I joined CF a little over three years ago. After reading "Miss Berkeley's Voyage" over at the Girls In Merciless Peril website I'd searched for more of King Diocletian's stories and found this site. I quickly discovered that CF represented many other interests than just crux, and that there were many other fine writers besides K.D. That's what surprised me initially, the consistently good quality of the stories. You can read those without joining. However, the wealth of photos, manips, art, gifs, etc., remained tantalizingly just out of my reach as an outsider. Now everyone within these precincts is of course a card carrying perv, but I also noticed that there were witty people here, knowledgeable people, smart people. Some really, really smart people. And people here got along, and had a good time. I liked the sense of community, the cordiality, the non-judgemental attitude. Even so, I'm never in too much of a rush, especially about joining something. I lurked here, probably at least a year or so, before I took the plunge and signed up. Windar first contacted me by private message when I started posting my work, and was complimentary about my efforts. I believe by that time I had discovered his story "Trabbian Justice," and had fallen in love with the heroine of that story, Priya (what did she ever see in Sanjay anyway? Sigh.)
Windar, Praefectus, Jackie1111 and many others in my "Mina Berkeley's Voyage" story thread gave me valuable comments and suggestions along the way, which I think strengthened the story as a whole, and when Praefectus Praetorio gave me his thoughts concerning a draft of a particular chapter I'd been working on, I incorporated those suggestions and others which I think made that chapter (Over A Hurdle) far stronger than what I had originally written. So that's an aspect of CF that I really appreciate--the ability to get and give feedback about each other's work. Frequently it can also be funny, silly, informative, and just plain motivational as well, but you can expect to get some kind of response for your efforts. Speaking of motivational, a member recently pm'd me about how much she enjoyed "Mina," and would I please continue it? I have not posted on any other site where you can expect to get as intelligent, insightful, or just plain positive feedback as you can on CF.
As I said above--there are really smart and really knowledgeable people here. I feel like I can learn something new every time I visit. I used to think I was pretty well educated and smart myself until I got to Cruxforums. Hell, I didn't even know there was a difference between whisky and whiskey until Eulalia straightened me out. I've discovered that the depth of knowledge can be pretty profound, especially in what interests me most, that is, history. But no matter what subject interests you, whether it be history or photo manipulation or whatever, there's going to be someone who shares your interest, and probably knows more than you do. And you don't have to pretend that you want to write a Christian romance, or photoshop your dog into the family picture. No, you want to want to write a story about a beautiful woman caned for not giving you a blowjob, or photoshop a picture of a naked lady so it looks like she's being crucified, and everyone here understands that, and doesn't find it the least bit objectionable. And is in fact willing to offer whatever suggestions or comments they can to help you.
Along with learning something new, I frequently find something new also; a thread surfaces that I find to be of interest, some story turns up that I hadn't read before. And sometimes I get a new perspective on things that ordinarily I wouldn't find erotic. Crucifixion was not on my erotic radar until I found Jedakk's work. Impalement is far too messy for my taste, but I very much enjoyed Juan1234's yet incomplete "Life And Death Of An Anti-Impalement Activist." (Though perhaps I enjoy it because we never got to the actual impalement.) I don't usually care for parody or humor in erotic writing, but Wragg and Jollyrei can be quite amusing. Poetry would be the last thing on my mind but I've even enjoyed some of that as well from practitioners like Cruxlove and Eulalia (who's "Lassie Hunting In The Northern Forest: The Linkie Rug" is one of my favorite stories on the site.) And sometimes a story will go well beyond the erotic for me, and just strike me as a good, thoughtful story. Barbaria's "The Fallbeil," was such a story.
There's just so much here that a little exploration will often as not turn up some new delight.
Which brings me to my only suggestion for the site--perhaps an index of some kind would be helpful. I realize there's a search function, but I've never had much success with it when, for instance, I'm trying to find a thread or a story that I can't quite remember the exact title for. Some kind of key word cloud would be helpful for drilling down the possibilities, and narrowing the selection field. Anyway, that's my only suggestion. Such a thing may already exist on the site, I just haven't found it yet. Unfortunately I'm not a computer sophisticate.
I realize this is supposed to be what I like about Cruxforums, but I also want to take an opportunity to thank those who make it possible. So thank you to all the administrators and moderators who keep CF running behind the scenes. I have no notion how you guys do what you do, and keep this place running so lively, but I'm grateful that you do. And thanks to all you contributors who post your work, in whatever form in may be.
There's been many times when I've felt overcome with feelings of guilt and shame surrounding my fascination with BDSM, and I've been away from CF for days, weeks, sometimes months at a time when I needed time out. There's been several times when I decided I would quit. Yet I keep coming back. Partly, perhaps, because I'm simply not strong enough to overcome my paraphilia, but now that I'm in my sixth decade of life, I have to admit that that particular hold is waning. I think I keep coming back because y'all are my peeps. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we could get together at an English Pub (I'm American, but I think of meeting at an English Pub) drinking some warm English ale, and having a chat. I think it would be fun.
I like CF because it's my neighborhood. It may not be Mr. Rogers' idea of a neighborhood, but I like it.