Is the DIS REALLY 'different'?

[katerkat]

Hmm, I don't know. My web experience is slightly different -- I started out on a wedding planning board, where I found out about the DIS. It was different because there were journals where you could really get to know people. Now, three years later, I've met IRL 90% of the gals who post in my journal. I even went to one's Disney wedding! If I had only gone on the DIS, I might have met her (she's wdwpluto - posts in the Disney areas mainly), but I doubt I would have known her well enough to go to her wedding. The journals really made that site and its spin-off different.

However, for a site that sticks (mainly) to one topic without journals, I think the DIS is pretty typical. Most of the "topic" boards I post on tend to do the same things, just with different topics. The wedding board, without journals now, is going in the same direction.

 

[Blondie]

I think the DIS is different in that it is just so big now.

It felt more like a community where everyone knew your name 4 years ago. It's lost some of the hometown feeling for me, but I guess that is to be expected as BB's grow and become more popular.

 

[Robinrs]

I check out several different boards nowadays because the DIS is so UN-me lately. I think, in some sense, I've outgrown it.

I have found my world to be more narrow now, and I need to be around more like minds.

The DIS will always be home but it's just not MY home anymore.

 

[Philharmagik]

Do you know how big the DIS is? I am overwhelmed! I have been to a lot of the Forum Archives since I registered yesterday, the DIS is huge!
Of course you know how big the DIS is.
That was a dumb
qestion!

I have been to some yahoo forums and they are nice. the people are nice too. The DIS is different though and not just because it is so much bigger. DIS people seem so much friendlier and helpful. not just on a one to one but as a whole big family. Then there are the polls and the games and the differnt stuff like tagiliarchy and homelis and clique cliques and so many more. Busy too. I stil haven't made it to page 2 on the community board yet. I have been here a day and i am hooked line and sinker. yes the DIS is different and special.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't think that the DIS is particularly unique except for its size and scope. There are certainly other friendly Disney communities out there like Intercot, WDW Mania, Our Laughing Place, Deb's site and a few others plus some of the smaller places like the Lodge and so on. All of these places are fun and welcoming but they are just smaller.

This place is cliquey but I don't that's unique to the DIS. It's just something that happens when people hang out together for a long time.

 

[FroggyinArk]

welcome aboard phil.. i only been here a few months and lurked the first month or so,, we started out online with yahoo chat back before it got to be "nightly sl## of the moment " chat, we still go in occasionally but with all the hacker wanna bes and the porn ads , we were drifting away from uinternet chat and forums all together, now that i have found d is,, its not as much of a one on one instant chat but i like the family oriented themes, the fact that every one here is at least a disney visitor or has some common thread, i e the fact we are all hooked on a4 ft mouse and that everyone here has so far seamed willing and sincere about reaching out and saying hello, how are you, i like that when the story of my accident and what happened to me was mentioned,, ppl here took it to heart and actually made an effort to tell me so, I can bet that We will meet at least a few of the ppl here , eiher in wdw or elsewhere, and i can promise that it wotn be like the yaho meeets we hear about from our old group whgere the drugs the alchohol, the flat out see what we can do to get into something attitude wont be there . granted we have several very fast friend son yahoo still, some we would trust with anything, but the majority of the pl we chat with there are just not ppl we would hang out with or meet up with for dinner. here i wiould not mind anyone shareing a meal and coffee,,, no one here has made me feel unwelcome and thanks to some... ( dan and a few other old time disers) i really fgeel like i have a new net home , that yahoo chat is going to become second rate to this and i have checked out sevearl forum board ssince my accident to meet support groups etc,, dis has ben the best support group yet. so to those regulars who have accepted a one eyed froggy lookin feller with open arms,, t hank you, to the newer folks welcome aboard and to dan,, yeah the dis is special, and different, if only because those of us here have infected it with a lil pixie dust and disney magic.

 

[snoopy]

What I always find fascinating about the DIS is the longevity of so many of its members. I've never posted regularly at any other BB that wasn't a DIS spinoff, so I don't know about other communities. I just know this one must have something special about it, because people keep coming back. When I consider the fact that these forums and many of the people who participate here have been part of my life for 6 years it sort of blows my mind. I don't know if other communities can make that same boast, I think its pretty amazing though.

 

[Magix]

The other boards I visit are all Champ Car racing related. They simply don't have the family atmosphere you find here at the DIS. The off-topic boards at the other places I frequent don't have the scope of topics the DIS covers. It can get extremely ugly at times other places - if you think the DIS gets nasty, you should try going to a Champ Car forum and posting something nice about the IRL! It'll be like a nuclear bomb going off!

I've never found another web forum that offered the kind of support that the DIS family offers. I've made friends from various racing forums, and long-time members can find some support when it's needed, but overall they just don't show themselves to be the kind of truly caring people that populate the DIS.

I do feel this is a very special place. It sometimes has its problems, but they're minor compared to what I've found elsewhere. Cliquish? I suppose you could look at it that way. But, I think it's more just groupings of people with common interests. It's easy to make yourself a part of one - just start posting, they'll welcome you in soon enough.

 

[always quiet]

While the DIS, the discussion board, is probably a lot like other Disney discussion boards, the community of friends that make up this place, are very unique and special. You can come here, kick back and relax and talk about anything (and probably everything!). You can get wonderful advice on any topic you can think of, so many different opinions blend together in a wonderful mixture, a delicious brew of humor, compassion, laughter, tears, support, and a sprinkling of pixie dust! Some bonds that we form here spill over into real life and many friendships have been formed.

Yes, the DIS FAMILY is very special indeed!! :thewave:

 

[kilee]

I personally really enjoy coming here-- even when nothing "disney" related is going on. I do frequent a teen pregnancy board as a volunteer counselor, which is so different from this as I find it to be emotionally exhausting going there. I also had in the past frequented the about.com boards often. The feel there was very distant and technical. So, I for one am truly comfortable here at the DIS.

 

[pjlla]

I kind of have to agree about what some previous posters mentioned about the "Tag Fairy" business. I have recently been feeling (honestly, no joke) very pushed aside/ignored regarding the "tagging". I have seen many (at least 3 or 4) recent "Thank you for my Tag" threads by posters with less than 300 posts.... under 150 in at least one case! I am over 1000 and have yet to see a tag. I try to "play nice with others" and participate and be funny and endearing, but still no tag! I have read that you are not supposed to ask for a tag, so I HAVEN'T! But I gave it some thought and decided it was a silly, childish thing to even think about. So... if it happens.. great and if it doesn't that's fine too. I still love being here on the "Dis".

And I understand what people are saying about the cliques.... but I figure if you are posting a statement, question, problem, or whatever on a board frequented by over 50,000 people, you can't be intentionally directing things to one person or group of people. If I read something interesting and I want to comment, I do.... whether I feel "included" or not!! As far as people getting attacked...... I just follow that old rule that Thumper's mother taught him "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!"........................P

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by snoopy
What I always find fascinating about the DIS is the longevity of so many of its members. I've never posted regularly at any other BB that wasn't a DIS spinoff, so I don't know about other communities. I just know this one must have something special about it, because people keep coming back. When I consider the fact that these forums and many of the people who participate here have been part of my life for 6 years it sort of blows my mind. I don't know if other communities can make that same boast, I think its pretty amazing though.

I don't think it's particularly unique... The wedding site I went to just closed its home/baby sister sites. On closing day, many of the members were talking about being there when the site first started six years ago. I think if a site starts up and is able to keep going, there will always be a group of core members that will stick with it.

 

[legs22]

I kind of have to agree about what some previous posters mentioned about the "Tag Fairy" business. I have recently been feeling (honestly, no joke) very pushed aside/ignored regarding the "tagging". I have seen many (at least 3 or 4) recent "Thank you for my Tag" threads by posters with less than 300 posts.... under 150 in at least one case! I am over 1000 and have yet to see a tag.

I thought I would never get tagged. I also saw people with less posts that had tags. When I finally did get tagged, I had over 1000 posts. So don't give up hope just yet

 

[Pembo]

I don't know if the DIS is different, I just like the CB because no matter what your question, problem, concern~someone can help. I've gotten more information here than from anywhere else. (Thank you all).

As for the cliques~I'm only apart of the All My Children clique and that is fine with me.

 

[Catzeyes]

I've been here a long time and while I am not in any group I have made a couple of very special friends here. So it's very special to me and while I enjoy my other boards this will always me home for me.

 

[LScot]

I've visited several Disney boards and they seem to be very much like this one as far as people being close and "knowing" each other.

I visit another non-Disney board that has the most wonderful posters whom I feel a deep connection with. The CB will never be like it because the CB is too big for that type of closeness. But for the size of it, the CB is a nice place with a bit too much of tag fairies, groups and nasty posters who like to put their 2 cents in when they should just hit the back button instead.

 

[Jillpie]

I was, and still am, a member of Intercot before I came to the Dis. I love Intercot and the people there, its more of a smaller family. I find I tend to come here more just because of the huge amounts of responses I get to any question I post. Its truly amazing. You can post, and get a response within seconds or minutes. That is the only thing that I was finding pretty frustrating with Intercot...I would post and not get an answer, if at all. I'd post the same question here, and instantly I get an answer. Anyway, to answer your question Dan, I guess I don't find the Dis unique because other sites are very similar. What I love about it is its sheer size of people. I don't see the cliques that others are talking about, I just don't get involved like that. I just come here to share my absolute love of all things Disney, and I get that every day.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I'm amazed at how the DIS has grown since I first logged on in January of 2000. I think the number of registered members was around 10,000. Back in the earlier days there were standards on the boards and certain subjects were tabu but it seems anything goes now
However, that said, I still find the DIS is my favorite web site and feel truly blessed to have met a few of the DISers as a result of my association here. Why I can even brag that I've had the pleasure to meet the infamous Dan Murphy!

TC

 

[kilee]

I am over 1000 and have yet to see a tag. I try to "play nice with others" and participate and be funny and endearing, but still no tag!

You are tagged though. ???

 

[Trish5768]

Yes, it is different. I've been here for a few years now, I wandered over to the CB for an answer to a question and have never left. I don't know any of you personally (although I'd love to meet some of you) I think you can get a feel for a person after you've read many of their posts. IMHO most here are very kind, decent people and thats what keeps me coming back.