Is there a "discontent" virus going around?

Hi my wonderful friend,

I've just read your question, your comments and all the answers so far. I feel it has all been said. I haven't been on YA as long as some but since starting on here I have so enjoyed it. I have learned so much and come to respect and admire so many people. Even answering questions is a 'learning process' when some are talented in asking questions that make us think in more diverse ways.

I've never had a violation or problems with trolls but over the past few months I began to notice a growing feeling of discontent, anger and suspicion among my contacts. This made me uneasy. I even started to receive emails that made it seem as if friends I'd had such a positive relationship with were becoming secretive and suspicious ... one of their contacts was a troll, which one was it? It was like feeling guilty for something but what!!! Suddenly this place had a less friendly and more ugly feel.

And yet I still like it and the reason for that is because of the relationships we have built up. I enjoy the question/answer side and I will keep returning but maybe not as regularly as I did in the past because there is somewhere else, a little cyber-island we've created on our own, which provides a safe haven, a restful sacturary, a private refuge where we can just 'be ourselves' and that's the place that calls to me more strongly now!

Oh, and I'm another one that lost my badge this past week. All of us naughty little school children, we earned stars and now we've had them taken away. I think the idea is that we should then feel stirred into coming back to 'earn' our badge again but maybe we don't want to be conditioned in this way. I will return for the interaction, the learning, the enjoyment of being among friends. Not for the rewards that are given to us by one hand and taken off us by another. I will keep coming back for the time being but I've been bitten by the discontent bug too because there is somewhere else I prefer to give more of my time to so I don't think I'll be here as often.

Pollyanna

This badge stuff is strange because I now have a badge in Biology, though it may be gone this morning. I answered a bunch of biology questions over the last week or two, though before that I doubt if I answered a hundred altogether.

I think we are all being ignored. I wrote to dispute a violation notice at the beginning of the month and have not received a reply so far. However, it seems that someone is taking an interest in my biology answers. Strange.

I hope we will keep in touch over at the other place. I'm trying to drag my dad (age 79) and best friend over there too.

One more thing, it should be mentioned that it's practically impossible to ask or answer anything over in Snapping Turtle Pond (Politics) these days. So much energy expended - for what?

Well, if YOU decide to leave it will be Y/A's loss! As it is, there are very few genuine persons left who are sincerely trying to help others by giving serious thoughts to their questions and answering earnestly. I have come to consider you as 'our resident doctor/psychologist' simply because of your willingness to share your deep knowledge freely.

The Team does sound incompetent. The least they could do is to study the case (especially when challenged) and return to the complainant! Just like they 'hear' the complaints about abuse, they should similarly 'heed' the support esp. when it is 'overwhelming'. That would be real 'democracy'! Sadly, it doesn't exist here...

Regarding 'badge', I heard they have some rules about getting a particular percentage of best answers in a category to earn it. Now, even I had a badge months ago when I frequented Psychology section and was very soon snatched away when I wandered into other categories. Honestly I was a bit embarrassed wearing that badge but taking it away was like giving someone a medal for the exlempary services provided and taking it back at your whim. Now that's not done anywhere!!! Badges, Stars, Points, Levels are just sops and are reflective of a certain caste system prevalent in the Yahoo society. Actually they mean NOTHING to people who are here to share knowledge or lighten their hearts when troubled.

I am not saying 'goodbye' YET. But if it becomes too barren without genuine people like you, I may be forced to...

STAY BACK....PLEASE!!!

People use YA for various reasons. Some, of course, simply to be helpful. Many others, myself included, because we need to feel like we belong to some community where we can cross paths with kindred spirits. We're not so much seeking answers (although that would be an added bonus) as we're seeking some kind of companionship, a validation of sorts that here is a place, a safe haven, where we can converse with others on some like-minded level.

As such, it would sadden me to see any of the regulars I've come to like and respect leave for whatever reason.

As to myself, only twice have I been 'censored' by Yahoo by having my questions removed. When I asked why through an e-mail to Yahoo all I received was their stock reply that I violated their guidelines. When I replied and asked how specifically I got the same 'form letter' reply. It's a pain in the rear but a small price to pay considering the time I've spent here.

Of course I hope it improves for everyone but YA has grown so much so quickly that I think they are simply going through growing pains and can't handle the pure volume of so many people being here.

Hi!

You have been my personal critic and i appreciate that even it touches my ego. But i cannot hide my feelings to say this: that indeed you are one of the best and intelligent person i met in Yahoo/Answers. Indeed i throw this as a question why some of my good friends were stripped off with the orange banner. Most of you are my very first old friends here that simultaneously been stripped of the honor badge. It seems there must be a review on this. People who had big contributions were also suspended. Really i don't see the rationale behind.

I would still pray that you be around because i consider you as my mentor and i learn many things from you. And that has been treasured in my mind. Discontent virus is widely spreading. Hope this must be controlled the soonest.

My high respect is always with you.

God Bless!

Third P

Hi, let me start by telling you that I am so sorry to hear this.

I can not add much more information than what has been relayed to you already.

I just wanted you to know the following:

I have been following your wonderful answers along with other noted members in philosophy for some time now.

I have not answered much in this category to date but have learnt a great deal from you and others.

Many of you have left me with a great deal to ponder and have helped to re-ignite a once highly active brain. (I had a major stroke some years back and this has been a great exercise for me, has helped me to iron out the last wrinkles in my brain). :)

You, Physic Cat, Moon, LUCKY3, enki, shahrizat, Marguerite, Zelda Hunter, Third P, Doc Watson, only to name a few members that have been so important for this category.

It is at a great loss that we will loose more valuable contributors and their contributions like neophyte's,(gone now) yours and others due to this unfair and unjust reporting from a few disgruntled individuals.

I have been targeted for the past little while from some starkers and or trolls. I posted a question or two in this matter not too long ago. I have had totally innocuous questions removed and have had my "Top Contributor" in the painting category removed over the past few days.

The past two weeks I have started trying to do my part and have gone into my contacts "Unresolved Answers" and cast votes. I was hoping to clear up old pending Q&As as was in the profiles that I could see. (obviously I can not tell which answers where who's but I had noticed that a few days later they had received more Best Answers.

I do not believe it to be fair to let people who have taken the time and their well thought out answers to be left to random voting. I believe when at all possible the "poster" should pick "Best" even when it may be difficult at times to choose.

I never give a thumbs down unless someone is acting in an hateful and lurid manner. I never thumbs down responders to my questions.

I truly hope that you do not leave, you are appreciated and adored.

Your admirer,

B

One of my recent questions I proposed for voting for unresolved B&A. http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aj...

And my stalker question, http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=At...

Now, REALLY!

I feel that all of you should stop trying to frighten me with your question-closing and threats of departure! It will all be fine--I’ll cast protective spells over each of you! Yes, there are frustrations and injustices, but in the end, the incompetence, the malevolence, and the general brouhaha aren’t enough to tip the scales away from the absolute delight I obtain from just *one* of my contacts.

I have no idea how any of this nonsense works; my BA percent is always roughly the same, but the badge appears randomly. I’ve been secretly laughing that Enki [speaking of missing people :-( ] still had his little rectangle despite not answering a single question in two months...

And yes, now that you mention it, my meaningless label is gone as well--thank god! I’ve never looked good in orange! ;-)

Interest has dwindled lately among my network the last 3 weeks or so and I have to assume that this is partly caused by administration like in any business. Planetary reasons hold very little water in my book. One possible reason is that blogs and such ARE expanding at incredible rates where administration is as invisible as possible. One that interests me and is relatively unknown has received over 12,000 posts in the last 6 months, some of them extremely lengthy.

Regarding answers to enquiries from the yahoos on yahoo answers, don`t hold our breath or even waste your breath formulating them. They are robots and not well programmed ones at that. Cheers!

Well, I was gonna write a huge response and tell you how freaking mad and disappointed I too am at this pitiful little police-state called Y!A. The fact of the matter is that I HAVE actually packed up and left in the past. ... But then I realized that leaving those wonderful cyber friends such as Yourself, Psychic Cat, Question This, Param, <1:43>, C de Plume, Marguerite, Hempsted, Talloola, Bill, Goldberry, Nancy S (among many others) behind would in fact be MY LOSS.

I am NOT gonna give those Trolls, and that incompetent Monkey of an Oracle the satisfaction of tearing us apart. You guys simply bring too much joy and enlightenment to my life for me to let the Monkey Mechanics of the Infected Oracle come between us. So I am asking both You and Psychic Cat too, to please hang in there - if only for the sake of people (avatars as they may appear) who truly love you. The Oracle may not care, but I hope you guys realize how much support you still have among people (even in this miserable lil' site) who genuinely adore you.

Here is a lil' something to cheer you up - with permission from our gracious Question This (aka QT):

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=golCPnUiKv4

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Pretty much! Why? Maybe because recently, most of us have felt the rampant intrusion of stalkers which we've been promised to be safeguarded from. Our clean ID's have been dissolved one after another without reason, violation, or even one tiny valid explanation. Why then should we spend precious minutes and hours scribbling answers to questions or questions to answers to keep YA a wholesome, informative, fun site for its users when we cannot even be guaranteed the security we deserve?

Yes, Valac Gypsy,..the "DV" (Discontent Virus) is fast spreading, and a lot has migrated to another convenient place where there is more fun and friendlier aura,.. and where friends are drawn much closer together under one sturdy roof.