I'm sorry but I keep getting this image of a very friendly person holding a crystal ball...or would that more correctly be a "sociable medium?"

Leave it to @gingin to catch my typo. Sorry, yes...on the back would be fine.

What can I say?? my typing finger couldn't help itself.

I had so much fun reading this thread, I am sitting here laughing and smiling the entire time. Who needs comedy hour on TV.
This act should go on the road.
You all are the best, including the Reality Show cast.

dave said:I generally describe ATP as "a social media website dedicated to gardening."

I think "social media" basically means an interactive website that is more than just forums. We have a lot of extra features that make it interactive, like the database and the acorns and thumbs and all that. It's constantly changing and there's no stuff to see every time you load the homepage. All that interactivity between members is what makes it "social" as far as I can tell.

Here's the way I would describe ATP...

- ATP is a gardener's learning community.
- A place that I can share and exchange ideas - ask questions and get answers. Answers that one can reflect upon
and have a chance to think about before responding.
- A place where you have a opportunity to develop relationships with people that have mutual interests. Perhaps one acquaintance will become an online pen pal.
- A place to do research utilizing a sophisticated database and access a variety of ideas and articles.
With all this being said, I offer a Happy Anniversary "Shout Out" to Dave, Trish, the dedicated moderators and each member. We are all so fortunate to be able to "see" and appreciate nature that others overlook...

ATP and CUBITS are my only social media. I tried Facebook for a short while. I hated it, didn't understand most of it. The whole world - strangers even- wanted to be my friend. People started sending me "virtual bouquets" and farms (?). I didn't understand and didn't want to bother. With much help from my son who has a degree in computers, I finally escaped.

Karen

LOL, Karen -- I played Farmville for a while on FB... until it began to seem like more work than having a REAL farm would be

I'm still have my FB account but rarely go on there anymore; still debating whether to just completely close the account out.

Weedwhacker said:LOL, Karen -- I played Farmville for a while on FB... until it began to seem like more work than having a REAL farm would be

I'm still have my FB account but rarely go on there anymore; still debating whether to just completely close the account out.

Beware, it's not easy!

Karen

ATP is a wonderful social medium for gardeners and plant lovers, where you can easily get into discussions in those topics without appearing nerdy. My friends who are not into plants just look blank and you feel they do not comprehend anything you will say if you discuss further. At least here, we have similar interests. Some get carried away discussing other matters as well, but that is social interaction, just have to learn to tow down our thoughts as we type our comments.

As for FB, I have our account, mostly to keep in touch with my family overseas, and I have strict timeline privacy modes, so we are unsearchable, and I do not allow anyone to just freely post on our timeline without my approval first. Some people do not have the discipline and manners when posting. I only add those that I want to add, and pretty much I just post about my plants At times, I know there are other people who are in a different phase in their lives, just gauging it from their own postings in their pages, and helps them find some outlet of sorts to read FB pages of friends. I don't play games in FB either, and I have blocked people too, so I do not see their postings. I also unfollow a friend's page, but still remain friends. Got to keep your virtual distance there too. Too much familiarity will breed contempt, and it goes with any other form of social forums.

"I have strict timeline privacy modes, ". See i don't even know what that means. Maybe if I understood more about computers, I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by it.

Karen

I'm like you, tarev.
Karen, the privacy settings are so important on facebook. Not hard to do either.

Hey I can screw up anything on a computer

Karen

It just takes a bit of practice at times.

Except they keep changing the rules.

Yup..so just got to keep checking it as it goes.