Please take a few moments to answer this poll

[**Maria**]

I've been a member for a wee while but no idea how long and it has changed a lot. It's so much bigger than it used to be and it has lost the feeling of intimacy that it had.

I do think that the teams spoilt things in a way but I belong to a lovely group who pop in and out for a chat. We gave up collecting points some time ago as life just gets in the way.

The SGs and teams do work for many people but I think that they dilute what is on the rest of the boards.

Standing on the sidelines (which is no bad place to be) you see the boards go in cycles. One *in crowd* comes along and then they go elsewhere or take a step back and another *in crown* take their place. I remember some fabulous scrappers from the old days and often wonder if they are still scrapping.

I know that I am not alone in stepping away from the computer recently. Also, the weather makes a difference as who wants to be stuck inside on a glorious, if rare, summer day?

A bit of an essay there that probably makes no sense

[misteejay]

I do not belong to any teams (points or not) as I work full-time and can not be sure that I can fully participate. I do belong to a number of Social Groups which I drop into for a chat but don't feel too guilty if I don't get the time to do so.

When we have a cyber crop I love the atmosphere/fun of being in a team but as it is something that only lasts for a limited period I am able to alot the time to give it my full attention & support (I usually book the CC weekend off work )

[MiniOwner]

I know the CC is very popular, but I, personally, can't keep up with the 'frenzy' of it all. I do take part, but at my own pace which means I usually miss deadlines.

Sue x

[Teaghen]

I have to admit the CC is my second favourite thing about UKS, I love it and join in as much as I can, my favourite thing is of course my FAB team

[Maria in France]

It seems that lots of people are saying that their teams start off ok but fizzle out - well I think there is a tendancy for this to happen, and if less and less people post then people get fed up of checking to see if anyone has etc. Recently our team was getting quieter and quieter, because several of us have big stuff going on,but a quick 'hey guys, do we all still want to be here' soon livened everyone back up, people re-comitted and we are definitley chatting and scrapping at full strength again now.

I think i fell on my feet finding such a nice group straight away though, and I would hate is to split up. Also the more you get to know each other and about each others lives, the more interesting it is looking at each others layouts etc.

I have our SG page in my favourites and go straight there, so I dont have any problems with the Sg structure - there is an icon to go to the last post read and i must admit to ducking in and checking about 3 times a day, although i dont always post.

Think extra points for the monthly challenge would be good, and like Laura, I dont really feel a particular kinship with my house - i mean apart from my teamies, i dont know anyone else in it.

[Cassia]

I have been in a points collecting team for two years now, it was a newbie team that started just after I joined UKS. Although a few members have had to pull out due to time commitments etc, they have been replaced and we have a lovely team spirit and like to chat.

I don't think I would have spent so much time on UKS or done anywhere near as much scrapping as I have without being in a team and collecting points, and I still love it as much as I did when I started.

I did the last CC too, my first one, and absolutely loved it, can't wait to do another one!

[brookes]

I'm new to UKS and think it's great for inspiration, learning new scrapbooking techniques and finding craft suppliers.

It's also one of the most controlled website forums I've ever been on; the huge black and white warning signs and rules were bemusing (and frustrating) at first.

I'm not a member of a team, as I don't really come on for social reasons but because of my interest in scrapbooking. I find some of the chat a bit excluding and time-consuming to wade through when it takes up pages on a thread supposed to be about X, Y or Z.

[Mollymoo]

I was in a team from the very early days and eventually it just fizzled away

since then I have found it a lot quieter (and not looking for sympathy here) I dont have any 'friends' on here I chat with - so I come on once or twice a day (way less than I used to) ask a question if I have one (and often get an answer which is great) and see what is going on generally with trends and the like. I have really started lurking I guess feeling less part of the whole than before but still using the challenges to help with ideas, just not sharing the end results.

I did join some SGs but found them too difficult initially, I guess I should try again now that they can be subscribed to but.....

[katy75]

I was in quite an active group for some time but the social groups killed it off completely. I since joined a couple of new teams but I found that as I work FT and am not a parent I had little in common with others and that other members were on during the day, when I tend to only log on in an evening.

I'd love to be in a team but I've never found it terribly successful. If anyone fancies a team populated with FT workers LMK!

[tigerlady]

Actually Katy that may not be such a daft idea! Maybe there could be a thread on the team forum where you could post your details and ask for like minded folk to join you?

[bramblepie]

hope you do join another team katy your avator looks like a dog my grandma had ahhh
I use to only get on uks at weekend and chat with team but I found that ok I use to scrap more then too IKWYM though better if theres a few teamies online or you do feel like you talking to yourself our team is full atm but you welcome to come and chat we have several litter mates we call them who pop in from time to time it nice

[Slewis]

I was in quite an active group for some time but the social groups killed it off completely. I since joined a couple of new teams but I found that as I work FT and am not a parent I had little in common with others and that other members were on during the day, when I tend to only log on in an evening.

I'd love to be in a team but I've never found it terribly successful. If anyone fancies a team populated with FT workers LMK!

Katy PM you.

[Miss Katy]

I've been a member for years now, but have never got around to joining a team. It does intrest me as I looooove challenges and winning/working towards winning, I just don't think i 'do' enough crafting at the moment to join a team. I'm not worried about the pressure from others, but I think i'd be grupmy if I had a challenge set and I couldn't complete it. I have considered joining a team, and in the future I do plan on joining a team...just have to organise my life better so I can scrap more than once a month.

Love Katy x x x

[AnnieAnnie]

I voted "not in a team, and happy to stay independent". I just can't commit to being in a team, and it's not what I personally want from UKS (although I appreciate that for many people, they get a lot out of being in a team). I do think that it's very quiet on the main boards, and it seems to me that a lot of the posts are in the social groups. I must admit to not having explored them much - I don't really know what they are about, and I'm not sure how they work. Can anyone just look? It seems to me that they are about "one thing", a bit like a thread within a main board would be. That makes it a bit difficult to navigate, and I'd rather see things less compartmentalised. Of course, I could have that completely wrong, and have totally misunderstood the situation! But perhaps that's part of the problem - people like me (perhaps I'm just being thick) not really getting what they are all about.

Sorry, that was a bit of a waffle!

[tigerlady]

I voted "not in a team, and happy to stay independent". I just can't commit to being in a team, and it's not what I personally want from UKS (although I appreciate that for many people, they get a lot out of being in a team). I do think that it's very quiet on the main boards, and it seems to me that a lot of the posts are in the social groups. I must admit to not having explored them much - I don't really know what they are about, and I'm not sure how they work. Can anyone just look? It seems to me that they are about "one thing", a bit like a thread within a main board would be. That makes it a bit difficult to navigate, and I'd rather see things less compartmentalised. Of course, I could have that completely wrong, and have totally misunderstood the situation! But perhaps that's part of the problem - people like me (perhaps I'm just being thick) not really getting what they are all about.

Sorry, that was a bit of a waffle!

Yes, anyone can look at any social group- even those which are invite only! There's very little on here which is truly private. I confess, even though I spend far too long on this site each day, I've never looked through all the social groups to see if there are any which would interest me.

The mojo one which was mentioned earlier sounds interesting but I didn't know it existed.
Have a nosey around- there are all kinds of strange interests covered