I’ve been a regular in various social forums pretty much since ICQ was a thing. Fluther is the one I’ve been with the longest – since 2009, off and on. It’s a small community, which means everyone pretty much knows everyone. We’re friendly, which means we accept new people into the fold quickly. And we skew more intellectual than most random fora you’ll find, which means “How is babby formed” type questions don’t survive long here.

On the other hand, we are more social than Quora. Our in-line answer format means individual responses don’t trail off into 15 layers of tangential conversation. Everyone chats with everyone, with no one being left out of a side-conversation.

As far as formatting:

If you look just under the answer box, there’s a quick mini-tutorial on how to do things like change the format of the text.

Links are made by surrounding the visible text with “quotes” and following immediately by a colon and the URL. Like this, without the space— “Link” :http://google.com
You can hotlink to image URLs in this way. No emoji here, but text emoji is OK. ( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ )

Welcome to the Collective!

To create a link, just follow the instructions that appear below the answer box on style.

No emoticons (thank goodness).

Clear, clean writing is highly valued on this site.

Let me get back to you later, but re. “I noticed there is no date on the replies” just hover next to the “Thank whoever’s name” below the answer, and it will say “1 day ago“etc.

Here’s information about formatting:
http://www.fluther.com/help/formatting/

Here’s how it appears when I make it into a link.

No emoticons, and no images either, but you can include links to images.

The place to hover for date information is on the paragraph mark that appears at the end of the line beneath a post.

If you like someone’s response, you can click “Great Answer” and they will be awarded points, but only up to a set limit from each user. This is to prevent people from gaming the system, and it works really well. No, they’re not worth anything, and some people pay no attention to them, but they do give you an idea of how long someone has been around, and we like to celebrate milestones in increments of 10,000. You can also see when people joined by looking at their profiles.

Welcome to Fluther.

Welcome to Fluther! Glad to have you here.
To look for the date, go under the question to the end where it says “flag as” and over just a bit to the right of it, hover. I hope that makes sense.
Also, if you find a question that is old and you want to answer it, feel free to. Lots of like to revisit old questions and have a new and fresh outlook.

@LadyInRedd, e komo mai! We’re glad you’re here.

Some good things have been mentioned already, so I won’t repeat them. What hasn’t been mentioned is that we value good English usage. Please, never use text language or inappropriate abbreviations. At the risk of sounding stuffy, we write properly. We’re glad to keep high standards for writing.

We don’t tolerate virulent behavior either. Racists find quickly that this is not a place for them. The same goes for homophobes and misogynists.

Dive in! Ask questions! Contribute answers!

Enjoy!

Hi, welcome to Fluther.

I’ve been coming here since 2008 (and then took a break for a while after some personal stuff), and came back. I like posting here, and have liked posting here, because this was one of the more intelligent online social sites that I’ve ever come across. There used to be a lot more users back in the day, but then, just as now, there is/was a sense of community that is hard to find online. What really drew me in, though, is the fact that I like talking about “serious” things, and this was a good place for that. Sometimes people don’t get along, and there are arguments from time to time, but for the most part, everyone tries to genuinely contribute to a question/discussion.

Spelling and grammar are important, so questions such as “Whatz ur fav clr?” are frowned upon, but it keeps the community full of the kind of people that make Fluther so neat to begin with.

The site, overall, tends to lean pretty liberal – but there are also a few conservative people who call Fluther home.

Look forward to seeing your contributions.

Welcome to Fluther! I think many of your questions have been answered already, but I’ll add that we have three categories of questions: General (information only, no chit-chat), Social (any kind of question, and people can chat around the responses), and Meta (questions about Fluther). Since your question is about Fluther, you’ll probably find that one of the moderators will move it to Meta soon.

The moderation team works on a volunteer basis, so we’re grateful for their time and effort, and try to be understanding when they keep us in line. We try. Sometimes we’re impatient. That might be an understatement.

You have up to about 10 minutes to edit a response once you’ve clicked “Answer,” but after that, it’s there forever.

You might be wondering what the deal is with Awards. They’re just for fun – you’ll probably rack up a few in your early days at Fluther, because you’re hitting a lot of “firsts”. Some of them are broken and can never be attained, though.

I’m sure I’ll think of other useful things in due course.

My kingdom to know what the Robot Crush award is for. I’ve never figured it out.

And by now, @LadyInRedd, I think you’ve probably seen one reason already: flutherfolk are very responsive. Rarely does a legitimate-sounding question languish for long. And even if actual replies are slow in coming, the ticks on GA (great answer) and GQ (great question) tell you that someone’s been paying attention.

I don’t know if the reward point for answering first is still there (I hope not) but please don’t rush to be the first one to answer esp. without even finishing reading the detail of the question.

Oh, I love the Sea-Cheetah award! It has a good amount of requirements: 150 characters within 3 minutes, and get 3 GAs. I’ve gotten 59 of them out of over 15,000 answers. I’d say it’s sufficiently hard to land.

@Seek I think Robot Crush is a device-specific thing that can’t be gotten now. Damn these evolving technologies!

I gave up caring about points and awards. I can’t use them for tea or cookies.

@Hawaii_Jake That’s true, but they’re fun, especially the mystery ones. I can make my own cookies. ;)

Hi there @LadyInRedd. You’ll find in Meta, when people reach 10k, 20k, etc., there are “parties“and you’ll find one going on right now for someone who reached 50k. We go there and congratulate the person. Those are milestones which take a while to reach. I’ve been here since 2007 and I’m only at around 30k.

Welcome. We’re a nice community of people, I think. Because we’re not a large community, we know each other’s habits, lifestyles, where many of us live, writing styles, etc.

Many of us are in touch on FB, too, and some of us have met in real life.

We refer to each other as “Jellies.”

You are all jellies, and this is the lagoon where we all swim. I am the resident sea turtle.

Welcome, @LadyInRedd.

You’ve already written one clear, nicely expressed question.
You meet all the Fluther criteria.
Dive right in!

I think all your other questions were answered above. I’ll just add that it doesn’t pay to be thinned shunned, especially at the outset. The moderators are just upholding community standards, and, as at all social sites, there may be members that are just trying to get you to rise to the bait. Don’t.

Edit: “thin skinned”. Yeah, I’m in the process of getting new glasses. Sigh.

@ibstubro I almost spit my tea out when I read “thinned shunned”! I think I’m easily amused.

I enjoy posting because I like helping out other people. The community here is pretty great so it’s nice to help out others who are polite and appreciative. When I’ve asked questions I usually get great/helpful answers.

Yeah, @DrasticDreamer, I got a PM or 2 on that.

Another thing you may find:

While many of us are Facebook friends with each other, there are very few (and I think vanishing to none) of us who invite our meatspace friends to hang out here.

This is the place to ask the questions you wouldn’t put out on your Facebook feed. Anything that might lead to 850 half hearted “dunno bt ill pray 4 u” comments, etc.

But let’s not overdo the words all in caps or the ellipses (...), ok? Special effects in typography do wear thin very fast.

I appreciate all the quick responses…. I hope my grammar with the dot dot dots in between sentences does not cause others to shun me… it’s been a part of my writing style for some time now.. .

@DrasticDreamer mentioned many are geared on the “liberal” side of the fence…. hmmm I may feel a fish out of water in that regard , though the word “liberal” can have a varied meaning…depending on what lens someone is looking through or what the word seems to conjure up for us…

I’d describe myself more on the conservative / country girl side… more traditional type marriage…though I did loose my religion some time ago…

Most of my friends are Christian.. though I consider myself a Deist… it’s helpful to have some like minded friends to feel “acceptance”... but true.. it’s also good / helpful to learn the differences in all walks of people… we can be so varied.. depending on the subject at hand…

I have friends with very different views over mine.. but I don’t believe I could be married to someone like that.. if this makes sense.. we need so much compatibility…

So this was a “Meta” question.. I am learning…. Not sure I like the idea we can’t edit our post after 10 minutes & it’s here for LIFE… no “delete” option..

I enjoy hearing this is a more “serious” type discussion board…. I too, would not use Facebook for the type of questions I ask…. and sharing….I enjoy getting Deep…exploring a subject… you just don’t see this sort of thing on Facebook. I have a kinship with “forum junkies” one might say…

Hoping I will fit in here .. it sounds like a wonderful place to hang out..

@LadyInRedd As long as you’re not mean, even if you’re conservative, you should get along with people just fine here. They might vehemently argue with you, but not in a mean way (for the most part – this is still the internet, and there are still going to be people now and again who just don’t care), just a spirited way.

Your writing is easy to understand, too, so no worries.

There’s a long history related to Fluther. The original creators left the site (but promised to leave it up for all of the devoted users when they left), so new features, fixes, etc., can’t happen anymore. Fluther is now, at least unless/until (don’t hold your breath) they decide to come back and put effort into the place again, run by its users, basically. That’s why the mods are volunteers and the site now relies on the users to keep the place as it was originally intended. So, what you see is what you get. But I promise, the features aren’t unbearable, they just might take some getting used to since you frequent other forums. :)

Hi!

I feel like the answers I get are very logical and makes sense and open. Too often I go to a site and they are this way or that way and tell you what to do. Many posters on here question, make you think for yourself, allow their view without shoving it down your throat. Also it’s respectful here.

@chelle21689…I like what you said here… the idea of sharing.. being open , basically being genuine to who we are…yet not trying to change others…through belittling or shaming tactics.. whether subtle or not so much…. this is far more effective in influencing ..planting seeds of new thought anyway..

Personally I much enjoy a spirited -yet respectful DEBATE !

Hello! Welcome to Fluther.

Many jellies (that’s what we call ourselves) have already told you lots of details about the site and the group. I love Fluther for the friendships, the fast responses to sometimes very serious questions, and also for a healthy debate of opinions. This brings me to your conservative leaning ways, I’m always happy to hear from different points of view, and although the collective (another name we use for the people here) tends to lean liberal, we want to hear all sides. Especially, this time of year when the the presidential race is ramping up. We have fluff questions here too. Cooking, travel, medical, politics, religion, computer help, self improvement, TV, I come here for all of it.

I hope you stay for a while, it’s always nice to see new people.

@JLeslie… not necessarily conservative when it comes to party lines…I’d call myself more of an Independent.. both parties have their pluses & minuses -depending on the issue at hand… I actually feel it’s a blessing , they balance each other out…keep the extremes at bay..

Would I want Trump in the White house.. Oh he may be a bit amusing but we have 5 sons.. do I want this man calling Country leaders IDIOTS with what may appear a bullying type pride…..so our sons gets shipped off to war ! ...NO!

. My husband is a Union worker (not that we don’t have issues with how they deal, too many rights for lazy unproductive workers is wrong, it harms companies!) ..yet still we can’t bite the Democratic hand that helps feed our family…

Though I am more conservative on Crime.. when law breakers point guns at cops…I won’t call these people a victim if they get shot.. Some of the things I see excused in the media ..my mouth hangs open, I shake my head .

Sure there are bad cops… but far too many die at the hands of a country that is teaching our kids to disrespect them, call them pigs, see them as the enemy & kill them.. I blame parenting for this..

All for law abiding citizens.. give me good neighbors or give me death.. (well that is a stretch but I think you know what I mean)...

I have a more Romantic / emotionally connected view of sex (this being more conservative minded as well)... Casual sex is the new norm, hooking up on college campuses rampant..body uses body, may not even know each others name.. it’s all good !... Tinder, I really don’t know what goes on.. but the culture has shifted so much in the opposite direction.. along with the gains… I feel much “beauty” has been lost… is anything Special anymore.. is anything sacred ?

Meanwhile the breakdown of marriage, and the family… it grows….It just doesn’t seem many care anymore, they just flow with the new tide , even if it’s a Kardashian tide… I tend to feel conservatives care more.. but maybe I am wrong.. that’s why we come…and hopefully reason together.

@LadyInRedd You’re an issue person more than a party person. For me, that’s the best thing to be when it comes to politics. Anyone who follows a political party blindly makes me nervous.

The word conservative has been twisted in my mind. I don’t like the way it is used in regards to politics. I feel I am “conservative” when it comes to children and family for instance, but not conservative in the right wing political way, I mean in the wholesome and protective way. I can’t use the word conservative for that anymore, because I’m also pro gay marriage, I want sex ed taught in schools, and basically I’m more of a liberal on social issues.

Since you’re a “country girl” even if you are liberal on a political issue you probably will have some understanding of the conservative point of view, and that’s always helpful to the discussions. Having lived in the Bible Belt, but being from the northeast and raised in a fairly liberal family (although my dad was a republican back then) I see why the two sides often don’t understand each other. There truly is different living experiences in different regions of the country. Sometimes, I think we should have exchange student programs between north and south so we get a generation of young people who understand both with a more open mind.

@LadyInRedd: Do you work? Do you have any hobbies? You might want to fill out your profile, which is a nice touch.

Hey there @LadyInRedd….I am a dot…dot…writer as well and not once has anyone said hey Cruiser cut that shit out it’s really annoying.

You mentioned some of your “views” that echo how I feel about certain subjects and look forward to your answers and comments here. I am politically conservative just barely right of center but I know with the majority of Jellies as Liberals appear to think I am a Tea Party wing nut. Political discussions can be frustrating at best as I find it a rare occasion that a Jelly will actually want to put in the extra effort to actually have a reasoned discussion instead of the vehement one sided media talking points hand waving that ensues if you dare to offer an opposing viewpoint. But the beauty of having heated discussions is there are moments where seeing an opposing view expressed clearly and passionately you may learn something new here and what keeps me engaged at this site.

Nice to meet and just have fun while you are here.

What I tend to try to do here (and I’m not saying this is the right thing to do) is I won’t say anything if I don’t agree with the politics being discussed. I’d rather not be jumped on by a horde, and I’d rather not get into arguments over my opinion vs. others’ opinions. I’ll “follow” but not comment, or comment minimally.

Welcome to the “pool”.

@Cruiser – I think I am going to appreciate your presence here !

Actually I don’t follow politics much to be honest.. I doubt I’ll even enter into such threads… as I haven’t done my homework…I should be keeping up on the news.. with ISIS , these refugees…obviously I side with all who don’t want them here.. but I don’t know the ins & outs of argument either….. When I hear a view.. I WANT to hear the other side – always ..to weigh the pros & cons… .

There is a scripture that says “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.”... I try to remain open… I have changed my views over the years by seeking to understand another side….

I greatly appreciate Honest people with good hearts, those who make the world a better place to live in , no matter their religion, color, or sex…

I gravitate to those who don’t indulge in risky behaviors.. I want to live a long life..I like it here ! . As parents.. we are big on open discussion, we encourage critical thinking…never just follow the crowd…

It’s funny my ancestors started American’s oldest brewery…Yuengling ... and I’ve never been drunk…. but I’ve witnessed the hell alcoholism can bring upon a family… You kinda learn from others mistakes sometimes how NOT to live.. we all have our stories.. to how we got here…and what we’re about.

I live in an area that has Amish Dutch in our community.. We tend to be a family who appreciates the “simple things” in life.. Almost used that as a username here.. Yes. I need to share a little of who I am in my profile.

sometimes I post things just to give the moderators something to do during the day

@LadyInRedd, do you like pancakes? When we have parties, there are dozens of platters of pancakes.

We had a luau a number of years ago that lasted all weekend. That was fun.

@LadyInRedd about the only thing most people here are reluctant to do is answer someone elses obvious homework assignment; Compare and contrast the Russian Revolution with that of the Rebel Alliance, paying specific attention to the uniforms and insignia, that kind of question. We all draw the line somewhere I guess.

Although, come to think of it, there are those here who would probably do well with such a question.

Welcome to fluther. The damned await you! As a very smart ex girlfriend (how smart? She dumped me) once remarked “you don’t know you’re in hell if you have no reference points” This place has a decidedly left leaning bias, which renders it hell incarnate to what passes for mainstream conservatism in today’s America. There are however a few stalwarts here who will rise to the defense of (hopelessly indefensible) conservative notions, and you’ll have no problem spotting them for they stand out like wolves in a chicken coop. They are (to my disgust) probably one of our most valuable assets simply due to their sheer rarity. Though few in number, their arguments are literate and well reasoned (or as close to well reasoned as such nonsense can tolerate). In any event, it’s very good to have you here. There’s been a lingering discussion on the perceived decline of the site since the “days of glory” long before my time. A recent fantastic parade of former and departed champions of this place left me feeling rather skeptical for our future. But a few of them are back and lingering, and some of them have provided you excellent descriptions above of our place and how it works. Only you can determine whether or not all of this welcoming stuff is just another example of “misery loving company” on the part of we the damned.

Most of all, I love the people. We argue and bicker, but we manage to do so nicely, for the most part. I also enjoy the diversity of threads – I learn something new every day.

One thing which hasn’t been mentioned is the practice of “Adding people to your Fluther”. That’s code for “following” someone, and it means their questions will appear in “Questions For You”.

To indicate sarcasm, we like to use the tilde (~). It’s useful to prevent misunderstandings.

You may want to take a look at the Help Section. This is where you can find the official guidelines, writing standards, and some other useful hints.

Whenever you notice questions or answers which do not seem like they belong on Fluther (spam, personal attacks, hate speech, etc.), feel free to flag them. This will bring the post in question to the attention of the moderation team, who can then remove it.

Lastly: When going off topic (which is fine in Social and Meta, just not in General), it is considered polite to use the whisper feature. You can achieve this by adding two dashes to the left and the right of your text.

I hope you’re here to stay. Welcome!

@rojo On behalf of all mods…thanks! ~

I love the dots. I think I use them because some jellies tend to skim… or speed read. They seem to miss subtle details, puns, and sarcasm buried in view. I also sometimes start a sentence with a conjunctive word.

Welcome to Fluther. You have done a great job of introducing yourself here. May I suggest you link this question to your profile bio, so that in the future, when this question is no longer visible on your front page… other jellies will be able to read your introduction here.

Let me welcome you with some links to ways I learned about Fluther.
http://www.fluther.com/14210/i-just-went-over-to-my-sisters-house-and-stole-a/
http://www.fluther.com/20778/has-anyone-thought-of-looking-under-the-swimming-pool-at-the/
http://www.fluther.com/21909/time-for-limericks/
There are caring and highly intelligent jellies here, creative, and also whimsical. Hence, if there is a serious, sober concern, you will find compassion, links, advice, and potentially bickering over the advisability of this or that advice. Still… jellies enjoy some play, and are not above some real spirited banter.
Oh, yeah… this will explain the pancake platters.
Jolly Jokers.

@Hawaii_Jake I don’t understand .. the pancakes.. all weekend.. still lost on calling each other jellies too.. oh in time…maybe it will all make sense.. (oh need to dig further into @Here2_4 ‘s post)

@stanleybmanly….do I sound as bad as these wolves in the chicken coop already ?

A tid bit about me…I like a little porn ..but I personally frown on casual sex -weeded those type out when I was young.. No “notching chicks up on your bed post ” studs for me….(I’m married so this doesn’t really apply , does it)... God help me if my husband dies as this is what most expect these days..

I find it a shame personally…some yearning for some of the older fashioned ways back in the day.. But ya know.. the act of sex is beautiful.. something about that we want to lay our eyes on.. (can’t deny this.. myself & husband watch a little porn together on occasion)....

Maybe this makes me a hypocrite.. but at least I’m an honest one!..

Keeps me a little humble also… I don’t want to come off as self righteous….stuffy..

Sometimes I feel a square peg trying to fit in a round hole…Not sure where I belong…

I would be rejected by many Christians… who was my favorite debater.. Atheist Christopher Hitches !...I resonate with his reasoning a great deal.. never forget a question he was asked once.. if all the religious could be wiped from the earth.. would he want that.. he laughed and said something to the effect – “NO ! he wouldn’t have anyone to argue with”..

It makes for some entertainment and learning.. we all have something to offer and can learn from each other..

Then on the other hand.. I enjoy Proverbs..the Book of Ecclesiastes… and sometimes I’ll quote a scripture ! Go figure…..

I also admired Thomas Paine.. many a christian damned him, he died alone, ostracized, a few freed slaves stood at his grave….. his story had me in tears.. it angered me.. he had a problem with alcohol….he lost his wife in childbirth…was kicked out of his own country…a Rabble Rouser , he wrote the “Age of Reason” which was Blasphemy to the church.. but yet his ethics..impeccable… he gave his writings away.. he was a man with a heart, a passion for democracy, freedom…

I hope I live to see the day someone honors his memory – putting together his life story on screen.. it’s long overdue..

I share all of this to say.. the right wingers would not be pleased with me either !

@longgone

You are welc…......Wait! Is that a tilde???

@rojo No. ~

@longgone I feel your eyes boring through the computer screen! I just put myself on the watch list didn’t I? Damn.

giggle Playful arm punch, @rojo . Way to go, my friend, way to go! Now you have the establishment watching us.

@LadyInRedd “Jellies” is an affectionate nickname for the users because of the “jellyfish” – which is Fluther’s mascot.

← Establishment.

Come to my party I just hit 50,000 lurve and bunches of jellies are showing up. We party at the mansion when we hit milestones like 10,000, 20,000, etcetera. A bit of fun. There are some inside jokes, which eventually you’ll catch onto if you stick around.

Hi. I joined as jonsblond in December 2008. My husband joined two weeks after me. We had similar names, jonsblond/Blondesjon and we used matching avatars for years. Not the same avatar, but things or people that coupled well together. Ed Wood/Vampira, Marci/Pepermint Patty, peanut butter/jelly and Bonnie and Clyde to name a few. Some users enjoyed our couplehood while others wanted to barf. Many got us confused and they would often think I was my husband.

I created this account several months ago after deleting my original account (for the 20th time.) You could say I have a love/hate relationship with this site, but it’s been all love since I’ve returned and I have no intention of leaving or using my original account.

I enjoy posting here because I’ve gotten to know most of the other users quite well. They feel like family to me. It’s very difficult to leave this place with all of the connections I’ve made. I think I’m friends with at least 50 jellies on Facebook. Many since 2009.

Welcome aboard! I look forward to getting to know you.

I enjoy posting here…& I think this bears repeating, I enjoy posting here because it allows the peasants some light relief from the dredge of their daily lives.
Only kidding, it’s good for morale you know.

Loneliness and free time. Also I like a place where I can contribute.

Go to Yahoo Answers if you’re wanting a truly enjoyable forum experience. You’ll quickly find that Fluther micro-manages everything you do here. If you spell something wrong, they’ll delete your question until you change it. If you ask more than a few questions about something you’re very interested in such as roleplay, Vampires, etc., they’ll remove it and threaten to give you the boot. I find it hilarious toying with them…

Yahoo Answers is a cesspool of idiocy. So, yeah, go there if you like that sort of thing.

@Seek you can find that anywhere. There are many respectable forums in Yahoo Answers.

@Devilishtreat One incorrect spelling will not get your question pulled for editing, but multiple mistakes throughout a question will and that’s done for quality purposes.

And multiple questions, as far as I know, about the same topic are fine, but repetitive questions that bring nothing new to the table and are just repeats of themselves, aren’t.

The rules are like that precisely because no one here wants this place to turn into something Yahoo Answers, where the majority of users don’t put any real thought or effort into meaningful answers.

If Fluther isn’t right for you, you don’t have to stay. I also highly doubt that anyone cares that you’re “toying” with them.

@DrasticDreamer yes…there are ONLY intelligent things being discussed in Fluther.

http://www.fluther.com/58276/how-do-you-stop-a-erection/

@Devilishtreat I never said only intelligent things were being discussed. I said that, in general, intelligent discussion is what most users try to foster here.

I’m also not asking you to change your mind about Fluther. However, if you don’t like it, I don’t understand why you’d stay? Not that I’m telling you to leave, either. I just don’t get it.

What’s wrong with that question? It’s a totally legitimate problem that the person was trying to solve.

http://www.fluther.com/58276/how-do-you-stop-a-erection/ I know this is besides the points and counterpoints being discussed above, but why would someone want to stay limp for a sex scene?

They are acting. The person wants to keep it artistic, not embarrassing.

I have had individual disagreements with certain items being pulled for re-writing but I have never felt like they are arbitrarily pulled, If I have a question as to why, I ask and have always been answered.. I don’t mind being asked to correct misspellings. We all make mistakes sometimes.