General

So in the last few days I have noticed a few views on my profile from profiles that seem to have vanished a few minutes after they view profile. What is it with people just say hello I don't bite unless you are made of or covered in something delicious lol

I totally get this!! I even have randos private messaging me and then deleting their profile before I can even respond... truly bizarre!

Same I have had that too.
Seems like some people are not sure of interaction on the site

I think for some people they are still a bit ashamed or in doubt about this preference, they try it, and then get scared and delete everything i guess

Yes, so many trolls no serious people

Oh I am sure that i want to interacte and not just hang around viewing profiles. I do respond

I myself have constantly deleted my past accounts. Mainly due to wanting to take a break from the website. There are some downright mean people wandering around here, unfortunately. The drama can also be overwhelming. Thankfully it looks like things have slowed down as of now though.

If only the block feature was actually decent instead of only being effective for profiles. What's the point of having a blacklist when you can still see those peoples' comments and they can even comment on your own thread?

This thread inspired me to check how long I've had this account. Now I feel old.

One of the frustrating things about this scene is how many people have an attraction / avoidance thing where they show up, get really into it, suddenly get spooked and vanish without a word.

I don't think you can necessarily blame them, especially the feedees for whom accepting their nature means flirting with actual mortal danger in some sense, and I can see why people panic and try to run away from it. Nevertheless it's frustrating and quite hard to get used to people just up and vanishing mid-conversation all the time. I just try to remind myself of the internalised stigma people are privately wrestling with and cut them some slack.

Of course if they'd *talk about* their insecurities they'd find everyone here had to walk the same path and people are pretty understanding, but hey ho.

I feel this. I had an account on here for years but that was before the site update and that account is long gone. I see this alot. One of the reasons my husband told me to get on here is to try to get back into the community and find some friends. Plus, I am a romantasy writer and artist. I mostly write girl gaining spice. He thought it would help motivate me and help me feel better and braver. Its kinda made things harder cause the community had changed. This site has alway had lerking but it seems more active then before. The forms used to be poping more. I guess with doom scrolling and thing people don't spend alot of time on commutation forms any more. I feel so old I used to love that back in the day.

Yeah, it seems like not many forums are like they used to be. Online communities seem to be melting into the general, centralised social media s--tshow, sadly.

Still, I hold out hope that the big wheel will turn again and there'll be a renaissance; I don't think many people still actually *enjoy* facebook / twitter these days, its more of a flagellation habit at this point, and I do hope that more people will start to trickle back to the places they used to enjoy. And people in my country are getting a bit less comfortable participating in the big public social networks because of recent political trends, so I hope that might also nudge them back towards the old internet culture of small forums and pseudonymous usernames which we used to enjoy back in the old days.

By the way, I notice you don't have any stories here; do you publish your fiction anywhere online?