This blog was prompted by the one publishedby stefanp. I want to add some personal insights that expand on some of his ideas.

Unfortunately, as with any free-to-join nude site, there will always be lurkers, voyeurs and exhibitionists (LVE’s) and other perverts. As a community of nudists, we should call-out apparently fake nudists (respectfully) and seek clarification of motives and intent. If it is obvious a member is not acting in accord with the site's principles, then we should all be willing to report them to JN to be sorted out. Nancy and JN cannot monitor everything and are greatly dependent on a self-monitoring community.

Beyond the LVE’s that are in the chat room for other purposes, I think the lack of conversation is because many members only want shallow, pseudo friendships. They are content to engage in trifling ‘conversations’of “hi”, “how’s it going”, or “what’s your weather like”. It is analogous to meeting someone on the street and asking “How are you?” -- no one really expects more than a one word response like “fine”, “ok” or “great”. I know I might be uneasy if someone really started telling me about their problems, challenges or successes.

I have intentionally tried to raise [slightly] deeper topics for discussion, designed to reveal a bit more about the persons on the other side of the screen. Thoughtful answers to deeper questions forge real friendship through common interests and shared experiences. In all honesty, it is hard work and takes precious time to truly engage this way. Perhaps the very nature of an open-forum chat room promotes the very frivolity Stefanand I rail against. I have asked the question to JN if additional rooms (topic focused? limited number of participants? other qualifiers?) might be created ad hoc. It appears the room technology would support it but there are likely underlying issues that prevent it (e.g., server capacity or licensing).

For one-on-one discussions there is always private chat or JN Messenger, but these can lose the intellectual stimulation inherent in three or more contributing to a topic. Additionally, there is an intimacy inherent in one-to-one conversations that may cause some members to resist accepting (safety factor).  I find myself drawn toward the groups, forums, blogs and even wall posts. These avenues are more asynchronous than “chat” (well, assuming your chat is even acknowledged or responded to) but can lead to more insightful interactions. For myself, I will continue to drop in on the chat room occasionally; but, with very limited expectation of meaningful engagement.

And so, I stop my rant now.

How’s your weather?