SO TRUE! I read more of the posts than reply, but I have noticed "chips" on alot of replies. I know us newbies probably ask questions that the experienced ones have answered a number of times, but we are newbies - we don't know that they have been answered already or may not have surfed our way around to dig up the answer. But maybe with your poem, they will lighten up on us 
Great poem and brilliant words! I agree this should be required reading before being allowed to post.
I believe we should encourage and lift others up with our words. The world tries to beat us up on a daily basis and CC should be a "safe" place for decorators to come together.
I hope it's O.K. to copy and use your words.
Thank you.
Amymnn- Thank you so much for posting the poem!!! I personally have posted a few questions on here and fortunately have had wonderful people come to my aid. I have also read quite a few threads where posters have been just out right mean, and due to those people I am now fearful of posting something that might have already been asked (as Mland wonderfuly stated) so now I just stick to just trying to help others the best I can when I can. So I'm hoping this poem reaches those who seem to have that "chip on their shoulder".
ohMyGanache- I have no idea what that comment was about because I have never seen a hand sculpted and beautifully hand painted mini tea set cake in a grocery store. I loved it... you did a great job. and if you don't mind sharing.... I'm really curious to know why you only want to post the one picture. I also would love to see more of your work.
Thank you so so so much for posting this! I actually made a post about something yesterday and felt that some comments made were just not necessary. I hope that everyone can read that poem, filter it in, and utilize it to their everyday living.
CC is a wonderful site to come on for inspiration and ideas..let's not ruin it!
Thanks again and I hope you all have a great day!! 
ohMyGanache- .... I'm really curious to know why you only want to post the one picture. I also would love to see more of your work.
Ditto. Always seemed strange to me. Of course your choice to not post is fine, but the manner in which you refuse (very outwardly-- READ: your description of your one-and-only cake) has always struck me as odd.
You know ladies, another option is reporting something as a bad post. I've done that on many comments that were either rude, bitchy or just plain mean. And believe me, those reports are taken seriously by the moderators. (I can think of at least three people in the last two years who were known to make disparaging remarks and are no longer members of this board.) You know what they say -- mean people suck! 
ohMyGanache- .... I'm really curious to know why you only want to post the one picture. I also would love to see more of your work.
Ditto. Always seemed strange to me. Of course your choice to not post is fine, but the manner in which you refuse (very outwardly-- READ: your description of your one-and-only cake) has always struck me as odd.
I just don't wish to participate in the CC drama. I help out when/where I can, because I received helpful advice and information when I first joined in 2005 - but I don't post photos because they could be easily identified (I have a business - so all of my photos are watermarked, and some have been published). There are people here who tend to take things WAY too far, and I don't feel like wasting my time or opening myself up to that kind of nonsense again.
Again, I don't wish for this thread to be about me. The OP wrote a beautiful poem that really struck me about mutual respect online - let's focus on that! Thanks!!!!
I apologize to the OP for detracting in any way from your thread.
I have to say I'm suprised by this thread. Ive been coming here daily for months and I've never felt bad or abused or had rude answers and I have asked a lot of questions ( a lot of which i now realise are asked at least weekly - lol)
any Ccers that i have pm'd with questions have always replied really politely and helpfully and pretty much all my questions have gotten responses. I havent seen any rudness or abusiveness in any thread ive read. even ones that might be getting a little tiny tiny bit heated like the ace of cakes thread are locked straight away.
if anyone here thinks people are rude they should have a wee look around some different forums where there is no pandering or kidgloves worn and if you dont fit in then you'll never fit in and no-one will respond to you. I dont think there is a clique here at all, and trust me, being from the uk i have been made to feel like an outsider on a lot of other usa based forums.
To the OP, im sorry you feel like this, I think with it being a non face to face form of communication its easy to read things the wrong way, to miss humour or sarcasm, to take no responses to your thread as a personal insult, to take a short response as someone who cant be arsed to reply, etc but, we'r all human, some of us find typing a bore so we try to type as little as we can, sometimes a question has been answred so many times that you think, ah well just do a search and you'l find it yourself easily if or someone has responded consisely with the answer, no-one else sees any need to respond.
The best advice to anyone who doesnt feel part of the community is to join in more!! dont just ask questions, respond to other people and dont take everything so personally, everyone is just here for a love of cake
I respectfully disagree, I think this site and the moderators do a fine job when a bad post is brought to their attention. They have banned quite a few "off color" members in just the year that I've been a member.
I'm sure some of these pop up again with a new screen name, but if they do they generally will behave so they don't once again have their membership revoked.
People can have 6 screen names, however it's simple to tell by their IP address if they're one of the "past offenders" of CC's rules.
I'll say it again.....the good members FAR outweigh the bad
I am not a newbie here, but I have noticed an increase in ugly responses to innocent questions and have been the recipient of more than a few myself. I know that I have asked some stupid questions that have been asked and answered many times before, but I would not be asking them if I could find the answer on my own. I have almost stopped coming to this site because of some of the responses that I have gotten.
The majority of CC'ers are still the amazing, generous, supportive people who made this site what it is. It is really a shame that a few people feel the need to put others down for whatever reason. I'm still here, but I stop and think ... way more than twice ... before I post to any of the threads any more.
I've said it before, but thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have taught me and been patient with me and gotten me to where I am. I still have a LONG way to go and I would hate to think that I would have to get there without all of you supporting me.
I'll say it again.....the good members FAR outweigh the bad
Absolutely true. But there is another side to CC and a mob mentality that will often surface - and to those who have been the victim of it, it really sucks. CC can be a great place as long as you don't take it seriously or become too personally involved. There are definitely "bullies" here.
Ditto, Martha. I am not nearly as active on CC as I was at one time. Some of it has to do with time constraints, but as far as the forums go I don't respond very much anymore and rarely post a question. At one time I was very active on here, but, unfortunately, I had a few of the jerks pop in to add "sunshine" to whatever forum I was posting on. After a few of those instances, I just lost my enthusiasm for the whole thing. I mainly use CC as research now.
I do agree, though, that most people on here are genuinely nice and helpful.
Lisa
I just came across this thread and I have to agree, most CC'ers are wonderfully helpful people who respond to questions with kind words and good advice. I do see from time to time that there are some rather negative responses however. The poem is very nicely done, kudos to you, Amy! By the way, I happened to notice the book you are holding and just wanted to say that I love that book! It is one of the first books I purchased. I have read it from cover to cover and refer back to it often! Sorry to digress from the topic!
I have to say I'm suprised by this thread. Ive been coming here daily for months and I've never felt bad or abused or had rude answers and I have asked a lot of questions ( a lot of which i now realise are asked at least weekly - lol)
any Ccers that i have pm'd with questions have always replied really politely and helpfully and pretty much all my questions have gotten responses. I havent seen any rudness or abusiveness in any thread ive read. even ones that might be getting a little tiny tiny bit heated like the ace of cakes thread are locked straight away.
if anyone here thinks people are rude they should have a wee look around some different forums where there is no pandering or kidgloves worn and if you dont fit in then you'll never fit in and no-one will respond to you. I dont think there is a clique here at all, and trust me, being from the uk i have been made to feel like an outsider on a lot of other usa based forums.
To the OP, im sorry you feel like this, I think with it being a non face to face form of communication its easy to read things the wrong way, to miss humour or sarcasm, to take no responses to your thread as a personal insult, to take a short response as someone who cant be arsed to reply, etc but, we'r all human, some of us find typing a bore so we try to type as little as we can, sometimes a question has been answred so many times that you think, ah well just do a search and you'l find it yourself easily if or someone has responded consisely with the answer, no-one else sees any need to respond.
The best advice to anyone who doesnt feel part of the community is to join in more!! dont just ask questions, respond to other people and dont take everything so personally, everyone is just here for a love of cake
I'm glad your experience here has been so positive. Unfortunately, I've read many threads here where that isn't always the case. I think this forum should be primarily to support one another to become successful in our endeavors, and rude "tones" or insults will never lead to such accomplishments. Since posting the poem, I've received many PM's from people who would like to post, but are hesitant because of the tempermental responses sometimes surface as a result of a simple inquiry. Ideally, I'd like the experience here to be positive for all, but like the poem said, it's like any other community - there are all types.
I'll say it again.....the good members FAR outweigh the bad
Absolutely true. But there is another side to CC and a mob mentality that will often surface - and to those who have been the victim of it, it really sucks. CC can be a great place as long as you don't take it seriously or become too personally involved. There are definitely "bullies" here.
It was exactly this type of thread that you mention (mob mentality, bullying) that inspired me to write the poem. Also, I wanted to have a "canned answer" to cut and paste for if/when the cake mafia came after me. 
I just came across this thread and I have to agree, most CC'ers are wonderfully helpful people who respond to questions with kind words and good advice. I do see from time to time that there are some rather negative responses however. The poem is very nicely done, kudos to you, Amy! By the way, I happened to notice the book you are holding and just wanted to say that I love that book! It is one of the first books I purchased. I have read it from cover to cover and refer back to it often! Sorry to digress from the topic!
I really like it too! I like how it covers a little bit of everything.
Absolutely true. But there is another side to CC and a mob mentality that will often surface - and to those who have been the victim of it, it really sucks. CC can be a great place as long as you don't take it seriously or become too personally involved. There are definitely "bullies" here.
I agree. I also dislike it when people think you are fishing for compliments even though you are not. Some people are just judgemental.
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