What happened to the rest of you?

Darn! I wanted to quote part of your reply to Mariusz, but for some reason, NAS isn't letting me, so I'll have to copy and paste:

I do consider Isperg to be a friend - I'm only joshing around here for comedic effect (hopefully)!

For what it's worth, I feel that may be stating the obvious. 

I have said this to 'Sperg' and I'll say it you Number, I think the pair of you make a good double-act. 

Taking your order;

I do consider Isperg to be a friend - I'm only joshing around here for comedic effect (hopefully)!

I have never wanted a Bentley - too ostentatious for my taste.

I NEVER want stuff that other people generally have or aspire to - I'm different almost ALL the time.

I love that phrase - herring / keg.

My profile picture is an enigma, a chimera - it has meaning to some, and not to others.

Fun fact: In China, one's social standing increases when something is new (according to an ex-boyfriend of mine that now lives there). No jokes please that the reason for him being there was probably to get as far away from me as possible. 

As I was saying... In the UK, it would generally be considered a good thing to live in (for example) a spacious home that may have been built more than a century ago. In China, it's the opposite. A newly-built apartment that may be considerably smaller than an older home one has moved from is better.

Also, if someone phones asking if you fancy meeting up for a bite to eat, in China this does not mean at some point in the future that has yet to be arranged. Everything apparently happens NOW, meaning the person issuing the invitation is most likely already outside your home waiting for you. Yes, I know, it sounds like a nightmare! 

Ah, thanks for that info. 

That's news to me! They really must be stuck for choice!

And more sensibly...I agree with you Sparkly and I do the same as you.  I am relaxed with folk when I have seen them posting for a while - I rarely use profiles to...err....profile people?!  A respectably high "points" number or intensely resonant writing encourage me to engage.

Sporadic Sparkly said:

I think some members do Simon

OMG - It's a forum scandal !!

I think some members do Simon. In fact, there are some members who won't accept Friend Requests from members that have no info on their profile. I know, because I used to be one of them. I'm a little more relaxed now, especially if I've observed that a member with a 'blank' profile has been active in the forums and earnt a lot of points. 

Fun fact (OK, this is REALLY scraping the bottom of the 'fun facts' barrel - even for an Autist) - you and I both have just 18 words on respective our profiles.  This is probably the least number of words that either of us have ever used, in any situation, ever !!?

Did you want either before they did get them ?

It's a very popular behaviour in polish society. If you spot your neighbour has new blinds in windows, you must have them as well, otherwise (unfathomable to me why) you begin to think everyone thinks of you as less then your neighbour.

A herring from a different keg:

What does your profile picture means? Is it your version of Mandelbrot set proving black is a full circle?

Oh bug ger, looks like I'm still in 'roasting' mode !  I do hope that He doesn't "release the hounds" on me - Mr Burns style?!

Ringo Star got a knighthood, so I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised that Isperg got a Brownie badge?!

Do you think anyone ever reads what people write on their Profile pages? I can't think of anything to write on mine, so I hardly bothered to.

I seem to recall reading an old post on the forums, which seemed to date back to a time when the moderators appeared to be actively involved in discussions. I believe that NAS had been offered a selection of templates for the community part of the website, and went with the one that seemed the best fit.

This probably explains why there are 'badges' to reward social achievements, and also why certain 'features' that appear in member profiles and settings are not in use. I discover the other evening that when I visited my profile and clicked on Achievements, there was a link to view 'badges' that I have yet to be awarded. I think there were badges for blogging. Obviously, none of us will ever receive those badges.

All I have EVER wanted, was to be Isperg's friend......but, alas, no.  He has reached his lofty achievement without me.  It's like when your mate from school (who was irritatingly "something special") buys his first Bentley Continental aged 32 !!

we're simple people. you get what you ask for

It is a funny old world Mr Sperg - you getting a badge?  What are you, a Brownie?  [Oh my goodness, I feel a "roast" coming on - must back away and be calm.]

Well said and very well explained. I hadn't thought of it like that, hopefully a lot of the old members are just really busy in life now xx 

You're conflicted??

I have people congratulating me for this "achievement"!!

And for surrealistic humour I have managed to get a bunch of people to address me as "Your Excellency" which absolutely is the funniest thing that has happened to me in ages.

I think it is very much English humour to name things exactly in opposition to their actual nature.

It's so unhelpful to people from some countries... 

I don’t want sympathy as a reply

I say in my head ''I don't want any pity'', it's one of reasons why I never ask for help, because first I would have to go through receiving pity.

I can do politeness honestly when I speak with elderly or kids, every other stranger gets a glare, and as little speech as possible