Getting to know you

#1

I think it would help the site retain more permanent posters if there was a more personality oriented section, not on the Keto topic but where people can tell about themselves and form more of a community of friends. There is a sense of community here - but it looks cliquish to newer posters. They don’t feel they can be a part. There can be a lot of innocuous threads in such a section. “introduce yourself” is a basic. “how was your day” tends to be popular. “what is your favorite xxx”. “things that made me smile”. “things that made me frown”. All kinds of non-keto, but personal threads that let people express themselves and tell about their lives. This brings posters, especially newbies, a lot closer to each other and tends to boost message board retention. (Yes, I have some experience in putting together and running message boards. No, I am not interested in doing so again, I retired from such work). As long as the rule “no politics” is carried out in such sections, they tend to be just a comfy place that makes people feel at home.

Just a suggestion to help with poster retention.

(Joey) #2

@velvet I like the idea a lot (!) … even though I wouldn’t likely participate much personally. I find the internet to be a place where feelings and privacy go to get damaged, so I refrain from revealing much about my personal life in the public square.

Having said that, if you’re inclined to participate in such exchanges, I think it’s a lovely idea for those individuals, and the addition of an area to do so would serve as another draw (not that keto facts and science aren’t exciting enough!).

My minor tweak to your suggestion would be that, in addition to ruling out “politics” (a wise idea), I would add “religion” and “sex” to the list. These also appear on the short list of topics that can make family gatherings so painful. :wink:

#3

One doesn’t have to give personal info to participate - no one here knows my real name anyway. Telling you what may have happened to me at the park yesterday isn’t exposing anything. Yep, religion is another of those topics, and since we don’t exclude juveniles here, sex should be a no-no anyway.

(Joey) #4

Sounds good. So, what happened to you at the park yesterday? :thinking:

[hopefully it didn’t involve exposing anything :wink: ]

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #5

Yes, this park thing is a bit scandalous…. I’ll be all over the internet! Lol

Sounds good though, is it a ‘Chat Thread’? …. More than a Keto Chat Thread

(Joey) #6

Agreed. I was going to move it to either a “Community” or “Chat” category, but neither section has a sub-category area label that quite fits.

I’ll leave it to a higher power to either decide or create an appropriately labeled category for what @velvet has in mind.

#7

I think no one knows my real nick… My name isn’t a big deal (I still don’t tell it to people online, I don’t share my personal data unnecessarily. but anyway, my name isn’t so important for me) but my nick is what I chose for myself and identify with. I tend to create another for different forums but if I ever make something for the demoscene again, I will use my proper actual nick (as it changed, I had another until 10-15 years ago).

I would gladly talk about me and definitely not many personal things, I am quite private like that. But about my garden? Okay, this forum never could avoid that, the carnivore thread gets most (I say to my SO, “did you see the african daisy has FIVE flowers now? I go and shot them for the carnivores!”) but if someone just mentions fruits, that always triggers me and it’s easy to learn what kind of fruits my garden has…

Talking about other things, not merely about keto and health is nice, we are humans and somewhat social (I avoid humans irl but I gladly talk online)… One thing I like in the carnivore threads that we talk about many things, flowers, certain troubles, pet health…

#8

Nothing happened at the park yesterday, there isn’t even a park anywhere near me, lol. As for things that made me smile - I saw a raven yesterday, just walking along. The way he walked upright, chest out, and his head moving back and forth made it look like he was just totally full of himself. Made me laugh out loud.

#9

Wow! I see ravens sometimes but usually just hear them :slight_smile: They are lovely.
I watch bird webcams though but the carnivores know about it as I talk a little in the carni thread. (Even though my woe tends to be too far from carnivore in the most raging fruit seasons. I am trying, yesterday I managed a carni day but it’s not so easy at this point of the year. As I am really fine with a wee bit of fruit, don’t see the point to try to be real strict. Even though I don’t NEED the stuff. I surely will change in the next years.)

We have no parks either, well the wildlife park, maybe :smiley: We have forests everywhere (I call the majority of the wildlife park a forest too as it is), a big pond and a river. I saw a deer today and talked with my SO about how to figure out if it’s a roe deer or another one (we don’t have the common “deer” word for them in our language, the roe deer has its own name). And we just can’t as the not roe deers have quite a few species with different sizes. The wildlife park even got Japanese deers at one point and they are still there :slight_smile:

And about myself: my avatar is my wormie OC, Dingle (the name came from the Preacher series, it’s amazing. the cartoon is amazing too and very different). He ISN’T an earthworm, doesn’t have that thicker part but I suppose its closest relative…? Not an existing species as far as I know, even without the stylization.
I am a super lazy, horrible person who should have changed their avatar to Dee, Dingle’s daughter who is a real cutie-pie, curious and daring. Like, years ago. Dee is probably 3 years old at this point.

(Jenna Ericson) #10

Hi! I like this thread. I took a video a while ago of a hawk eating something behind my apartment building. I sent it to my dad because he would always point them out to my sister and I while driving. I came to find out that within a few days of that, my sister had also sent my dad a video she’d taken of a hawk eating. These things tend to happen sometimes. It’s like a hive mind sort of thing.

I don’t always post on here because I’m not always doing keto - although I feel the best when I am. I mostly practice dirty keto when I’m eating that way :wink:

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #11

Awww we love birds visiting our London garden. Bit of genuine wildlife.
For one we often get noisy Parakeets.
Obviously not a native species but they are making themselves at home.
Some say their origins are from birds escaping the film ‘The African Queen’

#12

See? People get into personal experience topics like that. Could be anything. And it gives a friendly, chatty feeling.

#13

People can guess my second name (I used to display my first name too, and still share it with people on here…no big deal really), I’ve told them where i live but not precisely, I probably share pics of my beloved pet Doberdor Carly ad nauseam for some on here lol, I relay true life stories I’ve experienced, have shared where I studied and what employment/role I’m in, I’ve shared my health stats and unhealth stas on here, what meds I take/took, my weight, and I usually try to get on here to let people know what I’m buying, cooking and eating every day too!

Sheesh!
You don’t get much more platonically intimate than that with people you’ve never actually met before!

But yeah, a dedicated thread for slabbering about things inconsequential might me nice. :slight_smile:

What is a slabber in northern Irish slang?

“Slabber” is a Northern Irish and Scottish term that can be traced back to the Middle English word “slaberen,” which means “to spill” or “to let saliva flow” (3). In this context, “slabber” suggests excessive or loose talk .

#14

Well, Velvet is a real living Great Dane and my constant companion. Should you see me on the street, I would attract your attention - extra tall old woman with extra tall dog, lol. But anyone here is very unlikely to see me walking down the street.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #16

The goal of this site is to be a reference about ketogenic eating, from both the scientific and the practical points of view, and we would appreciate a focus on the keto diet as much as possible.

Richard Morris feels that there are plenty of other sites out there for chatting and personal revelation, and I agree with him. There is so much bad information about the keto diet out there, that we have made it our goal to provide accurate science, as well as encouragement to people’s keto endavours.

The admin staff has traditionally allowed a lot of leeway for accountability threads to discuss non-keto issues, and there are a couple of community threads of photos and animals that wax and wane in popularity. But really, we would like to see the focus stay pretty much on keto. There are plenty of social media sites, but there is only one Ketogenic Forums site.

Do you really all feel that we need to do the jobs of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Kbin, Lemmy, Mastodon, and Imgur, in addition to the one job that is ours alone?

#17

That never stopped me, sadly :slight_smile: I do write only once a day into the carnivore thread when I am not even keto but that’s it. I still have carni dishes, I still can talk about keto… And the forum helps me to come back and reading without writing, that doesn’t mix with me.

I love your username, by the way.

I see we still talk about birds… I very often see and especially hear male pheasants. They are super loud. But did you hear a swan landing on water…? I imagine all owls in near vicinity (maybe up to 1-2 km away) cringe… It’s SUPER load. Like, the swan does its absolute best to make the most noise possible and it’s highly talented…

My SO and I am not envious of many things in Australia (hot weather, all animals and many plants wanting to eat people… some are very bad at it but they still try etc.) but the kookaburras? They are the best. My SO adopted one in a Hungarian zoo once (just some money paid and he could visit for free and go near it on a dedicated day)… But we have so many beautiful birds too. My new favs are the red-footed falcon and the scops owl. I watch nests on webcams. The scops owl weigh only 60-100g :smiley:

But there are strangers there, not the lovely folks I somewhat know from here!
I don’t even do social media sites. I am way too asocial for that. My social life is almost only this forum since the village choir got disbanded. Of course, it’s my fault and stuff, it’s no excuse for anything, just saying.

Oh my, I only heard about half of those… :flushed:

But as far as social things go… Yes? We are humans here, wanting to talk about this and that. It’s how humans live. (Those sites probably have their own things though, I am not very familiar with it as I only use Facebook for 2 things: chatting with my Australian friend and reading one fun group. I don’t even have an account, I use my SO’s :slight_smile: )
I would badly miss the non-keto talk, thankfully there is enough on this forum. We do focus on keto a lot…

#18

The only thing I would use is WhatsApp occasionally, none of the above. (And watch Youtube.)
I’ve no time for the rest of that nonsense and propaganda.
Keep it keto here…with the odd bit of random humour :wink:

#19

Of course I don’t want a social media site, I don’t even use those. I just want to give posters a place to post after they’re not seeking Keto info anymore but would like to stay part of the community. That would solve the “wobbling” issue. It’s up to you whether you see value in that, not me.

(Robin) #20

I hate when you’re right. But, you’re right.
Ok.
We do get off course sometimes and that’s to be expected. But your point is valid.

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #21

I also get the points made. And I’m terrible for going ‘Off Topic’. I do share personal stuff but often that’s in a DM …… which I bore people with.
Apologies if you’re on the receiving end.