The Deuce Club, 4.9

By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director

Hey there, TWibe. I’m excited that the clay season is upon us and anticipate some major developments taking place on the red stuff. I remember thinking that the IW and Miami results would give us a good sense of what to expect for the rest of 2010, but in some ways, I still don’t have a clue; that’s got to mean the next month or two will be revealing, right? (Steve articulated this sentiment far more eloquently in his Quarterly Report.) How do you guys feel about this time in the tennis season?

Maybe it’s the spring weather, lingering memories of IW, or my propensity to plan too far ahead, but I’ve already begun thinking about what tournaments to attend this summer … and which ones are on your agendas. It’d be nice if we kept track of who’s going to what so that folks are sure to share their tournament experience with fellow TWibers (and it’s helpful to bounce ideas off of one another regarding hotels, tickets, etc.). I’ve set up a discussion forum on the topic in our Facebook group TennisWorld > Real World, so head over there and let us know your travel plans when you get a chance.

GVGirl has also posted a discussion forum on tomorrow’s (Saturday) Caesar’s Tennis Classic in Atlantic City. She’d love to meet up with other TWibers who will be around and has already planned a meeting with Ruth, following the event. If you’re going to be in attendance, say so in the Comments or in the Facebook group, both of which GVGirl will be checking. You can e-mail her at TW@GVTNews.com, as well.

A year ago at this exact time, we celebrated Lurker Amnesty Day, and since it was such a success, I’m reprising it today! (Click here to see last year’s post.) For those who don’t know, this is when we honor our lurkers, who I believe are as much a part of the TW community as our posters. Pete started the tradition (can I call it that yet?) back in 2007, and it’s offered our lurkers a chance to say hello and interact with other TWibers, if just for the day. Having a post dedicated to that purpose frees lurkers from worrying about whether or not their contributions will go unnoticed or if they’re getting in the way of an “important” discussion.

From what I’ve seen, most who are willing to de-lurk tend to stick around after doing so; the hardest part is taking that initial plunge. I understand the feeling completely – it took me ages to post for the first time myself. Once you jump in, though, you realize that TW is actually a really open and accepting environment.

Two of the folks who have stuck around agreed to write a little something about their de-lurking experience. I’m thrilled to share their stories with you as they’ve become not only DC stalwarts but also great friends. I’m optimistic that reading these accounts will allay any posting anxieties harbored by our present lurkers and they’ll decide to come out and play!

From SilentP:

“A year ago Jackie hosted a de-lurking party in the Deuce Club and it seemed as good a time as any to come out of the woodwork. I had been reading TennisWorld for about eight months but had never plucked up the courage to put my own thoughts down. I thought some posters seemed really knowledgeable, and others were pretty fanatical about their favorites. I was worried about being shot down in flames or coming across as a novice, so I happily read what other people said without really taking part myself. Also, sometimes the conversation moved at such a pace that by the time I’d gathered my thoughts everyone was talking about something else!

“However, that night I put a few comments down and started to get more involved. The DC is a really good place to start posting as it’s often the same people and everyone’s really friendly. It’s not always just about tennis, which helps, too. (I remember having a laugh with Jacko about Saved by the Bell!) A few weeks later, Jackie commented about TWibers sending in tennis photos. I passed some along and mentioned I’d be happy to share photos from the French Open, which I was attending in a few days’ time. I sent a couple in, not expecting anything … and she published one! I was over the moon! And then I was up and running in the DC. I later joined the Facebook group, which is another way to get to know the TWibe.

“My TWibe interactions haven’t stopped there; I even met up with a fellow poster, Or, after the US Open semi-finals. It was great to meet another TWiber and talk about tennis like a tennis geek, but not be perceived as a weirdo!

“I would highly recommend coming out from behind your computer screen and getting involved. You don’t even have to post that much, but everyone’s really lovely and it’s a really great community here. I don’t regret de-lurking for a moment.”

From TennisTarkheena:

“Thank you, Miss Jackie, for allowing me to share my thoughts on Lurker Amnesty Day. Lurker Amnesty Day is quite special to me, as it’s the day I started posting regularly on TW (well, at least regularly at the Deuce Club). I was terribly nervous to take that first step to interact with all these faceless monikers, especially based on my limited tennis knowledge. Then Miss Jackie announced Lurker Amnesty Day, and I felt safe to take that opportunity to begin making online friends. Little did I know at the time that I would be making connections that would lead to my first live tennis tournament and actually meeting so many of the wonderful TWibe members.

“TennisWorld and the Deuce Club especially have become a sort of haven for me. Every Friday I look forward to the fun conversations and stories. I will never forget the “tennis dreams” post; I was really upset that evening and had no one to talk to, and all of the wonderfully hilarious dreams everyone shared made my evening and saved what had been a less than stellar day.  If it had not been for Lurker Amnesty Day I would not have found so many people that I consider friends, people who understand my love for tennis, and people who told me on Facebook to try to get myself to Indian Wells when I thought it was a pipe dream. [JR: And she did - and was a fabulous roomie to boot! That's us in the photo above.]

“Thank you all for being welcoming and to Miss Jackie especially for creating this incredible space to be myself and talk to people around the world. If you haven’t figured out by now, I love meeting new people and this has truly been a blessing for me, all courtesy of Lurker Amnesty Day.”

So touching, SilentP and TT! Countless thanks for sharing your stories – and for lighting up the DC every time you make an appearance.

As your “social director,” it’s important to me to build this community and make sure each person who stops by, newcomer or regular, feels like (s)he belongs. That’s why I hope that our lurkers take advantage of today, and I’m counting on everyone else to give them a warm welcome! Are we all in?

Have a great weekend!

Related posts:

1. The Deuce Club, 7.23
2. The Deuce Club, 4.16
3. The Deuce Club, 4.2
4. The Deuce Club, 10.1
5. The Deuce Club, 8.20