The Culture, Part 2 - A Hippo Essay

By Sue Alexander

March 6 2019

Good Work Lulus. Over thirteen hundred members, and thousands of posts and comments, and for the very most part everyone "gets" it and moderating is relatively easy! Although we have to moderate, comment on and periodically delete most of you understand not only the rules but the spirit of the rules and you are doing an excellent job of making sure that everyone is getting a like, heart or tears to each and every post and that 100% of posts are getting supportive and caring comments. Keep up your compassion! You are doing great.

Now if you are new here, and you aren't sure about the culture, start by reading the rules. The rules are the heart of how we operate here. There aren't many (and yes, we are going to add one or two in the coming few days), and they aren't difficult, but they are how we operate so you need to know.

Next, if you are new, have a read through; you should read two things. First, the general tone of the posts. Read up on how we share information. It isn't yet in the rules, but please don't post any images of injuries; we all hurt enough and seeing your mangled body or the mangled body of your beloved hippo, or the hippo that your hippo injured are not going to make anyone feel any better and as a grief group, we are looking to help, not hurt. by the way, when I want to talk about Lulus in general, I speak about hippos because a Lulu could be a dog, a cat, a bunny, a rat, a snake or some other animal friend.

You are welcome to speak about ANY animal friend you have lost due to a behaviour problem. The original Lulu was indeed a dog, and she was indeed from a rescue, but we have had quite a range of different animal species who have come from a range of different sources including rescues, shelters, private homes, reputable breeders, and not so reputable breeders; what matters is not species or origin, but if they were an important animal friend or family member. I love how you all have stepped up and been able to say "I have never shared my life with a hippo, but I can see how sad you are when your hippo had such serious behaviour problems that she had to die". THAT is kindness, especially when you don't have a fondness or understanding of hippopotamuses in general.

You should also search my name and look for the essays I have written about the culture here. We have grown incredibly fast and it is really important to the moderation team that everyone adhere to not just the rules but the spirit of the culture here, and you will find that spirit in the essays I write (such as this one!).

the final thing you should know if you are new is that we have moderators and administrators who run this list, but we also have Ambassadors; Ambassadors help the moderators and admins by making sure that every post is read and if there is anything funky, that it gets attention right away. If you post something and a comment comes up that says "Ambassador Note" please read it and take heed of the suggestions made. You may be asked to edit or take something down in the interest of maintaining the culture and it is really helpful if you do. You are also welcome to report anything that seems off to you in the interest of keeping this place safe and comfortable for everyone!

Thanks again!

Today's image is the setting sun over Pickerel Lake in Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario Canada. I use images from my last vacation to illustrate all my essays!