Shoot from the Hip
A retort to a retort. What a novel idea! In this article, I'm pointing out where our beloved new Articles staffer, PappyCat, is making a tough case to sale against my "DeNiro Factor". I suppose I need to clarify my points I made so long ago. While this type of "filibuster" debate is more suited for different subjects, I can understand where there could be misinterpretations.
"Obviously you have not seen our fanart section. Or our fanfic section. Have you even been to the site? Seven years after Earthbound was made people are still using their talents to create wonderful fan stuff. I noticed that there were four other articles posted the same time as "The DeNiro Factor" was. I consider that active."
Obviously? Look around. Things have greatly improved since the August doldrums we faced last Summer when I wrote the article. I'm not sure when you started this little tirade, but it's pretty archaic for the time being. It was a good feeling to see the four other articles in question. I enjoyed the Ban Frank entry and the Arad-tastic user classification system that accompanied my article. Does that mean I feel it was enough? Of course not. I could blame it on a variety of things; namely my main man, EBFrannie, getting the Articles position that Summer. Fresh off the heels of a new article staffer, we even had Ciggy going all out on a content spree of sorts. Why can't I want more? Maybe I'm cynical. Maybe I miss the Falcon24 days. Maybe I'd like to see some weekly articles. Maybe I'd like to see some forumers dust off that old dictionary and thesarus to set us up with some masterpieces. You're the analytical type, tell me what I want. All I know is, this is my favorite section. Why shouldn't I want it to trump the other sections in terms of contributions? That, however, wasn't my point.
The point of view from my last article was one of an optimist. Someone that simply wanted to get the old fire in the bellies of the members once again. Something that'd leave people getting their creative juices flowing. As you can probably guess, I failed miserably. However, I kept my bright outlook during the fairly bleak time . For example, the last two words of my article even happened to be "remain consistent". Can you tell me that this very section has been so since my article? Of course not. Sure, that wasn't your doing, but I feel Frannie's dedication is just like him. Gone. Sure, you made your Fanart and Fanfic claim, but we're all not Fanart/Fanfic buffs. I see good writers in the forums that have never attempted to make anything. You're telling me you could do without these gifted writers realizing their expectations and contributing to this very section? You may feel content with four or five article updates, I am not. I'm left begging for more because more is there, waiting in the wings, and gathering moss in the forums. I simply called out the idle crew.
As for the staffers "juggling" their workload, I don't recall me calling them out by any means. It's the good staffers that hold things together. It's the bad ones that take it apart. Where is EBFan? Hey, how's that Newsletter staffer doing? True, there aren't enough Eggys and SimonBobs around, but I'm not asking anything special from the staffers, either. While the SLings, SimonBobs, and Eggys may deliver, the EBFans do not. Sounds like a clear lack of commitment to me, gang.
"For every arguement that occurs, there are a dozen more discussions, questions answered, jokes passed on, friends made. It is only natural to have the occasional flame, but I find it to be the minority. If a fued does happen to break loose, we have a team of dedicated moderators who will swoop down and end it."
Last Summer, that would've fallen on deaf ears. Let my fire back with a very PappyCat-ish, "Do you even visit the forums?" Things were rough. The same could've been said for IRC's #earthbound idle days during the same time. I find it funny you could disagree with that point when we even apparently required a regoodification. Now, it may just be me, but I don't see dedicated "regoodifications" occuring when there are only occasional flames, spats, and squabbles. At the time, things needed improvement, and they got them in spades. Since my article, they have received quite a bit of care. However, it's another moot point. I've been out of the loop for awhile, but the forum scene and the invite-less #earthbound have greatly improved in terms of positive feedback. Positive feedback that just wasn't there last Summer. The proof, my friends, is in the pudding.
In terms of good articles, I do my homework. When I see "Don't Look Back in Anger" from Piney, I see someone that gets the proverbial "it". The same could be said for a variety of other favorites; namely: Ciggy's contribution guide, Leeman's recent "Noob", and Picky's acclaimed "The Difference". I merely served up a rallying call to anyone that would listen. I don't believe in being a "by the book" elitist that just goes with the flow. I don't even believe in being completely satisfied in any field or subject at any given time. I simply want the newer, mainstream members to tap in on their talents. Seeing Pancake and Jigglysama unload some artistic funk is great, the same could be said for any new music talent I left out, but I just don't see enough of the new people that post in the "I'm New/Back/Leaving" forum contributing near as much as they post. Where's the consistency there? You know, I thought I made my views quite clear when I said, "Let me now just clarify that I truly trust that things will take a turn for the better." Wasn't that a fairly spot on comment? Things indeed HAVE improved since the boring Summer era. In terms of variety, when one door closes, another two open. I've seen Moonside.net go down in flames. What happens? Flatface.net offers a great opportunity for those EarthBound enthusiasts tired of pop-up, we get a breathe of fresh air in the legendary PEB, and we've even got a new domain-induced site in EBAnthology. Things are downright peachy, huh?
Sure, things are great, but should we be impressed? Of course not. Your condescending view on my opinion shows an all too common perception. A perception that I'm trying to fight. That perception, my friends, is laziness/apathy. Don't worry, we're all guilty of it. I simply wanted the wakeup call to fall in the hands of the previously mentioned "DeNiro Factor". Surely, I had no preconceived notion that I'd have my beliefs publicly and blatantly lynched for all article enthusiasts to see. Fine, four or five articles may show activity, but try to follow me here. Take your little mouse and open a new window to the forums. See how many members we have that were willing to sign up for a forum account? OK, be honest, what percentage of that number do you believe has or will ever contribute? I'm not harping on people here for a good time, but I'm pleading with them for something. No, not as a peer, not as a contributor, but as a fan. We're all fans, we all have something to bring to the table. Witty forum remarks and great IRC banter just don't cut it. I need something tangible. You may have found yourself in disagreement with my opinion, but have some empathy. If that one article meant just one person contributing one thing, it served its purpose. I can hardly see how you don't mind people reaching their full potential.
"We as a community are in our prime, in my opinion."
Is that a good thing? Sure, it's fine to say business is currently good, but things can only get worse inilty of it. I simply wanted the wakeup call to fall in the hands of the previously mentioned "DeNiro Factor". Surely, I had no preconceived notion that I'd have my beliefs publicly and blatantly lynched for all article enthusiasts to see. Fine, four or five articles may show activity, but try to follow me here. Take your little mouse and open a new window to the forums. See how many members we have that were willing to sign up for a forum account? OK, be honest, what percentage of that number do you believe has or will ever contribute? I'm not harping on people here for a good time, but I'm pleading with them for something. No, not as a peer, not as a contributor, but as a fan. We're all fans, we all have something to bring to the table. Witty forum remarks and great IRC banter just don't cut it. I need something tangible. You may have found yourself in disagreement with my opinion, but have some empathy. If that one article meant just one person contributing one thing, it served its purpose.
Who's to say we can't get even better? With even a bit more activity, we can blow the doors off of this "prime" in which you made in your allusion to the state of things. To say we are in our prime is doing nothing but closing the door on the future. The capability is there, but so is the exponential need for improvement. You can't improve our past, you can improve our future. Simple concept.
I know I've been redundant, but I just don't know if the comprehension is there. While a "we're doing just fine" mentality will get you points in playing the "nice" person in the debate, it also demonstrates the feeling that you're selling the less productive members short. I'm not leaving the lazy bunch behind, why are you? I just put a point of impetus on wanting more. Call me a perfectionist, but Jerry Rice wouldn't have landed another trip to the Super Bowl if he was merely satisfied with his past offerings. We all have to strive for perfection before we lower our expectations in being happy.We shouldn't need a GBA remake rumor to improve. We've got plenty of members. Plenty of members that need nothing more than a change in work ethic. Until then, I keep the faith, but I can hardly see how "we", as a collective group, could be considered consistent until we all hammer down and deliver the way I know we all can. Case in point, I'm encouraging more people to contribute, why aren't you?
A retort to a retort. What a novel idea! In this article, I'm pointing out where our beloved new Articles staffer, PappyCat, is making a tough case to sale against my "DeNiro Factor". I suppose I need to clarify my points I made so long ago. While this type of "filibuster" debate is more suited for different subjects, I can understand where there could be misinterpretations.
"Obviously you have not seen our fanart section. Or our fanfic section. Have you even been to the site? Seven years after Earthbound was made people are still using their talents to create wonderful fan stuff. I noticed that there were four other articles posted the same time as "The DeNiro Factor" was. I consider that active."
Obviously? Look around. Things have greatly improved since the August doldrums we faced last Summer when I wrote the article. I'm not sure when you started this little tirade, but it's pretty archaic for the time being. It was a good feeling to see the four other articles in question. I enjoyed the Ban Frank entry and the Arad-tastic user classification system that accompanied my article. Does that mean I feel it was enough? Of course not. I could blame it on a variety of things; namely my main man, EBFrannie, getting the Articles position that Summer. Fresh off the heels of a new article staffer, we even had Ciggy going all out on a content spree of sorts. Why can't I want more? Maybe I'm cynical. Maybe I miss the Falcon24 days. Maybe I'd like to see some weekly articles. Maybe I'd like to see some forumers dust off that old dictionary and thesarus to set us up with some masterpieces. You're the analytical type, tell me what I want. All I know is, this is my favorite section. Why shouldn't I want it to trump the other sections in terms of contributions? That, however, wasn't my point.
The point of view from my last article was one of an optimist. Someone that simply wanted to get the old fire in the bellies of the members once again. Something that'd leave people getting their creative juices flowing. As you can probably guess, I failed miserably. However, I kept my bright outlook during the fairly bleak time . For example, the last two words of my article even happened to be "remain consistent". Can you tell me that this very section has been so since my article? Of course not. Sure, that wasn't your doing, but I feel Frannie's dedication is just like him. Gone. Sure, you made your Fanart and Fanfic claim, but we're all not Fanart/Fanfic buffs. I see good writers in the forums that have never attempted to make anything. You're telling me you could do without these gifted writers realizing their expectations and contributing to this very section? You may feel content with four or five article updates, I am not. I'm left begging for more because more is there, waiting in the wings, and gathering moss in the forums. I simply called out the idle crew.
As for the staffers "juggling" their workload, I don't recall me calling them out by any means. It's the good staffers that hold things together. It's the bad ones that take it apart. Where is EBFan? Hey, how's that Newsletter staffer doing? True, there aren't enough Eggys and SimonBobs around, but I'm not asking anything special from the staffers, either. While the SLings, SimonBobs, and Eggys may deliver, the EBFans do not. Sounds like a clear lack of commitment to me, gang.
"For every arguement that occurs, there are a dozen more discussions, questions answered, jokes passed on, friends made. It is only natural to have the occasional flame, but I find it to be the minority. If a fued does happen to break loose, we have a team of dedicated moderators who will swoop down and end it."
Last Summer, that would've fallen on deaf ears. Let my fire back with a very PappyCat-ish, "Do you even visit the forums?" Things were rough. The same could've been said for IRC's #earthbound idle days during the same time. I find it funny you could disagree with that point when we even apparently required a regoodification. Now, it may just be me, but I don't see dedicated "regoodifications" occuring when there are only occasional flames, spats, and squabbles. At the time, things needed improvement, and they got them in spades. Since my article, they have received quite a bit of care. However, it's another moot point. I've been out of the loop for awhile, but the forum scene and the invite-less #earthbound have greatly improved in terms of positive feedback. Positive feedback that just wasn't there last Summer. The proof, my friends, is in the pudding.
In terms of good articles, I do my homework. When I see "Don't Look Back in Anger" from Piney, I see someone that gets the proverbial "it". The same could be said for a variety of other favorites; namely: Ciggy's contribution guide, Leeman's recent "Noob", and Picky's acclaimed "The Difference". I merely served up a rallying call to anyone that would listen. I don't believe in being a "by the book" elitist that just goes with the flow. I don't even believe in being completely satisfied in any field or subject at any given time. I simply want the newer, mainstream members to tap in on their talents. Seeing Pancake and Jigglysama unload some artistic funk is great, the same could be said for any new music talent I left out, but I just don't see enough of the new people that post in the "I'm New/Back/Leaving" forum contributing near as much as they post. Where's the consistency there? You know, I thought I made my views quite clear when I said, "Let me now just clarify that I truly trust that things will take a turn for the better." Wasn't that a fairly spot on comment? Things indeed HAVE improved since the boring Summer era. In terms of variety, when one door closes, another two open. I've seen Moonside.net go down in flames. What happens? Flatface.net offers a great opportunity for those EarthBound enthusiasts tired of pop-up, we get a breathe of fresh air in the legendary PEB, and we've even got a new domain-induced site in EBAnthology. Things are downright peachy, huh?
Sure, things are great, but should we be impressed? Of course not. Your condescending view on my opinion shows an all too common perception. A perception that I'm trying to fight. That perception, my friends, is laziness/apathy. Don't worry, we're all guilty of it. I simply wanted the wakeup call to fall in the hands of the previously mentioned "DeNiro Factor". Surely, I had no preconceived notion that I'd have my beliefs publicly and blatantly lynched for all article enthusiasts to see. Fine, four or five articles may show activity, but try to follow me here. Take your little mouse and open a new window to the forums. See how many members we have that were willing to sign up for a forum account? OK, be honest, what percentage of that number do you believe has or will ever contribute? I'm not harping on people here for a good time, but I'm pleading with them for something. No, not as a peer, not as a contributor, but as a fan. We're all fans, we all have something to bring to the table. Witty forum remarks and great IRC banter just don't cut it. I need something tangible. You may have found yourself in disagreement with my opinion, but have some empathy. If that one article meant just one person contributing one thing, it served its purpose. I can hardly see how you don't mind people reaching their full potential.
"We as a community are in our prime, in my opinion."
Is that a good thing? Sure, it's fine to say business is currently good, but things can only get worse inilty of it. I simply wanted the wakeup call to fall in the hands of the previously mentioned "DeNiro Factor". Surely, I had no preconceived notion that I'd have my beliefs publicly and blatantly lynched for all article enthusiasts to see. Fine, four or five articles may show activity, but try to follow me here. Take your little mouse and open a new window to the forums. See how many members we have that were willing to sign up for a forum account? OK, be honest, what percentage of that number do you believe has or will ever contribute? I'm not harping on people here for a good time, but I'm pleading with them for something. No, not as a peer, not as a contributor, but as a fan. We're all fans, we all have something to bring to the table. Witty forum remarks and great IRC banter just don't cut it. I need something tangible. You may have found yourself in disagreement with my opinion, but have some empathy. If that one article meant just one person contributing one thing, it served its purpose.
Who's to say we can't get even better? With even a bit more activity, we can blow the doors off of this "prime" in which you made in your allusion to the state of things. To say we are in our prime is doing nothing but closing the door on the future. The capability is there, but so is the exponential need for improvement. You can't improve our past, you can improve our future. Simple concept.
I know I've been redundant, but I just don't know if the comprehension is there. While a "we're doing just fine" mentality will get you points in playing the "nice" person in the debate, it also demonstrates the feeling that you're selling the less productive members short. I'm not leaving the lazy bunch behind, why are you? I just put a point of impetus on wanting more. Call me a perfectionist, but Jerry Rice wouldn't have landed another trip to the Super Bowl if he was merely satisfied with his past offerings. We all have to strive for perfection before we lower our expectations in being happy.We shouldn't need a GBA remake rumor to improve. We've got plenty of members. Plenty of members that need nothing more than a change in work ethic. Until then, I keep the faith, but I can hardly see how "we", as a collective group, could be considered consistent until we all hammer down and deliver the way I know we all can. Case in point, I'm encouraging more people to contribute, why aren't you?
