Posts by mistyhound94

fadedorca66 said:Did you try resetting the BIOS? Maybe testing one old stick and one new stick together?

If I were you, I’d prioritize getting an SSD over adding 4GB of RAM, though I suppose both would help...

I was planning on messing with the BIOS today to test it, and I've already tried pretty much every combination of sticks.
I have an SSD too, so I'll get that sorted, but I really want that 8GB of RAM.😢

I heard some rumors online that they wouldn't match in speed, and since I was just comparing them on some forums, I guess I probably overlooked that part.
So, what, I have to hunt down an identical stick to my current one just to pair them up? That seems unlikely, given this isn't exactly cutting-edge RAM. Or maybe I just check which ones actually fit my motherboard.

I guess I'll give it a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes. 👍

I'm not sure how to title this thread, but I'm basically trying to spruce up an old PC because I need it temporarily for a project.
Anyway, here are the specs:
PHP Code:

It's a bit annoying, actually. I've been given two 4GB sticks of RAM to swap out for the 4GB currently inside, which is what I have listed here.https://memory.net/product/m393b5273...ank-x8-module/
In theory, this should work. But when I actually installed them, I turn the PC on and it runs, but Windows won't boot—just a completely black screen. Nothing happens at all. I’ve tried every combination imaginable: swapping slots, blowing out the dust, trying them one by one, moving a single stick from one slot to another... everything clicks into place perfectly, but there's absolutely zero reaction. When I put my old 4GB back in, the computer works just fine again.

I have no idea what the issue is or which part is failing. I honestly thought this would be straightforward, but it turned out to be a total waste of money.😁
So, if anyone has any decent advice on what else I could try, I guess I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

dustypilot11 said:This intro is way too long. It just wanders all over the place. Honestly, cut it down to maybe a quarter of what it is now.

What’s even the point here? Like, how would you even define "quality Avant-Garde" anyway? 🍿

I want to hear that from Anderlon, since he's the one bringing it up. 🙂

dustypilot11 said:This thread is totally fine. The guy just asked for one topic, not a whole damn book. Why do you think it's wrong to have a corner where single people can deal with their own stuff?

All that whining isn't okay, and the goal of that theme was sort of to push away anyone who's in a relationship or married, because they don't really belong in the Lonely Hearts. That's the issue. 🙂

Just so you don't end up feeling attacked from every single angle, here's the topic, right over there in the Lounge:
If this was just some joke, then I guess it counts as trolling. But if you actually meant that the United States should only consist of Lonely solo people—especially on a subforum where you're a moderator yourself—then how is anyone supposed to feel welcome in an environment where they aren't wanted just because of their relationship status?
Go ahead, explain it to me. I still find it baffling that you were chosen as a mod based on that specific criterion. 🙂

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Here’s the chronological breakdown of everything that’s gone down. I'm just trying to figure out where the disconnect is and find a decent compromise for everyone involved:

And then this is what I'm stuck dealing with:

What the hell are you even talking about?

Right, so you realized immediately it was because of her, and now what? You want to have a discussion about returning because whether she likes black or blue is totally irrelevant? What are you even saying, man? And how can you claim to be on this forum for years if you've barely been registered for two and a half? Maybe you're someone's clone given how much you supposedly know about everything. I mean, it's been said—and I think most people agree—that as long as she's a mod on the United States site, people aren't coming back. All I wanted was to see if the United States actually became the Avant-Garde that Anderlon so pompously promised, nothing more. As for you trying to play peacemaker after throwing all those insults at us... that's not my concern.

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Look, I came here with nothing but good intentions to have a real conversation. You ignored me, while the rest of the crew jumped down my throat, spreading rumors, insulting me, leaking stuff from private messages, and baiting me. Now you’re twisting the facts and acting like nobody’s listening? Sorry, but after that circus, I’m done. I don't owe this discussion any more of my time.

Let me make this crystal clear: anyone can pitch an idea for the Theme of the Day, and (almost) everyone gets heard. If you think you can actually step up and raise the bar, go ahead and try—nobody is stopping you.

Also, nobody kicked you out. The US is still open to everyone and you're all more than welcome here. If you choose not to participate, that’s on you, and there's no point arguing about it anymore. For everyone else, if you've got something to say, speak up. As far as I'm concerned, we can lock this thread. LP

Maybe the best intention would have been to actually figure out what happened and why people left in the first place. If the reason they left was because a moderator was appointed who many consider a total disaster—just like you, I suppose—then maybe that should have been the approach, instead of calling people toxic, savages, or animals, and then acting like Jesus because you showed up as some sort of savior offering an olive branch.
Tell me, what kind of compromise is that if the only thing stopping the group from returning is that the wrong person was put in charge of moderation? What are people supposed to do, just swallow their pride and take crap from someone who can ban them on a whim, especially if they step on the toes of someone that moderator likes? No thanks, I have no interest in going back to an environment like that.

As for these rumors about you, I honestly have no idea what lies you're talking about or who told you anything. Maybe you should probably ask yourself where you even heard that information to begin with. 🙂

New Year's Day, New USA. That’s about how I’d describe this attempt to turn the USA into an Avant-Garde, which is exactly how pompously the director of Anderlon announced it.
So, the question remains: did he actually pull it off? I guess. Maybe.

For those who aren't up to speed, the Avant-Garde crew started things off by installing their "favorite" moderator—the one everyone knows as the forum gossip queen. She didn't bother with an intro to introduce herself to the newcomers, probably because she’s already famous enough around here. I guess the real reason is that she hates those introductory threads; if she actually did one, people would likely call her out, and I suppose that would bruise her ego too much. Before this, they also changed the chat title just to keep the peace at home. Apparently, some people felt insulted, thinking the original name was mocking earthquake victims, even though there was no bad intent behind it. So, they switched it to something more neutral called Virtual Birthplace. But the real breaking point, the thing that caused 30 people from across the US to quit overnight, was when they finally made their "favorite" moderator the head of the US section, something she’s been eyeing for a while. It’s a bit much, considering she was one of the few regular users ever granted access to the Moderator Corner, mostly just because she used to be a mod over at LJES a long time ago. Seems like a waste, I guess.

Honestly, there’s this obvious sense of panic and nerves lately, like everyone is freaking out about whether this chat will finally be full by the end of the month since we haven't started a new one after two months of talking. Even the person on post duty seems to be trying too hard to rush the whole process—using multiquotes and everything just to pad the numbers. It all feels a bit pathetic, I guess, when you look back at how this used to be. There was a time when the chat actually had some soul, with people who actually knew each other, organized meetups, and a community that genuinely brought people together. Now? It just feels empty.
I suppose I agree that the USA was on a downward spiral for a while. It was getting harder to find any decent new topics. Most of the action ended up being just the chat or the horoscope sections. There were some good signs, though—when Shadow (who isn't a mod anymore) and Ludica stepped up to revitalize the USA, things finally started moving in the right direction. People actually tried during the pandemic lockdowns to keep everyone engaged with games and different challenges. I don't think that kind of thing could have happened on other subforums. You just don't see that level of closeness anywhere else, or at least, I haven't been convinced otherwise.

The old crowd got kicked out, and now those resident chat critics who kept whining about needing new blood are finally getting what they wanted. The membership has basically flipped entirely in just a month. People are actually starting to open threads to get everyone talking, but honestly, I don't see much of an actual improvement. The Theme of the Day has devolved into some weird nostalgia trip for a high school clique. We were told only five people are even working on this "project," so why are we constantly undermining the massive effort of individuals trying to spark conversations? They want us talking about avatars, Team Building, what we’d do with $3 million, or checking activity rosters—which is clearly just a way for them to hog the spotlight in the Moderator Corner. I’ll bet anything that if I started a thread about which truck to use for hunting up here in the States, it wouldn't last a single day. But when a troll—who somehow managed to become a mod—starts a thread, and then claims the former Americans are toxic or starts calling people animals, then suddenly everything is fine. It's ridiculous.

I guess people will just say I’m being negative again and that I’m trying to ruin the good vibes here in the States, but honestly, I see very little that has actually made things better. Back in the day, especially when the forums were actually active, this was a place where real people connected. Now? It feels like a daycare center where everyone celebrates topics that would have been shut down instantly years ago for being off-topic. But sure, I'll just be told I'm talking nonsense or that I'm just attacking everyone's hard work. Apparently, if you don't like the moderator, your criticism is automatically invalid. That seems to be how it works now, I suppose.

Even Jeremy Johnson18 called for a chat to see if some kind of compromise was possible, but he basically just screwed us over first before asking how we could fix things and get back on track. So, Jeremy Johnson18, here’s my suggestion: just reach an agreement and remove Latica, then maybe people will actually start coming back eventually. Honestly, though, I don't really believe it'll happen given how much you support her, and since Anderlon keeps pushing these "new ideas" about not punishing or banning people—which would be a massive mistake. That's just my take, because there really isn't any other way. You can't have someone who holds all this info and gossip, who lacks social skills and tact during gatherings, acting as a mod for a subforum where they know everyone. They wouldn't be objective at all if any drama or fights broke out. I mean, I was actually okay with Shadow and Ludica being moderators because I know they'd hold me accountable if I messed up, but even then, I had my doubts. Mods on these social subforums probably shouldn't come from the forums themselves, just to ensure some level of objectivity when things go south.

But the question remains: did the Avant-Garde succeed? The purge clearly worked, because without it, we wouldn't be seeing the current state of the United States; otherwise, there would be way too many people pushing back against certain things. Still, we should try to stay positive and keep things chill, because heaven forbid anyone disagrees with anything.
If there's any kind of statistics showing that this place has become better, more avant-garde, or higher quality, I'd really appreciate it. Anyway, I'm heading out. 🙂

Benjamin Taylor90 said:Everyone jumped on ruggedscout76 just because she changed the chat name while she was literally just trying to handle complaints diplomatically. Now we’ve reached the peak theory that this whole mess is just Lottie’s little drama and ruggedscout76 is nothing more than a tiny, grumpy pawn. In the process, Mary got trampled too, even though the chat had the exact same name—get this—under the Earthquake PDF. 🙏
Besides, ruggedscout76 ended up pulling back entirely because of this whole circus.

The Admin has been having these "visions" ever since he started showing up more frequently after the start of COVID. Just look at FEMA... But sure, he’s doing it all for Lottie. 🤣

From the Admin to Lottie, down to how the chatters reacted... it's all just childish behavior. 🙂

In three months, I'll put together an analysis of the US and post it here on FEMA, just so we can decide if Lottie was a good or bad choice. Naturally, chats won't be included in that analysis because chats are useless filler for any forum. That's it. ☕

Don't use the term Plurality because I didn't attack anyone; I don't give a damn about the chat name. 🙂

Something else, the Admin needs to have a vision for sustainability and stability suited for this modern forum era. You haven't been around long enough to realize how many options have been disabled and what kind of restrictions are placed on the forum just to keep it somewhat stable. Not to mention how much he used to tinker with the site for weeks at a time. Do you think the Almighty was pointing himself out back then? He didn't care, as long as the money kept coming—he'd let IT try to save what they could, and bam, post limits, no signatures or links, fewer emojis, deleting major threads just to clear space... hello, in this age of bots, he was nowhere to be found. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly, "let's see what can be saved," and the forum god suddenly decides to listen to the people and see what's bothering them. After all those years. And don't get me started on how he decided to show up and be active right on the USA! Pushing his own agenda and just being self-indulgent. He doesn't bother asking those who have been there for years what bothers them or what can be fixed; you won't get a single word from him.

The reaction from everyone who was active on the USA speaks volumes about what kind of choice she is, but neither she nor he gives a single damn about why this happened, but hey, you have your vanguard up there, enjoy yourselves. 🤷

Daniel Kelly57 said:Mistyhound94, look, please don't let the forum get under your skin. Just accept that it's privately owned and the owner can do whatever he wants with it. I get where you're coming from, but just let it go. At the end of the day, it's just a forum—try to view it like an MMO, even though I know that's tough since you've been around here for so many years. This is how I started looking at things. If I see moderation turning into a total disaster, I'll just bail. If you can do that, great; if not, I totally understand, and we can just hang out in other parts of the site.🙂

I'm sick of this whole meltdown just because someone owns this forum and can barely stay afloat on this server. I've been here for years, but nobody gives a damn, and they honestly don't care about the regular users. In thirteen years on US Anderson, I've seen him maybe twice—in thirteen damn years—and now suddenly it says he's been watching the USA for the last month and a half and wants to create some "avant-garde" movement. What the hell for? It's just pure ego. Not to mention how many times there were calls for changes on US and how much US was neglected, full of losers who just come here to take their frustrations out on others... all of that didn't matter for all these years.

And I'll let it go, but I'm not happy. I'm not satisfied, because behind closed doors they're making deals and playing god, thinking they've brought something new to the USA. And on top of everything, they appoint a moderator who is the biggest gossip on the entire forum, someone who clearly still doesn't realize how much trouble she's dragged people into, forcing them to shut up just so they aren't part of some messy drama. It pisses me off. Instead of staying quiet and backing off, she keeps pushing her agenda because people don't have the balls to follow through. They don't, because they still have some shred of respect left, which is thin and disappears with every single forced post.
And she never even apologized for it.

I just wanted to have my own little corner, and that was US, because I went through so much there. I wanted to revive an old thread of mine and leave a comment after ten years, just to give people who are struggling, depressed, or miserable at least a little bit of damn hope. But that's not possible anymore. But hey, let's open a thread about military drills instead, because that was such a blast over in the moderator corner hahaha—that's the true avant-garde of the USA!

Benjamin Taylor90 said:Thank God I'm not. Even ruggedscout76 got targeted here. Enough said for anyone with half a brain. ☕

Nobody attacked ruggedscout76, so quit the nonsense. Daniel Kelly57 explained everything perfectly and hit the nail right on the head. If you’ve never actually met Lottie, you don't know the full story here. And now it's clear how the forum owner acts like some high school kid, trying to act all sophisticated while pushing irrelevant topics onto subforums where they don't belong. I guess that's why this whole thread feels like I'm just talking to a brick wall. It's pathetic.

Look, Anderson, just like everything else, she couldn't care less about this either. She thinks it’s not even worth discussing, but if she actually let it become a topic for the whole forum, then we could actually get somewhere. Now, if you dare say anything against her, she just says "fine" and the conversation dies right there. Then we're all expected to just act like NOTHING happened and go back to being perfectly pleasant.

That's all from me and the US after 13 years. Good luck with your "avant-garde" approach. 👋

Maria Barnes said:Thanks for asking. 😁

Like I’ve mentioned before, I see Lonely Heart as the vanguard of this Forum. 🙂 I stumbled into the US section just when Ludica stepped up as a mod. My goal was to fix a glaring flaw we have when bringing in new mods—throwing them straight into the fire to figure it out themselves without actually teaching them the Forum's core vision. Usually, new mods just mimic whatever the previous ones did or follow rules from other sub-forums, which isn't always the right move. The vision for the Forum—and specifically for Lonely Heart as a microcosm of the whole site—is too massive to explain in one post. But it has worked; the moderator discussions in US are now almost as active as the main threads themselves. 🙂

Rome wasn't built in a day, so these ideas will roll out as they come. Their defining trait is that they break away from standard forum clichés.

Since I've been closely monitoring US for about a month and a half now, I feel the need to jump in and go beyond the surface level. Sometimes I forget to switch to my alt account, so my posts end up under this handle. 😁

As for Butterfly, she’s a veteran mod who consistently contributes to moderator discussions and stays fully looped into everything we’re trying to build. She helped bring Shadow in moderation on board, helped brainstorm ideas, and has been incredibly active behind the scenes. Honestly, she was basically our third mod long before she officially got the title. Lata used to be a mod back on LJES during its peak years, so she understands the spirit of the old Forum—back when things were more inventive and exciting, before everyone started getting banned or kicked, and topics were rarely locked. That connection to the Forum's original inspiration is invaluable. Since I know how she thinks and we click, she was my choice, regardless of whether people liked it or not. You can't please everyone, and I'm not going to waste energy trying.

Anyway, do you have any specific complaints about Latino moderation, or do you just dislike her?

Thanks for the reply. It’s more than clear she isn't going anywhere since you're backing her, and whatever I write won't change much; after all, I'm just an ordinary user. 🙂
You can lock the thread. 🙂

ruggedscout76 said:mistyhound94, I’ve only just come across this thread. While it wasn't directed at me personally, I feel compelled to address the part you highlighted in bold.

Throughout my tenure as a moderator, I made it a point to invite everyone to share their thoughts, striving to involve you all in nearly every decision or change I implemented within the US chat.

Managing a single subforum is a demanding and rather lonely endeavor; one often finds themselves wishing for a sounding board to confirm whether their logic, ideas, and standards are actually on the right track. It is entirely possible that I sought your input a bit too frequently, though that is beside the point now. My intention was simply to treat the US chat as our shared space, attempting to gauge the collective pulse to ensure everyone felt heard and satisfied.
Naturally, some people voiced their opinions more loudly than others, some more assertively and some more subtly; that is simply the nature of things. In fact, you were actually the primary reason I decided to start the Holiday Countdown, and for that, I am grateful, as I truly needed that nudge to get the thread moving.

However, I won't linger on this further; the final call regarding any action always rested with me, and I would ask that you refrain from implying otherwise.

That’s why we had that other thread where you asked questions about the sub-forum and we all shared suggestions; it was a high-quality discussion where regular users finally had a voice. I imagine it wasn't easy for you. I know the stuff mods have to deal with, but I was genuinely glad you were chosen because you brought a fresh perspective to the US chat.

I probably phrased my last comment poorly. I didn't mean to suggest you were anyone's pawn. I just got the impression she was constantly trying to force her own opinions on you regarding what should be done, which is what bothered me. And I'm not the only one who noticed. Of course, the decision was always yours and I believe that. My apologies. I'm honestly sorry that the US chat lost the potential provided by a mod who worked so hard to keep the atmosphere pleasant.

A question for the recently hyperactive owner, Maria Barnes, and his right hand, Nice.
What exactly is the game plan for Lonely Heart?
Basically, since this "beloved" newly elected moderator took charge of Lonely Heart, we've seen a sudden surge in activity from the owner himself. He’s trying way too hard to act all talkative and cool, throwing out a mountain of new ideas—though clearly, his attempt at organizing things didn't really land. If I may say so, the quality actually improved when ruggedscout76 and Ludica were here; there was a real sense that the subforum was heading in a positive direction. We had some decent ideas involving advent calendars and New Year's celebrations; you could actually feel a shift. But at the exact same time, this "beloved" new moderator has been constantly hovering, whispering instructions and chiming in on topics as if she's the one managing ruggedscout76 or dictating what she would have done differently in her place.

None of this would seem suspicious if, out of nowhere, Maria Barnes hadn't dropped into Lonely Heart like a paratrooper—someone I haven't even seen around here since I joined. Now, Nice has popped up here and there, but this whole pattern is familiar; whenever a new mod is brought in from the upper echelons of the site, suddenly the mods become hyper-active on a specific subforum. And then the rest of us mere mortals are left feeling like gods have descended among us, just waiting to bow down. 🙏

So, what ended up happening to Lonely Heart?
A good chunk of the active crew from Lonely Heart avoided it by moving over to Offtopic, where we were wonderfully welcomed; Boa is lovely. 🙂
But for many of us in exile, Lonely Heart was home. Why? It was the people and the vibe. For the most part, it worked out fine; things got a little heated occasionally, but nothing major. Even in the middle of the pandemic, us regular folks tried our best to make Lonely Heart a pleasant place for support, relaxing, and just chatting. I miss it, personally.

Now that ruggedscout76 is gone, the whole thing feels broken. I wonder how long it will stay like this, but one thing is certain: many of us who left probably won't be heading back up to Lonely Heart. The reason is this "beloved" new moderator who, overnight, secured her coveted spot where she can play the lead and act superior to everyone. I don't know what kind of behind-the-scenes maneuvering went on, but the fact remains: every other new mod used to get a welcome thread with all the "congratulations" and fluff, but she didn't get that. Now I see this forced effort by the owner to show up at Lonely Heart—presumably to bring in "fresh blood" or whatever—where he started pulling up old posts on the chat to praise them as "cool," failing to notice that in those very threads, most of the people he's quoting don't even post on Lonely Heart anymore. Not to mention how this "beloved" new mod behaved toward us; she seems to view our exodus as just something temporary, thinking, "hehe, they'll come back," while she just moves on with her own agenda.

It's obvious that Lonely Heart lost a huge part of its core team—people who were active in the chat but also contributed heavily to other threads, helped others, and drove real discussions. Then, out of nowhere, a new moderator is appointed whom 80% of the group can't stand, all under the guise of "we need people active enough to cover most days." Was she truly the best choice? Why isn't the "community" consulted during moderator elections? Absolutely no one—or at least the vast majority of the Lonely Heart crowd—had an issue with ruggedscout76 and Ludica being mods. In fact, they were arguably the best choices, at least in my view and based on the feedback from others.

I don't know, everything at Lonely Heart feels so forced right now, especially with the owner arriving with these "fresh off the boat" ideas that clearly aren't revitalizing anything; honestly, nobody even seems interested. Was it really worth risking the departure of such a high-quality group? Some might say, "it doesn't matter who the mod is, just ignore it," but it does matter, because the leadership sets the tone and creates the atmosphere that encourages people to write and debate. This hasn't happened since the previous set of mods practically drove us all to Offtopic and killed the chat, but now it's happening again, just a bit more quietly.

So, I’m sitting here wondering what the actual plan is. Is it even worth heading back to the US at all, especially now that the "beloved" newly elected moderator is running the show over on the US chat?

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Look, just leave the USA the way it is.
I won't speak for everyone, though there are plenty of us, but personally, I'd just want one single chat.
So, not an entire PDF, just one chat or thread. 🤦

As for percentages, I'm not going to speculate because, honestly, neither of us actually knows.
A ton of people pass through there, but hardly anyone decides to write anything, let alone stick around.

We don't need more than one chat in any subforum. Actually, I’d probably rather run a week-long test where only a select group—people who aren't from the main chat—could participate. It would be a way to see how long it lasts and if it actually fills up with posts from all those other forum users who just sit in the shadows watching everyone else have fun. 🍿

And yeah, there are tons of lurkers. We all started out that way; it's nothing new. Some people just decide to stay away for various reasons, some find someone and disappear, and some just vanish from the forum because they aren't feeling it anymore and it's just too much of a hassle. There could be a hundred reasons. And I really think the USA definitely doesn't need another chat that just turns into a depression pit. There were attempts like that a long time ago, and they failed miserably. 🙂

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Yeah, exactly this. Plus all those random messages about hookups and hanging out. I come here to get away from reality for a bit, only to end up watching everyone else have a blast. I'm looking for what Joshy already set up in the off-topic section. Is that really such a hard concept to grasp?

And you actually took him seriously? It seems a little overblown to me. 🤣

Bingo! For some reason, it took telling you ten times, loud and clear: I don't want to socialize!
I've also said plenty of times how I'm glad a new crew is coming in and I wish you guys luck, but just realize that isn't for me.
Maybe there aren't many of us, but some people have truly found their sanctuary in this mess and they have no intention of leaving their comfort zone.

So, 5% of the United States doesn't want to socialize, while the rest does, and now you want to take that 5% and turn the US into your own personal version while the rest of the group just wants to pull themselves out of the gutter because being stuck in the gutter for too long sucks. Been there, done that, and I didn't like it. I was in that phase once, and maybe you are too, and it might last a year, but it’ll drive you crazy because if you let it, depression will eat you alive, and getting out of that isn't easy. If you enjoy it, fine, whatever, but I'm sure others don't. And the people who come to the US to pour their hearts out surely aren't doing it to be depressed; they're here so someone listens, gives advice, provides support, hope, or some kind of solution—something worth fighting for. You've given up and you're sinking, but it's not right to drag everyone else down with you just because they're currently in the mud and you think staying in that state indefinitely is somehow okay.

Look, I haven't advocated for any kind of socializing, aside from typing virtually in the chat.
Your question is pointless. If people like that happen to find a partner in the chat, in 100% of cases, they'll just leave on their own and be happy.
Besides, you still have the option to all hang out together in other threads or via private messages if you've become friends.

Maybe it's just that we're jealous of the couples and want to have at least that one thing they have.
Just a chat for us, whether we're lonely or not.

Why are you talking in the plural so much? I mean, sure, right now it's just the three of you against that version of the US, but you're a tiny minority. And I haven't seen the other forum users acting thrilled about your proposal, which would destroy the US as it stands and turn it into a breeding ground for depression and defeatism.

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Hey, forum admins.

Since they basically nuked our hangouts with all those meetup and party threads, us actual Americans have nowhere left to go.
If I remember correctly, this site was originally designed as a landing spot for single people. Nowadays, 90% of it is just coupled-up happy people who don't even belong on this PDF.
It’s gotten to the point where some people wanted to branch out and started a "real American chat" in off-topic, but even there, trolls keep hunting us down.

Can we please just have one tiny corner of the forum where we can actually hang out at the end of the day without these happy couples rubbing it in our faces?

I'm still wondering how exactly these couples are rubbing salt in your wounds anywhere on this site? Does their mere existence or current relationship status bother you that much? Do you need this place to feel like an echo chamber? A place where you find an equally stubborn group to hide away in 24/7 to talk about being lonely and how you're fighting it?
"Good afternoon, I'm unknown and I'm miserable because I see people in relationships behaving like they're in relationships."
*The rest of the site* - "Welcome, join us!"
It's like a damn AA meeting, but the American version. Is that really what you want from this community?

I honestly don't know. I get the feeling you don't actually want to socialize; it feels more like you just want to stir the pot and troll people because you're bored. That's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. From what I see lately, plenty of that supposedly "lonely" crowd shows up to meetups; almost every gathering has someone new from the site who's probably there because they're lonely in their own way. I just don't get why it bothers you so much, or why you want to keep everyone stuck in this destructive state for as long as possible. The whole point of being "lonely hearts" seems to be staying negative, depressed, fatalistic, and bitter toward anyone who actually has friends or a partner. Is that really what you're aiming for?

I asked you before what happens with the singles' meetups, and you ignored me because it was a legitimate question. What happens if the singles actually hit it off after a few meetups? They won't be welcome anymore because they've crossed over to the "dark side"—even though they bonded with all of you, once they're in a relationship, they're suddenly unwanted for future gatherings? I don't get why you insist on making loneliness a personality trait; it's just destructive behavior. And for the record, people in relationships can be just as lonely as the singles, but clearly, you have no contact with those types because you're convinced that being in a relationship means you can't be lonely. I don't know, maybe try gaining some experience, broaden your horizons, and actually ask people how they are. You'll see there's a world outside that wall you keep building around yourself.

Daniel Kelly57 said:Who the hell am I even supposed to be hooking up with? If I actually had someone lined up, I wouldn't even be hanging out on this US chat. I honestly don't get why Louise is waiting around like this. It's total WTF. Three bans in just a few days and I'm already over it. Moving on. 🤔

There are plenty of attractive, smart, and great women on the chat; just pick one. 😳

ruggedmaker43 said:🤦 You went in headfirst, didn't you? Just dove straight into the deep end!

Ninety percent of us are perfectly fine here, so why would you go and clutter up the entire chat just because of ten percent of the idiots who can't stop bickering?

Do you even care how shutting down this chat affects me and Joe? Our entire day is completely ruined because the chat is still locked!

So, what exactly is the plan for tonight? And what about tomorrow? Heck, what are we even doing for the next month?!

It’s just not like that. 🕺

I suspect the percentage of people who drop in just to cause trouble and live their lives on the forum is actually higher than what you mentioned, but there's a different issue here. The chat tries to enforce pacifism whenever there’s a fight. It's impossible to have a group where everyone agrees with everyone else, but the problem is that nobody reacts when these morons show up, stir the pot, and start fights just because they're having a bad day. Frustration is expected, but if someone does react to these idiots, the rest should at least offer some support.
We've seen this before. Someone hops on the chat, acts out, triggers more drama, and then when someone finally calls them out for being a nuisance, half the chat jumps in with comments telling the person who reacted to just let it go. I don't know if many people on the chat have thought about this, but sometimes the person who reacts in time—to get rid of the agitator—gets treated worse than the provocateur. Sometimes people deserve to be told to get lost based on how they act, rather than the person reacting getting mocked for "lowering themselves" to that level. This way, there will always be an audience for them, and they'll keep hovering around to troll until things escalate like they are now. In my opinion, when outsiders or lurkers see all this nonsense happening on the chat, it's only natural that the people who actually come here to socialize will leave just as quickly, especially those who don't participate in the chat much. That's how I see it.

You don't care how closing the chat affects me and Daniel Kelly57... our whole day is ruined and the chat is still locked.

I'm just here to offer radical and totalitarian suggestions.

So what are we going to do tonight? Or tomorrow? Or for the next month like you say?!!

It can't work like that. 🕺

Go ahead, go sex, go hiking, read some books, just lie in a field or get some sleep. The forum and the chat aren't going anywhere 😳