Multiplicity

[TM Tamish]

Multiplicity


This is something in the nature of an open question to all and sundry. Having discovered this site only yesterday, it sparked a lot of questions about how we should use it.

Many of us are present on more than one poetry site. Many of us (not me although it is tempting) are known by multiple names – even on the same site. So then I ask myself: do I want to scatter different poems across different sites? Do I want to duplicate my entries on one side and another? Do I have time to commit to more than one? A multitude of wonderings…

I suppose I would like to know what others think about this.

I have been a member of the “other” site (do we name names here?) for almost two years now, amassing a dossier of scribblings which almost frightens me when I see its length. The obvious advantage in staying on one or another site is in not losing track of your stuff and the people you know. I have also been a member of at least three other writing sites and have not kept my status in good standing mostly because of lack of time. And while I have been chastised and upbraided and deleted as much as any other poet of conscience on the other site, I still find myself going back to the familiar and the easy. The place where my “stuff” is (the reference is to George Carlin if anyone here is sufficiently aged to remember him).

Therefore (he said with an attitude of conclusiveness):

1. Is it good to spread oneself thin?
2. Should I call myself by a new name and post strangeness that I do not want associated with me?
3. Is there a God?
4. Am I taking this all just a little too seriously?
5. Does anyone have a posting/time-sharing strategy that works well?
6. Mirror postings?

* Question number 3 is there just in case my chosen topic is found too boring by anyone here.

Any thoughts?

Anyone?



“T.”

[fairqueen]

Hi

Good to see you here.

I thought I'd comment on your post, so here goes:

Regarding your questions, I'll take them one by one.

1. I don't think it's good to spread oneself too thin. Each individual has to decide what they want to do.

2. I am known as "fairqueen" on other sites, so I decided to use that username here. However, I sign most of my comments "janet."

3. Yes.

4. Again, I think you have to decide if you are taking this too seriously. I have so much going on in my life that it's really not that big an issue to me. However, I don't take it lightly. Is that ambiguous enough? lol

5. I have no strategy. I just do what I can. Right now, it's not all that much. I haven't been that well and am facing surgery in a little over a week.

6. Regarding "mirror postings", I've found that a lot of people on this site had never read much of my poetry. And, likewise, it's hard for me to read everything I want to on "the other site"...and, yes, we can say TPS. So, I don't think it's "wrong" to have "mirror postings." I am glad for the opportunity to read poems I have never seen before. TPS is so big, and--let's admit it--we all have our "favorites". This site is much more intimate. Therefore, it give us an opportunity to read poetry we might not read on TPS.

I love TPS. It will always be "home" to me. But, I also like this site very much. I wasn't looking to leave TPS. That will not happen. However, I am grateful to Jamie for starting this new forum. I'm getting much better acquainted with people and, as I said, I'm reading poetry I haven't read before.

Again, it's so good to see you here. I am not involved in setting this site up--I don't want to sound like I'm speaking for others. I just wanted to give you my own opinion.

Hope to see you post. And, if you decide to "mirror post", I will enjoy reading anything you post here, even if I've read it before!

Sincerely,
Janet

[Artemis]

Haha you are funny, I will refrain from answering question three so as not to offend

Well, I love TPS and there is a lot of my stuff there too. However, it is a much bigger site, very busy and because I moderate there I find it a blessing to come here and relax, read all the new posts and for some reason I find it easier to think here (crazy I know, but true. I sit in front of the same computer obviously, but I see the two places as totally separate and like different houses )

So, anyway, I don't see it as being a problem that we post there and here? I have, then sometimes I post new ones here and not on TPS. There is the dark stuff that I post on TPS and not here as there is no catergory for it and it is an acquired taste (sick if you like).

Do you save your stuff to your own computer? If so then it is all in one place anyway? Mine is all in word.

Just my thoughts honey, it's good to see you on both ;D Kerry xx

[Ebonfire]

Hi Poet,

1. No - one has to choose where and how to spend their time to their best advantage and enjoyment.

2. Totally your choice.

3. Yes.

4. No what matters to one may not matter to another and vice versa. Neither is wrong.

5. Requires more thought.

6. No/Yes - the challenge will be in not doing so. (I think)

All valid questions and boring and you will never be associated.

Ebonfire

[NewMan™]

Hi T, Tristan, Tamish, dude..

This shall be my attempt to answer your multiple questions, however, if I get any of them wrong in my defense I didn't know there was going to be a test so I didn't study..

okay, here it goes..

#1 - spreading oneself too thin.. I find looking thin a good thing, people don't tease you as much.. Unless you happen to be made of jelly or jam then you can be spread too thin but a little bit of butter goes a long way there too..

#2 - If you want, I'll make up a new name for you and post strangeness and tell everyone you wrote it.. after all, it's the least I can do..

#3 - Depends upon how your day is going, if you just won the lotto and your boss at work says "good job, I'm giving you a raise".. then that is a good argument for the existence of a God.. However, If it is your boss that just won the lotto and says "I quit, do my work for me.." then the argument is not so strong.. however, there just might be a devil around..

#4 - Not as long as you remember to breath in and out while your sitting here reading this.

#5 - Copy/Paste from your Poet file over at TPS. Only takes a minute.. However it's a bit harder to do that when you reply to others however over at the mother ship (my name for TPS while I'm here) I find many members who seem to do that with the words "good job".

#6 - the problem with mirror postings is they come out backward when you try and read them.. however, if you wrote the darn thing backward to begin with they might work fine.



In all seriousness..

I find the same thing that Jay and Kerry and Janet said, this site offers me a bit more intimate environment and none of the "welcome new member, you have written a poem exactly like 20000 other poems but I have to think of an original comment unfortunately I can't tell you how un-original your poem is..", I know we all were new members once but over there it feels more like a "job" then it does over here. The reason TPS feels like a job is because so many people join, post their copycat poems, get bored and leave only to be replaced by another new person doing exactly the same. As staff, it's our job to act like everyone of them is special and the first person to write about getting their heart broken or that they want to kill themselves..

simply put,

here we can take the suit and tie off and enjoy each others company. Every poet who is here now (including you) was invited by one of us because we want to let you in our new home. Not any of us is planning on leaving TPS, we all love the site too much, however this site gives us the chance to know each other a bit better and be around our peers we really like.


Dont worry my friend, only give us the time you feel you have free, however if your like me, you will find yourself checking in here just as often as you do there.

Take care and above all, give yourself time to write. That is the most important thing we can do is inspire each other and be inspired by each other. We may live only a short time but words are forever.

Daniel (a new-man)

p.s. - I was wondering if maybe we should have a thread where we tell everyone who we are on both sites so people can know without guessing.

[Jamie~poetshare.forumotion.com]

Daniel hit it on the head. I almost had a tear in my eye. TPS is home. Without TPS I'd not have had the courage to put my own words out there at all. But here I don't miss the poems of my friends. I get to read them, where TPS is so big I can't find them all. And I must say we have an impressive array of talent here. It's a bit daunting while still encouraging, if that makes sense.

Who knows what I'll post where? I'll most likely post anything I write on both sites and see what happens. The more people who read me the happier I am, it's that simple.

Hmm, kerry's right. It is cozy in here.

[Forest]

Can't say it any better than Daniel and Jamie did. But I can say the same thing differently!

This place is full of the kind of poets whose work I now try and find when I'm making replies on TPS. Seems like some of the best talent at TPS are all in the one place. As Jamie says, it's a little daunting while still being encouraging! I'll probably post that which I consider my top-tier poetry here, rather than posting everything I post at TPS here as well. But I don't know, I've never been part of multiple poetry sites (TPS is the only one I've ever been a part of) so I'm not sure how I'll go about it.

[Saffron]

1. Is it good to spread oneself thin?
A little doesn't hurt. A lot does.

2. Should I call myself by a new name and post strangeness that I do not want associated with me?
If there are things you feel you can't say because they seem too personal, yes.

3. Is there a God?
Yes Virginia.

4. Am I taking this all just a little too seriously?
for a emergency room tech, yes. For a writer...no. We take everything seriously.

5. Does anyone have a posting/time-sharing strategy that works well?
OK. Say it's time to vacuum. If you vacuumed yesterday, you can post instead. If it's been a week, you should turn on the pc, then run with the vacuum along the open areas while it's booting up.. Then post. Priorities, you know?

6. Mirror postings?
Absolutely. New people get to share your writing. Old friends get a second chance to smile, laugh, cry, or be wowed.

Great to see you here Tristan.

[Artemis]

Oh my gosh, Daniel, Jamie, Lady B..... I am just gobsmacked at those wonderful replies above ..... how very true, well said and well, Tamish I think we are so lucky to be a little community here, we can relax and its just like having our own little holiday apartment. Sigh ..... it's like coming home Hugs K xx

[stacy (FINALLY back!)]

1. Is it good to spread oneself thin?

My answer is no, but each individual person needs to make that decision for him/herself

2. Should I call myself by a new name and post strangeness that I do not want associated with me?

Just because I have a different username here does not mean, in my opinion, that I am posting strangeness that I do not want associated with me. Not at all. I chose a new username when I joined here, but only because I was getting a little tired of bobswife4ever...lol. Not that I don't love Bob, don't get me wrong. But I was showing the dedicated wife there. Here, I chose to show the mothering side of me for a change to show that I am a loving and dedicated mother to my three children. Someone who knows me there and here sent me a pm shortly after I joined asking me if I ever have time just to be Stacy for a change. Through my username I can reflect on that part of my life that is important to me and I hold near and dear to my heart. Through my poetry I can reflect on me and what is inside of my soul. And in my opinion, there could never be too many poetry forums. After all, poetry does warm the soul and it makes the world seem just a little bit brighter for most. By writing and sharing, it allows acceptance, and for me in particular, it offers therapy and a time to heal from all the emotional baggage that I carry around in my life. Does that make any sense?


3. Is there a God?

I believe, in my heart, that yes there is. But that, too, is something that each individual must seek out the answer to for him/herself...imo.

4. Am I taking this all just a little too seriously?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Just because I choose to be a member of this site, and I'm assuming you're talking about TPS, it does not mean in any way, shape, or form that I prefer one over the other. It does mean that I love poetry and I love having more than one place now that I can call home. I am sure that some individuals feel as if they might be betraying the owner of TPS by becoming a member of this site as well. I, on the other hand, do not feel as if that is I am betraying anyone by choosing to be a member of this site. Just like some people are police officers and others are coroners...they can have their work life and their home life without either one entangling with the other. Again, just my opinion.

5. Does anyone have a posting/time-sharing strategy that works well?

I log into both sites and bounce back and forth. That way I can devote my time equally to them both. As for the posting strategy, like I said to an earlier question, if I write a new poem here, I post it there as well and vice-versa...usually. If I have written a poem at the other site, and there are many, I will usually take an older poem that I have written that has been forgotten about there, and I will post it in here. But when I do that, I always try to leave a little note somewhere in the post alerting the readers that might know me at the other site that they might have already read the piece before. Simple as that.

6. Mirror postings?

I think I already answered that one for you. If I didn't, just let me know and I will gladly answer it. Just didn't want to repeat myself...lol.

* Question number 3 is there just in case my chosen topic is found too boring by anyone here.

Lol. I thought your topic was very interesting and one that many probably wanted to discuss, but chose not to for one reason or the other. I applaud you for that.


Hope this was helpful to you. You asked, so I thought I would take a shot and share my opinions.

Hugs~~~
Stacy

[stacy (FINALLY back!)]

This shall be my attempt to answer your multiple questions, however, if I get any of them wrong in my defense I didn't know there was going to be a test so I didn't study..

okay, here it goes..

I about fell out of my chair when I read that Daniel. You're too much sometimes...roflmao.

[Dr Fogg]

Tamish, I just reccomended you for membership and then find you're already here lol.

My answers to you searching questions follow.

1. First thing i asked when i got here was do we have to upload all new stuff. The answer was somewhat vague so im doing a bit of both. i have many poems which i think deserve a secons airing and this is a good oportunity.

2. I am who I am and thats all that i am, save me poppeye

3. I do not beleive in god, however if i was hanging from a cliff by my finger nails I would pray like buggery (sort of insurance).

4. We all feel passionate about poetry,so i guess we should take it seriously.

5. Yes my stratergy is to allocate time for ea (had to go sorry)

6. Mirror postings! Well when I write a poem that i like, I have this burning desire to tell the world. I post it on several sites, on public toilet walls, I blackmale my kids to listen to it,(Dad lend us a fiver? Certainly but first I have a few poems for you to hear) I demand the milkman listens (best when he wants paying) The postman, relatives, old people. Mind you it seems people are avoiding me nowadays, cant think why.

Good to see you here Sir.