I like it here.

[misfit]

I`ve been lurking around on this site for about seven months now. About a week ago I registered on the HA forum and I can`t believe the difference. They have more pics than any one man can look at but I couldn`t believe the amount of mean spirited,rude and ignorant posts.

I guess what I`m saying is if I want a quick pic fix I`ll go there but if I want intelligent conversation and a little politeness I`ll stay here.

I like it here.:)

[Jordan]

Welcome! We do post pics on occasion, but this is mainly a discussion board we do have an Adult section as well. I hope you start to post now rather than lurk! lol

[misfit]

I`ll try Jordan. You look awesome in your profile pic.

Mike

[Jordan]

Thank you Mike! Here is an extra one for you!

[afroauthor]

Glad to see you posting. It's always good to have a new poster to add their two cents worth.

And let me concur with Mike, Jordan does look amazing in her profile picture, as well as every other picture I've seen of her. More than that she has an amazing mind.

[AsiaMei]

welcome! yes sometimes h.a. can be a bit much but still cool.
just keep out of the posts which are not so nice. lolx.

[BeardedOne]

HA is the local biker bar. While many of your friends may hang out there, TGT is the more 'family friendly' sort of venue where you can spend an evening with friends and expect to get home with your wallet, car, and ass intact.

[Ecstatic]

HA = locker room or biker bar

Hung Devils = the friendly lounge where everybody knows your nick

TGT = the Saturday afternoon cookout and discussion group

;)

[MJLuck1369]

I just started posting myself, I've never actually been anywhere else.

[DeliaTS]

Welcome to the lurker and the newcomer! I love the different analogies given by BeardedOne and Ecstatic. Very fitting!

[misfit]

Thanks Delia,by the way I loved that whole cupcake thing. :)

[punkboysc]

Some super friendly people here and a place to really be yourself. I also have no idea what HA is??

[afroauthor]

Don't worry about it tmjharp, just forget you ever heard HA, you'll be fine. :lol:


And we have some of the best people in the world here.

[flombago]

HA ? You'd think people are just trying to save time using shorthand, but I suspect some are embarrased by what it spells out: hungangels.com

HA promotes TG parties (mainly in NYC), pornography and the careers of some TGirls. There are free pics on some threads (these usually have 100K+ views) which effectively advertise the porn sites.

HA also has a lot of discussion. I think the traffic is at least 10 times higher than tgirltalk (TGT), maybe 100 times. In my opinion, only ~2% of it is interesting, making it far less efficient than TGT. And let's just say you need a thick skin to post there.

[punkboysc]

Oh ok I think I got it now.

[flabbybody]

HA ? You'd think people are just trying to save time using shorthand, but I suspect some are embarrased by what it spells out: hungangels.com

HA promotes TG parties (mainly in NYC), pornography and the careers of some TGirls. There are free pics on some threads (these usually have 100K+ views) which effectively advertise the porn sites.

HA also has a lot of discussion. I think the traffic is at least 10 times higher than tgirltalk (TGT), maybe 100 times. In my opinion, only ~2% of it is interesting, making it far less efficient than TGT. And let's just say you need a thick skin to post there.

its not really about competition
sometimes you wanna dine on a lobster and sometimes you feel like a Big Mac.
they both taste great. jus depends on ur mood

[flombago]

Amidst the chaff, there are some fascinating and eye-opening themes on HA, but I wonder how representative they are of the TGirl universe versus just the corner inhabited by HA.

For example, there's the idea of male admirers often being closet homosexuals who suffer anxiety about being open or about confronting their sexuality. This forces a useful self-examination for some of us.

Then there's the theme of TGirls feeling that men treat them like sex objects and secret fetishes, so some of these girls (at least on HA) decide it's logical to make the men pay for their encounters (i.e. prostitution). I think I understand better the social dynamics, and it was a surprise to me.

And there are several other surprising ideas and expert analyses on HA, though, again, I wonder how representative it is of the whole. Does anyone have an idea ?

.

[Jim Beaux]

Amidst the chaff, there are some fascinating and eye-opening themes on HA, but I wonder how representative they are of the TGirl universe versus just the corner inhabited by HA.


I'd have to say there are often times when the psychology of the forums are more interesting than the content.

You get the forum parameters when people pile in with views on what you can post and what you can't.

You get the defining envelope when a mod feels the need to have the last say before shutting a thread.

And of course the ultimate when you are following a thread quite amusedly and then, whoops, it's just been deleted.

It's not the argy-bargy I enjoy, I can't hack that. It's just the psychology and the picture it paints of the people involved.

[flombago]

The nature of a forum gets defined by who chooses to stay, and the people who leave probably feel like they didn't belong or were bored. A forum is a herd with a distinct social dynamic and a gradual evolution. If you want a forum to be a certain way, the only thing to do is stay and make your voice heard. But you might need a thick skin.

On HA there are some brave people who make constructive discussion, like maggiegee. She used to post here too, but has been absent for a long time. That should tell you something. I'm guessing it's because of the lack of traffic, of give-and-take.

[Ecstatic]

its not really about competition
sometimes you wanna dine on a lobster and sometimes you feel like a Big Mac.
they both taste great. jus depends on ur mood

That's it in a nutshell. I was a bit glib (tongue-in-cheek) in my comments above, but really each of these forums has its own flavor and as flombago says each develops over time. I've got well over 5000 posts on Hung Angels, though admittedly I've been conspicuous in my absence there, mostly due to lack of time. I'm more active on Hung Devils these days, with over 2000 posts there, but that's partly because it still has that "new forum smell"--I've been a member since 2005, but it's only been for just about a year now that HD has really built a lot in popularity and traffic, so it's more engaging in that sense.

And of course, Tgirl Talk is tops for me...being a mod and admin here, I'm more than a little biased. ;)

[Jim Beaux]

The nature of a forum gets defined by who chooses to stay, and the people who leave probably feel like they didn't belong or were bored. A forum is a herd with a distinct social dynamic and a gradual evolution. If you want a forum to be a certain way, the only thing to do is stay and make your voice heard. But you might need a thick skin.

On HA there are some brave people who make constructive discussion, like maggiegee. She used to post here too, but has been absent for a long time. That should tell you something. I'm guessing it's because of the lack of traffic, of give-and-take.

I am in active, co-operative collaberation with Maggie, literally this very day (5 Feb 09).

Maggie is working very hard on a number of fronts within her own sphere of activism. Plus she lives in a real world which requires time and energy.

I know for a fact that Maggie has read some of the stuff posted on here in the last couple of months. I asked for her view on a particular topic in HA that referred to a thread in TGT. She gave a reply that could only have come if she had visited here.

I'd guess it's hard for someone like Maggie to function across multiple forums with a porn flavour. It's not really the core battle she's fighting.

I will not claim to be able to predict how Maggie would react, but I have just a feeling that she might be touched by the sentiment you have expressed.

Would you be acceptable if I asked her to look at what you've posted?

Switching back to HA, it has a role. But it's infertile ground. I've gone in to bat for Maggie on HA, I've gone in to bat for HA here. Both are tough work with limited reward.

What the heck. It's only 2009. Now by 3009 .............. :D

[flombago]

Sure, tell her, I don't mind. I just was guessing someone like Maggie preferred HA because of it's increased volume and exposure. Well, maybe I should NOT guess what she thinks and I think it was a mistake to single her out. But it's one of the tugs I feel when comparing TGT to HA.

[BeardedOne]

It's tough to describe the various forums to the outside world. In basic factors, I might refer to HA as a rowdy sports bar on Superbowl Sunday while TGT might be more of an eclectic cafe of local friends chatting about their various life experiences. Ms. Hara's forum is a bit like someone's living or dining room, filled with close friends while Vicki's/HD is more of a loud family party.

They all play their various roles while some of us like to pub-crawl, as it were, and make brief visits at each.

[Jim Beaux]

Sure, tell her, I don't mind. I just was guessing someone like Maggie preferred HA because of it's increased volume and exposure. Well, maybe I should NOT guess what she thinks and I think it was a mistake to single her out. But it's one of the tugs I feel when comparing TGT to HA.

I've passed the link to your post on to Maggie. I know she's got a backlog of stuff she's working on for IPOWA so it could take her a while to get round to it.

[maggiegee]

I am in active, co-operative collaberation with Maggie, literally this very day (5 Feb 09).

Maggie is working very hard on a number of fronts within her own sphere of activism. Plus she lives in a real world which requires time and energy.

I know for a fact that Maggie has read some of the stuff posted on here in the last couple of months. I asked for her view on a particular topic in HA that referred to a thread in TGT. She gave a reply that could only have come if she had visited here.

I'd guess it's hard for someone like Maggie to function across multiple forums with a porn flavour. It's not really the core battle she's fighting.

I will not claim to be able to predict how Maggie would react, but I have just a feeling that she might be touched by the sentiment you have expressed.

Would you be acceptable if I asked her to look at what you've posted?

Switching back to HA, it has a role. But it's infertile ground. I've gone in to bat for Maggie on HA, I've gone in to bat for HA here. Both are tough work with limited reward.

What the heck. It's only 2009. Now by 3009 .............. :D


I've passed the link to your post on to Maggie. I know she's got a backlog of stuff she's working on for IPOWA so it could take her a while to get round to it.

Back when I returned from my self-imposed exile from the transcommunity,
I began a very aggressive cyber advocacy campaign.

I likened myself to a circuit rider. I was a ubiquitous poster. You might see
my postings on transrights, advocacy, and education, any and everywhere.

As time transpired, I realized that the very things that drove me away from
the community were still very prevalent.

There was still the in-fighting, and shadiness amongst the women.

There was still objectification, misogyny, and transphobia by the men

Further, most serious topics were met with apathy and disinterest, while
threads with cock picks, drama, flaming, etc. flourished.

It is not high traffic that drives me to a site. HA has alot of traffic, they
also have a helluva alot of drama, which has driven me away.

As Jim as alluded to, I am a very busy woman with a finite amount of time,
and don't always get around to all of the sites I would like to, I have also
modified my advocacy approach.

Bottom line TGT is a site that I have enjoyed posting to and have enjoyed
the many polite and intelligent discourses on.

I may not be around as much as I once was, but I remain.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/magi43/batsignallogic.jpg

[Ecstatic]

Welcome back, Maggie, though I know you never actually left! Keeping it real is what you do best, and what the community needs, so keep on keeping on.

[BeardedOne]

Always a pleasure and an experience reading your posts Maggie. Thanks for stopping by.

B1/"The General"

[maggiegee]

Welcome back, Maggie, though I know you never actually left! Keeping it real is what you do best, and what the community needs, so keep on keeping on.

Always a pleasure and an experience reading your posts Maggie. Thanks for stopping by.

B1/"The General"


E, General, no matter where I see you, it's always wonderful to do so. ;)

I will try not to be such a stranger, particularly given that there are so
many people here that I am very fond of, and that some really cool new
folks are contributing.

[flombago]

A couple of questions for maggigee --

1. What are the goals and methods of your advocacy campaign ?

2. How can an ordinary guy like me help ?

[Jim Beaux]

A couple of questions for maggigee --

1. What are the goals and methods of your advocacy campaign ?

2. How can an ordinary guy like me help ?

Until Maggie replies.....

Have a look at http://theipowa.org (the International Post Op Women's Organization) which has aims and ethos for Maggie's work. Possibly that can help you to think further re point 2).

At the moment, Maggie is working on articles on women in Islam. If you spend just 5 minutes digging into that you'll find it's fascinating.