I'm finding it so hard...

[Ginger Harp Seal Pup]

I come to this forum to visit and post every day, but I feel that I don't know ANY of you. And I'm guessing that you don't know me very well yet, either. This seems like such a tight-knit community. Everybody seems to know each other. I feel left out and no matter how much I try to know you all a little bit better, I can't. I can't even remember half of the names.

How did you all know each other? How do you remember all the names? I've been in other forums and I always seem to fit in immediately and know people's names and their personalities. But not here.

[Alex]

I started talking to people offline, on IM programs. There's about 40 PPTers who I now talk to in a chat.

And then there's the random PPTers who I PM/IM, or who randomly decide to PM me *coughhellyercough* I also know quite a few people through the Pink Ink, as I'm a writer.

Playing games in NNV is always good, because most of them require you to interact with at least some, if not all, of the other players. (Though you'll probably find most of them are nuts )

And, for the record, though I don't personally know you, I recognise your username.

[Paul]

Well, it helps to IM members via AIM, MSN etc to know them more on any topic rather than those discussed on the forum, in IM there are no 'off-topic' rules enforced and therefor the whole thing is relaxed and you can have shorter/less content filled to allow one-on-one conversation.

Try and IM some people, it's remarkably easy.

When you get to know one person well enough in off-forum converstions, you tend to remember them more as they are more significant to you.


(And yeah, like Alex; I recognise you by your username & avatar, even if I don't personally know you)

[Shoyru_Lover]

I find that if you get to know someone... you then get to know their friends and it snowballs from there

[_jade_em_]

Well, I'm an RP'er here on PPT, and my first friends were made through the RP board, where everybody continually posts on the same topic a lot, and so you get to somewhat know each other through the OOC bits ... ^_^

[Cassi]

As Alex and Paul said, off-forum conversation is the best way to get to know people. Most people who have their IM information in the little buttons don't mind random IMs, so drop an IM to someone who looks interesting, or send a PM to someone you'd like to get to know.

Sometimes, too, you do just get to know people from posting in a lot of the same topics.

As for the name thing...I know I often refer to people by name, even if I don't know them extremely well, so... =P

[Paulisacretin]

You have only been here for a about a month... its unlikely you'll know everyone in that amount of time. Just give it time and you'll make yourself friends.

[Charisma]

I've been coming to the forums since 2002, it's hard not to make some close friends in that long time period.

[Matt]

Surprisingly enough, until I became a mod, I only had one close friend. I used AIM and that, but it was difficult. People and I just didn't click. Recently, I've made loads of new friends. Becoming a mod added 36 new names to my contact list, but the main reason is that I play in games. Twix and Jo I met whilst playing in Survivor, and then I met their friends and so on. Join the games in NNV, then it should happen from there.

Atleast that's what happened to me

[ahoteinrun]

I don't think many people knew who I was even after I became a mod... until I started modding GC. Fear me.

The big thing is to try to get involved.
Submitting to PI (thats not an obvious plug is it?), and participating in games is a good way to go.

You havn't really been here that long just give it time. PPT is a big forum, and there are a lot of people here, so you have to take that into consideration. When I joined I only posted in the art gallery for a few months, and then started branching off... it took me a good 8 months before I branched out of the gallery and GC into other boards. And then I was made a mod, and people still didn't know who I was. (*memories, sniffle*)

It's not really the amount of posts you make either, it's the content. If you've got good content in your posts, well thought out etc (unless you're in NNV), then people will tend to notice you more. (or at least thats how I feel).

[Qanda]

Twix and Jo I met whilst playing in Survivor, and then I met their friends and so on.

Great to see that my Survivor game facilitated friendships.

Ginger, you have only joined for a month or two, naturally you will still feel that many of us are unfamiliar. Once you participate more in discussions and talk to more people, you will start feeling more comfortable.

As others have said, playing NNV games, especially those which require teamwork and discussion, is a great way to meet new people. There are also specific boards which cater to certain interests, such as RP, anime, artwork, etc. It is easier to get to know people who have the same passion as you in a particular field.

And FYI, I do recognise your username (probably because it's one of the only usernames with four nouns in it), and I was rather surprised that you had only 130+ posts since I found you quite familiar. I'm sure in a few months time you will become even more well-known.

[DM was on fire!]

By talking to them, or just by random posting. Everyone calls me DM 'cuz they're lazy. XD (I think the real reason is my username is so long, and DM is the only practical thing they could call me. The nickname, Was, On or Fire seem a bit odd.)

[sir_michael]

I've been here for 3 months, and it is really hard to actually be recognized, and to actually have close friends. Probaly some people know me now, but thats becuase I talk to them, and I play alot of games in NNV, I am even hosting one right now. I only have one ppter on my MSN list though, Ammy. So... just keep talking to people and posting, and, you'll see what happens. And I do recognize you BTW.

[Cyanna]

I recognize you as well. I know your name from NTWF (though I'm not as active over there)

The big thing is to try to get involved.
Submitting to PI (thats not an obvious plug is it?), and participating in games is a good way to go.

That is a good suggestion...I assume you enjoy writing.

And the misc boards are good. Neopets is strictly for an online game. But in misc discussion you get to learn many things about a lot of people.

Just...time is all it takes.

[vkceankraz]

When I first joined PPT over a year ago, I only knew one person. After integrating myself into the community, people started approaching me, through PM or AIM.
Lots of PPTers are very open and friendly. If you haven't heard from anyone after awhile, just PM someone who seems interesting and strike up a conversation. Chances are you'll make a new friend that way.