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Little Indigo I hate the forum rewrite for destroying my original one..
Edit (6/27) - fixed the HAMCFII name-thingie
As always, rules to follow when reading/replying:1) No chatterbumping
2) Do not quote the first post
3) Do not use this thread for sig checks
4) Read with an open mindThroughout the history of the world, communication has had its developments; from the invention of the telegraph, then the telephone, to the radio, television, and eventually, that convenient little box at which you are sitting at right now. That's right, your computer. It's pretty convenient right? It can word process, play music and video files, and that ever so popular function in this post-modern world, the internet.
Now, with the development of the internet, people can browse online, shop, access information, chat, and even, as you are doing right now, post on message boards. It is a great deal of convenience that this 'internet' gives us. With the usage of 'screen names' or 'internet handles', we can now openly express our opinions in the public without fear of personal criticism given by those who are able to see and read those opinions.
Now, moving on to how this s**t all relates back to you, dear inhabitants of the AMC. I now refer back to the idea of how the internet is supposed to be a convenience to us. I direct your attention to the website known as Gaia Online. It is said, right on the main title bar, that Gaia online is a Community, meaning that no one person or group, besides the majority, rules it all (Well, maybe Lanzer, but we all know that he's our Jesus for creating this site in the first place).
It is with this in mind that I move to speak about my point of topic.
In the past, before my little break from the AMC, I saw many threads that commonly aligned in subjects with each other. Of course, as how I was prone to, t I kindly told those mistake-makers that what they'd done was slightly wrong and almost spamming the forum. Then, there were those dear treats of the AMC that I relished, the serious discussion threads and the guideline threads. I found these to be quite the little gems. They did almost everything I, myself, couldn't do. They prevented newbies from breaking rules as well as provide a haven to the intellectuals who resided in the AMC. Ah, yes. Those were the good ol' days.
But nowadays it seems as if more and more of these so called 'intellectual discussion' threads have been popping up. However helpful they may be, it seems as if these threads have created a fanbase all on its own. This fanbase, in turn, sowed a seed of animosity in the forum of the AMC. Its roots have spread throughout the main forum, and in its path, eliminated most of the random discussion threads that were bountiful in the AMC.
This plant seems to have crippled what the AMC truly was/is: a place for people to discuss animation/manga/comics. Simple discussion threads that used to be barely 2 or so pages long have been replaced with giants of 'intellectual' threads that have over 30 or so pages in length. For a newbie, these threads seem awfully intimidating, and perhaps even threatening. It is almost as if that should a poor unsuspecting newbie trek into a well-established 'intellectual' thread and make a post that only relates to the first post and not the current discussion, that they will be almost immediately bombarded from all sides: people who are upset that the newbie didn't read the thread, and people who are angry that the newbie doesn't agree fully with what the first post states. Consequently, the newbie may be so frightened/offended, that they may leave.
This is also the case for those who have tried their best to make their own thread in the past. Users from the 'intellectual' threads emerge from their homes and continue to branch out the roots of the plant. They find threads that seem mediocre and below par, and seem to swarm it until there is nothing left but what the mods/helpers have to move.
So just what is this 'plant' exactly? If you haven't figured it out by now, this 'plant' of which I speak of is the thing that is called ELITISM. Elitism is the belief that one's own opinions/beliefs are better than another's. Those that follow Elitism are called Elitists.
Consequently, Elitism itself, has also created another trend: Anti-elitism. Anti-elitism is the belief that the opinions/beliefs/actions of the elitism movement is wrong. However, that in itself, is still elitism. Anti-elitists still believe that they are superior. Thus, the cycle continues. These are, what I believe to be, plights that have run amok in AMC and need to be stopped.
However, by saying this, I am not siding with those that we call n00bs. Nor am I siding with the elitists/anti-elitists. I am siding with the principle in which we call entertainment. The AMC was created so that users would have a place to discuss animation/manga/comics to their hearts content. But with such things as elitism going on, it seems as if the levels of fun have plummetted to an all time low. Thus, to restore the AMC to its full glory, I ask that everyone in the AMC listen to my proposal.
Proposal to the 'Regulars':
I understand that it is annoying to see repeat threads every other minute, but you must also ponder: Why are these people creating such threads and not posting in the ones that have already been established? I'll tell you why, it's partly because those previous threads may have: a) been left alone for too long and the person is afraid of necro-ing the thread, b) a previous flame war occurring, or c) nothing to do with what the person is looking for. So, before you go and immediately attack the next repeat thread, I ask that you give it a couple of minutes or so to give time for the person to find what they are looking for, and if you see that it truly is nothing more than a repeat thread, POLITELY tell said person that they need to go elsewhere. ONE PERSON is enough for the person to get the idea, and if necessary, two or three. BUT THERE IS NO NEED FOR A STRING OF 5+ PEOPLE TO TELL A PERSON THAT THEY NEED TO "GET THE HELL OUT OF...", "GET LOST" or "STOP POSTING". Not only is it disheartening to the poster, it is also annoying to anyone outside who wants to read the thread for curiosity's sake. Plus, it'd be a hell of a lot easier if you just copied the link of the misplaced thread, and posted it in the HELP THE AMC FORUM III sticky. There's a better chance that it will actually be moved more quickly and efficiently than doing nothing and complaining about it.
Please also remember that what and how people post are normally based on their OPINIONS. I know that you don't like being told by others that your opinion is 'wrong/inadequate', so don't expect others to like it either. If you find that your opinions clash, discuss your opinion as well as why you feel that way, and encourage others to do so too. Don't forget to support your opinions.
Proposal to the 'Newbies':
I also understand that it may be easier just to start your own thread instead of venturing into one that has already been established. However, it's not that difficult to jump into a conversation that has what you've been looking for. Even if it's not on the first page, it's still okay to post in that thread, just so long as it hasn't been like, a month since the last person has posted. Also, if you get negative feedback, don't be disheartened. It'll take a while before you get the flow of how the AMC runs. Just read the stickies, abide by the rules, post occasionally in already established threads, and you'll be fine. Don't forget that the subforums are there for your convenience, and if you should find that what you are looking for is not on the main page, check the description on the subforums and see if any of them broadly fit what you are looking for. If so, go ahead and click! If not, try, try again.
Again, I understand that there may be sitting on your mind that you can't get out of your head, but please, before you go ahead and click the 'make new thread' button, contemplate whether or not it will truly contribute to the AMC. If not, then it's best to sit upon the thought and post it in a thread that may deem it okay. If so, then go right on ahead, just so long that others haven't already posted the same. I mean, it wouldn't be really fun if 100 different people posted that Superman could kick Goku's a** anyday or vice versa, now would it? Also, if you're taking the time to post, take the time to actually check your spelling and grammar. No one wants to respond to a post in which they can't decipher.
With this all in mind, I hope that whoever so reads this would make a mental note and keep it for future reference. I want no more than for the AMC, as well as all forums, to be as enjoyable and fun as they possibly can.
I am well aware that this thread is a harsh one, as well as one that leaves me out in the open for criticism and attacks on my character, such as being called a hypocrite. However, I will be, or at least force myself to be, very open-minded about such things and hope to a diety's sake that I don't become what I just wrote about.
*~With all the love I can squize out of the dark, myraid hole that is my heart~*
Sadako-Sama heart
P.S. This was made by the user Little Indigo
You can also go to the thread here
http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8461147
THANK YOU Little Indigo FOR LETTING ME PUT THIS IN MY JOURNAL AND FOR TAKEING YOUR TIME IN MAKEING THAT THREAD!!!
 C U M C A K E S xx · Wed Jun 21, 2006 @ 01:44am · 0 Comments |
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