# Congrats Pages?



## Orpington

Hi, not sure if anyone else agrees, but I find that the congrats pages are a little bit pointless? I mean is it really that important if someone reaches a certain number of posts? It is nice to congratulate people, but maybe this could be done by private message, and I think this is more personal and nice.

Anyway just a suggestion.


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## SwissPete

Are you suggesting getting rid of it? I second the motion.


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## cherine

Orpington said:


> Hi, not sure if anyone else agrees, but I find that the congrats pages are a little bit pointless? I mean is it really that important if someone reaches a certain number of posts? It is nice to congratulate people, but maybe this could be done by private message, and I think this is more personal and nice.
> 
> Anyway just a suggestion.


Hi,
Some people find it cordial, friendly, nice or sweet to congratulate each other for the number of posts, a birthday, a national celebration...
Some others don't.

The best solution we could find to please -almost- everybody is to create this thread, where those who don't wish to be congratulated can opt out.

Regards,
Cherine


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## Orpington

It's not that I don't think people should be congratulated, just I don't really think that forum is necessary for that.


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## brian

You can add your name to the list _and_ avoid the forum. I personally only pop in there maybe once a month--if that--otherwise, I forget it even exists.

It's sort of like asking, "Why do people have fish? They don't DO anything." Well, some people like them. (I think they're boring.) But if you don't like them, don't buy one. I don't think fish or fish-lovers will hurt you if you don't buy one.


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## lablady

The Congrats forum's existence doesn't hurt anything. If a post does create ill feelings, there's always the red triangle. I think if nothing else, the Congrats forum gives members an opportunity to let their hair down a bit and remind each other that there are real people behind the user names.

I choose to only visit the Congrats forum once in a while. Its presence, and my relative lack of participation, hasn't caused me to lose any sleep. I don't object if others prefer to visit there more often. As the forum is causing no strife, I say let it stay.


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## cuchuflete

This will not be the first time I make a fool of myself with an incoherent post...

Most of us are, to greater or lesser extent, social creatures.  As such, our participation in the forums is more than an exchange of information.  We grow to _know_, to the extent words on a page allow, those with whom we collaborate. Some of the more openly gregarious people among us like to share feelings along with definitions and grammatical explanations.  Hence congratulations threads began some years ago. 

I may have been the first "victim".  I find such things a little embarrassing. Those who offer good wishes are sincerely celebrating on behalf of another person. That's kind and generous of them.  While I prefer not to be the object of such celebrations—my name is on the "thanks, but no thanks" list, most other members seem happy to share in the festivities.  I have no reason or desire to deny that to anyone who enjoys it.  From a safe distance, I see it as a happy display of a sense of community among members of the forum.  That's nice.

A bit of history:  We strive to keep the forums serious and academic.  At the same time, we recognize that it is natural and yes, beneficial, that they be friendly.  There is no contradiction between a serious purpose and a friendly atmosphere; they are mutually supportive.  

When the first congratulations threads popped up, they were posted in the Cultural Discussions forum.  That forum was struggling, then as now, to focus on informational exchanges and to avoid turning into a contentious chat board or primarily social site.  One of the moderators had the good idea to move all of the existing congratulations threads to a sub-forum.  The motives were twofold: keep the CD forum for its own purposes (without chat or essentially social posts), and allow the social expressions to have a home, a bit apart from CD and the language forums.  

It seems to have worked well.  Those who choose to frequent the Congrats forum are free to do so.  Those who don't want to be made the object of attention can opt out. Those people who have no interest in congratulating, being congratulated, or even witnessing the exchanges of thanks, felicitations and even small doses of friendly goofiness can simply spend their time elsewhere.  Those who would give, but not receive, congratulations are able to do what feels comfortable.


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## Tagarela

Hi,



cherine said:


> Hi,
> Some people find it cordial, friendly, nice or sweet to congratulate each other for the number of posts, a birthday, a national celebration...
> Some others don't.
> 
> The best solution we could find to please -almost- everybody is to create this thread, where those who don't wish to be congratulated can opt out.
> 
> Regards,
> Cherine



(the blue is mine)

I don't remember seeing congratulations for national celebration... I guess only for bigger events as New year or Christmas, and now Women's day. I tried to congratulate Spaniards when Spanis national team won Eurocup, but the thread was deleted. I haven't asked if it was allowed to congrat a nation for a sport competition, but I thought that it would be acceptable, unfortunatelly, it seems it wasn't. I'm not defending that we should open a thread to congrat anyone for any reason...

The problem on cograts page is that one may say that it stimulates flood. But as some have already said somewhere here, the forum is not a conquest of popularity. Anyway, I agree that after a good amount of (nice) posts, users deserve some special greetings. 

Good bye.:


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## Manuel G. Rey

I fully agree with cherine, brian8733 and lablady, even if I not very fond of congrats.
The topic has been completly and clearly explained by cuchuflete. 
I do not like soccer, but I do not ask the stadiums to be closed.


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## ajo fresco

I don't mind having the Congrats Pages, although I don't visit them often.

Cuchuflete, I'd like to see the Congrats Pages changed from a sub-forum of Cultural Discussions to its own separate forum.  I know someone already suggested this last year.  Does anyone know if this is still being considered?

Ciao for now,
Ajo Fresco

P.S.  Brian8733, I have an aquarium, and each fish seems to have its own little personality... just like our brethren in these forums.


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## Metztli

cuchuflete said:


> This will not be the first time I make a fool of myself with an incoherent post...


 
Well, this time, you didn't.  You explained it perfectly! 

All this is like the others say, if somebody doesn't like it, the easiest, most painless, and fastest thing to do is stop visiting it. 

I really enjoy congratulating somebody who has been of a Thousand-something help for us all. Saying happy birthday to the people I like, is also nice for me.

I agree with Manuel, and the others with who he agrees, and his soccer example.

Best!


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## TimLA

I'm with Cuchuflete on this one.

Many moons ago a few kind souls congratulated me on some decimal power of posts, and I didn't realize it until someone alerted me.
I was stunned that anyone might initiate such a task because I'm here to learn and teach - no other motives (it has nothing to do with my job).
Being fundamentally quiet, and embarrassed by any attention, I added my name to the list of "no thanks".

But there are those much kinder and gregarious than I, who truly enjoy such methods of saying "thanks" "congrats" and "good job".
A simple forum, which no one is obliged to visit, provides a nice outlet for these emotions.

So Cuchu...
Congratulations on your outstanding post!
Keep up the good work!
We can't wait for 37,213 more!


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## brian

I also have the impression that it's the peculiar nature of humans to be both thankful and expressive of joy, and that eliminating the forum to suppress such expression would only lead to its continual bubbling up in the colder and darker, language-oriented forums, which we generally strive to keep unburdened by such logically unfounded oddities.


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