Do you think this forum IS cliquey ??

Shysmum

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Just read a post in another thread, and wondered what you thought about it. Hopefully without going into the ins and outs of the recent threads :rolleyes:

So that's it - who thinks it is cliquey ? Personally, I don't, tho it does have it's moments, but I love it and learn so much here :)

sm x
 
Yes, it is very Cliquey.

In NL, it is not as noticeable because of high traffic of users, but in Competition riders, it is incredibly cliquey - if you are not a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 replies to your posts.
If you are a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 pages of replies...!

The forum as a whole is cliquey, and once one person from the clique has one opinion the others will share the same view.

The thing is, the "real world" (:p) is the same, so why should it be any different on a forum!

You get to a stage where you just accept it :)
 
I don't think it's cliquey, mainly because the same people who have on occasion agreed with me, have at other times disagreed and challenged my comments. However you cannot change peoples' personalities and if they are a strong willed person in real life, it comes across on the forum as well, and if they have an opinion on something, you can't expect them to change that opinion just because it might not make them popular. There are also people who are peacemakers in real life and that also comes across on here. If it wasn't for diverse and cosmopolitan views on subjects then there would be nothing to discuss as everyone would be the same.
 
Yes, it is very Cliquey.

In NL, it is not as noticeable because of high traffic of users, but in Competition riders, it is incredibly cliquey - if you are not a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 replies to your posts.
If you are a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 pages of replies...!

The forum as a whole is cliquey, and once one person from the clique has one opinion the others will share the same view.

The thing is, the "real world" (:p) is the same, so why should it be any different on a forum!

You get to a stage where you just accept it :)

Have to say, I completely agree with this, which is a bit of a shame tbh :(
 
I think if you think of things as cliquey then you won't post and find out whether or not the people/threads you think are cliquey are or not maybe (does that make sense?!) I was a bit unsure when I first joined as to where to post or not but overall I would say people are welcoming wherever you put your tuppence worth in or wherever you regularly choose to post or occasionally for that matter. The broad term "competition rider" I would say is for every level that people compete at not just the high end and so I suppose you just find the posts in there that relate to your level of competition as you have shared experience, events, knowledge etc. I am a daily SFA'er and I'm sure to some people it seems cliquey but anyone can post there, we'll talk to anybody :D. Obviously the more you get to know other forum members and their horses/lives through their posts it might appear as cliquey but it's just like meeting new friends and like at work or in your social life you get to know some people better than others. And I don't think it's about how many posts people get back to a query that can sometimes be just because the time of day you may have posted or that not many people looking at that thread have relevant experience/opinion they want to put across. I believe people see cliques from their perception of something from the outside though in reality they may not exist at all :)
 
Yes it is a bit cliquey but like someone else said so is RL. I think you just have to bite the bullet and get on with it if you want to post.

TBH I think it is difficult not have to cliques - people will always hit it off well with certain others and find them easier to communicate with. I don't think that excuses downright nastiness though.
 
Yes, it is very Cliquey.

In NL, it is not as noticeable because of high traffic of users, but in Competition riders, it is incredibly cliquey - if you are not a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 replies to your posts.
If you are a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 pages of replies...!

The forum as a whole is cliquey, and once one person from the clique has one opinion the others will share the same view.

The thing is, the "real world" (:p) is the same, so why should it be any different on a forum!

You get to a stage where you just accept it :)

^^^^ This :)

I think AAD is very cliquey but they are in the most, very welcoming and have been helpful whenever I have posted in there.

Can't say it bothers that it is cliquey as in RL I am pretty much a loner and I'm the same online. I tend to fly under most people's radar :):)
 
Yes, it is very Cliquey.

In NL, it is not as noticeable because of high traffic of users, but in Competition riders, it is incredibly cliquey - if you are not a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 replies to your posts.
If you are a "somebody" then you will get maybe 3,4 pages of replies...!

The forum as a whole is cliquey, and once one person from the clique has one opinion the others will share the same view.

The thing is, the "real world" (:p) is the same, so why should it be any different on a forum!

You get to a stage where you just accept it :)

Totally agree, popular members can do no wrong, where as others will be jumped on.
 
I havent been jumped on luckily lol but have been on other forums and been very upset by experts taking me wrong and making it sound like I was hard on my horses when I treat them better than my husband haha.

I think its part and parcel sadly of being in horsey circles that will always come across know it alls and people who like to force their opnion on others. Howevr, i think this forum is pretty good all round xx
 
Have to say, I completely agree with this, which is a bit of a shame tbh :(

Me too.... but I accept that it is part of forum life so not particularly bothered by it. I think its quite nice that other people can get so involved in another person life 'virtually' if thats want they want.
 
Not especially.

If you post idiotic posts, you're likely to be treated like an idiot.

Friends stick up for friends, that's pretty standard in life.

I have disagreements with, and friendly banter with, the same posters. There are some that I like and some that I don't but most of the time I forget who I've been arguing with or agreeing with from one day to the next.

I think that when you begin to show concern over who is a friend and who isn't on an internet forum, you need to switch off the computer and step into the real world for a while.

The only thing I have an issue with is the newer members, or those who have lives and therefore don't spend all of their time on here, being taken less seriously because of their lower post count. Perhaps they're just out practising what some of the others preach? :)
 
I havent really noticed it TBH but them im probably not a "regular" poster so possibly i missed it..?

I will say that although i am a "nobody" I always get lots of helpful replies to my threads :)

The problem with forums IMO, is that you post something you are opening yourself up for positive AND negative responses. Some people get upset when they dont hear what they want and then you get "friends" joining in to stick up for them etc etc etc which is where arguments start. And of course, there will always be someone who just tries to antagonise to start an argument about anything. BUT, i have yet to see that on here to any great extent.
 
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Ive read this forum for a long time, pop in to look up various subjects etc,only registered the other day though.

I wouldnt have a clue who is popular or not,but its easy to see quite quickly who posts just for the sake of posting,they normally repeat what has already been said, which tells me they havent bothered to read the entire thread. I normally skip past those.

Its also plain to see some people may hover around the forum,as a bit of a hobby maybe lol .. and will frequently post..which is fine if thats what they enjoy ;)

So!..my point..maybe cliquey for those that bother to notice,hundreds of people just read,never post..or rarely post (like myself)

However, thanx to those that do post great informative advice!

:)
 
Hmmmm, a bit maybe but I think thats to be expected.
I think its changed loads over the years. People come and go, I dont see hardly any of the members from a few years ago on here anymore, used to look forward to a chat, so maybe I was in the clique back then ;) :) but not anymore :D:(
 
I have to agree with Munchkin.
I don't think that the forum is particularly cliquey. I think you will find the same posters agreeing with each other on various threads. That is either because they are the older more experienced people with an opinion in common, or the younger less experienced members, with a viewpoint in common. Then, of course, there are, for example, the barefoot exponents, who will all agree with each other on barefoot threads, the NH exponents, who will all agree with each other on NH threads, etc, etc. This doesn't mean there is a clique, just that some people agree with other members, some (or most) of the time, just like in RL
 
Does it matter - its a very small part of my life - and it i never posted on here again, the world would not stop turning would it?

If you are intimidated by faceless posts, some of which i am sure are from the "land of make belive" then you do really need to get out more.

Yards are cliquey, pony club mothers are cliquey, forum users - possibly so, but maybe on here we get to post on the posts that we want to, so end up posting with other like minded folks so we appear cliquey.

I have been ganged up on, - but hey ho I was probably having a bad day and too much wine - do i take it personally - well no - do i still post on the posts raised by folks who really had a go with me - well yes i do and if i am on UI - then so be it - but sometimes it would be nice to know what you have supposidly done wrong, at least then you could be in a positon to apologies, explain or take the hump. lol
 
PMSL at AAD being cliquey :D:D:D:D

Nope I dont think the forum is cliquey at all, although I never usually bother to come into NL? I stay in Soapbox, AAD and Comp Riders, and have never found that my posts are ignored/receive any more replies than anyone else?

Well OK AAD probably is cliquey, but thats cos we mostly know each other in RL too :D
 
Yes it is, but as others have said so is real life. Appreciate Carey's post about AAD knowing eachother in RL, and you do pick this up but they were still really helpful when I asked for advice. The replies were a genuine help.
 
Same as in 'real life', I'm no different to as I am on here tbh. Just my normal bonkers ditzy self. Offer help on issues I can help with.... and ask for help on issues I need help with sometimes. Say it how it is and don't really care too much for changing to please other people - though tact in wording on certain matters obviously play a part too.

I think it just has everything to do with how you bring yourself across as really. Like with anything, attitudes are everything.

:)
 
I think it's clear that there are some members who either know each other in RL or have been on here for a while and post frequently and so know each other from HHO but I have to say I have never felt intimidated to post. I think one of the reasons some people get a lot of responses to posts is because people have followed their progress with various problems etc.

I don't come on here every night- tends to be when I'm supposed to be doing work (such as now :() so may not pick up on things that others do (and miss some deleted posts!) but there will inevitably be people who agree on most horsey things (maybe due to similar training due to age?) regardless of whether they know each other.

I do like the different cliques people can be members of via their signatures though :D Someone should start a post with a full list of the various ones :D
 
I do not believe in popular members theory. I have been here for a long time and see people come and go. Its all down to people posting interesting stories and those that people feel they know will often get more of a response. I am too lazy to post on lots of these posts. - Only_Me I read your posts and find them interesting but if there was a like button it would make life easier! I tend only to comment if people have done really well. There are certain people I will not read posts by and these are because they do not interest me.
I rarely come in NL because it moves so quickly and lots of the same stuff just gets repeated. I am certainly not part of a clique. I have met a lot of friends through the forum but I stick with my own views and if I cannot be bothered to have an argument or ruffle feathers then I do not reply!
 
Yes it is cliquey although I don't particularly care. Some people will say some totally boring and inane comment and about 20 people will immediately respond in a simpering fashion about how right they are whereas when I quite often say something totally inane and boring I get nothing, nada, zilch :D
 
I don't think it's all that cliquey but it's sure as hell moody! Maybe everyone's cycles are synchronising? I think the forum has a terrible case of PMT right now, maybe some evening oil of primrose would help (although not sure how one would administer that to computers):p:D

I don't think of AAD as being cliquey, I think if you post there a few times and everyone gets to know your dogs you'll soon get sucked in, then next thing you know you'll be going to one of the mass walks:D
 
I don't think of AAD as being cliquey, I think if you post there a few times and everyone gets to know your dogs you'll soon get sucked in, then next thing you know you'll be going to one of the mass walks:D

Awww, I havent been on a mass walk yet :( Must be cos im not part of the clique lol!!
 
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