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 21:09:37 GMT
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Viewed:
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9277 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Joe Strout wrote:
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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...”
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Huh-- I almost never say “fan of Lego” or “AFOL” to people who aren’t in the
hobby, because it just doesn’t give them a good frame of reference. I think I’ve
always said “Lego Hobbyist” because that’s what people understand.
Usually “fan” is used in reference to things like sports teams, music artists,
actors, etc. Something that denotes “I’m cheering for you” or “I love watching
you do your thing”.
A hobbyist or enthusiast is typically *involved* in an activity, rather than a
spectator. At least, that’s how I’ve come to understand the use of the word in
common speak. So I usually say “hobbyist” because I think it’s a little more
descriptive to the general public of what I do. IE, it’s something I’m involved
with that I’m not doing “professionally”, that I do in my spare time.
Essentially, I think the connatations of “Lego Hobbyist” are much more
meaningful to people OUTSIDE the hobby than “Lego Fan” or “Lego Enthusiast”.
However, INSIDE the hobby is a different story. I think “fan” is something that
caught on just like “Lego Maniac” sorta used to be. It might not be true
(because we’re not ACTUALLY maniacs or anything), but it’s that kind of amusing
slant on ourselves that exaggerates the point. Like saying “I’m just crazy
enough to buy that”. Are you actually saying you’re crazy? Nah. You’re just sort
of having a bit of joking fun at the notion of needing to be crazy. Poking fun
at yourself. In that same way, I think “fan” took off as a descriptor within the
community. Enough so as to become the ‘norm’ for how we describe ourselves.
Within the community, we reference ourselves a lot. Having a name for ourselves
just makes sense-- but the actual name itself means little to me, personally. We
could’ve called ourselves Fibblesnorks (the paleolithic ancestor of Fleebnorks)
for all I care. To me, an “AFOL” isn’t necessarily a “fan”, or even an “adult”.
It’s a person who’s ‘serious’ about the Lego hobby, insofar as they appreciate
more than just the play aspects that children enjoy. A person who enjoys Lego
for its modeling, utilitarian, nostalgic, or collectable value, and who isn’t
likely to abandon it lightly.
Whatever we call ourselves, that’s probably the name I’ll use. For now, I think
“AFOL” is still going to be the accepted norm, but if “ALE” catches on more, I
might start using that. To me, the actual name means little. I’ll likely
understand the name as who we really are as a community, not by the constituent
words or the connotation of whatever it is we call ourselves.
DaveE
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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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