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JumpinJesus · 02-03-2007, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nizzle

I ceased being active on this board some time ago. Mind you, I was never "important" (I quote this to draw attention to it, because it's important). Myself and my girlfriend frequented the site because it was active, exciting, and interesting. It was edgy. It was fun. I would like to direct you to something:

http://www.embarcgroup.com/content/e.../detail/q/id/2

The 1% rule. This should not be unknown to anyone who is serious about online communties. It's nothing new, but I think its impact is being ignored here. I was not in the 1%, I was more in the 10%. I wasn't important, but I contributed. The 1% drove me out. This is what happened to this community.

I think this was the ultimate failing of the TFP. In my case, it was over politics. Having liberal views *IS NOT ACCEPTABLE* on this board. Oh, you can argue with me, and I'm sure you will. But it is simply the case that the people with very conservative views (including many moderators) pushed us out. We were scum, and that was made very very very VERY clear. It was made very clear to me that I was not welcome here. This isn't up for debate. I had everyone against me, moderators, frequent posters, you name it. My views were not acceptable, period.

The problem? Not politics. It was giving too much power to people with chips on their shoulder and bones to pick. Giving too much power to those who used the active community to bolster their own point of view. I saw how that played out in a politics forum, but I believe the root cause probably manifested itself in many other ways. The simple fact was, if you weren't the 1%, you were not welcome. That drives your (more important) 10% out, and the 89% left drift away once the trainwreck plays itself out.

The bottom line is, when you are dealing with an online community, you are dealing with the 1% rule. The 1% who make the community, the 10% who tenously contribute, and the 89% who lurk. Don't give the 1% too much control or you will lose your (more valuable) 10%, and the 89% will leave on their own.

I don't know of any practical solutions. In fact, at this point I don't care. I load this forum once every 2-3 months out of boredom. At one time I did care and felt this was my online home, but I was alienated to maximum potential, so don't expect much from me but my opinion, be it unpopular or not.

Essentially? Just be aware that the most vocal will seem the majority, and it is safe and natural to give way to these people. If you pay enough attention to your community you will know who your 1% and your 10% are and know not to let the 1% dominate. If you fail to pay attention to this, you are in trouble. If you promote them all to high-level moderators, you are DOOMED.

Good point and this is exactly my feeling. A certain few (not moderators) have been allowed (not through approval, but through indifference perhaps) to devolve the boards into a happy love-fest of domestication. This is an 18+ forum and we're at the point where people are actually concerned that an avatar with nudity is offensive. While not everyone feels this way, the fact that there are members who have to question the offensiveness of nudity on an adult-oriented board sums up exactly what has happened here. And then, if there is a disagreement, they are shouted down by those select few who have used admins and moderators to settle their disputes instead of directly addressing the ones with whom they take offense. I have watched threads where moderators have come in and expressed their views only to be shouted down by those few members who insist that moderators keep their opinions to themselves. It's become a henhouse where once one of the hens feels picked on, the others swoop in. This is how TFP was supposed to evolve? I hardly think so.

After the debacle in C:A which inevitably spilled over into here, my initial reaction was to leave this place altogether and let the hens have it. The Pet Forum was a good example. Yes, a lot of people wanted to talk about their pets, but this isn't what TFP was. Instead of adapting to TFP, they forced TFP to adapt to them by flooding General Discussion with pet topics and harrassing admins until the admins finally caved.

A lot of the members at C:A felt the same way, which is why the events that transpired came to pass. We were not going to allow the same thing to happen. But I think the feeling is starting to shift towards TFP. I think what's happening is we're deciding to take a stand and refusing to let them manipulate this board anymore. I think the members who have been here for awhile and remember what TFP used to be are going to start speaking up for a return to its roots and a reversal of the PTA sewing circle this place has become over the last year or so. Naturally not everyone feels this way, but I think the chat log from last night is the beginning of a healthy change and one that a lot of members who have been watching the devolution and are finally tired of it will embrace.

It had to start somewhere.