“I’m a DINOSAUR – somebody is digging my bones” (from "Dinosaur" by King Crimson)
Recently I read a post where a member (Wildaboutheels, if you must know) referred to some people on this site as “Forum DINOS.” This got me thinking. What exactly is a forum Dino? I mean, are there certain standards, or levels of achievement, required to attain this fictitious rank? Surely I’m not a forum Dino, or am I?
Around the same time I was pondering this curious question, I was reading a thread OP authored by a member who I adore and respect, wondering if I should respond or not. She’s been here for a while, woven into the fabric of the place, to the point where I would call her a “fixture,” or at least the kind of person I (and others) admire. Anyway, I happened to glance at her post total, and it was only a few hundred more than I have. “Good grief,” I thought to myself, “Do I have THAT many posts? Huh? What happened?” Roundabout that time I stumbled across the “forum Dino” description, and I began to feel distinctly reptilian...
Once upon a time, when I first became active here (2009), I recall wanting to get up to 600-700 posts, the same as some of my new friends, just so I could somehow feel legitimate. A funny thing happened. My friends disappeared, victims of either disorientation or apathy, while I whizzed past them, at least in the number of posts. What do I do now? Well, I kept going, and going, and going, somehow getting in excess of 2500 posts. I NEVER thought it would get this far, dear friends. I mean, is there that much to discuss, or attempt to discuss? Is there nothing better to do with my time? Somehow, I became, I think, a forum dinosaur, or on the threshold of becoming one. I’ve been here a certain length of time, I’ve amassed a body of “work,” if you wish to call it that, and, most importantly, I’m STILL here, for better or worse...
For the last two months I was away from the site, but I would look in from time to time, lurking, just to see who was discussing what. I expected to see some of the “regulars,” doing what they do best, but I didn’t recognize anyone! When I hear the moniker “forum Dino,” I think about all those established members who I have gotten to know, little by little, over the past four years. Some of them make a habit of responding to nearly everything, while others are more selective. Perhaps there was a period when discussing MtF crossdressing was novel and exciting, but the fires have cooled a bit, and we see the “Dinos” less and less these days. In the interim, I appear to be one of the dinosaurs, but I don’t really feel like one. I certainly never set out to become one...
It’s just fun to write about MtF crossdressing, or crossdressing in general, and there’s no end to the things that could generate some writing on the subject, but it’s not easy. Like the dinosaur, you need to survive, usually by migrating to a new location, or, in the case of this site, by changing the subject. One day you can try to discuss something locally controversial, and the next day you can submit a piece of fluff, followed by something in-between (like this!). Just keep moving, and don’t let the predators get a fix on your position. As the years go by, and your participation remains steady, you will acquire both friends and enemies. Just keep moving, like the dinosaurs once did...
So, what do you think? Are there certain requirements to become a full-fledged forum DINO? Is it number of posts, or the number of years you’ve been active, or perhaps a length of time spent in the active support role, helping others who really need your help? Maybe a forum Dino has a brave face, a calming presence, and is a person who never gets ruffled, even in the midst of the most heated discussion. I think the so-called “dinosaurs” on this site are heroes, or heroines, to be more accurate. I can count many of them as my most trusted friends; something that I never thought would happen when I began to post my lengthy missives. I appreciate the many acts of kindness I have received from those members who I look up to and admire. Long live the DINOSAURS!!!
PS – If you ever get the chance to hear King Crimson’s Dinosaur, please give it a listen. It’s a much underrated song, by a chronically underrated group, kind of like their “I am the Walrus.”