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What bothers me is not the written guidelines of the forum but the "unwritten" ones, the same ones you find in all social circles. You are seen as either "in" or "out" with the crowd. This may be a general observation but I've found that being truly different and being your own person is quite a disatvantage if it doesn't fall with in the boundries of what's accepted. Having other "flaws" (which people may say doesn't matter) doesn't help eiher. Some may deny there are no cliques but there are. It seems that, when it comes to sharing a thought in the form of a post, the replies it receives appears to depend on who happens to make the post. I can say something and it's as if me and my thoughts are invisible. Someone else can say the same thing and boy, it's reply after reply of positive feedback. Those who've been welcomed to the "in" crowd probably would never notice this. To those of us on the outside looking in, it's quite obvious.

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I think it is just a matter of being here and learning about the people and their personalities. For the longest time, for many months after I joined this site, I didn't feel like I belonged here. I felt invisible, that people ignored what I was saying in favour of those who are popular here, and that what I wrote wasn't good enough compared to what others wrote. I felt like I was an insider looking in, barred by a window: I could see what was happening, but I couldn't get close. As I participated more regularly on the forums, I found that that feeling left, and now I feel fully accepted here.

I believe that what you write is taken just as seriously as anybody else's comments. I for one don't skip over you because I see Isolated Guy is writing again. I think that how you are feeling is maybe a result of how you perceive yourself here rather than your actual position in the community.