★☆ The Incredibly Wandering Thread ☆★ [v5.0]

[Catto]

if you're referring to the internet in a broader sense, then probably. i don't really delve into much social media so i'm fortunate to stay out of the dramatics of that.

if you're referring to PC, then not really. this community is way more chill than it was a decade or so ago.

and yes @ your last statement, although unfortunately forums are more or less a dying breed in favour of reddit/twitter/facebook. really sad that the internet is being condensed into roughly three websites.

Oops, I still read PC as Personal Computer lmao. So yeah, I was talking about the internet in a broader sense , hehe ^^"
You forgot about Instagram, but I totally agree. =X

What intrigues me the most is this:

but they're not communities, they're content feeds.

Every single one of them is just a repetition of the previous with a different feature as their core idea .
Take Facebook and Instagram for example, they are both virtual photo albums (facebook used to be where people went to post all their photos 10 years ago), they both have a chat, both have follower system, a commenting section, a like button... It's just that facebook is more post based while instagram is more imagery based. xD

And then...there's Twitter....Good Lord, what the hell is that website.
Don't get me wrong,I have spent a lot of time there but the best I can describe that place is using a black hole as a reference. It was as if Facebook, Instagram, Askfm, Reddit and Vine all decided to have a child together. That website is like a 4chan that went wrong because it's addictive but there's no way one can make sense of all that mess ><


I don't even bother posting there anymore because there's no way people will push my profile all the way down to see that whole content. Stuff there either becomes relevant enough to reach the news or dies in a matter of minutes!

 

[Flowerchild]

askfm… holy shit that's a throwback

 

[The Fairy Pokémon]

askfm… holy muk that's a throwback

I've just realized that 'muk' is PC's way of censoring... 😄

unfortunately forums are more or less a dying breed in favour of reddit/twitter/facebook. really sad that the internet is being condensed into roughly three websites.

This makes me sad. I think it's made the internet a pretty boring place, but I try to enjoy what's left of good forums while they're still around. Even if I'm not all that active.

 

[Flowerchild]

I've just realized that 'muk' is PC's way of censoring... 😄

LMAO i forgot about the censoring with pokemon names. you can turn that off in your settings i've had it off for years

 

[Roni]

LMAO i forgot about the censoring with pokemon names. you can turn that off in your settings i've had it off for years

i can't believe i've never bothered to check PC's settings til now. thank you dearly.

 

[Fairy]

Lmao, I forgot that setting even existed.

 

[Fairy]

Double post but whatever lol sue me

So, what does everyone here think qualifies as a "new member"? Because I can see many who have fit in seamlessly into the community like they've been here the whole time! On the other hand, there's also users who have been members of PC for years and never accumulated many posts.

Do you think it's an attitude thing? Or an actual time spent on the forums thing? Do you consider yourself "new" in some regards or do you feel like an ol' veteran? :)

 

[The Fairy Pokémon]

So, what does everyone here think qualifies as a "new member"? Because I can see many who have fit in seamlessly into the community like they've been here the whole time! On the other hand, there's also users who have been members of PC for years and never accumulated many posts.

Do you think it's an attitude thing? Or an actual time spent on the forums thing? Do you consider yourself "new" in some regards or do you feel like an ol' veteran? :)

I think it's both and varies from person to person. If someone who just joined feels right at home here and radiates that, they're probably going to fit in more than someone who's been a member for years but only visits sporadically.

I personally have had an account here for a couple of years a long time now, but have never really been active so I still feel new.

 

[Roni]

Double post but whatever lol sue me

So, what does everyone here think qualifies as a "new member"? Because I can see many who have fit in seamlessly into the community like they've been here the whole time! On the other hand, there's also users who have been members of PC for years and never accumulated many posts.

Do you think it's an attitude thing? Or an actual time spent on the forums thing? Do you consider yourself "new" in some regards or do you feel like an ol' veteran? :)

i mean, there are accounts who just lurk around and just watch discussions instead of participating aren't there? i wouldn't wanna gauge someone's newness based off of posting or account age only. i dunno, it's kinda hard to gauge for me with those factors. i guess if they directly say that they consider themselves a new member, that would make it a lot easier lol.

as for me, even though i've already been active here for some 10 months and have accumulated thousands of posts, i still don't consider myself a veteran or anything. i only know a surface level amount of many things that go on on PC, and feel like i could dive in further or something. does that make sense?

 

[Fairy]

I completely understand what you guys are saying and I agree, I do t think there's any one determining factor that makes someone "more" or "less" of a member of PC. :)

 

[Starlight]

Double post but whatever lol sue me

So, what does everyone here think qualifies as a "new member"? Because I can see many who have fit in seamlessly into the community like they've been here the whole time! On the other hand, there's also users who have been members of PC for years and never accumulated many posts.

Do you think it's an attitude thing? Or an actual time spent on the forums thing? Do you consider yourself "new" in some regards or do you feel like an ol' veteran? :)

I have been here since 2005 and still feel like, well not new maybe, perhaps outsider is a better term. At the same time, I have always considered PC to be my internet home, I will be here till it, or I, perishes. I guess I'm just not very good at talking to people. I never approach people because I'm too scared to.

So yes, I think a lot of it is attitude related more than anything else. I personally don't care if someone is old, new, staff or posts once a year.

On that note, It has been really heartwarming to see a lot of really active new users lately :)

 

[Fairy]

I definitely agree. I feel like we're seeing a little bit of a forum renaissance as of late. More new members joining and actually sticking around, I mean. Which is great because you just don't get the same sense of community on places like Instagram or Twitter!

 

[Caite-chan]

So this would be a question for older members (ones that have been around forever) that just popped into my head.

What kind of welcome do you think you would get if you were a new member now as opposed to what you got back in the day? (You know when the Earth was young...lol.)

 

[Fairy]

That's a good question. The fundamentals were still the same.. but back in those days I remember there being a rule about no 'just one or two word welcomes' so people just posted less overall. It was also much less conversational iirc, people would spam the same welcome message across every thread (another section that's against the rules), then never bother to follow up with users afterwards. Though I should say my very first intro thread 10 years ago is rather nice. :)

I imagine if I posted a welcome thread as a new member now, it would be received well! I'd introduce myself as, well, me lol; and I'm sure tokyodrift, Janna, Catto, The Fairy Pokemon, Xorn, colours, Pokeguy, and of course Roni would be quick to offer generous welcomes and recommend the Art Studio, Off-Topic, TCG, VPP, and Pokémon General sections with unyielding kindness and enthusiasm. ( ˘ ³˘)♡

 

[Zeostar]

I do appreciate how these forums are accepting of everybody, regardless of different writing styles or attitudes. It feels like anybody can join a section and contribute as a part of it.

 

[Roni]

So this would be a question for older members (ones that have been around forever) that just popped into my head.

What kind of welcome do you think you would get if you were a new member now as opposed to what you got back in the day? (You know when the Earth was young...lol.)

i'd like to believe nothing's changed that much for me? there's always been that dynamic of folks who welcome you via detailed paragraphs, where they talk about/respond to all the points you mentioned in your OP and direct you to where they feel you'd thrive best in the forums, and folks who just go "heya welcome lol". had that same treatment when i first introduced myself to this site 8 years ago, and see that similar pattern when perusing newbie threads today.

i've tried my best to be the detailed guy, to let them know that i've read through everything they typed. i wanna make new members feel like they're being listened to, even from just Day 1. i can imagine how hard it is for some to reveal and talk about themselves here; must be a gut punch when all you get are one sentence greetings and or tired out copy paste spiels. i will admit that i do have a template for my sign off nowadays, but i'll never just copy-paste the entire message.

wait how did this turn into a rant

 

[Soaring Sid]

Oh great I finally found the wandering thread! And I'll pretend it didn't find me instead

So what would a nice welcome be like?
Well Roni said it already, a feeling that they're being listened to creates an amazing atmosphere. And then there was a user called THEALMIGHTYBLAZIKEN who was regular here. He was full of energy and often asked newcomers their favourite stuff related to pokemon, that was nice too. Incidentally, he was one of the first people I spoke to, wonder how he's doing.

 

[Fairy]

I think it's so important to have high energy and enthusiasm when welcoming new members — while still being playful and lighthearted. It's also important to be a good, invested listener who can ask questions that will hopefully garner a response! Then another response! And maybe even more after that! M&G is like the front line to PC and it's so rewarding knowing that maybe, just maybe, the words of our fellow members can convince someone to spend a little time getting to know our great community.

I especially appreciate it when mods (or anyone!) take the time to link and direct new members to sections they might enjoy. That's dedication, yo.

Being friendly, informative, honest, and just a tiny bit cheeky if the situation calls for it is the best way I've found to engage members. But truthfully, anyone who stops and takes the time to just say a simple 'hello' is a hero in and of themselves too. There's no part too small!

 

[Caite-chan]

I remember back in the day where it seemed like everyone was in some sort of click and then you had the people who were seemed like they ran the place because they were on Staff. It was almost like you had to be thick skinned to stick around or you wouldn't last long. Unlike now where everyone seems to be a lot more welcoming.

 

[Fairy]

I remember back in the day where it seemed like everyone was in some sort of click and then you had the people who were seemed like they ran the place because they were on Staff. It was almost like you had to be thick skinned to stick around or you wouldn't last long. Unlike now where everyone seems to be a lot more welcoming.

Lord that era was awful.. and I only caught the tail end of it when I was first promoted. Being promoted to staff felt like being a part of an exclusive group where naughty gossip and giggles about members behind closed doors happened. :/ Then there were sub-cliques of members who had high chances of being modded and even further sub-cliques of people desperate to be modded at all costs but not ready yet.

It really divided the whole forum into haves and have-nots imo. I'm so glad that's behind us now. It was the least welcoming environment for new members because the atmosphere was so oppressive that "if you're not staff than you don't matter". Gross.