I’ve been a member here almost from the start. Initially I was excited with what Jon and his friends had prepared for us and I recognized that it was (and is) a work in progress. But to date I would have to say that I’m somewhat disappointed with the community as a whole. I’ve read through most of the blogs and with the exception of a few, found most to be pointless. Do we really need links to YouTube music videos? Can’t we find them for ourselves? Is there any merit in posting images of scantily clad women under the guise of an art form when in fact we’re doing little more than objectifying them? I thought long and hard about my one submission on the importance of dress and yet all I received was one short response. It seems that blog posts like: “I’m here” or “this is a test” result in more hits and more responses. What is THAT all about?
The real value in MyOpera was not just the blogs, the photo albums, the mail and the forums but the complete package run through (for most of us) with the fact that we were Opera browser users and the forums provided the assistance we needed as well as an opportunity to help others with the suite. Sure there were members who never used the browser and it would be hard determine what percentage of the membership they might comprise, nevertheless in my mind that commonality gave the MyOpera community a real purpose. I’m not sure I have defined a “real purpose” for this community other than as a haven of sorts for disenfranchised MyOpera members. Honestly, I suppose I didn’t know what I would find when I became a member here but to date I’m afraid I haven’t found it. I tried to convince my wife to join me (she’s also a member of MyOpera’s community albeit an erstwhile one) but she took a look and told me she had no interest. My temptation at this juncture is to simply delete my account and hope that the few “helpful” forums that will remain at Opera will be enough to provide for whatever needs I might have. I don’t really need a soapbox such as this one and from my experience there as well as here, no one ever really responded to my rants anyway. My guess is that most of the blogs are little more than exercises in narcissism anyway (including my own) … as though the world at large is hanging on our every word. Do I really need this attention? Nah… I don’t have that much of importance to convey and my wife fills the need for attention seeking on my part anyway.
Well… that’s my rant. Unless something dramatic changes (which I don’t anticipate), I’ll probably pull the plug here. I do want Jon and his compatriots to know that I am appreciative of their generous efforts but for me… it doesn’t appear to offer what I lost elsewhere.