Author Topic: Community attitudes that irritate me  (Read 17118 times)

Offline Idobek

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Community attitudes that irritate me
« on: October 19, 2005, 11:09:47 AM »
I feel like having a rant so the following is a selection of the prevailing attitudes of the "enlightened" section of this communtiy that really irritate me. I am not going to try and prove these attitudes wrong because I am articulate enough, I am simply going to comment on them. I may add more later as they occur to me.

Politics is Evil and Arguing is Bad
Apathy and passivity suck.

That is a Subjective Opinion and therefore Invalid
You are not going to get an objective opinion on an IE mod from anyone involved in an IE modding community, live with it.

Negative Opinions should be Qualified or not Uttered
Why are positive opinions not subject to the same scrutiny? Why should we spare peoples feelings? Anything in the public domain can and will be commented on by anybody. What happened to the principle behind the phrase "I do not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"? (Or whatever the correct quote is.)

Modding is a Hobby and should Just Get Along
I usually see this argument directed at people who run or help run a modding forum, which is yet another hobby. People are passionate about their hobbies when people disagree about things they are passionate they are not going to shake hands and agree to disagree. If they were then IAP might still be the most popular way to distribute mods.

That'll do for now, thank you for indulging me.
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Offline jcompton

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2005, 11:52:35 AM »
Modding is a Hobby and should Just Get Along
I usually see this argument directed at people who run or help run a modding forum, which is yet another hobby. People are passionate about their hobbies when people disagree about things they are passionate they are not going to shake hands and agree to disagree. If they were then IAP might still be the most popular way to distribute mods.

It's never been satisfactorily explained to me how the hobby status of modding affects the tolerability of disruptive crazies. Surely, if we were into model rocketry or craft brewing or flax growing, we'd still find the same sort of unpleasant and annoying people and behavior annoying and unpleasant.
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Offline Andyr

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2005, 12:09:12 PM »
I feel like I should add something to constructive here, but am distracted by my need for five tons of flax... Perhaps later I will have more coherent thoughts. :) I think I would tend to agree with Ido, though.
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Offline Zyraen

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2005, 12:30:11 PM »
*makes a note to bookmark this*

How about adding

You suck because you Disagree often with Me
And therefore everything else you say is apt to be ignored... a kind of personal blacklisting and automatically cutting off useful information from that particular source, even if the information is reasonable at least some of the time. It takes gentlemen (and gentlewomen I guess, lol) to Disagree without getting Personal and getting Hostile. Besides, two people may disagree often, but ultimately there should eventually be some point they'll agree with each other on.
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Offline icelus

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2005, 12:42:31 PM »
There's also the "why do you still come around here?" concept that is often used to confront someone who is posting criticism about something from which they were previously removed (e.g., baned) or of which there are old feelings of dislike between the critic and the author.

Oh, and for God's sake, enough with the "can't we all just get along?" idea.  No, we can't.  Sorry.  It's called being human.  :)
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Offline Veloxyll

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2005, 12:45:53 PM »

Politics is Evil and Arguing is Bad
Apathy and passivity suck.

The problem is, if you encourage political discussion, you get political debaters coming in. And they're a sick and twisted breed. They make MPrilla look...rational.

As for the rest, seen it, don't agree with the practices that are relating to it. With the negative comments thing, I think it's more people wanting constructive criticism. so that outside observers can figure out what not to do in a mod. Most people would rather read "Your mod is crap because Bohdi totally wouldn't <deleted for the children>" as opposed to "your mod is crap". "your mod is crap" doesn't give much possibility to develop anything better.
Although technically "your mod is crap because of everything" is a valid comment.
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Offline Echon

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2005, 01:23:55 PM »
Do not forget

You do not like my mod therefore you must be Elitist

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Offline Miss Sakaki

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2005, 01:52:00 PM »
You can't forget the old faithful If you don't like it, don't download it, the argument that wipes out constructive debate in one fell swoop.
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Offline Kulyok

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2005, 02:00:33 PM »
There are also immortal

I created the mod, I know better than you do. I'm right. And if you don't agree with me, you're wrong. Move on.
and
You were not involved in it's creation, so what gives you the right to critisize?

Personally, the only thing I am bothered by is using of smileys and swear words by Forum Administrators in any community, IE or not. ;) (aggravating, isn't it?)

Offline icelus

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2005, 02:06:51 PM »
Personally, the only thing I am bothered by is using [...] swear words by Forum Administrators in any community, IE or not.

But... I couldn't help myself. 

Oh, Administrators.  Woohoo, loophole!  :)  <-- legit smiley, too!
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Offline Kismet

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2005, 02:11:57 PM »
I think my favorite must be:

Someone put a lot of effort into that mod, so you shouldn't talk bad about it.
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Offline glain

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2005, 03:43:20 PM »
Oh, Administrators.  Woohoo, loophole!  :)  <-- legit smiley, too!

You, sir, have been hanging out with lawyers too much.  No more office lunches at P.F. Chang's!!!  ;)
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Offline Ghreyfain

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2005, 04:24:39 PM »
YOU ARE ALL SO NEGATIVE WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE SO NEGATIVE DON'T YOU HAVE ANY FEELINGS WHERE IS THE LOVE I HATE YOU ALL WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?

Ahem.  In an attempt to stop this wave of negativity, I am going to list community attitudes that make me feel good.

They are as follows:

Tutu rocks, although I found this, this, and this bug.
Goo sucks

That is all.  Everyone go play and/or make Tutu mods.


Politics is Evil and Arguing is Bad
Apathy and passivity suck.

The problem is, if you encourage political discussion, you get political debaters coming in.

I think he was referring to community politics, not world politics.
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Offline Dark Raven

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2005, 04:28:45 PM »
 :D Smiles everyone, smiles.  :D
Per me si va nella citta dolente.
Per me si va nell eterno dolore.
Per me si va tra la perduta gente...
Lasciate ogni speranza perduta che'entrate!

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Offline jester

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2005, 04:56:59 PM »
Is page one to early to introduce a certain someone in a comparison?
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

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Offline Dark Raven

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #15 on: October 19, 2005, 05:06:41 PM »
By all means state your case Court Jester.
Per me si va nella citta dolente.
Per me si va nell eterno dolore.
Per me si va tra la perduta gente...
Lasciate ogni speranza perduta che'entrate!

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Offline Andyr

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #16 on: October 19, 2005, 05:59:29 PM »
:D Smiles everyone, smiles.  :D

This is some great adventure, this thread.
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Offline NiGHTMARE

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #17 on: October 19, 2005, 06:30:01 PM »
Do not forget

You do not like my mod therefore you must be Elitist

Also don't forget

I am Elite, I don't like your mod, you must change it to please me
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Offline NiGHTMARE

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #18 on: October 19, 2005, 06:38:04 PM »
There are also immortal

I created the mod, I know better than you do. I'm right. And if you don't agree with me, you're wrong. Move on.

I feel the need to point out that this argument is usually (though admittedly not always) help back until after the modder has already explained why he prefers not to make the suggested change(s) to his mod, and sometimes even after he's pointed out that the majority of the people who've left feedback seem to support his decision.
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Offline icelus

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2005, 08:18:59 PM »
Also don't forget

I am Elite, I don't like your mod, you must change it to please me

I would be very interested to know what your definition, in relation to the IE modding community, of "elite" or "elitist" is.
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Offline Bons

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2005, 08:19:40 PM »
I am Elite, I don't like your mod, you must change it to please me

I can't remember the last time I saw someone say, "I am Elite." People branding others as "Elite," on the other hand, doesn't seem to go out of style, despite being as slick as stirrup pants.

:D Smiles everyone, smiles. :D
It's important to remember that Ricardo Montalban is far superior to all of us, as is Clint Eastwood, Peter Sellers (even when dead), Kermit the Frog, and Catherine O'Hara.

There are also immortal

I created the mod, I know better than you do. I'm right. And if you don't agree with me, you're wrong. Move on.

I feel the need to point out that this argument is usually (though admittedly not always) help back until after the modder has already explained why he prefers not to make the suggested change(s) to his mod, and sometimes even after he's pointed out that the majority of the people who've left feedback seem to support his decision.

Of course the majority of people will appear to support a decision when the ones who do not support it are discouraged from offering a dissenting opinion. Groupthink is not a desireable goal or a justification for anything, just as a complaint or suggestiion does not make a modder beholden to comply. If someone chooses to release a mod publicly, it's absurd to say "the public can't have an opinion." If people can't handle the negative attention as well as the positive, perhaps they should release their mod by super-secret password to whomever pinky-swears to say only nice things.

That said, I do get tired of people being assholes to each other. It would be nice if everyone could get along -- a few weeks here, a few weeks there  -- then maybe everyone could relax, chill and recharge for the next round of snark and thunder. Intermittent bickering is entertaining. Constant bickering is tedious.

Personally, the only thing I am bothered by is using of smileys and swear words by Forum Administrators in any community, IE or not.  ;) (aggravating, isn't it?)

I like smileys used in moderation and for emphasis. What fills me with white-hot loathing is the condescending, backhanded, hypocritical smiley, a tactic most commonly used by the vain and egotistical.
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Offline Veloxyll

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2005, 10:06:18 PM »

Politics is Evil and Arguing is Bad
Apathy and passivity suck.

The problem is, if you encourage political discussion, you get political debaters coming in.

I think he was referring to community politics, not world politics.

Oh right. I never did get round to getting banned on my first post at whichever modding site said they'd bane anyone asking about some tiff or other.
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Offline Ghreyfain

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #22 on: October 19, 2005, 10:37:09 PM »
That site was... this site!  ur so baned!

Actually, no (in case that wasn't obvious).  I vaguely remember the post you were talking about, and it was quite amusing, but I forget which site it's from.
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Offline CoM_Solaufein

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #23 on: October 20, 2005, 06:54:45 AM »
Also don't forget

I am Elite, I don't like your mod, you must change it to please me

I would be very interested to know what your definition, in relation to the IE modding community, of "elite" or "elitist" is.
Hey I thought you were an elitist.  ;)

Offline NiGHTMARE

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Re: Community attitudes that irritate me
« Reply #24 on: October 20, 2005, 07:12:42 AM »
I would be very interested to know what your definition, in relation to the IE modding community, of "elite" or "elitist" is.
It's the same as whatever Echon's definition is.
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