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Subject: 
Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.lego.direct
Date: 
Fri, 14 Jun 2002 19:56:51 GMT
Viewed: 
2460 times
  
In lugnet.lego.direct, Todd Lehman writes:
In lugnet.lego.direct, Richard Marchetti writes:
Anyway, I am not jumping to conclusions either way.  Maybe the Lugnet admins
ARE wrong about this issue.  Maybe they are PROTECTING Lugnet from becoming
a platform for free advertising for TLC instead.

I know that I personally harbor a fear of LUGNET becoming a platform for free
advertising for TLC.  I don't really know what harm would befall the community
from that, but it seems somehow wrong.  I don't know how to express this fear
succinctly.  It feels irrational.  I don't mean to imply that TLC would ever
take advantage of LUGNET, but, well, business is business, and in business if
something is free, you take advantage of that.

Todd, isn't the very existance of Lugnet a de facto advertisement for Lego,
and isn't that a good thing?  I mean, everyone here is a Lego consumer, by
definition.  AFOL: Adult Friend Of Lego.  We all buy Legos.  We all like
building with Legos.  We all want TLC to be a success so they will keep
making Legos.  We all want to know what Lego is doing.  By definition.  So
could they *really* use us?  Any more than we would want to be used?  Many
people here actively promote and advertise for Lego for free by setting up
public displays.

Maybe trying so hard to keep Lego reps out of Lugnet, or at least, only in
"official channels" is irrational.  Maybe Lugnet should let anyone from TLC
post anywhere they want, just like it let's anyone else in the world.  Make
a rule about only using "official email" when they post.  About delineating
their personal opinion from that of TLC (but I bet their bosses would make
them do that).  And see what happens.  You could always bring the hammer
back down later.

I just have a hard time understanding Lugnet's fairly hard line in this.
I've participated in many other fan forums forums for everything from toys,
to cars, to movies, to bands, to clothes, to bikes.  But I have never seen a
site spend as much time, or make as many rules, to try to keep the object of
their affection (or the manufacturer's of their affections) from
participating as much as they'd like as I have here on Lugnet.

I can't comprehend a way TLC could really take advantage of Lego consumers
through more dialog.  Do you think it might be more of a fear of losing
control of Lugnet to TLC?  It can't be the fear that we'd all start buying
more Legos.  Anyway, they don't want the headache of running forums when
other people will do it for free.  TLC is a company.  They just want a place
to share in the encouragement of the adoration of the brick, and make their
customers happy so they'll buy more.  Just like every other business in the
world.


Two years ago, LD made a cash donation to LUGNET.  Brad projected high hopes
for there being additional donations in the future.  I personally would feel
a lot more comfortable with TLC's long-term expanded presence here if it was
demonstrably interested some sort of ongoing financial support.  Brad's
excellent t-shirt idea[1] also seems to have been all but forgotten about at
TLC.  It's too easy for me to hear ideas like this and have high expectations.

This just makes it seem like you want a check for giving them freer range.
Is that right?  This isn't really about irrational fears, but more of
quid-pro-quo, pay-to-post type deal?  Well, that's a whole different issue,
as you said, a business is a business.  And maybe Lugnet is a business, too.
Anyway, if that's your plan, I wish you nothing but luck with your scheme.


--Todd

[1] http://news.lugnet.com/announce/?n=863



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
 
(...) I think the initial intent was to keep from being "strongarmed" by Lego into actually being a real commercial force. IE, ad banners, ONLY pro-Lego propaganda (no flames on TLC's business decisions, etc, like juniorization qualms), etc. Also, (...) (22 years ago, 14-Jun-02, to lugnet.lego.direct)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Why the absence of LD in their own newsgroup?
 
(...) I know that I personally harbor a fear of LUGNET becoming a platform for free advertising for TLC. I don't really know what harm would befall the community from that, but it seems somehow wrong. I don't know how to express this fear (...) (22 years ago, 14-Jun-02, to lugnet.lego.direct)

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