Just join in and make your own joke. After a while you pick everything up.

Join in. Obviously, there are some inside jokes that no one except the people typing the comments will get, but if you're curious, most of us are pretty open to explaining.

Join in! You're very rad Debris and we would love you have you join in with us!

As I told another new user yesterday, calm down relax... and just join in! That is the only way anyone is going to get to know you!

Don't know if you've noticed or not, but some ABers ask the most ridiculous, obscene and obnoxious questions imaginable. If they're comfortable asking nonsense, I'm sure "higher level" ABers will welcome the opportunity to address a serious inquiry to their answers. In other words...ASK AWAY!

Join in. I know I would be glad to accept you. Everyone is so nice here, they would probably let you in. Its good to make friends here!

Hi, Debris...it's me, RosieG...what you are experiencing is normal and natural...it isn't so much secret jokes as having history with one another...current things remind them of prior similar things. The point is not to exclude you at all..after awhile there will be some of us with whom you will have a nice history and we will be engaging in exactly the same kind of friendly chatter because we've been together for awhile. It's like going to a new school and not knowing anyone and a few people start talking to you and before you know it you are one of the "insiders". Higher point levels only mean people have been around a long time..it doesn't mean they are smarter at all...it comes with the territory. Just hang in, be patient, and come out to play with us and you'll find out what I said is true! :)

Join in. It's a public forum, people (especially ''higher level'' or ''old timer'' ABers) generally take conversations to email, phone or IM if they don't want others to join in. Most higher level Answerbaggers are at a high level because either: 1) They have been a member quite a long time. Or... 2) They haven't been a member quite as long as some other users, but they use the site intensively and have interacted a lot with certain other users during that time. So basically, this means there appear to be ''inside jokes'', but really they're not. They're just jokes and situations that have arisen from past situations. To a new user, who isn't aware of the past history, this can appear like one big elite club; it did to me once I first joined...but after a while you become part of it and a ''new history'' develops which you're part of and understand. The only way to do that is to interact and join in! Sometimes you have to use your discretion. Occasionally a comment thread can appear to be firmly between two users, and it's better to leave it alone, especially if it's on a sensitive topic. And of course, it's better to join in things which genuinely interest you with people you're interested in, it shows.