didn't mean to imply that I believe the forum rules are not enforced, or that people are ganged up on here (that is SO not the case). Just that so many of the folks who've been on the boards awhile seem to know each other really well and that can be a little intimidating to newbies.
I know this might be easier said than done, but please don't be intimidated. Everyone who regularly posts on the forum was a newbie at some time or other on the different online DS venues where we've met each other. But while it's true that many of us have been spending time with each other online for several years, it's also true that many of the people who we're now friendly with on the forum have been around for a year or less. The thing is they didn't let their newbieness prevent them from just jumping in and joining the discussions, and in no time it was as if we'd known them for years. Sure, it can sometimes be scary to take that first, second or even third step. But we love it when new people show up because they usually bring fresh ideas and fresh perspectives with them, and
that only makes the discussions more interesting and that much more lively.
The Karma feature might make some folks feel a little uneasy/queasy when stating what may not be the most popular opinion.
Well, all I can say to that is that if someone has a strong opinion about something,
please don't be afraid to state it. This forum was specifically created so that any DS fan could feel comfortable knowing that they wouldn't be chewed up and spit out simply for saying something that might be a bit controversial (which most definitely isn't the case on some other DS venues
). Sure, people will disagree. But isn't healthy debate the fun of having strong opinions? At least that's the way I've always looked at. And if you think your Karma total goes down because of something you might have said about DS, well, that certainly doesn't mean that you didn't have as much right to your opinion as anyone else did. Think of it as a badge of honor that shows the rest of us that you're not afraid to be an individual.