The story of Cellar.org?

[Undertoad]

The sociology questions fascinate you like they fascinate me, Harlan.

There's no need to police a strong community - the people set their own agenda and police it themselves through mores. We've had approximately one non-spam-related banning per year. The community has mixed feelings even when a necessary banning takes place.

If it was harshly policed it wouldn't survive, either. We want to be free to talk about anything that occurs to us. Would you go to a tavern that had a sign on the wall "No Talking About Cats"?

There remain precious few online communities that will talk about *anything* - most have a specific purpose and a community may develop as a result, if there is critical mass. This one has been relentlessly about nothing since the beginning.

It doesn't really care about its growth either. There is no business plan. Whatever happens, happens. As long as it has grown it has been able to support itself, roughly, so let's allow it to drift and see what paths it cuts for itself. I could never see how any community would put up with a business plan. People don't want to think that their local forum could suffer or go away because somebody got fired or a business had a bad year.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Would you go to a tavern that had a sign on the wall "No Talking About Cats"?

Oh god, yes. In fact, let's make that the new official motto.

Say, speaking of cats, my Siamese did the cutest thing yesterday...

To me the cellar is like visiting a great interactive public library. You can discuss really profound questions, look at some amazing pictures, get advise for the love lorn, talk about what you had for lunch, and have no holds barred political arguments with the guy who runs the place, and its all cool. Every other board I visit has tons of rules. This place has 3.

Isn't this one of the oldest continuously running discussion forums on the 'Net, UT? Which reminds me. I have a little spare cash this month. I think I'll go hit the tip jar.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

This one has been relentlessly about nothing since the beginning.

That's it! The Cellar is the Seinfeld of forums.

[Tonchi]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

There's no need to police a strong community - the people set their own agenda and police it themselves through mores....If it was harshly policed it wouldn't survive, either. We want to be free to talk about anything that occurs to us.....

I am here partly just because this forum has adults, or at least mature minds, which can and will deal with situations and people in ways that bring resolutions rather than open warfare. Unfortunately, I get to see the other side of that coin every day and it is very annoying and stressful. I have to monitor a forum where the rules are very strict and failure to adhere to them or challenging the people who enforce them leads to banning. But the participants at my "other forum" are extremely immature and many of them are perfect little shitheads who obviously want to claim "rights" they have read about in canned speaches but which they do not deserve. Because an entertainer pays for that forum, I do what SHE wants, not what some brat with an attitude wants to turn the forum into. It's impossible to raise somebody else's kids online, especially considering how many countries and cultures they are coming from, and I don't want that job anyway. Instead, I have to take all the gunfire and hate because it's easier for them to blame me and the other moderators than to admit that their idol might actually not WANT all their half-baked opinions, egos, and acting out. I can come to The Cellar and watch serious life in action. People who can make things happen, people who can express themselves, people who have different attitudes but who (mostly) do not want to kill me for mine. It's a breath of fresh air, even when somebody farts

[slang]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

....... people who have different attitudes but who (mostly) do not want to kill me for mine.

Maybe in time my friend. Give us another year, then maybe.