I'm a member of b3ta.com. I have been for a little while. I'm not afraid to say that at one point last year it kept me sane - making me laugh and giving me something to do during a very difficult period in my life. My mother-in-law succumbed very quickly to breast cancer and my wife ended out in Oregon for a month, leaving me looking after a very worried 16 year-old stepdaughter about to start her first British school. B3ta's sense of funny really tickled mine at that point: but there's something in the mix these days that don't feel so good.

Trolls. That's what's been getting to me. Not the trolls, but B3tans reaction to them. There's a mantra on B3ta: "be fluffy, ignore the trolls". Yet B3ta collectively seems less able to do that these days. I've seen loads of really good images go by un-noticed the moment someone breaks B3ta protocol. Everybody rushes to be the first to say something to the troll/newbie and seems to find that more important than actually commenting on images.

To be honest, that fucks me off no end. I remember August Bank Holiday last year. A brilliant day to be on B3ta, to be honest. I couldn't tear myself away, as contributors seemed to be inspired by the flow of praise coming from both regulars and newcomers alike. It was a joy.

Ah me. Perhaps I expect too much from ad-hoc communities. Didn't stop me getting a B3ta T-shirt though.