rod
Retired 22 years
Great post. I started with the company in 2009 and started reading the forum a couple months later. I "lurked" until last summer without posting/registering because I felt I hadn't "earned" a right to post yet. Over the last few years I've seen quite a bit on the board, but not as much as those who have been here since the beginning. That being said I think things are still essentially the same.
The cafe is a great place for all of us to come together and hang out. Great questions are asked and answered. People learn new things and ways of doing things. It is an invaluable source of information for employees both new hires and veterans alike. Sure there is a "use the search function" or wiseass response to questions that have been answered over and over or to new members who don't approach the community with respect and humility, and some bitter people who you can't please, however for the most part we're very helpful as a whole.
As to what has changed...not much. There has been a bit more drama and open bickering in threads as of late, but that is par for the course on an internet community where people enjoy quasi-anonymity. Some folks tend to have a bit more courage or treat others differently when they don't have to look them in the eye and can hide behind a keyboard, so sadly sometimes online exchanges tend to be different than in-person exchanges.
I think part of what makes the cafe great is that reasonable free speech is encouraged without unnecessary censorship. Just about every thread gets hopelessly derailed but I've come to love that about this place. Sometimes the derailment gets more interesting than the original post.
I'm happy to have the privilege to be a part of the cafe and sincerely appreciate those who host it and the effort put forth by those who take the time to help out as moderators.
They won't cut you any slack just because you try to suck up to them. Its been tried before.