it took a little over three years, and 3746 registered users, to get here. maybe we should step back and think about how we could make things better.. more interesting.. get some of those lurkers posting. I've noticed from looking around at similar (and mostly less successful) forums that the same sorts of topics come up as those that come up repetitively here. but maybe talking about words is just inherently uninteresting to most, even to the thousands who visit AWAD.

it sure would be nice to hear from some of the lurkers though..

OK, here I am. I admit it. I've been lurking for months... All ya'll have lots of interesting discussions and fun, I note, and I'm mad to attend Wordapalooza (but no bucks for it). I've almost posted any number of times. I've gone and looked up "YART" and "ayleur" and some other stuff. I'm really something of an addict even though I know I'm a "stranger". So forgive me, and I'll try to maintain this burst of bravado that has me posting for the first time to AWADtalk!

welcome, vanguard!! not that long ago, I was like you: a little timid about appearing stoopit around all these erudite folks, but alas, I succumbed, and here I am, an old hand...

this(dare I say we ) is a great bunch of people, and I brag about them all the time...

Yeah! Why worry about appearing stoopit around all these erudite folks, when you can appear stoopit *like all these erudite folks? Much more fun that way.

Thanks for the welcome! etaoin, I noticed in a former post (but have lost the thread) that you are a Unitarian Universalist - and I am too! Just thought I'd mention that and get it out of the way...

good to know, van!

Welcome at last, vanguard! I, too, was terrified at first--but you get used to it. (HINT, all you other lurkers! ) I'm not a UU but I get along with them really well, I've found from my sister-in-law's church. I can say Howdy, Neighbor, though!
Thanks, tsuwm, for issuing the invitation. We can always do with more insights/points of view.

Dear vanguard: We need all the talent we can get. The more participants, the more fun for all. In particular we need lots of newcomers with new ideas.

Hello Vanguard!

Hmmmm......if you ALREADY know of YART and Ayleur, methinks you are almost home, safe and sound! (I thought a YART was a Young Adult Round Table) This newbie meandered into the board with no such armour and despite having been trumpeted at a couple of times, is surviving and enjoying every minute of it!

Everyone here is welcoming and ready with answers to the silliest of questions. At the end of the day, you will learn a LOT. Not only about words, but also about people, and opinions, ideologies, culture, sundry information from here and there.

A word of caution though: it is immensely ADDICTIVE and I fear, there is no cure!
Welcome Vanguard and I hope you have as good a time here as I am.

having been trumpeted at
Hey! Are you callin' me an elephant? [roguish eyes e]

I don't suppose I qualify as a lurker, since I have been completely absent for several months, but. I hope to be popping in more often now that my undergrad days are behind me (as of December 2002, actually).
Anyway, I've enjoyed catching up on a few threads recently. It's been fun to read posts from old acquaintances, even some in new guises (hi Capfka!)

Good to be back!

No, you're no lurker. Congrats on having finished your (first-phase?) studies and welcome back. You've still got a good rep, Rap!

- Pfranz

think about how we could make things better.. more interesting..

if we were less scared to talk about controversial topics like politics the forum might have been [edit] livelier... and nastier [/edit]

... and nasty

There is no need for more sites with this... I'm sure someone can point one out for you if you wish!

Now, as to 'controversial'...

vika,

You're right. We don't discuss politics here for a reason: It causes problems and hurts. As musick sort of said and for *once he was *comprehensible, there are many sites out there for political discussions. Here we try to stick to the joy of language. It's a haven.

"the joy of language"--if that's not a book title, it ought to be.

http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=announcements&Number=76777

Vika:

This is why we eschew politics to the greta extent that we do. This thread generated more controvesy than any other in the last couple of years (except of course for the late unpleasantness, which had nothing to do with any particular topic, but which did, in retrospect have a great deal to do with personal politics.) There were almost 1750 views before we pulled the plug. I started it and then helped perpetuate it, but if I had it to do over again I would not post the seminal note.

TEd

You-all, let's not go there again. Please.

TEd

that's exactly what I meant. I remember it because I took part in it too (opposing your views). it was fun

I wish we brought more of what we're reading here to the board--that we quoted passages more often that had caught our eye for unusual, baffling, and even highly successful applications of words and phrases. We do that to some extent, but I wish we did it more often because it would be interesting to know what people are reading, but, more especially, to see how AWADers are responding to what they're reading--to see which passages catch their eye.

As I said, we do that to some extent, but I wish we did it more regularly.

WW

P.S. I looked up contemplative for fun as I often look up words that are familiar, but to see whether there might be some unusual definitions, and found this:

'morbidly thoughtful'--ha! That's not the application I meant.

I'll try to maintain this burst of bravado that has me posting for the first time to AWADtalk!

Hi there, vanguard and a belated welcome. I also lurked for a while before dipping my toe in the water ( by disagreeing with Jackie over some trivial thing - sorry, Jackie!). But I've never regretted joining in - I have learnt so much about so many things in this past three years. (almost, for me)

There's no doubt that we're a weird mob, but. And you learn some weird constructions and phrases, like the Oz ones in the last sentence. But we're a pretty friendly bunch o' folk who squabble and fight and make up again as only true friends can.
So - come along and pull up an empty barrel, grab a glass and a plate and join in the fun!

"...As musick sort of said and for *once he was *comprehensible..."

D'oh!