In the past few days, we have been getting alot of people all at once, for instance the about of visitors at one point was set today at 70 people. I remember the record back in Feb. was only 40-something.
Posted by The BWC (Member # 818) on :
Shoowhee! Man, I hope not all of them sign up. It's already hard to know who to tell not to AOL kidde speak and all that.
EDIT: Right now it's at 72, 20 more than the old record.
[ June 14, 2002, 13:50: Message edited by: The BWC ]
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Don't go whining about newbies, BWC. You are one.
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
One question, what makes the newbie? The amount of posts he makes? The amount of time he spends here? Or the maturity level? If its the maturirty level, then I can name a few here that has been here since the beginning and has over 5,000 posts or more that acts like that.
Posted by The BWC (Member # 818) on :
If you find out tell me.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Be quiet, BWC.
Matrix, let's just hope it's *not* coherency with typed English, because if it is you shall always be a newbie.
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
Good thing it's not big-headedness, either.
Posted by thoughtychops (Member # 480) on :
When you come in out of the cold acting like a goddamned mental defective, jabbering nonsense like a broken fortune telling machine, and you think it's, like, a total blast that nobody understands you, you're a newbie.
Now, from time to time everybody does that here. The difference with the so-called veterans is that there are moments of clarity as well, where people can actually decipher what you're talking about.
It may be a coldly reasoned piece on phaser design, or witty joke about video taping midgets having anal sex, but people get it.
This criteria excludes the immortal UM, who, even in PMs, only makes sense when talking Star Wars, and possibly olympic hockey. At which times his logic centers apparently kick in, and his reasoning prowess is said to equal Kant himself.
ON the other hand...I'm still a newbie myself. Don't listen to me.
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
I have to admit that's how I felt when my favorite newsgroups became too popular a few years ago and AOL people adapted to them. At first I felt like the majority of the readers were intelligent and good conversationalists, but then came all the usenet spam and such. Now all it's good for is reading old archives, trolling Ultima groups, and getting binaries.
[ June 14, 2002, 15:17: Message edited by: DeadCujo ]
Posted by thoughtychops (Member # 480) on :
New people coming to a board ain't a bad thing. But, I don't go to a new forum and start spouting off heinous gibberish, or randomly insulting people just because i'm anonymous, eh?
If I don't do it, why do they? Pet Peeve, you know?
The other thing I hate: When somebody on a site writes a review of a movie or something, and then has an open forum for people to talk about what he wrote...and you see forty fucking people using every low brow gutter trash insult they can think up to tear the writer apart...it ticks me off.
I've been that poor sap doing the reviews. It's not the name calling that gets to you: No, it's the fact that they posted for no reason but to talk garbage at you for doing something they WISH they could do.
Why is it everytime somebody tries to do something creative publicly somebody has to tear them down? You ever been to a stand up comedian that's bombing? There is ALWAYS some fucking chucklehead that has to shout inept insults at the comedian. These minor fuckwits are the Vandals of our day, and I'm sick of 'em.
Eh, end of ridiculous tangent.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Unfortunately, the faceless/nameless nature of the Internet allows a lot of people the means to out in such outlandish ways that would likely make little old ladies weep and faint if that behavior were done in public. In short, some people act like total jackasses on the Web because they can hide behind his or her username and the cloak of secrecy. It's the perfect opportunity for some people to act no better and no more mature than elementary school bullies.
I wish that more of the people using the Internet to socialize would be mindful of the civility that God, Goddess, Wombat, or happenstance gave them. Just because you are online and possibly hundreds of miles away from someone is no excuse to rip into people for status or their work. And ragging on someone to death for their writing style (no matter how atrocious it may be) at every conceivable turn for the sake of being an ass is just blatant pettiness and an exercise in ego inflation.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. After all, you may not know the person you're insulting but he may figure out who you are because he may know someone who knows you're screen name or email address or something to put the face to the online ID. No one is totally anonymous when online because there's always someone who knows who you really are.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
I've been thinking about what constitutes a newbie, really. I'd say it's when you actually gain the respect and acceptance of the other regulars, and it's difficult to quantify - i.e. when it happens. I remember when Jeff B (Snay as he's calling himself right now) was new. Now he's one of the old hands.
Problem is, you then have to decide what makes an old hand. Especially since new ones are appearing all the time, and there's a steady attrition of the originals. Most of the present old hands weren't even newbies when I first appeared, and many appeared wheile I was away for a year. How do they know that I'm, in effect, a 'made' man, and don't work themselves into a fit of righteous indignation because I've just gone and (usually) insulted someone, bearing in mind they never saw me in my heyday when I bestrode these Forums like a colossus? 8)
I assume they've seen that for the most part people just ignore me and decide to do the same. Me, I don't let any of it bother me and just go on about my business!
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
I understand that personally I do not type great because I actually can not type that well. So if I try to type fast or under pressure I get really sloppy. When that happens I usually do not have the time to check my spelling and grammer.
But it has occured to me that typos happen to everyone. Spelling errors happen just as often because if they didn't then there would be no point in using the spelling check on Word or Claris, now would there.
Now thoughtychops does have a point. The sterotypical newbie phrase "I LKEI AKIKRA CALSS BEUSAE it is SO cKOOL. mr. jAGITTY IS FUNKING BIRLIANT. MI MOFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That my friends is a true newbie. Not a newbie to the board, not a newbie to Star Trek culture but to culture itself.
Edit: Vogon, you are 21 dasy more newbie than I am, but have over 5 times the posts I have. So technically it isn't about having more or less or being here the longest that makes you a newbie or regular.
[ June 14, 2002, 18:07: Message edited by: Matrix ]
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Matrix,
Lee was here since the beginning, he just chose to re-register for a wide variety of reasons. So he's actually much "older" then you to the tune of 21 days ...
My problem with your typing is you tend to leave out key words. In our recent spate of PMs, you on several occasions left out the word "don't" or "not" ... which was very confusing, because I was trying to convince you that you-know-who was you-know-who, and you kept PMing me back that you agreed with me! And then I'm PM you back to thank you for agreeing with me, and you'd PM me back saying "uh, no, forgot a word ..."
Posted by The BWC (Member # 818) on :
I admit I have only been here for 1 month 15 days, so I guess I am new. I would hope that those who still, uh, haven't acepted me yet will. I mean, I don't go posting 18 new topics in 5 minutes asking questions that can be answered with one visit to Bernds. And that I don't type LiKe ThIs> So at least I can contribute do discussion. I used not be able too because of Trek BBS recouperation.
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
There's a big difference between someone who just types bad and someone who tries to annoy people by typing bad. If I theoretically had a retarded cousin who enjoyed Star Trek, I'd send them the link to Flare simply because it's here for people to use. Even if the cousin typed bad. There's no rule about Written English and it's proper use in the Flare guideline.
[ June 14, 2002, 19:01: Message edited by: DeadCujo ]
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
"I remember when Jeff B (Snay as he's calling himself right now) was new. Now he's one of the old hands."
Mainly because one of those hands has been used so much it's aged prematurely.
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
[nevermind]
[ June 14, 2002, 23:10: Message edited by: CaptainMike ]
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
See? Matrix, who granted is a bit of an idiot, thinks that I'm no more of an old hand than he is. This is what I have to work against. And I'm not immune to typos, it seems the faster my typing gets the more mistakes I make, and I sometimes miss them when I check. And I don't think we ask too much when we ask for the occasional capital letter and full stop now and then, these stream-of-consciousness posts get a bit wearying.
Posted by Fedaykin Supastar (Member # 704) on :
remember wat MajorBarcalow said about his typing?? lol
Buzz
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
I liked Barcalow. Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
quote:Mainly because one of those hands has been used so much it's aged prematurely.
That's so funny ...
Evil English prick ... Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
You've had a transplant then?
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
quote:See? Matrix, who granted is a bit of an idiot, thinks that I'm no more of an old hand than he is. This is what I have to work against. And I'm not immune to typos, it seems the faster my typing gets the more mistakes I make, and I sometimes miss them when I check. And I don't think we ask too much when we ask for the occasional capital letter and full stop now and then, these stream-of-consciousness posts get a bit wearying.
First off I am no idiot. So according to Vogon, I am an idiot because I can not type as well as others? That makes no sense. Second, typing bores me, so I try to do it as fast as my two little fingers can type. So I am sorry that I can not type as well as others. Third, some of you guys know exactly what most are saying but instead of contributing to the discussion, you decide to see how annoyed Matrix can get by nitpicking his posts.
Typing does not constitute the newbie, intelligence does. As far as that is concerned, I am just as smart as everyone of you guys. And so far, everyone who has past through here and stayed for awhile has showed intelligence.
[ June 16, 2002, 11:39: Message edited by: Matrix ]
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
*sneeze* *cough* *dies*
[ June 16, 2002, 13:57: Message edited by: Ultra Magnus ]
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
I think you meant 'passed' ...
So, if Albie Einstein registered, he'd be a veteran? Because, he's quite obviously smarter then anyone else on this forum.
Intelligence doesn't equal "not newbie" status, Matrix.
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
Oh, and I think you meant "than"
Einstein had bad feet.
Does it matter what the hell a newbie is? I've used all the incarnations of this forum, and this one specifically since Capps N Conquer put it together. I've only made 532 posts before this one. I'm not a newbie, but does it matter? Does anyone care? I'm also no genius, but I've watched Young Einstein three times. Does that make me stupid? Possibly, but I'm not an idiot. What's the point? There isn't one.
[ June 16, 2002, 16:35: Message edited by: DeadCujo ]
Posted by The BWC (Member # 818) on :
Snay, explain what a newbie is to me. I don't see the light of what a newbie is from you.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
BWC,
You are the epitome of a "newbie." You can post her (or, here) for a thousand years and you will always be a newbie.
Captain Mike was an old hand within two weeks of registering (six days before the WTC went down). You? Never.
[ June 16, 2002, 16:27: Message edited by: Snay ]
Posted by DeadCujo (Member # 13) on :
Snay...post who, exactly? Sorry, but with your comments about typing, you should help set an example.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
His "fiancee" ... who do you think, his sheep? Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Since Jeff just likes to side-step his way around offering any sort of explanation on what exactly a "newbie" is, I'll try my hand at it.
A newbie is, basically, someone who is new to an online community. How long this person is considered a newbie depends on many factors, the most important of which is whether others members of that community are feeling elitist.
I don't think that anyone who has participated at Flare long enough to be a senior member can accurately be called a newbie. For god's sake, that's a minimum of 250 posts right there. That already a lot of interaction and learning the ropes, especially with a community this size.
Some people don't judge the status of "newbie" on post numbers; some base it on length of time participating. I think that if one participates regularly enough in this forum for about a month, that person cannot be rightly called a "newbie." This is all based on my experiences with about five different message boards (although I just lurk on the other four).
Somewhat related to this "acting like a newbie." This includes things like random postings in the middle of a serious discussion, exaggerating or out and out lying about one's background, using AOL kiddie/1337 typings, harrassing other posters, turning a blind eye towards forum protocols, or acting with little or no maturity.
Posted by The BWC (Member # 818) on :
Like in the middle of the old DS9 Tech Manual Kitbash Ships topic posting:
Like that? (That made me sick ...)
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Well, that's more an example of a spammer. That's usually got a person who registers for the sole purpose of plugging his or her website. They have no interest in actually participating in the discussions. Kinda a similar is a troll. That's a person who registers for the sole purpose of causing problems and acting like a jerk (usually using newbie-ish tactics like the AOL kiddie typing you cited).
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
People who throw the word "newbie" around also have a tendancy to be either arrogant, or a bit insecure in their own "mature" status.
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
BWC, http://www.virtualave.com/kitty13/index.html!1! fockin rules, man! everyone should put that in their bookmarks, because that's my sister! thanks for showing letting everyone know, n00b.
to kinda answer the question, i don't think that post counts mean anything. i have thousands of posts at some forums, but most of the posts are questions, so i am still a newbie when it comes to the subject those forums are about. you would never know that if you just saw my postcounts, though. its just mentality that determines a n00b. the only thing i can say is that, generally, you know a newbie when you see one.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)