Subject:
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Re: Which Way AFOL's?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Tue, 9 Jul 2002 05:55:39 GMT
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In lugnet.general, Stephen Hurn writes:
<snip & snip from John Rudy's original post>
> The only bickering I've seen between .loc's is a small amount of friendly
> rivalry between loc.au and loc.uk about post counts. FRIENDLY rivalry.
As someone who has been frequent recently in both .castle and .space, I can
say that there is some such rivalry between those groups as well. But as
Stephen points out, this is "all in good fun", a friendly rivalry, and in
fact many of those involved do build or collect or play with elements of
both such themes of Lego Toys.
What I find interesting about the topic-of-concern brought up by John is
that the "high debate" topics always seem to explode into very big threads
with many sub-threads, and often within the first day or two one or more of
the related posts end up on the "Top Stories" list on the Lugnet homepage.
In reading the special interest newsgroups of Lugnet, I see a constant
stream of MOC posts and idea discussions that never reach this level of
sudden flare-up in post-activity. The result seems to be (from my
perspective) that even though most posts include constructive thoughts,
ideas, or models, more often it is the angry issues that get the most
attention, even if they make up a small percentage of Lugnet threads.
There is hope though. Much like with dying stars, where the most volatile
are impressive for a brief instant before exploding into nothingness, it
seems these high debate topics can be dominant on Lugnet charts one week,
but then gone entirely the next. Meanwhile, the more steadfast (and more
important, IMO) topics continue ever onward.
Even as the latest rash of flames and debates carried on in .dearlego and
.general, I have witnessed first hand the extreme friendliness of this
community in other groups. In .space, AFOLs have donated their time and
talent to share in various unofficial contests where the only real prize is
to share and praise each other simply for participation (and a good dose of
humor). In .castle, newer (and often younger members) are encouraged and
welcomed to demonstrate MOCs even if they lack the best digital imagery or
most original design (for newbies, it is all original!). And even better,
there is at least one instance recently where I have seen a new member,
after receiving comments, praise, and criticism, turn around and begin to
offer the same in return to his new found companions-in-hobby. These are
the kinds of things that are happening throughout Lugnet, and this is what
makes this a decent community to be a part of.
Yes, there are some imperfections. But we are a group made of individuals,
and the sum of our contributions defines what this community is. And I
think that overall Lugnet is still a decent place to "hang out".
...It has been about a year now since I became an active member of Lugnet
(and previously checked out rtl from time to time). For a while I was
posting a response to nearly everything that caught my eye. Recently, due
mostly to a change in my internet availability, I have been lurking more and
posting less (although that has given me more time to *build*). But this
step back has given me a chance to see things slightly differently.
It has been my experience that sooner or later, any one of us will become
unhappy about some aspect of this hobby. Some of us don't like the latest
product lines from TLC. Some don't like the lack of old themes. Some don't
like the lack of new ones. Some don't like how AFOLs are second to the
child market. Some don't like the details of the relationship between TLC
and AFOLs. Some don't like the way Lugnet is setup, or the way it is run,
or the fact that some ex-lover's former roomate's sister is now a member.
Some complain about ebay, or bricklink, or LD. And surely someone out there
can't stand it when I babble endlessly in posts about nothing. At some
point, each of us will find ourselves frustrated with something that is in
some way related to this hobby we all share. And when we do, we will post.
I have done it myself. When I was somewhat new to Lugnet, after years of
feeling that current TLC sets didn't work with the models I collected in the
1980's, I posted a few negative thoughts about the product line and such.**
And naturally, with each and every one of these angry posts, there are
always other AFOLs who feel differently. (E.g., for a while people were
posting rants about how Bionicle was not that good, yet the toy sells, and a
number of Bionicle MOCs arrive on Brickshelf every week.)
So, after seeing all this, I am glad I haven't been able to always respond
with my first reaction to every thread, especially the negative ones. True,
we should be allowed to express our feelings openly and honestly with each
other. But if we want to be considered "Adult" fans, we should each also
take on the responsibility and the maturity to do so tactfully and with
respect to the others who are a part of our whole. I have seen a number of
more experienced Lugnetters brush off high debate topics with a post of "I
am going to get back to building and having fun." I think, for the most
part, that I will join them. I invite you to do the same.
Build Big, Play Well, then Smash It Apart with a Smile...
-Hendo
**Regarding my early posts, I soon thereafter discovered from you AFOLs that
the secret to continuing old themes is to experiment with new ways to build
using whatever themes or elements were available. Just because TLC doesn't
sell a Town set doesn't mean I can't build a Town building of my own! My
creativity and expression through Lego have increased 50%+ during this past
year, thanks to you all! :)
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Which Way AFOL's?
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| That is a pretty bleak picture you paint. Are you sure it is as bad as it sounds. In my mind most of the lugnet community is quite friendly. There has been a small amount of bickering recently, but nothing to warrant any concern. In any large group (...) (22 years ago, 8-Jul-02, to lugnet.general)
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