> Do I plan to hang around in RinkChat, being idle all the time? That's one thing I do not intend to do.

Guilty as charged. :-) (I am, after all, the Stoic Watchman of Chat.) I don't know why I do it, though. (Probably because I *can* -- I have two big monitors at work, and one of them is often occupied by RinkChat.) I think it's mostly because I'm the kind of person who likes to sit in the corner, listening to other people's conversations. If I have something I think is worth saying I'll say it, but that's not very often.

I have felt like you now and then; it's just become too big. There are too many people in RinkChat. Therefore I like it best in the morning. *My* morning, that is. Either I'm early enough to catch a few US citizens up late, or I'm too late for that and in chat all alone waiting for someone from the UK (or Finland :-)) to drop by -- the main point being that there are only a few people present. It's also okay in the early evening, when a few regulars may drop in while they're preparing for school or work or whatever. But after that, when the number of people grows beyond five or so, I start losing interest. It just gets too much. Too many people saying too many things. So then I drop out of the conversation, and go sit in the corner instead. (Also, I have to work. :-) But I still like to eavesdrop from time to time.

When the extra chat rooms appeared, I thought there was a chance that people would naturally divide into groups. This has not happened, and that says quite a bit about the kind of community RinkWorks is. We are not people to shut others out. (Although people do escape into other rooms from time to time, if the public rooms get too crazy.)

My point, if there is one at all... I like chat -- when there are few people around, and I'm fortunately in a position (in Norway, to be exact) to be around at times ideal for my preferences. I don't like chat when it's full of people. (Well, I still like it, but I don't feel like participating, which is kind of essential...) So I make sure to be in chat when I know I like it, and basically stay out (of either the conversation or chat as a whole) if I know I won't participate anyway. That's how *I* balance it.

But I understand where you're coming from, too. Whatever you decide, I'm glad to have met you, and your presence will be missed if you decide to leave.

Travholt.