What has Fluther done for you lately?

Ask not what Fluther can do for you. Ask what you can do for Fluther.

My Grandmother died today. Fluther has introduced me to the people that have comforted me more than anyone, aside from my own family.

There are truly great people on this site.

@kenmc I agree. Fluther recently helped me with a problem I had with my mother. I am truly grateful for the help I receive here. <3

It lets me swear and talk about zombies.

The fuck else do I need?

It gave me guidance in resume preparation (last month), and in my university hunt (5 months ago), and I’m putting to use advice from both of those this week.
And a while back it gave me two great friends, with whom I spent most of my night tonight giggling on Skype.
And it’s given me tons and tons of emails to read, so I never get bored. It was 186 for the past 24 hours. Which I think is a record.

[mod says] Please respect the wishes of the OP, and only say nice things.

Love, guidance and condolences when Tigh killed himself, information on how to get help for depression, humor, the feeling of closeness with people on the internet, recipes for yummy food, how to be and how not to be. :)

I love Fluther.

@Symbeline nothing. I lurve that about you! :D

The chance to discuss politics, philosophy, relationships, computer solutions, favorite books, favorite condiments and play a silly word game all at the same time and often with the same people.
Oh and watching trolls go up in flames with the swift justice of the ban-hammer of the mods.
I love the smell of trolls roasting in the twilight.

@Blueroses dark chocolate or milk chocolate? And I do prefer cinnamon graham crackers with my trolls’mores.

I’ve been gone a bit lately because of school, but essentially it’s nice to get reassured about concerns I have and I really love the community here. I’m really loving the changes that are being made. I was really happy to see the topic search engine finally make it.

@jonsblond trolls’mores are fab but I had the image of meat roasting on a stick. And everyone knows, weenies should be eaten with relish.

its real raw fucking philosophy. as iron sharpens iron so one man/women sharpens another

All that fluther has done for me lately, in the past week or so, is make me extremely cranky. I’m going to take a little break from here in the hope that I come back here a nice person.

And it’s not fluther’s fault, really. I just get cranky sometimes.

I love the community and the discussions here, especially in Social. It’s nice to find somewhere intelligent to discuss things. That’s quite a rarity on the internet.

Being on Fluther is still like being at a large family Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone generally has a good time, but sometimes the dinner rolls get thrown at each other. But at the core it’s a family.

It has given me a community of people I enjoy as well as useful information

@anartist I couldn’t have said it better. Lurve to you and GA.

Though it did raise my blood pressure quite a bit last night, I’ve also received some really great messages of support in the aftermath of that. That’s just the latest though. I’ve gained so much from being on Fluther that it’s hard to put it into words. Knowledge, mental stimulation, loads of laughs, a job, and – most importantly – getting to know some of the finest people I could ever hope to know.

I missed the whole negativity thread you speak of (link please).

Quite simply, Fluther keeps me sane and grounded.

@cprevite Here you go.

The best thing Fluther did for me was creating the social section. Usually, it’s lot of fun and the friendship are important also.

Technically, I appreciate how the staff listens to the needs and make strategic decisions on what gets put up on the drawing board. They prioritize well. They beta test. They notify in advance when the site will be going down. They follow up immediately by posting ‘What’s New’ and being available to answer questions. They are quick to fix any glitches. The rollout of the most recent changes was actually a pleasant experience compared to any site I’ve been on.

People I really like the people ‘see’ here on a regular basis. They are all helpful in their own way. Not a visit/day goes by without a good, hearty laugh from at least one post. Someone must have flagged one of my questions yesterday, and it was sent back for editing…twice. The moderator very politely pointed out the typos without using the ‘you dummy’ that it deserved. A couple of weeks ago, @jerv spent a chunk of his Sunday afternoon walking me through how to fix an electrical problem in my house via PM.

Gad, I like this site and the people that keep its heart beating.

Jellies made me laugh out loud when I really needed to, and convinced me not to leave. Who wouldn’t love that?

Interact with a bunch of online nutters…..losers…...strangers. The majority of which are, & i’m not afraid to admit this, totally cool folks who I lurve on a regular basis. Happy days! :¬)

This is nice to wake up to this morning. Wish I could be sitting with you all having a cup of coffee. well, not really. I haven’t showered yet. :P

@cprevite I’m sorry. I should have posted a link. Cookie?

@augustlan I just read this question and long post ”@cprevite here you go” and can only say that I got a lot of laughs from many witty and varied, even opposing viewpoints. I was genuinely able to give a lot of GA’s (not to toot my own horn, toot-toot!) I did not find the question and answers in the main anything other than informative of other people’s thought-processes. It was a joy to read, although very time-consuming.

So, back to @jonsblond‘s question. I have been absent for a while: I’ll tell you I’ve been on Mars, which is very beautiful at this time of year!

Now that I’m back I can honestly say that Fluther has given me a good reason to ground my own pain-in-the-derriere ego, and chill.

I am naturally very intense and serious, and I often get a great laugh from the wit I’ve seen here, wit I’ve rarely seen since my “school days” including a stint at a technical college in 1976 where I failed because I didn’t work! Funny thing, that!

Two examples of wit there were 1) a notice above the toilet-roll holder in the Maths Dept toilets that read, “University degrees. [downward arrow] Help yourself.” and 2) another on the door in the same cubicle saying, “Due to lack of interest, this door will not be published in paperback.” Obviously, both were graffiti, but very entertaining and very Australian humour.

So I feel I’m in the company of great beer-swilling-poop-talking intellectuals who can stand a joke and be human.

And that helps to balance me out and mellow me.

So, Yes! I love Fluther, and would hate to see it die the death of a thousand knives.

Further, many of my past opinions and posts were probably too hard-hitting, so I’ll tone down my answers/opinions for future replies.

To my fellow Flutherites/Flutheronians, I say: Thank you. You make Fluther a great place.

Fluther has made me laugh, made me angry and made me cry. I love it here. Usually…

But seriously, there are some really great people here who I truly enjoy and appreciate. I made some new friends in the last couple of weeks, and I find myself thinking about them at odd moments of the day when I’m not even on the computer. I gravitate towards people who don’t roll their eyes at my odd sense of humor and especially those who know even if I’m venting/ranting, that I’m not a complete bitch! I find it comforting to have “stranger friends” who seem to somewhat understand me and where I’m coming from, even if we don’t agree on absolutely everything.

I also love the combination of serious questions and goofy questions. I need both; it keeps me sane. I have a brain, a really pretty one, but I like to flip the idle switch sometimes and just be silly. I like that I can do that here. And I like the fact that if you post a very personal question about a current experience, that a ton of people are here and willing to offer sympathy and support. It makes it feel more like a family. Perhaps a dysfunctional family… but a family nonetheless.

I love you guys on Fluther!

@jonsblond: you have to ask? ;^)

Fluther has been my refuge for the 9 LONG months I have been laid off and unable to find a job. And most recently it has been the place I turn to be entertained and to get my mind off of my very sick mom if only for an hour or so a day.

I love the folks, the kidding, the loving thoughts, the intellectual discussions and sometimes even the feuding and the fussing. I have made many great and grumpy friends here. Auggie, the boys and the whole Mod Squad are just wonderful and I hate to see them get dumped on.

Fluther gives me mental refuge.
A place where I feel that I can discuss essentially anything that I want with a community of people that I have grown to love, trust, and respect.
I am able to retreat from the bullshit that real life is dealing lately and decompress. Fluther allows to me to learn, to give and receive advice, to goof off if I feel so inclined – and to find myself absolutely frustrated with people that hold an opposing viewpoint.
Even in the most brutal debates, I find that Fluther has this sort layered mentality. We will butt heads until most of us can’t take it anymore, but there is always a second “layer” that will jump in with peacekeeping words or a smartass joke, to lighten the mood, to keep everyone woven together, despite our vast differences.
I come here because I regard this community as one of the most diverse, intelligent, loving and funny groups of people I have ever come across on an internet forum. You can’t please everyone, that’s true, but I’d rather spend my free time talking with the people here now… than the group of elitist assholes that some people seem think we ought to be striving to be.

Interacting with strangers
I wouldn’t dream of walking up to a complete stranger in the street and start talking to them, but here I am on Fluther doing exactly that!!

I like the company and I learn things with which to astound friends and family.

Fluther has given me a lovely community in which to have intelligent conversations and delve into serious matters, but also an online Jelly family with whom I can cut loose and be just be silly. It’s been very easy to fall in lurve with this place because I was immediately welcomed and made to feel like I belong here. As soon as I found the site, I could tell from the graphics and whimsical way the site was put together that this was the place for me.

Specifically, Dr. Jelly’s response to my [well, my bunny avatar’s] ode to him gave me the biggest kick I’ve had all week. That was mad cool because it was taken in the silly spirit in which it was intended and Dr. J played back. I love it when people do that.

@diavolobella Awesome poems! That made my day. :)

Fluther got me laid. Although that wasn’t lately.

@nikipedia gets more out of Fluther than I do. :-(

That’s what I call making Fluther work for you!

I’m dying to know how it happened, so I can take notes.

I must not be doing something right ^^^

Fluther offers the potential for transparent community. (Not that I don’t know some excellent people already, just that I could figure out how to connect with them more.)

I’ve been depressed for the past couple of weeks. The first things that get shut off when depression hits are my connection to other people and the ability to communicate. There are multiple factors at play, but partly I just feel like I’m on one side of the Grand Canyon and everyone else is on the other. I haven’t had the mental energy to participate much, to think about things, to come up with good answers, or to get into debates or discussions with people.

Yet, I check in multiple times a day. Fluther’s been a kind of anchor to reality and to other people, even if I find myself unable to participate. It makes me a bit sad when I realize that the only real socializing I’ve done lately (apart from Halloween) is lurking on Fluther. I really didn’t intend for this answer to be so depressing, actually quite the opposite. I basically wanted to say that, simply by existing, that Fluther and you guys have given me a link to the world and other people in a time where I’d otherwise probably be feeling super lonely and contemplating how much I wish I didn’t exist.

@MissAnthrope I can get the same way. Sending you ((hugs)), I am glad you’re someone I know.

I’m rather new here but Fluther gives me answers, questions and laughter (and sometimes annoyances lol). It keeps me thinking and open. I’m not a social person at all. Fluther gives me a chance to have a voice – without most of the anxiety and fear.

I ended up on Fluther because of something I was googling. I found myself staying because of the intellectual atmosphere of the collective here.

If I could help everyone and learn everything in the world…I would. But I can’t, so here I am.

I’m still learning the rules and social etiquette of Fluther ..so, please be patient with me :)

@liminal – Thanks, I appreciate the hugs! I’m trying to pull myself out of it.. my plan was to start exercising, which I did, but then I got the hugest gnarly blister on my heel, making it impossible to wear shoes, thus impossible to exercise.. ugh.

I have picked up a few tips for surviving the Zombie Apocalypse (I unfortunately missed the Walking Dead the other night) and I have been given a great recipe for soup.

@MissAnthrope Try a few 12oz curls (maybe 40 oz) :)
Glad to see you back here. You were missed!

Add me to the list of not very social. Fluther is wonderful for people like us.

(((hugs))) @MissAnthrope

@flutherother Walking Dead was great! I loved it and can’t wait for tomorrow’s episode. :)

@flutherother The pilot episode of “The Walking Dead” is on Hulu now. Enjoy it, because it appears to be the only episode that they’ll show.

@mrentropy no!!! say it isn’t so :(

@jonsblond @mrentropy Thanks for the tip I’ll try and watch it online.
(Bummer, Hulu doesn’t work outside the USA. Oh well)

@jonsblond It’s true. And it doesn’t look like AMC will be showing episodes on their website.
@flutherother Um. Hm.

I’m just going to be honest….

Over the past few months, I had grown sad over what I thought Fluther had become. So much so that for a while I rarely answered questions. Regarding the spectacle the other night, it might not have happened the right way, but I’m not sorry it happened. A discussion was born encompassing a myriad of issues, both on the front lines and behind the scenes.

After talking about issues (both ones mentioned in the HUGE thread, and ones not mentioned) and addressing concerns with users, mods, and community managers for hours… days… I see that there are so many people trying to make Fluther the best it can be. I like that about Fluther.

I’ve slowly started to be more active in the community (I’ve answered two or three questions today!) because of some of the comments on “that thread.” Ones along the lines of “if you want quality, produce quality.” I realize that I don’t want to throw up my hands and give up on something I enjoy… ahem… that’s you, Fluther.

Additionally, and a bit more personally, I’d like to say sorry to fellow mods and the staff. I’ve been kind of a moody butt lately because of all this going on. Thanks for putting up with all my complaining and talking me to calmness from my stages of upset. I’ll try to be a better jelly and mod.

<3

It gave me a laugh today. And yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that.

oooohhhh. Wait. I actually have a serious answer to this.

I’m a “guy’s girl”, most girls are negligible and dumb and soooo not me.

In Fluther, I have met so many friends… girls who care about more than calorie counts… girls who can be silly/funny/smart… girls a lot like me.
Guys who like my opinions without knowing my bra size
I have at least one dear friend through Fluther who will be my sister ‘til the end (You know who you are, missy) and sweet, married boys who I can safely flirt with… lurve y’all.
My funny, fantastic new sisters…. you are priceless.

It’s been a wonderful, little distraction from my family troubles.

“I know Fluther used to do nice stuff for you, but, what has it done for you late-ly”...

Challenged some of my assumptions.

@PluckyDog I ended up on Fluther because of something I was googling. Me too!