Our "online play,"
The Thread, was an event
that actually happened in real life ...
a situation involving a customer, a box
of live rock, and a marine aquarist forum.
Join us as we explore what happens
when Damselblue receives her live rock.
The story begins when Damselblue turns
to a marine hobbyist message board
to seek advice ... although the
tale ends up with a few other
surprising twists and turns!
What happens during the course of
The Thread discussion is unpredictable,
interesting, educational, and even
a bit enlightening!
The "member names" of the participants
have been altered somewhat for the sake
of anonymity, with the exception of
"Birdfish" and "Mrs. Birdfish."
The specific order of the comments has
had some minor alterations in order to
cluster some scattered responses and
thoughts together so the story can be
read more clearly and with enhanced
understanding, as the original thread
became redundant and confusing at
times, making it difficult to read.
However, changes to the original text
has only been minimally altered, with
the rare exception of some comments that
were deemed inappropriate.
We would like to thank all of the posters
(message board members) for their
participation in the actual event
(thread discussion), which has made
this "performance" possible.
There are a few helpful characters (guides)
that will assist you, the reader, by adding
helpful comments that you may appreciate ...
often giving additional knowledge of the
circumstance at hand ...
... such as this little fellow who will
help guide you through
The Thread.
By NO means is
The Thread
intended to offend anyone ... including
that of the participants or characters.
It is, however, an observation of a
customer relations situation ... one in
which the customer seemed to doubt
that the company would be willing to
assist them with a remedy, so decided
on a drastic approach to the situation
by attempting to utilize an online forum
in an unorthodox fashion ... pressing the
company for help on a public forum.
Of course, this type of action is not
the most productive approach, as seeking
solutions together as a joint effort is
a much more beneficial way to solve a
problem to produce positive results.
We know that the message boards aren't
something everyone may visit, so
we must explain that this is a rare example
of what can happen if a negative discussion
happens to get out of hand.
We hope you will enjoy
The Thread ...
you may wish to stop at intervals
along the way and return to continue,
as it has an extended reading time
(depending on your pace)
... but don't read it TOO fast ...
we wouldn't want you
to miss anything!
To assist you in returning
to continue reading ...
since you will most likely return
to continue reading, you may bookmark
this introduction page and then either
use the "Return Visitors" link
at the top of this page, or scroll
down to the bottom of this page, for
links to the individual pages so you
can continue reading ...
just jot down where you left off
at the close of your reading sessions!
(The original thread lasted about two weeks!)
"The question is not what you look at but what you see."
~ Henry David Thoreau
Begin Your Adventure in ...
"The Thread"