Do you know who your friends are?

[Julie Lomoe]

Since joining Crimespace, I've clicked "Approve" whenever I got someone's request to be my friend, but I just added one that made me wonder. When I checked the page, there was no way of identifying the person, even though there was a link to an interesting website. And there was no indication that the person had any specific interest in mysteries.

I'd say more, but the site made me feel too paranoid. And it got me thinking - I'd really like to know who's posting here. Weird aliases, featureless silhouettes and endless photos of cats don't do it for me. Most of you seem to be genuinely interesting individuals with a real interest in myseries, but who knows? Maybe I need to be more cautious. As my husband always reminds me, this is a highly public space, and anyone could be stalking. What do others think?

[Sandra Ruttan]

I have your phone number.

[Tribe]

Oh. Forgot about that. OK, carry on.

[David Terrenoire]

But how do we really know it's you, Sandra?

Oh, right, the 3000-word replies.
(Uh-oh, now I've gone and riled her.)

[Sandra Ruttan]

You know what they say about revenge David? :)

[norby]

First of all, I wouldn't be so sure that some people aren't posting here because of other members, it could just simply be that they are busy, don't have time, and aren't really big internet people to begin with. And hard as it is to believe, there are those who join things just to say they belong. I don't personally know everyone on this forum so obviously I don't speak for everyone, but we all have our reasons for being here, and our own reasons for participating or not participating in the forums.

Also, as a reader, some of the forum topics have been areas that really do not apply to me. The trials and tribulations of writing, while interesting to read about, aren't really something that I feel qualified to comment on. My guess is many readers may not even be participating in the forum period. I'm a loudmouth-give me a chance to talk I'm going to take it.

As for not being sure who you're communicating with, well, it never hurts to be cautious, but it is possible to be overcautious. The thing is if everyone starts getting all particular and setting official rules about what has to happen before friendship can be offered and approved, then this may as well become a fee based site, because it won't be a friendly bar atmosphere anymore, it will be a country club.

[Sandra Ruttan]

Yep. People will not post because they don't have time, they don't find the current topics interesting, they don't have anything of value to add to the discussion even if they find it interesting, to name just a few reasons.

In this respect I will say the forum will be what people make of it, to some degree. I really would like to see more reader participation and more reader-friendly topics. Although the bar concept falls short in some senses (as I suspect few authors discuss things like faith in writing over a pint at B'con but I'm happy to discuss it here) there are other things I'm not interested in talking about. IMO there's been too much discussion about BSP and promotion, and for a site that is specifically not supposed to be about promotion I find it tiring. If that's what people are talking about I won't post or read much either. My 2 cents. I don't see why people can't just be people first, instead of products first. Now blogs are signing on for identities. Where is a roll eyes emoticon when you need one? I'm here, much as Christa said, to hang out with friends and chat about crime fiction.

[Patricia]

As a reader I agree with Norby...nice to meet another reader....now we can say we are least in a group of two!
A lot of the topics if they are geared mainly towards authors then I feel I won't have a lot to contribute in the way of conversation either..but of course there are bound to be conversations on this forum that just don't do it for certain people...much like a party where the conversations drift in and out according to what each guest is interested in....

[Kat]

Let's make that a group of at least three readers, and likely more.

And I have to think that if you are only going to 'befriend' or chat with people you already know, there is no real point to the whole endeavor is there?

[Patricia]

Of course there are lot of readers here....and you are right...the whole idea is to meet new people and ideas over a theme that we all have a fondness for.

[Sunnie Gill]

I'll third this. I'm a reader as well. There are a lot of topics that I don't post to because I know nothing about what's under discussion. I also try not to post unless I have something to add. I'm not big on "me too" posts. They just take up bandwidth and dont' add to anything. Having said that, I spose in some ways this is a "me too"post".

[Laura Root]

I'll be the fourth in the reader's club :)

[LC Fraser]

Hey! I am a reader too. You know me. I feel left out.

Lynne the Airhead