Subject:
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Re: what is ALE?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 2 Jun 2005 20:55:56 GMT
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Viewed:
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8986 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Joe Strout wrote:
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
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To purists, I barely qualify as an “AFOL,” but even I agree that that
term is preferable to “ALE.” AFOL has history behind it, and its creation
was organic, rather than deliberate, and it therefore has greater aesthetic
appeal to me on those grounds alone.
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So, you like it better because there was little thought behind it? Next
you’ll be saying you voted for Bush. :)
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I don’t care if either is “easier” to pronounce--no one I know “pronounces”
ETA, RSVP, or USA. “AFOL” is an abbreviation, not an acronym.
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Some people spell it out, but even that isn’t very euphonic -- unlike the
other initialisms you mention, AFOL when spelled quickly sounds more like a
word (ayafoal) than a string of letters.
But the real problem isn’t when speaking to other ALEs (or whatever you
choose to call them), but when speaking to people who aren’t into LEGO.
I’ve tried this on a number of occasions since coming out of my dark ages:
“I’m an adult fan of LEGO...” The result is almost always a “you’re joking,
right?” sort of grin, because it sounds so ridiculously pompous.
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Ahem, Joe, but they were mocking your hobby choice, not your title! :-)
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It’s like
saying “I’m a drinker of wines.”
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I’ve always preferred “lush”, but “wine taster” isn’t much better.
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It’s stilted and sounds silly. When have
you ever heard a train enthusiast describe themselves as an “adult fan of
trains”?
So, from now on, I’ll be introducing my passion this way: “I’m an adult LEGO
enthusiast” -- “LEGO enthusiast” just like “train enthusiast,” plus “adult”
since (unlike the train hobby) LEGO is still seen by most people as a toy for
children. Adding “adult” defines adult LEGO enthusiasts as a group, implying
that there are others, and that the speaker isn’t just having maturity
issues.
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Don’t be surprised if they still laugh:-)
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IMO (also an abbreviation rather than an acronym!), to call oneself an
“enthusiast” is to make oneself sound hopelessly effete and snobbish.
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Nonsense; it’s a standard term -- there are train enthusiasts, wine
enthusiasts, music enthusiasts and so on. If you want effete and snobbish,
use “afficionado” instead. (And if you want crass, use “buff” -- enthusiast
is comfortably in the middle.)
Laugh all you want, but I think this is a small but important part of getting
the society we live in to accept and understand the LEGO hobby.
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Joe, terms like “AFOL” are “in-house”, part of our jargon, and not intended for
the unwashed GP. The fact is that the GP won’t accept you whatever acro you
decide to call yourself-- you will be shunned, and you will only find solice
back here with us.
We are geeks, pathetically playing with toys, and we must learn to accept it,
and not try to pander to the unenlightened. We are the Neoilluminati!
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P.S. Is this really off-topic?
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Yes and no;-)
JOHN
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: what is ALE?
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| (...) So, you like it better because there was little thought behind it? Next you'll be saying you voted for Bush. :) (...) Some people spell it out, but even that isn't very euphonic -- unlike the other initialisms you mention, AFOL when spelled (...) (19 years ago, 2-Jun-05, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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