Subject:
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Re: Lego Hobby Blues
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Wed, 7 Dec 2005 21:19:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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1953 times
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Thomas,
Good Afternoon!
Things aren't all bad...it sounds to me as if you're sorely needing a
building break. So do I! But don't let that fool you into thinking things are
worse overall; really, this is a matter of perspective.
In lugnet.general, Thomas Main wrote:
> The thrill is gone. There's so much about our hobby that has changed over the
> last few years and a lot of it has changed for the worse.
One thing about which I've been at odds with my Mother in recent years is
that change WILL always occur. It's how you decide to deal with that change
that's a measure of who you are. Can you embrace change, or is change
unacceptable? Each person has to decide to what degree this matters for
themselves, but this won't stop change from happening. The happiest people I
know incorporate the changes in their lives into the total picture, and see some
positive effects in each change.
> LUGNET [spinning off into splinter sites...]
Again, this is a matter of perspective. Any community is only as viable as
it's members need it to be. To my eyes, it seems Lugnet has passed that point
of viability; the community has decided to further separate into more specific
groups.
Is this bad? For someone who wants it all in one place, possibly, but for
the community as a whole, I think this really expands our possibilities. More
sites equals more exposure to the "regular" world, which equals more people
joining our community and experiencing our hobby, which equals more creations
and techniques being shared, which equals more sales of LEGO sets and new piece
designs to be used in our hobby. Instead of being disappointed with a growing
number of websites focusing on the AFOL hobby, I choose to see this as a good
thing - more for me to learn and do and enjoy.
> ... closer integration with TLG ...
Not a big thing in my book, but one possibility that comes to mind is that
TLG will study what these Ambassadors and Certified Builders will do, learning
from it what we as a portion of their customer base hope to get out of the
hobby. And this could lead to more technical and challenging sets, more
interesting piece designs, greater availability of bulk and "pick-as-you-like"
products, and so on.
> Our interest in the Swanberg case ...
I don't believe this to be entirely a matter of gossip. There are legal
issues, and issues of the respect for our hobby and who we are. The fact that
this has made big news agencies in the mainstream brings up the possibility of
"regular" folks judging all of us based on this one case. And there are people
out there who innocently bought sets at a huge discount only because those sets
were provided for in an unethical way - this raises huge issues of trust for the
online secondary market.
> Our addiction -- how much Lego is too much?
Are you inconveniencing your family or another? Are you hurting anyone to
participate in this hobby? If so, then too much. But if not, if your income
allows the purchase of LEGO elements without causing harm, then I believe no
harm done.
My fiancee is thrilled that I'm not out in a bar, spending money on alcohol
and gambling and maybe flirting with other women. In her eyes, my hobby is a
good thing, and if I want to explore it more and get more sets, then she's
supportive. Maybe I'm just lucky.
> Is more irresponsible? [poverty]
This depends on your personal beliefs.
It can be argued that any income not necessary for survival should be
distributed to those with a survival need; we'd not even be communicating now
because our computers wouldn't be necessary for survival. In my opinion, this
would be a worthy, but boring, life. Paraphrasing a priest who taught me once,
not all are meant to evangelize - some people are meant to bake bread, some to
make clothes, and some to build homes. Do good, and do no harm.
If you live by this philosophy, there's nothing wrong with a hobby like
ours. You may even have the side effect of bringing beauty or joy or learning
into a life that really needs it. Thus, it can be argued that there is some
necessity for our hobby, and that we should pursue it, as long as we're not
harming others.
Each person decides their own level of necessity, evangelism, hobby, and so
on. Who's right?
This hobby can be a vehicle for doing good in the world - toy drives for
hurricane victims, events to raise money and awareness, contests that open eyes
- these things and more can all be done to use our hobby for good.
> I used to feel good about this hobby. Some days I still
> do. But I want to know what happened to the community - is it still there? Is
> it thriving or dying? And I want to know how sane and moral this hobby is. To
> me, these are important questions. I am hitting a wall coming up with answers
> -- I am looking for discussion and insight....
I believe our community is not only there, but growing, with more voices
and outlets than ever before. I believe that it is as sane a hobby as building
model trains and airplanes and dollhouses, and more moral a hobby than gambling,
drinking, joining gangs, and many other activities. I believe there is a lot to
be pleased with, more every day.
Really, feeling good about this hobby all comes down to what you want to
get out of it. Nobody can take away the thrill I get from building something
fun. And there are so many avenues I have yet to explore within this hobby that
I see little chance of exhauting them. What do you want to do? What do you
want to get out of this hobby? What fits with your view of the world? It all
depends on your ideas.
I wish you good luck in your quest for peace.
Peace and Long Life,
Tony Alexander
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Lego Hobby Blues
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| The thrill is gone. There's so much about our hobby that has changed over the last few years and a lot of it has changed for the worse. LUGNET This used to be THE place that the online community got together and talked about the hobby. Now, it has a (...) (19 years ago, 7-Dec-05, to lugnet.general)
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