Hi everyone. Over the past while, I've been taking a count. In two weeks, almost 3,000 citizens have signed up. That's agreed, right? Ok, good.

Now, think of a new person's side and an old person's side. The new person needs clams and they already know about the ClamGram, so they figure, why not ask? So they do, then they get rejected. They worry it's something they did, even though they've never seen that other person before. Odds are, they really didn't do anything. The old person was just being stingy.

I can understand you saying no if you had under 100 clams, but if you have over 100, I have one question for you. Why can't you share?

Is it because you're saving up,or do you just get your kicks out of being mean? If that's it, if you get your kicks out of being mean, it's up to you to figure out what to do.

Then, when the new person asks why, the old person gives some kind of snide response (the more popular the person, the more rude -- I'll be talking about popularity in my next article). Then the new person gets huffy. Then the old person wonders why the new person doesn't think too highly of them.

Well, what do you think is wrong?

This is a conversation I heard at the pool one day between two Whyvillians (one fairly well known and one brand-new) I hope you pay attention to it, so if you ever stumble into that situation, maybe you can make it better. NW is New Whyvillian and OW is Old Whyvillian.

NW: "May I please borrow a few clams?"
OW: "No."
NW: "Why can't I?"
OW: "They're MY clams.I am not sharing with a newbie like you!"
NW: "I hate you!"
OW: "I hate you too."

Well, instant enemies, and all because someone couldn't share. I have one more question. If you have a fairly nice face and are saving up for something, why can't you wait? You don't need it as much as they do.

Believe me, I've been in Whyville for well over a year now, and I remember when I was waltzing around with a plain head and chat was not even at Whyville yet. But I was still awfully embarassed. So I carefully made a face before the Face Factory was invented, and stuck with it for the longest time. (If you would like to see this face, please look up Alicia's photos in the Times Gallery, and in one of them you will see a girl with black bob, purple scarf, shades, ears, and hoop and pearl earrings. That is me. They are Alicia's winter photos.)

Let me set this straight. I can't make you share your clams. (Although it would be quite excellent if I could.) I can't make you like anyone. And please don't be rude to someone just because they aren't "cool". (This "being cool" business will go along with the article on popularity I'm working on.)

So please remember, if everyone who can does his or her share, Whyville would be a much better place. (Sorry, I'm starting to sound like a teacher, aren't I?) But it would! If you could maybe get them just the basic face parts, and let them take it from there.

I'm looking forward to seeing Whyville be in much better shape. (Sorry. I hope I'm not catching with this teacher-itis thing.)

Oh, yes, and teachers. Maybe one of those new people you were rude to was a teacher. Then what will adults think of this site? If adults don't like Whyville, we could lose it! All the more reason to be careful.

This is amanda, a concerned Times Writer and citizen, signing off.