I don't see this as an us/them but as an us/us situation. The majority of people who were here "in the beginning" have either moved on or rarely post. So really I'm talking about a slight cultural shift towards being more welcoming and less hostile. That may or may not be naive, but I have to wonder how many new/old members really enjoy dodging bullets and getting into confrontations. Probably not too many. Anyway, at the end of the day it's all up to the board's members and site owners. Seems to me most members want to concentrate on enjoying the hobby. Personally, I think that includes welcoming and helping new collectors - ie, giving them the benefit of the doubt rather than looking for a reason to rip them a new one.
I agree that most people want to enjoy the hobby, but I don't think anyone is due any special treatment if they don't do their homework and act like morons. For the most part, the people getting ripped are being ripped because of stupidity more than being noobs. There's no committee that goes around hunting for low post count members, but if anyone says anything stupid, they're fair game. Like Joe said: "if you want to be part of the community, don't be stupid."
Some interesting discussion here. A couple of things: 1) Skullbrain used to be (fill in the blank)... The reality is that whatever the "founding fathers" intended, they don't run this place any more, and this board is primarily a) a commercial BBS for people who enjoy Super7's products to come and discuss things, and b) an extension of Brian Flynn's living room. Because of those two principles, I think that there are reasonable expectations for conduct here. 2) Stupid newbies should be bashed/ripped/use your own violent metaphor. It's true that we get a lot of people who wander in like baby elephants and cause a ruckus on their first day, but what's troubling to me is when they're getting beat on for their collecting habits or sense of taste. But even when they're violating the rules, gently nudging them towards the goal posts instead of a full-on kick in the groin will do more to foster an sense of community. And we don't need a hippy drum circle to prove it, but this is a community, with user accounts, discussion areas, moderators, and guidelines for posting. Otherwise it would be 4chan. Cue the eye rolls. ;p
Except that nobody said that "Stupid newbies should be bashed/ripped/use your own violent metaphor." Nobody has said that it's something that SHOULD be done. That's a gross misrepresentation of what has been said. Stupid people get ripped, and usually for good reasons, but nobody has said that noobs should get ripped just for being new and you're just making this crap up to be dramatic. And irregardless of Isaac no longer being on the board, that doesn't take away from the history of the board or the general attitude that has been here since day one. This board did not automatically find itself "Disneyfied" and everything is rainbows and unicorns. Idiots get called out for being idiots. The same idiots that got bashed for being idiots on their first post will be bashed for being idiots when they have 1000 posts if they don't take the time to learn "the rules". And how freaking hard is it for people to just take a little time to read the FAQs and get a sense for the board before posting? Is that REALLY asking too much? Seriously?
Okay, I added the word "should" when nobody used it in that context. Mea culpa. However, you kept pointing out that some people get abused here and that the BBS hasn't always been a friendly place, so a sense of tacit approval was what I was getting from your posts. So let me ask you directly: do you, Locomoco, think it's alright to bash people here? If so, when and why? And as a further follow-up, do you think it will help Skullbrain as a community?
Way to put words in my mouth Roger. The "hostility" is SUCH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE POSTING THAT GOES ON HERE, that it's rediculous. This has been blown so far out of proportion that it's a joke. The board is NOT a roving gang of thugs gratuitously bashing new people for no reason whatsoever. You've been here a long time, I would suspect you'd have a sense for why most people get bashed, but here are the "unwritten rules" of the board which have been copied from the FAQ section. In general, ignorance of these rules are what get people bashed. 95% of the time, people can steer clear of problems on the board if they adhere to these simple guidelines. But some people are lazy, and some people just don't give a damn about the board's culture, so they break these rules and then whine about it later. You ask me if I think it's alright to bash people? Yes, I think it's generally fine, as I haven't really seen any bashing that's been terribly out of line in relation to the offending post. And yes, I think it does help keep the flavor of the community that has been built up over the years. If we're going to just throw out the rules, and allow people to post whatever crap they want in here, this board will become the KR board. I believe Brian's "unwritten rules" really do represent the attitude of the board very well.
The only word I put in your mouth was "should," and I apologized for that. Thanks for clarifying your stance on things by answering my question.
The number of people who bash clueless newbs in a harsh manner are few. So are the number of clueless newbs who "deserve it." A lot of us had the good fortune to join up without getting bashed, probably for not blundering in like a KR kiddie high on bubble gum and boombox-carrying cans of spray paint with kicks and bunny ears. We're encouraged to "self-police" by some members of the moderating staff but this means different things to different members. To my mind the self-policing works best regarding flakes and scammers relevant to the BST forums. I don't see anything wrong with "name and shame" when known community members get ripped. Also, criticism seems fair when directed at those who say idiotic bigoted things or those who not only don't "get" that this is a S7/J-vinyl community, but keep trying to sell their bad KAWS ripoffs (or whatever) here without regard for what the board is really about. There are "innocent" errors and then there are jerks. Not everyone who does something "wrong" is a jerk. Because most members don't want this place to be overly "police state" in terms of rules and regulations, there will probably never be complete agreement on what is an appropriate spanking and when it goes too far. Only thing I can say is don't be too eager to bash. Think before you leap. If someone made a dumb blunder, they can probably be nudged towards the right way to do things with some simple information or a pointer to one of the FAQs.
Yeah, and I think we realize that we're sending an inconsistent message. Personally, I'm of the mindset that self-policing only leads to more problems and things should be left up to the mods. Maybe we'll address this in the future. Well said.
Patience isn't really a virtue in a colony of 30-40 yr old TOY collectors. This will never change here and it's a small price to pay (just stay smart) for great vinyl/toy discussions and zero to negative profit margin prices.
I still think when new members join they should get a welcome email with the FAQ laid out clear as day for them. Oh and the #1 rule should be if you post a live auction you're instantly banned
I completely agree with you on this Keith. I think the amount of inane posts here these days is staggering. Many times I start reading posts and just give up because of the amount of "+1" or "I'm broke" posts. If someone who has been here from the start (and I haven't, I'm jsut using it as an example) starts seeing whiny know it all posts from people who have been here a month, I don't blame them for getting annoyed. You also bring up an great point about the search function. Use it. I don't care how new you are. Look around a bit before posting something ridiculous. If I see a post from someone that could have been found using search, chances are I'm going to say something about it. I don't care how long the person has been posting here. I read this board for a month and a half before I said anything at all. We're all adults here, we all need to have thick skin sometimes, and you can't blame people for caring and being territorial about a place they love to come to chat about their hobby. Keep in mind this is a hobby and is supposed to be enjoyable.
oh and one more thing I'd like to add. networking in this hobby is important. making friends is important. add to the community and get involved. I've made some of the best friends I've ever had through this hobby. Nothing is more cool than going to a new city and hanging out with toy nerds. get involved.
Only time will tell............. I think a lot of the OG have moved on due to the fact there is a lot of inane banter that goes on. I personally check in look at stuff comment occasionally and move on. I really hate to be told to have a "nice cup of shut the fuck up" from a Boob! - Oh I meant Fresh Meat!
