I am quinn, user id 46239. I've been here awhile.
There have been trips to the 'rec-list', and times of contention.
And plenty of embarrassing/ill-advised entries in between.
I've had the opportunity to exchange comments with sitting US Senators and Presidential candidates (as well as their staffers). Been given the 'thumbs up' from MeteorBlades, and made some good friends.
UPDATE: FREE MOJO FOR ALL COMMENTS until I go to sleep (expat!)
Then, one day, something was different. I couldn't figure it out at first, but then I realized that I hadn't been commenting enough ( and getting enough 'points' ) to maintain my TU. The funny thing is that I had never taken advantage of my TU - had never dropped a even a single donut in all those years. Once my ability to do so was gone, I felt like an outsider.
That's when it got complicated. I began to 'self-censor', commenting on diaries I agreed with and avoiding contentious comments that might earn me a 'zero'. I was on a quest to regain my status. I succeeded, but it left me feeling empty.
After I regained my TU mojo, I dropped a few donuts, and really just a few...they were all really deserved.
It started to feel like a game, part of which is that some diarists are guaranteed a 'rec-list' spot just by virtue of their moniker, regardless of the content of their diary.
I've intentionally avoided commenting for the most part for awhile, and my TU is once again gone. I feel liberated from the in-house politics of rating, and am really happy that my TU was yanked again. I will still post diaries and comments, but I no longer care about the impact it will have on my 'status'.