OT: Computer problems or quiet group?

I haven't noticed that at all. Besides which, this is a needlework group, not a cross stitch group. So conversation on all aspects of embroidery are bound to be brought up here. Most of the conversation is on cross stitch.

If you want to talk about your area of interest, then start a thread on that topic.

The discussion on homeschooling has been an interesting one, whether or not you have children. You can always ignore that thread.

Google is not the best place to read usenet.

Dianne

sorry for empty post, computer hiccupped during my attempt to send previous post, think that must ve why the blank one turned up/

Caryn (who can't even blame aol for this one!)

Makes sense to me - like people who save and re-save phone messages lol

So branch out and try something new. It's very inexpensive to try say a small piece of hardanger. Just some cloth and perle cotton and despite the fact that it looks difficult, it really isn't. I belong to a needlework Guild and we are putting together a large poster that says If You Can Do This - and there is a piece of cross stitch, Then You Can Do All These - and there are masses of little samples of things that involve very little more, but look dramatic.

We had two women join just over a year ago and they just completed the silver work course with us and cannot get over the fact that they have come that far in a year. In return, their enthusiasm for their new skills infects the rest of us and refreshes us.

Can you use Forte Agent, the free version, to read the groups, rather than google.

Maybe that's the key, another way to read the groups. I have seen people complaining about the google system on other groups.

There's a good girl, you may come out of your room now lol I will go and see what you posted !

Ok - so you "haven't noticed that at all"... but you're one of the ones who posts constantly about knitting and other types of embroidery, so obviously those areas interest you as well, and you wouldn't notice the trend away from cross stitch.

Tegan has already said she's going to try to be better about posting in her area of interest, in the post that you obviously replied to - so why the need to preach?

As for the homeschooling thing - no it's NOT interesting whether you have children or not. Interest is a pretty individual thing, and I've so far managed to keep my opinions on homeschooling to myself.

The original point of this whole thread was a comment that it's been quiet in here, and people have been wondering why. Shame on those of us who have expressed opinions about why we don't post or even read here regularly any more. It seems you've done a great job of reinforcing at least a couple of our points.

embroidery,

Thank you for proving Tegan's point.

She gave her reasons for not posting much, and you basically told her she was wrong for having those reasons.

Is it any wonder that people don't want to post here much? When they are honest about their feelings they are told off for it? How does that make rctn a welcoming place for any discussion except those which a certain few seem to deem worthy?

Tegan and I and others have tried to start various stitching threads in the past. They have either died while some OT thing was being rehashed for the 100th time in a week, or met with some sort of anti-xst snobbery.

We don't post to threads that don't interest us, why should someone who doesn't cross stitch post to a cross stitch thread with derision?

I know that Tegan can stand up for herself on this, but reading the attack on her feelings just got me really angry.

Caryn

I must disagree with you here Caryn. I found the home schooling subject a bore and something I don't know a great deal about so I simply stayed out of it and mostly ignored it. Other subjects that interest me I can reply to. Or I need not reply. If others like to read or participate in those subjects, why should I care since it changes nothing for me.

And I think there have been many discussions recently on crafts and/or needlework and/or knitting and crocheting. I think we all have so much to learn that I find it all interesting, even if I don't participate in the discussion.

Lucille

If you post a thread and it dies out, it is because nobody found anything more to say about it. Whereas perhaps they enjoyed the OT thread and found lots to say, as indeed no stitching conversations take place within live time stitching. There is no way anyone can be forced to keep answering to a thread.

I really want you to post and show us this anti-xst snobbery. I can't recall ever seeing anything of that nature.

Do they ? Show us.

I agree, I enjoyed the knitting, crochet and tatting ones. Anything is a nice change.

Post constantly on knitting? I think I've asked about four questions on knitting. There are knitters here. Plenty of them who are far more experienced than me. Why not ask here? You can always ignore.

Other types of embroidery? I remember the days here at RCTN when, if you asked a question that wasn't about cross stitch, you were just about chased from the group. Lots of nasty replies. That's no longer the case, thank goodness. And since this is a "needlework" group, not a cross stitch group, you just have to wade through the posts and get to the ones that interest you. I've waded through a lot of them.

There's plenty of off topic posts, including the cute exchanges between a few regulars, that don't interest me. I don't complain about them, I merely ignore them.

I haven't noticed it being particularly quiet.

Define "opinions" and how that differs from scathing review/rebuke.

Case in point. Why resort to nastiness? Dianne

And I asked a sewing question recently and it got hijacked into a subject about potty training. I didn't find that "wrong headed". The question was answered by at least two posters. I got what I needed. Thanks to those who kindly replied and steered me in the right direction.

Anti cross stitch snobbery? Where? I've enjoyed cross stitch. I've designed some interesting ones. I haven't noticed any anti cross stitch posts.

I haven't seen that happen.

Dianne

No, neither have I, Dianne. I do from time to time remark that there`s only so much that can be said about cross stitch without repeating what has been said before, but that`s not a snipe at cross stitch. It`s just about all I can do in the stitching line with one hand, and I enjoy it anyway.

I just enjoy the OT posts too.

Pat P

needlework

conversation

whether

because

threads in

and/or

I'm not exactly sure why you think we disagree here? I didn't post to the homeschooling thread, don't do it, don't care about it, just skimmed it to see why there were so many posts on the thread. Saw a lot of people who don't homeschool posting their opinions, which seemed a bit wrong to me. But I didn't say anything in that thread, just agreed with Tegan using that thread as an example of how things seem to work here lately.

I do many forms of needlework, I knit, crochet, cross stitch, tat and even quilt on rare occasions. In the past I've done surface embroidery, crewel work, and needlepoint. Those no longer hold any interest for me, but I don't begrudge those who do enjoy them. I also don't post to the threads where they are being discussed, as I have nothing useful to add. I will read some of them from time to time, because sometimes I'm curious as to what is out there.

It just seems (and that means it's my feeling on this, and therefore totally subjective) that sometimes cross stitch is dismissed as being inferior.

It wears on me.

Caryn

Hmmm... a search for posts on knitting in this group where you're the author shows a total of 154, not 4.

Secondly, I never said I wasn't interested in other forms of needlework, only that you post frequently about them. That kills your second argument.

I've been ignoring the homeschool thread.. just saying that you have no authority to say that it's interesting to everyone; I read the beginning and found I had absolutely no interest. I'm not complaining about the thread, and neither was Tegan in her initial posting. Just saying that we aren't interested, and that the OT stuff is taking over here. You've also proven that if you say that you aren't interested in it, you get jumped on. Thanks for proving yet another of my comments right.

Now - since you'd really like me to act like a good school-girl and write an essay comparing and contrasting opinion and scathing review or rebuke, here goes.

Opinion: NOUN: A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew). ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin op ni , op ni n-, from op n r , to think

SYNONYMS: opinion , view , sentiment , feeling , belief , conviction , persuasion Rebuke: TRANSITIVE VERB: re=B7buked , re=B7buk=B7ing , re=B7bukes

1=2E To criticize or reprove sharply; reprimand. See Synonyms at admonish. 2=2E To check or repress. NOUN: A sharp reproof. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English rebuken, from Old North French rebuker : re-, back (from Latin; see re- ) + *buker, to strike, chop wood (variant of Old French buschier, from busche, firewood, of Germanic origin)

Review: NOUN: An inspection or examination for the purpose of evaluation. Scathing: ADJECTIVE:

1=2E Bitterly denunciatory; harshly critical: "a scathing tract on the uselessness of war" (Pierre Brodin). 2=2E Harmful or painful; injurious.

Given those dictionary definitions, Tegan and I have both expressed opinions: our own beliefs about why neither of us posts or reads this newsgroup very often. Your posts, however certainly fall into the rebuke category: you've criticized us for expressing our thoughts and feelings, and certainly made an attempt at repressing us. I would also consider your post to be a scathing review in that it was a critical examination and evaluation of our posts. Neither my post nor Tegan's asked anyone to stop or change the way they are posting. They were merely expressions of our own observations in correspondence with our own experiences and outlook. That fits the definition and spirit of the word opinion. Yet again, you've proven that my opinions are based on actual happenings here, and aren't pure hallucination. For that at least, I have to thank you. It makes me believe in my own sanity!

Paula H

Okay. Obviously it's me, personally, you object to. I made 154 posts on knitting? Wow. I know I asked about 4 questions. Those must have been additional comments? Don't really remember.

And my frequently responding to posts about things other than cross stitch makes me an evil member of RCTN? :-) It didn't kill my argument. I said I remember when, if you posted about something other than cross stitch, you were not taken kindly to. Thankfully, that era has passed. Or has it?

Dianne

I think you are probably right, as now that I think about it, I go to the Legacy Board or TW's BB first to hear about anything new or to chat with like-minded individuals. I think I keep coming back here because this is where I first learned about linen, silks, and even the much dreaded (and few as yet)specialty stitches. Ah well...change is inevitable, I suppose.

And the name.. girl childred of Dr. Who fans every where hold it against the show! It's actually a Welsh name, but not a very old one. The current thinking is that it's a derivative of Tegwen (I think there's an "h" in there somewhere but I can never remember). I think you see it a bit less frequently than you see Megan, but it is gaining in popularity.

Tegan

I'm sorry if I misread your post, but it seemed to me you were complaining that there weren't enough needlework related threads and I think they are here. They aren't necessarily cross stitch, but they do exist.

And as to cross stitch being dismissed as inferior, I never did very much counted cross stitch until I came here. My first love was and still is crewel and/or needlepoint, but I found so many beautiful patterns and wonderful designers through reading RCTN that I've gotten more and more interested in cross stitch. For me I certainly wasn't discouraged, rather I was encouraged to look at cross stitch in a totally different light.

Lucille

>

aspects

quoting

derision?

therefore

complaining

I don't think anybody actually ever says that cross stitch is inferior, in those exact words.

What I guess I'm talking about is the occasional comment which seems to say, "well anybody can cross stitch, but specialty stitches are true embroidery." Again, not in those exact words, just the meaning I have taken from things said.

Doing specialty stitches can be more challenging than doing Xst, I'm not saying it isn't. It just doesn't mean that those who choose to do Xst instead are not skilled needleworkers, you know?

Our tastes change over time, I used to enjoy doing lazy daisies and other embroidery stitches, now I don't. I never thought I'd like to do samplers, and now I find myself doing a couple of them in my rotation.

The really sad thing is that when answering the question as to why we've been quiet, we were told we were in the wrong for having our own reasons and expressing them.

I miss the days when you could log onto rctn and see several posts about different designs or designers. Now those things have moved to individual BBs and yahoogroups. RCTN has suffered for it, I think.

Caryn

I've been around RCTN for at least 10 yrs. and don't remember the days when "the only rules were that the thread went through the needle and that we enjoyed what we did?" Gosh, some of the stuff that went on back then was truly cruel. Remember Christine??? It was also not too long ago that Karen C. was under attack! And of course, many of us remember MLI and all that went on with her. Caryn has certainly had her share of back and forth discussions. Even poor Jim C. was the brunt of some not very nice comments. We've lost a lot of very talented stitchers over the years, and many of us know why.

It is interesting that on a group that is supposed to be about needlework the threads about needlework are the ones that die, but the ones about personal stuff carry on and on...something to think about I suppose.

A few months ago a couple of us talked about Japanese temari (embroidered thread balls) but very few on RCTN seemed at all interested. I joined two yahoo groups about temari and get a great deal of information and discussion that way.

...Linda

There seems to be a lot of generalizations in the above paragraphs. Can you be more specific with examples? I'm asking because I honestly don't remember any such comments where anyone said that said cross stitch is an inferior form of needlework. I read this newsgroup regularly. Sometime we preceive things in comments that really aren't there.

I think a lot of us miss those days! RCTN has not always been a welcoming place for designers so one can't blame them for moving on.....our loss.

Mavia

"Tegan" wrote in news:1116621649.175321.138690 @g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

I do the same with medical transcription (my present profession), and I feel exactly the same.

Ahhh, now I know where they found the name!