URNotAlone

Good-Bye, URNA Ratings!

November 4th, 2007 8:15 pm MST

Well friends, my previous journal entry is moot. I kind of enjoyed the ratings system in spite of the beginning-of-October dip that I wrote about last month. If nothing else, seeing my rating tick up or down was an indication that people were stopping by to visit, even if they didn't care to leave a comment.

 If you haven't read URNA's rationale for discontinuing the ratings, take a look. I have to applaud the management of URNA for taking a thoughtful stand on the subject and for acting on it. To me it indicates sensitivity to the needs of the TG community as a whole.

 As usual: All my best,

 Sephie

[1 comment]

Ratings Reality Sets In

October 2nd, 2007 5:02 pm MDT

     Ok, now please bear with me everyone. This is not going to be a whiny, "oh poor me" journal entry, nor is it any kind of pathetic plea for affirmation. Facing certain realities can be difficult but I'm going to be a brave gurl and put my own best spin on things. 

     I do know that the ratings system is not everyone's favorite feature of the URNA site. I suppose I have a better understanding now of this opinion. Two short days ago, on September 30th, I was just as happy as I could be with my "high nines" rating. Then October 1st rolled around and everyone's rating was reset to zero. Now, "zero" is perfectly fine if no one has voted! Well, I logged in yesterday and found beneath my main profile picture:

"Rated 6 With 1 Votes"

      Whoa! What happened?

      Then I put things in perspective.

      This was someone, I can only suppose, who was leaving what they believed was an honest opinion based on their personal set of standards.  I have no right to assume that my appearance is something that everyone should just rave about. Far from it.

     On the other hand, no one -- not a single person -- has ever actually said anything unflattering; neither in my comments section, nor as a journal entry reply, nor in the chatroom, nor by e-mail.  On the contary; I have received the most wonderful and encouraging messages I could ever hope for. And in this process I think I have made some true friends.

     So -- I'm just going to leave my ratings on and hope for improvement (and as I write this, some kind soul has voted and raised my average to "8". At least 80% is a "passing grade," so to speak!). If they don't improve that much, so be it: The comments I receive are what will matter to me.

     And I will continue to be supportive and encouraging to my friends. Who, to me, will always be tens.

      Hugs to all,

      Sephie

[1 comment]

Some photos

August 31st, 2007 4:24 pm MDT

OK -- each of us is probably our own worst critic. I decided I'm willing to put that assertion to the test by adding some pics to my profile page. I hope I'm right! It's intimidating, though -- there are just sooooo many gurls on URNA who are -- by any standard -- complete knockouts, a few of whom have graciously consented to let me add them to my friends list and some of them have been willing to call me a friend (for this I am truly flattered and honored). But me -- Well, I started late, I don't have the most feminine of faces or figures, and I'm honor-bound to the love of my life to retain a substantial portion of my body hair (So don't be expecting cheesecake pics!). Which all is the long way of saying, here's more of me; examples that I'm not terribly ashamed of and which reveal a little more of my autogynophiliac character (if nothing else!). All for now -- Take care, girlfriends! Hugs, Sephie

[2 comments]