Let me speak for myself.

This may be incredibly obvious but no one speaks for anyone here but themselves, even if they use the word "we" in their posts.

I meant as opposed to passing on the opinions I have been fed in private by people ranging from bypassers to old and respected members. Or as opposed to my opinions about other people who have shown up here.

I tread on a few toes...I have tried to be helpful and polite

I've seen the latter, I believe. You should stick with that one instead of the former. There seems to be a general community spirit of helpfulness here, and when someone acts contrary to that spirit, I've noticed that many individuals speak up in defense of the Monastery and its unwritten guidelines of behavior. (clarification: good, civil, community-oriented behavior)

Note that I did not intend to tread on some toes. I know I did. I indeed try to be helpful and polite but I am letting people know that there have indeed been things that I know could upset some.

Many (most?) people here have welcomed me.

There are thousands of users. That's quite a welcome. I don't mean to be sarcastic, but you seem to use a lot of hyperbole in your post.

Trust me, this was not intended as hyperbole. I know that many have welcomed me because I see how many people privately tell me "thanks", and I know how many private discussions I carry on. Plus when I posted the above I saw multiple people's response in the chatterbox. In addition I know a lot of people voted for posts of mine. Is that a sign of welcome?

I do not, of course, know the majority opinion. Hence my question mark. But certainly in terms of people talking to me I have had virtually all positive feedback.

But I have also watched in disbelief as I answer several questions to the best of my ability and they get downgraded one after the other.

I haven't read enough of your posts to know whether "to the best of my ability" is synonymous with "correct" and "the needed information". I don't know the tone of your posts either. So I'm not sure I could say that the reaction to your posts is unfair.

Please do then and make up your own mind. I have received private opinions from over a half-dozen people who thought it was unfair.

As an example, ask whether Simple Locking deserved to show up (however briefly) on the worst nodes of the day:

Which is why today no post of mine appears in the list of best posts of the day...

Is that your goal?

No, but for several days I consistently had 3-5 posts on that list and I do not think my posts today are worse than my posts yesterday.

In other words I am stating how noticable the change is.

Please do not react to that by modding me up across the board either.

Okay. I haven't voted on this node because while I believe it is well-written, I also believe that it casts a lot of shadowy accusations. I don't like that as a precedent. Plus, even if I had real evidence that you'd been wronged, I still think that sympathy votes are just uncool.

That is close to how I feel. However I included this comment because I had already /told 3 people that I wished they had not reacted that way. It is far better for me to make my opinion clear once publically before the fact than to tell it in private to everyone who tells me that they already did it.

Besides which, as long as whoever it is doing that keeps on doing that, they cannot use their votes against someone who actually would be bothered. :-)

Some posts deserve a --. I haven't read yours, but it's possible that some of yours deserved to be downgraded. I've gotten -- votes before, sometimes for no reason, more often because there was something not right with my post. It would be more appropriate for the person who votes you down to tell you why, but they are free NOT to do so if they wish. You have the right to vote the way you want to. I doubt that there is one person that is out to use all his/her votes on you, anyway.

Doubt it you may. I have watched whole blocks of my posts go -- one after the other with no rhyme or reason as to quality.

The only reason that I am bringing this up is that I have been told by several that I am far from the first person that this has happened to.

Does "this" refer to receiving -- votes? Or receiving a whole horde of -- votes? If it's the latter, I'm curious as to why. You made some mention of being voluble in the chatterbox. Do you think that may be affecting your standing in the community?

Receiving a whole horde of -- votes. I don't know if my talking in the chatterbox has any effect on my standing. The feedback that I have received directly has actually been incredibly positive. I would, in fact, really like to receive feedback from some of the people who are voting against me. I have publically asked for that to a notable (not entire) lack of response.

/tell me in person what specifically you object to. If you think it warrants public discussion, then post your opinion as an anonymous monk. A very good place to do that is in response to this post.

Sure. I think that you are not the center of anything here, though you have made an extraordinary number of posts in the very short time since you joined the community. I think you should cite facts instead of making ambiguous accusations about an organization of conspirators (q{But a small clique should not decide for everyone who they do and do not want to be around, then organize an effort to drive the unwanted people away.})

I am sorry for ambiguous accusations. I am mainly repeating what I have been told in private. I would like it if some of those people were to step forward and say in public what they said in private. Namely that I seem to be the latest lightning rod for stuff that has been going on for quite a while. But I will not publically pass on what I was told in private and have not been told I can pass on.

My apologies for having made the accusation though. Clearly all I have to go on are personal impresssions and private comments. I would, in fact, dearly love to have more to go on but that does not seem to be happening.

This is the first post of yours I have read. I replied instead of voting on it. I would be interested to hear your further impressions of the community, but with more specifics.

Well the people who are willing to talk to me seem to be an extremely nice group of people, and that ranges from raw initiates who have just received unexpectedly quick answers to very experienced monks who are commenting on things that I have seen.

OTOH it seems that some people are not willing to talk to me, and at least some strongly dislike me.

Is that specific enough?

Regards,
Ben