Based on my own recent experience, it is really nice when people like and respond to your posts. It can be a good motivator to stay on the forums and continue to contribute to building a solid community here. It can also really make someone’s Internet day!
So here’s my suggestion: every so often pick a random person, go to the activity list in their profile. Pick a few topics they started and/ or posts they made and start reading. If you can find something positive to say (even “I love this topic, and here’s why…”), say it. If you like what they had to say post it. [Ed: or “like”]
Some people already do this. It works… it keep[s] me coming back.
You don’t have to respond to their every post, and it is best to avoid overtly stalking people. Just go until you’ve looked at, liked, or commented on some small number of posts (5-10 maybe). Just enough to show interest in what the author has to say.
My suggestion is that you try not to do this with people who are really active: they are already engaged. We should focus on engaging people who aren’t yet. This should have the most affect if you pick someone who doesn’t post often: interest in what they say sets a good tone for lurkers to participate.
I’ve noticed that the forum tells you when it’s the first time someone has posted and asks you to welcome them. I’m going to take that suggestion as well as yours. Thanks for a great idea and helping to build our community!
That is great, thank you. It is nice to be heard, and it is fantastic to meet so many misties who want our forums to be our forums, reflecting the love and respect I have seen among misties.
MST3k and its spinoffs (and fan projects) have always encouraged a joshing sense of community, and I think we all respond to that. Misties tend to be happy-go-lucky people. We have aspies, people with mental and/ or physical illness and disabilities (I know a mistie with brain damage), shy folks, loud folks, funny folks, probably a few serious folks, tons of variety. But we all love to watch a silly puppet show featuring terrible movies. There is absolutely no reason we can’t make a strong, welcoming community.
For comparison, I’ve been on a toxic Lego listserve! Seriously, a kid’s toy: the officially recognized Texas group purged the rolls and made a new list for just the cool kids.
All of this community stuff was happening in earnest before I started talking about it. The frequent posters do everything I’ve pointed out, and more. They lead, I follow.
I grew up with Space/Castle/City The only Lego I have is the Back to the Future 21103 set. I had a can of Simpsons Duff Beer (energy drink) in storage in the same container that exploded after all the years and soaked much of the model (and actually ruined the silver color paint on the silver lego pieces including the 2015 ‘UPC’ license plate that I need to source a replacement piece for ).
I also played through Lego Lord of the Rings a couple months ago.
Also, nice topic
Lego is complicated now, with lots of new specialty pieces. It takes time to get used to them, but MOC-Lego (“My Own Creation,” usually a thing that could have been a Lego set) is huge on the web. Blogs like The Brothers Brick and a strong group on Flickr have really helped. And of course, the broad variety of licensed products has really brought in a lot of kids, which means more used Lego (the best kind).
I recommend maybe getting one of the “adult” sets if you want to have fun. A Lego Taj Mahal would be a good conversation piece. I don’t know if they have a Baltimore city set yet, but maybe…
I’m very content with my one set (once I finish cleaning and acquiring a replacement piece
My quasi-erstwhile partner who’s a writer got the Lego typewriter set on my recommendation.
The only Lego I have is the Back to the Future 21103 set. I had a can of Simpsons Duff Beer (energy drink) in storage in the same container that exploded after all the years and soaked much of the model (and actually ruined the silver color paint on the silver lego pieces including the 2015 ‘UPC’ license plate that I need to source a replacement piece for 
).
