> Finding a solution probably first requires identifying what the cause of this perception -- that people must live up to a high standard to be worthy to post -- is in the first place. Maybe it's threads like these, containing people complaining about the state of the forum.
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> Others have said that posting things frequently results in debate, and that that's the problem. I'm not so sure that's the whole story. This place isn't all that hostile -- in fact I think it's pretty supportive compared to similar set-ups elsewhere on the net. (Just look at Zarniwoop's initial comments, that he can't/doesn't flip out at people on here.) Discussion and differing opinions should be welcome, and I think, with exceptions, we do a good job of keeping the flame wars out.
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> But it's perceptions, not facts, that matter. Is the perception *really* that this is such a hostile place, akin to a job interview, where you can be accepted or rejected based on how others feel about it? What on earth created this perception?

As others have said, I think the same thing applies to most good message forums: you want to make sure you'll fit in before you post. The big difference I see between this and other forums is that first, its membership is much smaller, and second, there really is a higher standard. The higher standard has been discussed, and I certainly wouldn't change it.

The smallness hurts because it makes one feel much more conspicuous as a newbie (and I feel like a newbie, even though I've been irregularly posting/lurking here for three and a half years). It's like the difference between moving to a small town and moving to New York City. In a big city, you have a certain margin for error: there are so many people and so much going on that even if you do something really stupid, most people won't notice, and you still have a chance to build yourself an identity apart from those initial mistakes. In a small town, on the other hand, everybody's watching you and forming opinions about you from the beginning, so there's really no room for you to make a mistake.

The other big obstacle I see that is unique to this forum is the tight community of Rinkies who have been here for years, who know each other, who spend a lot of time in chat, who go to RinkUnions, etc. I'm not complaining about the existence of this community, I think it's great, and I only wish I could have gotten in earlier so I could have been a part of it. However, you, the Rinkie community, need to decide what to do about us, the outsiders who still love this site and would love to be regularly engaged in discussions on this board. Do you really want our participation? It's my feeling that some do and some don't; or that most say they do, but when the moment really comes, they'd rather read and respond to posts by their friends than by strangers. That's only natural, but in a community as small as this it inhibits the entrance of "new blood" that several of you have been calling for.

I post far less often than I'd like to, simply because when I do post, there are rarely any replies. Without any kind of feedback, I don't have any idea whether my posts are even being read, let alone what kind of reaction they're getting. And it just feels like there's no point in posting here, when I can write in other places where I will get a response.