While I don't contribute much to the fun and games or the welcomes, I actually see value in them. As some have mentioned, the fun and games acts as a kind of chat and get-to-know-you place. Many of the friends I have made from this site were those that had interacted with me in either of those threads and I'm extremely grateful.

Personally, I pay little attention to post counts. If you want to know the meat and bones of a person, just look up their posts and profile, or better yet, send them a PM!! There are several members I feel I "know" based only on what they've posted! All of the personal interaction and connections contribute to this site in whatever mode works best for the individual members, in my opinion. A person can glean plenty about someone by reading posts they've made in any thread. Tone is not hard to recognize either. All of which, for me, appears to be contributing to the site.

With so many negative connotations regarding BDSM, the lighter side of this forum helps to soften that image! (Again, only my opinions. Just my initial impressions upon joining the site a few months ago.)