I'm not online as much at the moment either and don't know the incident Dee is referring too, but Shay, it doesn't sounds as if it's the 'Poll' debate (no 'freebie' members on there for a start).

Dee, I totally echo what everyone says about your contribution to the site, etc. However, if this site is important to you, then why let such comments get to you so much? Why feel you need to 'battle' and use up 'energy'? A person chucking insults around only really has as much power as you allow them.

You're known and valued on the site and they are not, therefore you don't need to worry what anyone thinks. Some people just write crap and get involved in rows on the internet because they're bored or get kicks. It's a fact of internet use. Crap/dangerous drivers are a fact of our roads, but do you give up driving because of it?

Cath

Shay and all the other ladies,

Yes, I did feel insulted, more so as it concerned children. But what the heck, Life is too short to prolong something like this. However, if you stood between Dee and me I wouldn't stand a chance against BOTH of you.

I shall say no more on that subject. I missed comments on or by Hod, but obviously he/she dropped a real brick as far as Dee is concerned. It's a joke... HOD....bricks... Ah Well, one can do but try.

That five-digit thing poking through the ethereal mist is my hand.

Len

Dee, you were very kind to me when I first joined this site and I won't ever forget that.
Please don't slip away from the site - you're such a valuable member.
Caroline

Good grief! I am absolutely overwhelmed by all these good wishes. Thank you so much, everyone.

First of all, let me say to Len that I'm sorry he felt insulted. That was not my intention. However, I don’t want to bring that discussion onto this thread, so let that be the end of it please.

I suppose, with my level of involvement, I shouldn’t be surprised when things turn unpleasant occasionally, but it becomes more difficult to cope with each time it happens. Yesterday’s flaming from a non-member - who joined twice with, apparently, no other objective than to have a pop at me - just went too far. I did come very close to leaving WW altogether but that would have been cutting off my own nose.

I'll still be around, but I don’t feel like posting any of my work just now. That’s why I felt it only fair to resign from the groups I was in. I’ll try to comment as much as I can but, for a while, I'm going to see if I can keep my head down and concentrate on getting the first draft of IFD finished.

Thank you all so much for your lovely messages. They mean so much.

Dee
xxx

Er, Len, I'm a bloke. A geezer. A gent. I've had this before... that my nom de plume sounds feminine, but no, like the Newcastle United goalie of the same moniker I'm a man.

Shay,

Of course you are. Oh dear! I dropped that clanger on another occasion a short while ago I think.

My very sincere apologies. To me it sounds so romantic, so - er - feminine. I have visions of a dark-haired beauty standing on a Tor with the fresh breeze playing with her long locks. No, I definitely do not fancy you Shay (What a lovely name).

Shay is a bloke.
Shay is a man
Shay is a gentleman.
Shay is a male.
Shay has a girl's name.

Len

I was really confused way back when I got some comments from 'Ralph' who later turned out to be a female. I say turned out, I'm sure she was female along, but it through me. Whatever happened to Ralph?

Perhaps we should set up WW reunited.

Hi Dee,

I just wanted to say you're so valued here, please don't pull back too much. I look forward to reading more of TFD when it’s ready.
x

Colin - Found it!

Shay - Prove it!

Ha Ha Ha,

I thought Ralph was a bloke too, but of a slightly feminine persuasion. Nowt wrong with that though. I've got pink fluffy baubles on my christmas tree.

Colin M

Hi,

I haven't got a clue what's been going on, as at the moment I'm one of the 'freebie non members'.

I hope however that this incident isn't going to make you tar all non members with the same brush.

Inevitably, there will always be the odd idiot who temporarily joins sites just to behave like tw**s and insult people. The only thing worth doing is to ignore them, otherwise you are letting them get to you and they have won.

You must all have been newbies (I hate that term), or non members in the beginning, and it really is the only way to see if you are going to get anything out of a site before parting with any money.

Please take heart, we are not all the same, dont let anyone get you that down. Just try to rise above it and take it for what it must have been, stupid idiots acting like kids.

From all the comments here, you sound like a much valued member, it would be a shame to lose someone like that, especially for decent newcomers who are going to need someone like you to help them in their initial navigations of the site.

Kat x

Dee my love

Don't you dare leave! You are one of the writers who first attracted me to this site, and I have an immense respect for you and your work. We haven't always seen eye to eye on certain subjects, but your comments are always considered and on several occasions have changed my own blinkered stance. Your encouragement has helped me to thrive as a writer, and I view you as a friend after so much time. I know you have the maturity and the good sense to rise above such stupid remarks, and if you assume the shape of the proverbial duck, these foul waters will wash from your feathers like so much chaff.

Love and a big hug of support

Your friend

JB

Hi Dee,

Please don't leave!

I haven't been on WW that long but you have already helped me so much and I really appreciate it.

We need you - I haven't seen the poll thread recently and have no idea what is causing you so much distress but I'm sure it's not worth it. (That's not to devalue your feelings.)

You must know how much you're valued and how much we would miss you.

I was on a thread on another site last week that got closed down and I have no idea why - don't think it was anything I said? Left me wondering and feeling obscurely guilty even though I don't think it was me!

Writing is all about self expression and I suppose it is bound to cause controversy now and again but you have a right to say what you think just as anyone else has a right to disagree. Don't let anyone take that away from you!

See you soon,

Sarah
(optimist)

I'm not going to leave, and I don’t consider all non-members the same. The majority are either serious about their writing or testing the water – or both. This particular character made no contribution to the site other than to insult me. I have no idea why. As I said earlier, this is not the first time it’s happened to me. Last time I did ignore it and was accused of hiding behind someone who spoke up on my behalf. So, either way, I can’t win.

However, I'm feeling much better now. The good wishes and emails I've had have been fantastic. I do need to keep my head down for a while longer, as I have some editing to do, but I'm not going away and I’ll be active again as soon as I've done this work.

Thanks everyone for being so lovely.

Dee

Katarina, I agree with everything you say (including hating the term newbie!!).

Cath

Thanks Cath,

It's hard when you're a new person, as everyone else is already established and know each other, and you feel a bit like an outsider, so it's nice to have someone 'talk' to me, and not mind me joining in with discussions.

I have been on other sites before, one biker related one, (we have a motorbike), and I got fed up with all the childish banal comments from supposed adults who were picking on members and generally behaving worse than my 7 year old niece, so I left.

If I join a site, it's because I hope to get something constructive out of it, and hopefully be able to put something back in too, and it really annoys me when idiots spoil it. Luckily they are only the small minority.

Kat