Can we end this?

[Nightwing]

This has gotten ridiculous.
I remember back when all we had was Red Squadron; that was nice. Nearly all the posters actually used correct grammar and respected each other; the squadron was just a little inside joke that gave us geeks a little bit of a thrill. After all, we were all becoming fast virtual-friends, and liked being a part of a virtual "team."

But now it's gotten crazy, with people using the Misc forum to toss out every random bit of nonsense that runs through their heads. Every time I look through here, I see a half-dozen new threads filled with posts that barely use grammar and make tons of self-referential jokes. It's something that happens on every internet forum that gets relatively popular: members start attempting to use their online identities to further their own virtual ego.

Now, hey, there's no reason not to kick back and have fun online, but this is getting ridiculous. It's like the forums are turning into high school, with everyone trying to pretend that they're "the popular kid" or that they're part of some group. Yeah, I've been proud to be a member of TCSS's Red Squadron, and I'll never take it out of my signature, but not because I think it makes me cooler or because it's funny; because back then we honestly had some great times on the forums, and we really were part of something together. We made Gold and Blue Squadrons just so all of our main posters could be included (because back then we honestly had only about 36 or so members that were very active).

TCSS really was a forum for the actual store; the main emphasis was on the technical info. The "Misc" section was just a place for random thoughts that wouldn't go anywhere else. Now it's like the Misc section is just a hangout spot for people to post things that are absolutely pointless. Those "hey, I took a break for a week, but now I'm back!" threads are the perfect example of the problem: people are using the forum not as a way to actually communicate with one another, but as a vent for all their self-promoting or geek-related thoughts.

It's a fine line between what's reasonable and what's not. After all, we all like to hear about a member's newborn baby, but we don't necessarily want to read about the seventeen ways in which a poster thinks that his/her role-playing character is awesome.

Most forums of this size have more rules about what should or should not be posted in certain areas. Around here it's like the wild west (and I live in Texas; I would know). Maybe we need sub-divisions in the Misc section for general geek-related threads, personal-related threads, and general saber-related threads? I don't know, but something really should be done; this forum gets harder and harder to read through every month.

Please, PLEASE stop this nonsense.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

pretty much agree, I don't mind people making new squadrons, if they want to be part of one they're free to set one up. It is getting a little out of hand though, honestly the misc forum is the place for random stuff, but I've been noticing a shift away from overall decorum and just plain bad grammar across all the boards. I'm not particularly bothered by bad gramar as long as the message is clear but things are beginning to deteriorate...

The role playing bit annoys the hell outta me though, not that I have anything against it, it's just not appropriate in this context.

[Eco]

Around here it's like the wild west (and I live in Texas; I would know).

That's the South, my friend! Wyoming is the Wild West!


More to the point of the thread: I agree for the most part, but all work and no immaturity makes geeking out a little hypocritical, if that makes sense.

[goldsaberwarrior]

I wouldn't mind seeing some subdivisions in the forums. Not been back long and I've noticed the bad grammer. If I've been gone as long as i was and I can notice when i get back that's kind of crazy.

EDIT:I do agree when it comes to the squads on here. It did make us feel like a bit of team back then. I do miss the carefree days of posting on here. Like you nightwing I don't plan on taking the gold 2 out of my sig anytime soon. What's wrong with a little geeking once in awhile, but keep it reasonable I guess. I shall drop a proton bomb on spam. lol. Still never will forget Lord Maul's pic he always posted when there was spam on the forums. Ah those were the days.

[Ghostbat]

If it annoyed anyone I apologize for any part I may have played in encouraging any squadron Diaspora.

When I made my sig image it was a sarcastic remark on the fact that at the time every third post was someone asking to get added to one of the original three squadrons, I then encouraged anyone who asked to make your own danged squadron! It appears somewhere along the way that idea caught hold! I see no problem with that, being a little silly with our sigs is nothing new here, it reminds us we aren't the "serious" ones, that we build and play with toys, and that if we take our play too seriously it becomes labor and that would be a tragedy.

I agree on poor grammar, in an arena in which the only thing we have to show others who we are are our words (and shiny pictures of our sabers) it would be nice if more people took the time to polish them a little (the words, polished sabers are optional).

Roleplaying I haven't run into here as of yet, and so I cannot comment, but agree that it should be contained to where appropriate.

Note: I'm not disbanding Seafoam Squadron... after all this time it still makes me giggle.

[Nightwing]

all work and no immaturity makes geeking out a little hypocritical, if that makes sense.

Aye, right you are. I wasn't suggesting that immaturity take a permanent hike; I'm saying that the threads are constantly filling up with random nonsense.

[DJMoonbass]

sorry if i did anything.... knowing me, DJ, i probably did. i like redneck squadron though. so again sorry if i ticked anyone of my bad grammar or DJ nonsence

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Nightwing, coming from the "newer old guard" (Eastern57, Grayven, Fenderbender, Roy's Blues, myself, etc.) I agree completely with your assessment. I strikes me as a demonstration of general lack of self respect when a poster cannot simply take the time to re-read and edit his/her post. I also agree insomuch as that the written word is the ONLY means in which we may express ourselves here. Just think about this guys, how do you want to be perceived? As a clown? As someone who has something meaningful to say? I certainly would hope the it is the latter rather than the former.

[Jagahati]

I was going to post my own personal thoughts about what it was like to come to these forums and figure out how to make my first saber.

Then I decided that I would just become part of the problem. In my view the problem making itself seen on these forums is the distraction of just how neat our hobby is.

And yes we are all big time nerds, and yes we are all proud of our creations but the real point to these forums is to help each other and the new guys do what we have all come to love:

Building Lightsabers!

Everything else is a distraction sometimes good sometimes bad but always a distraction from why we are all here.

[Scars Unseen]

I don't really want to get myself into this, being new myself and all, but wouldn't the point of this particular area of the forum be to talk about anything unrelated to lightsaber building? I'm not certain why people are getting upset about people doing that. The great thing about a forum, as opposed to a chat room, is that it is quite easy to ignore something that doesn't appeal to you personally. It's not like we are talking about bots spewing endless posts about male enhancement.

As far as grammar and spelling goes, I am sort of sitting on the fence on that one. On the one hand, I abhor internet shorthand. On the other, grammar nazis are even worse, as they derail topics to point out other people's minor deviations from English 101. I personally am prone to making errors as I often use the sites I frequent as a way of winding down after a 12 hour shift fixing airplanes. I tend not to be sympathetic with people criticizing my spelling in those circumstances.

Anyway, that would be my two cents. Perhaps not worth much in today's economical climate, but they are what they are.

EDIT: As an aside, why does "lightsaber" trip the spell check on this site? Maybe the forum software uses the Queen's English.