I few folks gave me an acorn when I joined and or when they connected with something I posted. It said Welcome in a concrete way. 5 acorns are given when you join. Read the info to learn how to get more if interested.

Older members understand new folks don't have many and may not be able to reciprocate initially or join a raffle, etc.

Acorns can be used to purchase badges --which sort of describe you ..your interests at a glance.

It is sort of a tiny bouquet -- that says thanks...or I appreciate...or welcome...or a way to connect or show that a post reached you in a special way.

The thumbs up is a way to say I get it or I agree or good job if you don't feel like typing..I think it is a way to avoid generating pages of "I agree" on a thread. Just the person who receives the thums up actually "sees" the person that gave it, and so a member can say " thumbs up " showing a sentiment without the collective public eye on them. Perhaps they don't want others to know they agree. I forget to use it and I worry later if the person who just posted before me thinks I ignored them and that I went on to blather about something else-- or that maybe I disagreewith them -- But, can't just keep hitting thumbs up to every little thing. I need to get over that worry. ATP is a very forgiving site ( first and second impression as I am new too) and feelings don't seem to be as touchy..ready to pounce...as other sites seem. No closed off groups --that I have encountered. I think as one new person to another (both being seasoned transplants from other sites) ...go with the flow, and you will quickly learn when to "thumbs up" ..when to part with an acorn ( it will be a while before you have accrue many ) and when to worry -or not - about appreciating the social nuances of the site. I hope this helps!

Yes, MissingRosie,

That was quite helpful. It helped me to relax again and be too concerned about these things for now. That's what I had been doing all along, until I saw the giant '0' by 'thumbs given' in my info. Your take on the thumbs being in part a way to avoid having copious pages of "agree" and "me, too" was particularly helpful.

But I see that you have a personal picture on your posts instead of the acorn (which I & some others have). Did the acorn eventually go away on its own? Or did I possibly load the pic wrong? Or do you know?

To change your avatar...

click on the little person icon in the upper left hand corner under All Things Plants

click on change your public profile

scroll to bottom and upload the photo you want

save your changes

If that doesn't work, please post back - sometimes I don't explain things well.

zuzu,

Your cottage garden image is very lovely and inviting. I'm guessing that is your garden, maybe? Yes, I have found that my cottage garden has become a desirable home and dining area for a great many small creatures. When I 1st bought this property, the back yard was just an empty space with a lawn, no trees, shrubs, or flowers except for those around the perimeter of the house. I put up a bird feeder full of BOSS but was surprised to find that the birds all sat on the back fence by the forest, staring longingly at the feeder but unwilling venture out across the open expanse of yard to reach it.

It was only much later after I began adding lots of plants that my yard began to overflow with birds of all kinds, some at the feeder, others dining on insects, fruit, seed heads, etc. Only then as I watched the hawk circling overhead but unable to navigate the busy garden did I come to realize why the birds had been so unwilling to cross that empty expanse of lawn earlier.

I've heard others talk of their cats eating comfortably with opossums and raccoons. Regrettably, my cats don't do that. I'm starting to think that Ms Kitty may be the instigator. She tends to be quite territorial. She even seems to be very protective of me. I say the latter because she will tolerate other creatures in the yard as long as I'm inside, but will aggressively try to chase them away if I'm out there. When I feed the raccoons, she comes up beside me and growls and snarls at them, trying to get them to leave. I usually have to put her inside at such times just to keep her out of trouble. She even got very aggressive with a copperhead in the backyard on day. There again, she had been lying around tolerating the copperhead's presence while I was inside but began to harass him as soon as I went out there. (Luckily, she moves fast when necessary.)

Thank you, Vic!

I thought I did that earlier, but I guess I must have done something wrong the 1st time. Maybe I forgot to save or something. Who knows. Anyhow, thanks very much.

That's not me, btw. It's a doll. I'm hoping people will realize it's a doll and not mistake it for a real person. Did any of you think it was a person when you 1st saw it?

There are no mosquitoes in the San Francisco Bay Area. I lived in San Francisco and Piedmont for 30 years and never saw any mosquitoes there. Also, there are no flies there. I never had screens on my windows until I moved to Sonoma County, where we do have mosquitoes during the warmer half of the year and flies in the warmest two months of the year (August and September).

It does not appear that the thumbs up are actually anonymous. If someone has a thumbs up for a particular post and you click on the number (not the green thumb square), it will display the person or persons who did that. Likewise, if you go to a person's profile and click on the numbers given for thumbs up, it will display the givers or recipients.

I did not know that! I wonder why it comes in a system message notification as well. I winder if I click on mine..if the corresponding system messages will go away....or change from YES (new) to NO. I will need to check that out.

@dreamofspring - I thought your Avatar was A Scarlett O' Hara doll!

The SF area sounds like paradise from everything I've heard, with near 70F weather year round, and now you tell me there are no flies or mosquitoes there either. Where do I sign up?

ZuZu..I know I read that comment in a DG thread.

Possibly they give us a notification because many of us would not notice something on a post we made even earlier in the day. Also sometimes the reader is seeing something for the first time many days after the post.

ecnalg,

Good to know. Tks.

Ah, That makes sense, too, ecnalg.

I didn't think of that. You are right..I don't go ack to look at old posts.

Rosie,

Good to know that you did perceive it as a doll. It's not actually Scarlett nor anyone in particular, just an artist created doll or rather one of many copies of the original artist rendition.

Thanks, Dreams of Spring. I've enjoyed your raccoon stores and also hearing about the cats, and shared some with DH and my granddaughter.

I had been using this same doll for my avatar over 'there' for some time now, but I've always worried that folks might perceive it as an actual person (in a ridiculous costume). Now that you told me it resembles Scarlett, I feel more confident that people will 'get' that it's a doll.

Oh, Thank you very much, ecnalg!!!

Just curious, are you referring to the original stories on that 'other' site?