Texan here - sometimes posted under chickadee_42us. This may appear as highjacking this post to another topic - As interesting as the topics can be and as mundane as the topics can be there will always be someone who believes their viewpoint is the best and will strongly address someone elses viewpoint. While typing a reply, the sound that is relayed upon another persons reading it may not have been the intention it was meant to give; while the reader of the response can become defensive to they reply. Now having said that, some people are plain rude, argumentative and as my dad always said, You can't argue with ignorant people. As for the forum, yes, it was a nice place to read the journals and the people who kept the forum going were fastidious in KEEPING THE JOURNAL GOING. It seems like more people are currently lurking than posting, maybe because they fear starting a topic that might not be everyones cup of tea for conversation or they have been burnt by someones sarcastic reply. If I remember correctly the topics were more various but the same topics were covered, spring time did bring more Chicken topics - so what? That appears to be when the hatcheries are selling there chicks! My advice, IF YOU HAVEN'T ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY, keep your fingers from typing a reply because know one wants to read derogatory comments or the repetitive defense. If you have contructive information then please reply. my two cents, Roxann

Hey Paperfinch, Welcome to the Tennessee Forum of Gardenweb. You're about three years late for this particular thread. Why don't you start a new thread and introduce yourself to everyone. Maybe you could tell us where you live (closest city, for instance) and what things you are most interested in. Many of us also do lots of seed exchanging, but often specialize in certain things. For instance, some participants may grow mostly vegetables, some annual or perennial flowers, and others (like me) more trees and woody plants. Gardenweb has a Seed Exchange Forum that works well for trading for seeds, but we'd still like to get to know you here too. As you may have seen, each third of Tennessee has their own Plant Swap. These are events that you should really really really try to attend if possible. I'm currently working to get the East Tennessee Plant Swap website at www.easttnplantswap.com up and going for people in east TN. The Middle Tennessee Plant Swap has a site at www.midtnplantswap.com. And, I think the West Tennessee people rely on this forum, currently, for announcements.

Like Alexis, we were purchasing a new home. It was in a very different climate zone so I was trying to educate myself on what I could plant. I found the California gardening forums. I was getting frustrated over there, feeling Like I was being talked down to because I didn't know all the botanical names. Someone was talking about how much friendlier and welcoming the KT was so I checked it out. I still remember which thread I made my first comment to. It was a "what's your favorite fragrance" thread. That was 2002 and I still wear the same perfume. Beautiful by Estee Lauder. And I don't go to the other forum anymore.

I wanted to think long and hard about a response to this thread... and then I realized I didn't really want to. I think I get to play the offensive one for this round. Before I do the offensive bits, I wanted to agree with Florantah, Plllog and Idrive that I have always considered Bmorepanic to be one of the "ins" and I'm sorry that she doesn't see herself as such. Okay! Time for things that might be offensive: Some of the kitchens here are nicer, better, friendlier, weirder, etc than the others. Some are just plain freaky. It's true! Some people have ugly babies too. Not everyone gets the dreams/abilities/money so you get different results. Those kitchens will often get less results; Our familys always said "If you have nothing nice to say... " but that is a weird road to follow on the internet. So YES it is possible that you posted a kitchen some of us didn't like. It's also true that there is an "in" group here... just like every group youve ever been a part of. Just like high school, just like college, just like work. Some of us are more "in" then the others. AND it will always be that way. That perfect group where all are equal? It doesn't exist. What changes things is that here, on forum, the "in" croud isn't the same people it is in real life. In real life, I am an outsider at/with my clients, and insider with my husband, and outsider with a fantasy football league and an insider with a star trek marathon. YOU TOO can become an insider. TO BECOME IN YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. Just like high school, college and work you have to put it out there. You don't become in by (the desire to quote the velveteen rabit is huge) waiting in the wings. I have been on the forum for over a year and I believe that slowly people are getting to know me and becoming familiar with me. It takes a long time and a lot of committment. Why should YOU be in? Lastly, and firstly, I want to say how amazing it is that a thread that started off about showing gratitude became a thread in which people who have recieved a lot of help from all of us and each other felt the need to anounce thier emminent departure because they don't like us. I'm really just floored by that. It's really a strange thing to do. I liken it to my neighbor who is such a great guy he mowes our little lawn with our big riding mower for free! He's a great guy who is also grumbly, grumpy and a PIA. I wonder what he would do if one day as he was mowing my lawn I wandered up and said, Yep, can't wait to get out of this house and leave all of you jerks behind... I really respect several of the posters who said they were planning on leaving once their own projects were done and I wish them the best luck.