| From: | Gurth gurth@******.nl |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Um, anyone heard of Shadowrun? |
| Date: | Tue, 31 Oct 2000 19:35:24 +0100 |
> Why do lurkers lurk? I did because there was nothing but trite bullshit on
> the list. A bunch of in jokes, and goofy banter that had nothing to do with
> why I joined. You want rambling rants on the politics of online communities
> and social dynimics? Go take a class. Hasta la vista ShadowRN. I'll be at
> Dumpshock where things are relevant.
(Damn, how do you respond to posts like this...?)
ShadowRN has always been more than just Shadowrun-related talk -- having
been on it for longer than nearly all other current listmembers, I think I
can say that with some confidence. Over the years, it developed into a bit
of a community, and that automatically leads to in-jokes, cliches,
off-topic talk, and all sorts of other stuff mixed in with the Shadowrun
threads. If that's not what you came for, then I'm sorry, but that's the
way the list is... However, I have to admit that sometimes, the OT threads
become too common.
The recent thread that caused you to write that message, though, seems to
me to be something that we need to get out of our system. Some people
aren't happy with the way things are going, and they decide to bring it out
into the open rather than sit by silently (or unsubscribe). I think the
former is the better option, because it lets us all know that something's
up, and we can resolve it.
But the thread, and especially your post, has made me think thoughts I'd
rather not have... Chief among these are: 1. _Are_ we (the vocal minority
and old-timers) being elitist? and 2. Is ShadowRN still a fun place to be?
The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe we are
certainly putting off newcomers -- not by conscious effort, but simply by
acting the way we've always done. If it's not intentional then it's not
elitist, but who cares about that distinction when the result is the same
-- or when it's _perceived_ as elitism?
Perhaps that (perceived?) elitism is also the reason why the list isn't as
much fun as it was back in '95 or so, at least for me personally (I can't
speak for anyone else), though it could also simply be that I've been on it
for too long. Certainly, if it was up to me, it'd be like then forever (but
at times I also wish it still was 1980 and early 1992, so don't pay too
much attention to my ramblings :) and as a result, we wouldn't even be
having this discussion because the things that caused it simply didn't play
back then. But it's not -- it's 31-10-2000, and the list has a problem that
needs to be resolved in order to make it a fun thing (place?) to be
subscribed to again. Unsubscribing and turning to the re-invented wheel
(AKA the DS forums) instead might work for you, but it won't for the list
as a whole. I have the feeling that if we play ostrich it'll only come back
worse later on...
And yes, this was a rambling rant on online communities and social
dynamics -- exactly the thing you didn't come here for. But it is also
a subject that is starting to trouble me more and more as I think about
it, and I want it to stop bothering me...
--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Don't let nobody stifle or bore you.
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-
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Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
