the older members and ex-mods had started a new site and were trying to get the sense of community back. Without I second thought, I found the link and signed up. As I was reading through some of the comments on AF, I started to feel guilty. Many people said they were too loyal to AF to join another site. Why hadn't I felt any loyalty to AF?

I didn't have to look hard to figure out why I didn't feel attached to AF. I started by looking at my subscriptions. Threads I had subscribed to that discussed deep, meaningful topics were dead, or had turned into flame wars. The few active threads I was still subscribed to were about frivolous things, things I could talk about on any other forum.

And I has been seeing an increase in hostility, both by the members and by the mods. I saw an increase of negative, hurtful posts. This was not the same community that I had joined months ago. These were not the same people who had helped me through the Pandora Effect.

So I stopped posting in AF and moved my attention here. For the first few days, I felt like I had lost the sense of community, and I would never get it back. It still didn't feel like home. I was desperate, though, so I decided to stay active here.

To my amazement, my feelings changed. I started seeing some of my favorite threads moved here. I saw many people here who I had started to miss at AF. I started seeing more of the kind and caring people that I saw months ago.

Long story short, I feel like I am back in the same community I joined months ago, and I want to thank all of my smukan sì smuke who have made that possible... You all are really like a second family to me, and I am glad that we have a home again.

I'm glad you feel like you've come home. I do too.

Welcome to the family.

Agreed. I really like that this has the original feel. You all rock my socks. Please, no hate here. :)

Irayo ma tsmukan. It is good to be here :)

Totally agree. I hope we can leave all the negativity behind.

The community is what you make of it. We all have an obligation to nurture it, because the community is us. In any group there will be disagreement. I'm sure I'll end up with some. I always will do my best to never denigrate another member here. I can agree to disagree, I don't have to win, and I don't need the last word. When we see something get out of hand we need to jump in and do what we can to calm the waters.

I hope this will stay a loving refuge from the sometimes insane outside world.

WHOOOOO Temtongkek is here now!! :D Welcome brother

Welcome to our new home :D

Hi Tanhi! I don't think we've had any interaction, but I remember you very well from some of your posts on AF. This is a place more like the old days of AF, and I'm sure you'll feel right at home. I'm what you might call a 'dweller in two worlds', since I'm currently posting to both sites. But more and more I'm feeling my home is here, and for some of the reasons you mentioned.

I'm glad you're here. :hi:

Wassup homey!

Thank you for the welcome ma tsmukan :)

Thanks :). I remember enjoying reading several of your posts as well. I am still trying to stay active at AF (and failing miserably, I might add)... I don't want to completely give up on it, but I am losing interest. This site is the first thing I check in the morning, but I will frequently go half a day or more before realizing I haven't been on AF yet.

Kaltxì Tanhi!

Much like yourself I joined the Avatar Forums in January, when the experience of seeing Avatar for the first time was still fresh and vivid in my mind. I found a supportive community of like-minded people where I could freely express myself without encountering the opprobrium that seemed to result when attempting to express my enthusiasm and passion for Avatar to those that would not See.

It took more than a month, I would say right about the end of February, when I began to notice that AF was changing. Imperceptibly at first, it was growing more obvious with each passing day. Convivial threads were being invaded by aggressive and obnoxious posters, formerly humourous topics were becoming crude, and the deep meaning of Avatar and Pandora – so dear to all of us – was being drowned in witless banter.

Then disaster struck when what had been announced as a simple software upgrade turned into an epic confrontation. For several days it was as if sweet peaceful Pandora had turned into hell. Although I took no part in the conflict, I’ve been appraised on what transpired by reading the threads on the Tree of Souls. I’m glad now that I didn’t see the depths of depravity reached on my formerly beloved Avatar Forums. Informed by a friend of the existence of Tree of Souls, I came here for a visit and lo and behold, I found the serene and friendly place that AF used to be just a few months ago.

I originally still planned to contribute to AF as well as on ToS, but I have to admit, my attraction to the Avatar Forums is quickly fading, and I have to admit that it’s not only the awful look of the place, it’s also increasingly the feeling that my cosy village has turned into a seedy strip mall.

I hope you’ll be happy here. With a bit of work and a lot of understanding and cooperation, we can make this into something very nice.

Kìyevame! :hi:

Things will always change, im sure that at some point the threads you love here will die as well. Due to being unrelevant or the fact that all things worth talking about have been talked about. Just dig it out of the bunch a few months later and read it all again, im sure it will give you one hell of a blast :)
Also i bet there are some lurkers from AF who are sad to read what you are writing - its probably still a great community

Anyways, welcome to your new home, we will welcome you with open arms and lots of neytirijuice :)

Oel ngati Kameie, ma tsmuk!

This is almost exactly what happened to me as well, except i felt home here immediately. AF had grown so big most of the posts meant nothing to me, but here, it's worth reading every post I have time to read.

Irayo, ma smuk. :)

Welcome to our new home, along with being part of the family! I joined the AF in December and was so attached to it, but as much as I didn't want to admit it, I did see hate and spiteful posts slowly start to infect our wonderful community. I didn't want things to be that way... this wasn't the second home I signed up for, this isn't the second family I was a part of. So Oel Ngati Kameie...

It's okay now... we're home again

This may sound a little naive or preachy, but it gets left behind when people leave it behind :) I encourage all of the regular posters here to stick to what we ALL should care about, and that is Avatar and it's effects on us all. As a forum admin, I can't completely ignore the negative posts, but I have resolved not to interact with them, and I will continue that stance.

This place will be what we all allow it to be.

welcome here!

it is really home! ;)

enjoy and welcome to the ToS family

Welcome to the family. :D
Do A BARREL ROLL! Sorry, Peppy quote. I'm glad more people joined this forum. I <3 all of you.

Welcome, ma tsmukan :)
It's comments like this that make it all worth it for me, making it worth having to deal with so many different issues, with having spend about 95% of my time awake on the forum some days, with all the work these forums are giving me. This makes me realise just what we've done, we've given everyone hope again :)
Glad you found us here. Here's to a successful forum :D

Cheers!

welcome to the forums. I am also starting to lose interest in the AF. I saw a thread on there that could have been an opportunity to talk about some serious issues but one of the posters had to say something that I felt was offensive and rude. I didn't bother responding to the poster since I think it is just a waste of time :(. I'm glad that there is a positive atmosphere on here. I hope it stays this way. :)

Tem: I know you and I have only chatted a few brief times on Skype, but your name STICKS in my memory like honey to the back of a spoon. Now all you need is to put "hypnagogic" somewhere on your posts, and it'll be like old times.

Kaltxì frapo...welcome! :hi:

I have too... like I still need to go there to send out stuff for the Southern California Retreat, but other than that I feel I don't need to post anything there. I feel I'm too far gone, too far apart from there anymore

And if we all keep our heads up and keep spreading good examples, I'm sure it will stay a positive atmosphere

Irayo, ma ayeylan. I can't even describe how awesome it feels to be welcomed back into the community again. :)

A warm welcome from me as well, ma tsmukan. I'm glad that you see this place as your new home.

Oel ngati kameie!

Yes, you have, all of you. :) I for one am so appreciative of everything you all have done for us here. The feeling of home we have here is very real, for me (and I suspect I'm not the only one ;) ). So, thank you.

And welcome, Tanhi! :hi: Glad to see you here!

What's up, homey. :)

Once I donate here, I'll be happy to bring that phat jam back.

Pure Hypnagogic Imagery. FOR THE WIN. =D

Welcome home my friend

i feel the same way

Well, first post. This is also true to me. After joining AF in late January, i began to notice that 90% of the conversations were, well, frivolous. I like to have a place where I can empty out my innermost thoughts without without fear of being judged. I believe this is the place for me. After lurking through the threads, I've seen 50 times more support and love than all of AF. I believe it's going to be a wonderful experience being part of this community. Oel ngati kame.

welcome! :) i think he best ppl from AF came over here....*like sullyjake1?* yeah like that guy he is soooo cool :P

Welcome Sight Unseen. I hope you enjoy it here as well. There does seem to be more support and love on here :).

Welcome. :)

I hope you will have a great time here! :D

Kaltxì ma Sight Unseen!

Welcome home :). It really is amazing here.