What you gain from" Sudoku site"?

May 11th, 2008 is the day I joined this site.
I started out here enjoying both the Sudoku and Jigsaw puzzles, and wanted to comment on the ones I enjoyed the most. What I found were people whom I had more in common with than most everyone I knew in the "real world". This site has enriched my life with true friendships. As in the "real world", not everybody gets along with everyone else, but by and large, it has become a sort of family.

Hi Wadgy - what a lovely idea!
I only found this site 2 years ago searching for puzzles. It took a while to even realize that people were making comments and even longer before I decided to join in. I feel that I have extended my horizons so much and have found many new cyber-friends. I look forward to reading the comments daily both on the puzzle pages and in some of the forums. I look for Fiona's riddles, Andre's TFTD's, jokes (even if some are a bit risque) from various people, pictures behind the puzzles, but mostly the repartee. Some days this is better than others but we all have good and bad days. We are a diverse lot with differing attitudes and cultures but that is what draws us here. I too have felt happy or sad for fellow members when they have shared their good or bad news. I have met many local members in person as well as travelling to Port Macquarie, Perth and Albany where I was fortunate to meet some more wonderful people - not to mention meeting my first member from outside Australia, Keith and his wife Lynne. The whole experience has been truly great and I thank Gath for creating this site and every member for enriching my life so much. Thank you Sudokuland!

I could have said that so much more concisely - I came here for the puzzles and stayed for the people.

What a good idea, Wagdy!
I joined this site on May 1, 2007. At that time there was a crazy "Last to Post" contest going on.
That is where I first met so many of the people here. I think what I like most is that I can come here anytime, day or night, and there is always someone to talk to, or, especially, to joke with. I like the give and take, which can certainly become heated at times, which is okay. We don't have to think alike to appreciate each other. I like the way everyone is willing to help with any problem. I feel I KNOW everyone. I have learned so much about other countries by visiting different pages. I must admit, there have been days when I didn't even GET to the puzzles! LOL
Wagdy, meeting you and seeing your beautiful country was a wonderful experience. That never would have happened had I not 'met' you here. So many have met others. It is truly amazing when you think about it. This is a very unique site. What a gift Gath has given us.

I joined so long ago I don't even remember when it was! I was here before you had to join.

All of the things you said, and I learn something new every day I come here.

Great question, Wagdy. I just spent some time wandering around in the Archives and the earliest post I could find for myself was March 5th, 2006. It really doesn't seem like I've been coming here that long. It was fun to see who was posting back then that I've come to think of as good friends. It was also sad to see and remember many "old" friends that are no longer around. I can also say that I came here for the puzzle, and stayed for the people. I still love and do the puzzles, but the real attraction for me is all the good people that I've gotten to know so well. The greatest reward was meeting so many people in Australia that I've considered to be friends for such a long time. I also agree that I've learned so much from coming here.

Another question, Wagdy, might be why people have stopped coming to this site, or stopped posting.

Haven't we had these discussions before on other forums and easy pages?
BTW Ian, did you manage to read my msg?

CynB, succinctly put -

Came here for the games, stayed for the people.

Wagdy, you were one of them. You always seemed so friendly and it made me want to be involved.

What have I gained from this site?...a lot of confidence, a lot of new friends and a lot of support when I have needed it.

Thank you Gath.

Thank you Wagdy for this fun page! It's been interesting reading your intro and other's reasons. You are always so positive...an admirable quality, indeed!
I joined the site on July 7th, 2008 - I'm not quite up to my one year anniversary, yet.
I have gained much enjoyment from the puzzles and pictures...maybe staved off demencia a bit, even! And received some excellent flower photography information from Sue/OK!
Like Gail and Cyn - I have stayed for the friendships. I don't know if I would have been making plans to travel down-under if it hadn't been for all the wonderful friends I've made who are hosting me in my travels (thank you especially Bean). Now I'm looking forward to an amazing trip in October/November and many warm memories.
Thanks Gath!

Like everyone else, I came for the puzzles and stayed for the people. I have made many friends from around the world. I truly feel blessed to have all these wonderful people in my life. Thank you to everyone for helping me stay sane and giving me an escape or a shoulder to cry on when I need it.

I started out looking for a place to solve sudoku puzzles online. Gath's system worked pretty well for me, although I was looking for online options then, as now, that no one's yet done.

I was very intrigued by the "reward" of seeing a photo behind the completed puzzle: Ingenious conversation starters for a cyber social group, especially as the photos are submitted by the group's members.

As you all have discovered, I'm an insatiable student of people, places and things, and I was addicted by the excitement of reaching those hidden photos and finding out what the "topic" for today was.

I'd been doing the puzzles online for half a year before I signed up as Plum on 23 May, 2008 (as a reward to myself for solving my first Tough).

BTW, I didn't realize so many of us all joined around the same time. Happy 1 year anniversary to us!!!

Anyway, once I joined I was warmly welcomed and everyone took my sudden appearance in stride.
It took me a while to assemble personalities around everyone's names, especially since the avatars could keep changing. But once I got to know the people of Sudokuland, I got so much enjoyment from the interchange and then the banter.

I appreciate the way I've really gotten to "know" people and often brag on the Sudokuland site as my connection with people around the world. I've learned and "experienced" so much by being connected on an almost daily basis with all of you. My world is larger and richer because of Sudokuland.

I came for the sudoku, enjoyed the jigsaws, and began to learn the people on easy. Huumm, I have been here since before the " Last to post Contest", but i think that is when I got to know so many and continue to talk to many of them almost daily.

I think Keith was the first person I spoke to here, about a flower photo of a nice looking shrub in his yard. Remember that Keith?

Friendship would be the most important thing I got here, then visits through photos to many lands I shall never get to visit on my own. I will not start naming names, but I have enjoyed the everglades of FL, and the ruins of Peru, the rivers of Egypt, and statues scattered about both hemispheres, sunsets and more sunsets, and the flowers of Australia. . . just too many to name.

Another valuable thing I take away from this site is a better understanding of how news in the headlines changes the lives of those living it, as we waited to see how friends fared after flooding, fires, war, drought.

I have grown considerably from all the friends and acquaintances here. I have cried over the deaths of members and of pets. I can only say thanks to each one of you for visiting me here on my computer. Some days, visiting here is the best part of my day.

People have talked a lot about why they've stayed on this site; some have talked about why people leave.

Another question: How long has it been since the site has actually gained a regular or even occasional participant in the conversation on the Easy page? A year? Two years?

There seem to be plenty of newcomers, judging by the "new members" list. Why don't any of them participate in posting comments?