The Monthly Debate: What sort of Place Have We Become?!

[Mausey]

Wonderful topic Priscilla. :hugs: Now let's hope we have lots of input. :)

[Beisla]

I'm sure the biggest reason I come here is because most of my 'net friends are here. :group:

On the old board, I visited the Pern forum occationally, but I've never been a huge fan of book discussions, and on this board I've hardly been there. A while ago I was missing the more serious conversations, so I was very happy to see a couple of interesting discussions here: the one about genetics and another of ethics, plus the FAQ thread about Paganism. I'm really looking forward to seeing how that will develop, since I've loved reading the one about Chassidic Judaism.

I suppose there have been rather more "light hearted topics" here than on the old board, but that may yet (hopefully) take a new turn; I love reading (and occationally participating in) debates and sometimes even arguments. ;)

This certainly isn't the same place as the old board, but I don't think anyone wanted an exact copy anyway, and the change in my opinion has mostly been positive.

[Paulita]

I came here also to see 'net friends I've met in the OKT. I or the mouse pop into the Pern and other book forums every now and then, but, they aren't the be all and end all of the site.

Yes this place is different to the old home but, the spirit of the site remains the same. I for one am glad to see the site is prospering and new members are appearing who never made it to the old site. The site is now begining to mature which is a good thing. The more serious topics and discussions have returned which is a sign that people are comfortable here.

As for exinguishing the topics of Anne's books you can never do that, there will always be new opinions to old discussions and reviving old topics once in a while gives newer members a chance to put thier point accross.

[pammie]

I think this board is still valid. Although most of the posts in some areas are not Anne related, we still follow in the OKT tradition. I, for one, would be lost without this site.

And I have made a lot of new friends here as well.

[AnnMarie]

"Fluffy"? Well, some threads, sure...but definately not all! This is a great place to hang out with friends from around the globe... and we can talk about ANYTHING...and usually do. There are plenty of book chats...but how much can be said about books most of us have read and reread dozens of times?

LONG LIVE THE NKT!

[C_ris]

"Fluffy"? Well, some threads, sure...but definately not all! This is a great place to hang out with friends from around the globe... and we can talk about ANYTHING...and usually do. There are plenty of book chats...but how much can be said about books most of us have read and reread dozens of times?

LONG LIVE THE NKT!
My sentiments exactly! :D

LONG LIVE THE NKT!!!

[Bronze-Dragonrider]

Well I was barely registered on the OKT before it closed up, so I can't compare, but of all the McCaffrey boards, I like this the best because it has something for everyone. It has a wide variety of subjects, and varying depths to it. Personally, I'd like to see stuff with a bit more depth, but it's still fun all around. Most of the topics don't get too deep to become baffling, and thats the way I like it. I doubt that we will run out of topics to talk about, there will always be things to discuss, we just gotta think of it :D

Cheers to the KT!!!

[JayEgo]

Indeed, the NKT is in the business of lighthearted fluffiness and long may we wallow in our sheep dip! Yet, we can very quickly and easily turn our thoughts to more serious matters and I see a lot of thought and consideration going into a fair amount of discussion on the board, both in the Anne sections and elsewhere!

We're not only a site for the 'intelectuals' or the 'die hard fans' or the 'sheep' but are an all encompasing unit! You can visit any of the offshoots but I can't imagine finding quite the same mix of people as we get here!

However, I do feel that the site has a new feel to it, beyond and different from that of the WoAM. It's less restrictive in general, allowing more flexibility in the directions we move and the way we interact. There's less of an oppressive feeling towards speaking out of turn, and from this, people have been able to perhaps say more of what they feel and thus, have less pent up frustration being fired off in all directions and causing much of the discord that existed on the WoAM.

Of course, we've not enlisted many of the people that caused upset elsewhere! They kinda shot themselves in the foot by repeatedly putting the site down, in that they'd have some Grande porions of humble pie to chow down on should they want to actually be a part of the community that they spent so much time slating. They were obviously enjoying being there, otherwise they'd have taken their forked tongues elsewhere a long time previous but I still reckon a few of them are kicking themselves at loosing out on our community spirit!

This place isn't all good though! We have lost a number of high profile faces, who will be missed, though over the years, this occured on WoAM too! I also think that we're straying away from being a purely Anne McCaffrey following, which was the attraction for many people to join the original Kitchen Table! We may yet struggle to encourage newbies if we become too generic? Every site needs a focus to survive and we could become watered down! We'll simply have to encourage ourselves to avoid complacency and encourage our friends and family...?

There is a different feel to the place but I'm obviously enjoying it, as I spend damn near all my online forums time here!



Ja¥son xx

[Keita]

Why am I still coming here? I must admit that it was mostly due to the willet and the friends I met there. If the OKT hadn;t had th willet, I propably wouldn't be here now. Book discussions are nice enough I suppose, but to tell you the truth, I don't really CARE how many eggs a Dragon can lay or just exactly how cold Between is...:p For a book topic to interest me, it needs to be more general. "Would YOU like to be a dragonrider" or "Do you think Kindan should have kept Kisk..." that sort of thing. And we have that here! For those who are REALLY serious about the books, the specific threads are also there. I like that! It gives us all something to talk about! We have a LOT more variety here than we had at the OKT. The roleplay forum, the Multimedia centre and the New art forum are all places I visit regularly! In fact, as you can see from my postcount, it's shot through the roof since the NKT opened it's doors! Now it's not JUST the willet that draws me here. It caters for almost all my interests now in a way the OKT never really did. I like the sense of community we have here and the new relaxed atmosphere.

I'd say we're still a true Anne site. We have serious and not so serious discussions about her books. I just think we're less stuffy about it than some others I've seen. It was a mutual interest in Anne's books that drew us all together here in the first place. I like to think that those of us who "made the crossing" are sort of "like minded" people in attitude toward her books and toward out fellow BB'ers. In the end though, it's really the people that make a site. And it's the people here that keeps drawing me back...

[Nurianna]

As in the old KT we have our places where we can share good news and bad, rant against the PTB's and get silly~or Share Spoilers

This board is being more carefull of each other's feelings~ and it was on the old board, but some got away and snippy and hatefull, when caught they were stopped and it wounded some.

We may be fluffy~ but we are serious and caring too.. this board is good. and I hope it and my friends will be around for a long time~

[Cherry]

I like it here. So, a lot of the boards are not Anne-related, so what? you can go to a pub because you like the atmosphere, not because of the drink on offer, and you keep going back because you like the people.
I do.
It's also nice to compare news and views from across the water, even if we're in different time-zones, gives a different perspective. :wave:

[Faren]

I really loved the OKT and much of that was for sentimental reasons. It was the first computer board I ever joined. I loved all the friends I met there, especially in the willet. When the closure was announced, I was devastated. When this board finally opened, it was so much better than I expected. While the atmosphere IS more relaxed than at the OKT, there is still enough supervision that I'm comfortable letting my 11 year old be a member here.

Fluffy?? Yes. But I also am starting to see more and more interesting discussions pop up in the lounge and other forums. I think as time goes by and people get settled, "meaty" threads will be more common. We still have some members who love to argue. :darkside: I do miss a lot of people who didn't cross over for a variety of reasons. And I don't miss some for another bunch of reasons. ;)

The NKT is my primary place to go when I'm online. I love what all of you have done with the place (it looks mahvelous dahling!). I'll continue to contribute my own fluffy bit. Long live the NKT! :bow:

[queenrider melody]

I origanlly came here because it was Anne McCaffrey related, but stayed not only because of that but I also stayed because I have made friends and extended my horizons. I'm still here because I'm a Pern fanatic. I have learned what others think about some of the DRoP things I have strong feelings about, and we can also share what we think should happen in the series or what we think would make a good story.

With all of the discussions, arguements, debates, etc. about Pern and Anne McCaffrey's other wondrous series, who would go anywhere else? I say that everything on this site is neccesary because we need to learn to expand from just Anne McCaffrey books :D, because there is a whole word out there, and we should learn to accept that! :evil:

I believe that this site is the perfect balance between a true Anne McCaffrey site and a huge internet get together. This is still the place I will go to for news on Pern and Crystal Singer books when I'm older, and I will stay loyal to this site until it closes.

LONG RUN THE NKT!

[NeouofPern]

In my mind, the NKT will always be THE official Anne McCaffrey discussion board. Unlike other sites, which may have many in depth discussions all the time, we are also warm. Come here for the topics, stay for the friends!