Katie, the type of behaviour you describe is what I found when I was on DOG, I moved to cubits and ATP with 'the family'. Dave could tell you there was certain groups of people who formed a 'clique' with one person mainly in control, the rest are hangers on who dare not make the decision to break from the control of their person in control who usually paints themselves as a wonderful person. Who could possibly wish to distance themselves from such a wonderful person? It's when the character of that wonderful person is questioned that they attack like a pit-bull terrier. All her followers gather around like the cowardly dogs yapping in the background.
Your coming here was a threat to this person's control, heavens above, how on earth could this marvellous person retain control if all her worshippers walked away. Such people feed on the adoration and adulation of others, I think they are called sociopaths and they will manipulate those around them in order to get their way. Such a person would not fit in here, that is the great thing about ATP, we are the flip side to that sort of behaviour and I might garner a guess that many others here have encountered the sort of behaviour which I witnessed and was on an occasion or two subject to myself.
I joined DOG in 2004, it was the first online forum I belonged to and like others, it was overly addictive to the point I felt lost without it. When trouble brewed I hung around watching and waiting to see what happened, and when IB took over with all their cut throat methods I clung to those I knew were genuine and good, namely Dave and Trish. They too were treated very badly, just how badly I don't think many people know nor do they even care. There comes a time where something is making you so unhappy you have to make a break. Congratulations on doing that Katie, your psychological wounds will heal, life moves on to better things where your peace of mind is more important than trying to keep some people happy, the suffering is not worth it and in time you may view some of those old 'friends' with a different outlook as to what kind of people they really are. It's all about control, a free person with a free spirit does not have to tolerate control from others unless you are trapped in a dictatorship. I was wallaby1 on DOG.
