I'm sorry that you feel that way, but please know that nobody is doing anything on purpose just to hurt you. That's exactly how I felt when I first came on to the cb. But the more popular cbers, the heirarchy as you call them, are not there because they have bullied and belittled their way to the top. They are the people who have been here for a while and have posted a lot. Anybody who puts their ideas forth get considered - decisions are not based off of the cber who has the idea, but but off of which idea works the best. This is not to say that I don't agree with you. Everyone deserves equal love and respect on the CB. But it does make sense that those who have posted the most and been here the longest be more well known.

I think we need to remember that evn if you can only come on for a half of an hour a day, you are just as important as if you come on three hours a day.

There isn't really a hierarchy of CBers. I think what we are seeing here is a form of 'there are so many people here, it's hard to remember them all!'

All CBers are equal! When a CBer who is not as popular as another CBer posts an idea, I've never seen anyone disrespect it or make fun of it! Not everyone can be popular; otherwise, there would be no popular people.

Nowadays, there are so many people it's hard to remember them all, and you've seen the lists CBers' have made who've tried to do that! They almost take up a whole page.

Nobody's perfect! We can't remember EVERYTHING! And if I might add...A CBer is basically a CBer if they post on the Chatterbox. As most of you have already said in other threads, being a CBer is about sharing your stories and creativity and basically building the Chatterbox with your imagination. I don't think CBers should worry if people idolize them or not--of course, it is always an immense compliment if someone DOES idolize you, but--maybe not for others, but this spells true for me--my reason for being on the CB is so I can share my stories and ideas with everyone!

I've never noticed any idolizing. Can you please give us some examples? 

I have to agree with Gared. No matter how long you've been a part of the CB, nor how long you are on here daily, you should be treated equally to everyone else. It also should not be how loud you are, how many threads you create and comment on, but that you are creating meaningful, kind things to help lift others up.

This hierarchy you speak of, I - and probably many others - see it too, but think of it this way: in the world, no matter where you live, you have a government. People respect and follow that government because they need someone to lead them. It's just how people's minds work. I honestly hate the idea of being sheep, but essentially that is how human minds are wired. Especially the younger you are, the more you are dependent, no offense to anyone. We all crave a social life, and through a social life, we then crave a spot. A spot on a ranking, usually we don't want to lead, but to follow.

If there was a way to change this not just on the CB, but in real life, I would do anything for that. The best thing we can do, as a group, is try to give balance and equality to everyone. Yes, I know it's hard. Even I do not know all the CBers by name anymore, mainly just a few of the... big ones. I hate saying it that way, but the ones who are just there the most. Who I interact with the most. I want to get to know everyone, but the numbers are so big, and time so little, it's difficult. I think that is another reason why people have created this hierarchy of sorts. 

I promise I will work with you to correct this, and I myself will try to distribute my attention to more than just a few CBers. You just have to understand, this will take time. And time is something not many people have to spare at the moment. 

A small little something from me

To everyone who's upset, I'm so sorry. I'll be honest: I don't think of myself as guilty for any of this. Just because people have said they idolized me does not mean I want to be idolized. It warms my heart to see that people care about my influence so much, and it really feels nice inside, but I don't think I really deserve it.

If you asked me to start listing CBers, the first few I would say would probably be Indigo, Somebody, Alias, Katydid, Mei-xue, and Ashlee (and those are the most recent!). Later, I would start naming the people I think of as "this generation," like elementgirl, Sir Waffleston, and LilyPad. But it's hard for me to name all these people anymore, because I've seen so many CBers, I get attached to the ones who leave and have trouble adjusting to the ones who stay.

So I'm not active as much anymore because I can't see a lot of people as people, and that's my own fault. And I'm paying for it! I'm complimented once or twice on a nine-page compliment thread. I'm at the middle or bottom of those big lists of "Words associated with CBers!" or "Colors associated with CBers!". But still, here I am.

So, in the end, I don't know if I benefit or lose from this "hierarchy." But what I do think is that, no matter what, we should respect and love each other. I miss some of the people who have left, but I wouldn't want to lose you guys, either. We're a realy tight-nit community, and though we clash sometimes, we're all amazing people and we need to remember that, especially now. I sense a war if we don't do something soon, and I really don't want that to happen.

There's one thing I want to say, to sum this entire thing up:

It's not experience that makes people "popular," for want of a better word. It's activity. And while that makes us, who don't post as often, feel left out sometimes, we also brought it upon ourselves, you understand. I'm not saying that time on the CB matters; people are just less likely to remember someone who posts once on a thread than one who posts five times, and that's the way it is in any place. Sometimes, yes, it isn't because of that. But I own up to it, and others who complain they are being left out: do you really think that you put in enough to get something out of it? Would people know who you are? It can be really hard to compliment someone that you don't know enough about.

I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings; I'm in the same boat! I just want to point that out, and while it's not perfect, it's the truth. I wish we all had automatic computer systems in our brains so we could remember anything. But, unfortunately, memory relies on repitition. Without enough repitition, people tend to forget.

That's all.

@hotairballoon and everyone:

Have you considered that not everyone gets recognised because there are so many CBers? Just a thought. Like, I don't think it's specific or they're trying to leave anyone out. I don't even think they're only using the "popular people." I think the people that they see post the most on threads they're a part of and people who took the time to post on the threads they made are the people that get recognised.

Just a thought....