Muzman on 26/5/2011 at 14:32
Since this is apparently Nobody Visit TTLG (or at least post anything) Week (what the fuck is it? Exams or something?), I thought it fitting to bring this up.
Kolya's sudden attack of third wave feminist boob flashing (breaking his own rule by not naming the band and the song clearly in the link too. *tsk*) was apparently self immolation. Which is kinda startling, I guess, since it's a bit more than simply not turning up any more (others have done it before. I remember Noid just couldn't quit or something. I'd almost put Fragony in there as he had to know what he was doing. But it's hard to spot genuine social suicide with libertarian misanthropes since they seem to be attempting it constantly).
Hopefully he's fine, for I come not to pathologise but dwell on the symbolism. It's funny because I'd been thinking for a while about his troubles with the place. His was the last big 'what's wrong with TTLG (or CommChat more particularly)' post you'll recall, complete with angry venting from Thief Gen (well, like two or three people actually, so there wasn't much to go on). The funny part is that some time ago (probably longer than I think) he posted something where he was backing away from his initial sentiments somewhat. Around the same time I'd been starting to think he was probably right, at least in general, even if the specifics problems are a bit harder to figure.
I'm starting to wonder if it's not TTLG that's changing, but the whole internet. Typically the blame for the quietness is placed on the old guard either leaving or not having much to say anymore, like old married couples. Well if their surfing habits are anything like mine it's also partly because they do their chatting elsewhere now in more specific venues. It's almost as though communities on the 'net are more diffuse things now.
But I speculate wildly. Mostly I'm just rambling to myself really.
I have noticed longer term 'net haunts often discuss forum members and politics a bit more often, so I thought I'd do some of that as well.
Gingerbread Man on 26/5/2011 at 16:59
Kolya just got a couple (10) days off, that's all. It's pretty hard to get banned outright for something that happened in CommChat.
(Which is what makes it funny... All these grand Grundbegriff Gestures amount to nothing in the end.)
Koki on 26/5/2011 at 18:22
Oh, so he was banned.
Good thing TTLG administration at least speaks plain english
PigLick on 27/5/2011 at 00:02
Quote Posted by Gingerbread Man
It's pretty hard to get banned outright for something that happened in CommChat.
is this a dare?;)
On topic, I think kolya has a flair for the melodramatic. I think everyone has just become more irritable and cynical in their old age. I was trawling through some of the archives out of sheer boredom the other night, and I found a thread where dethtoll was being nice and defending someone!
When commchat is mostly current affairs threads and what did you listen/watch, you know there just isnt that much to talk about. Sometimes I'll have an idea for something, then when I sit down to post a new thread I end up, after some reflection, just going "why bother".
The 'old married couple' analogy is quite apt, I think. And yeh, this was once the only internet forum I ever posted in, but now there are a few other places that I regularly visit and get involved in as well.
Scots Taffer on 27/5/2011 at 03:33
I'm pretty much done, I'm afraid. :(
june gloom on 27/5/2011 at 03:42
i'm always nice to people who deserve it :(
Kolya on 27/5/2011 at 07:19
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. I merely decided not to post here any more for various reasons. (Thanks for spoiling my well laid plans, I can see the paradox of this post.) And I thought I'd have some fun with my exit. Who's being melodramatic?
I have a forum, a blog and lots of real life things going on. And of these things TTLG was the easiest to cut off for me. I'm still reading though and probably will be for a while.
Whoops, forgot my hat. ;)
Koki on 27/5/2011 at 11:37
Fuck real life, TTLG's where it's at.
fett on 27/5/2011 at 13:09
I blame the death of ttlg on Koki being an asshole. Just sayin'.
Queue on 27/5/2011 at 15:10
For awhile now, I've been weaning myself from the forum by participating less and less (not that I really contributed much in the first place), with the goal of stopping altogether. I'm more-or-less there, but I wanted address this post:
Quote Posted by Muzman
I'm starting to wonder if it's not TTLG that's changing, but the whole internet. Typically the blame for the quietness is placed on the old guard either leaving or not having much to say anymore, like old married couples. Well if their surfing habits are anything like mine it's also partly because they do their chatting elsewhere now in more specific venues.
I don't know if the Internet has changed much at all. Back in
The Park days of the early 90s, about 90% of the conversations consisted mainly of people arguing over some bit of ridiculousness that really mattered nothing or made no difference to anyone, users sniping each other with the same old witty quips, or lonely wives trying to get laid behind their spouse's back. And the other 10% were pictures of kittens doing something amusing. Has it changed much in twenty years?
I wonder more if the whole social network notion (from chat rooms to Facebook) is starting to run its course by there being simply too much of it--that users are making lame their own vast medium for global conversation by an inability to honestly converse anymore. I mean, a lot of it really seems to be more about maintaining a presence than having an open and honest exchange of thoughts and ideas.
And to me, that doesn't mean simply airing out personal issues or happenings--which I don't like doing. Over the past three-years, the person I'm probably the closet with here constantly points out how un-open I am personally, and how little I share about me. But what would be the point in me sharing the bad in my life, the fact that I battle severe depression, have some health issues (went a few rounds recently with the dreaded "c-word"), and that my life isn't going in the direction I want it to? To me, that's not interesting conversation, it's just shit I'm dealing with--as everyone deals with their own shit everyday around the globe. And the good shit is what keeps me going everyday. Why bring either of them up on a forum?
But that's just me... I'm not that kind of person.
The one thing I've been looking for on the Internet, over the years, are other like-minded people to converse with and be friendly with--and to exchange thoughts and ideas with. I've found a couple, but the irony is that I talk with them so infrequently that it defeats the purpose of trying to find them in the first place. It's probably me... I'm the guy who doesn't initiate phone calls, but loves to talk with people and am sad when they don't call. It's the: I don't want to "bother" them, but I hope they call me when they can. That sort of thing.
But this is all getting off track. To answer your observation, Muzman, for me, Internet socializing has made me realize that I simply don't belong here. I've gotta be honest, no one really wants to listen to my horseshit, nor do I care to (or have the energy to) participate anymore. I don't have any "Internet presence" beyond here, nor do I want one. I don't Facebook... I don't blog... I don't even own a cellphone to Twitter, or Tweet, or whatever the fuck it is.... And I don't see any reason to start.
And, for me, I don't see much of a reason to continue posting. It doesn't mean I'm leaving. I'll still stop by to check out the latest news for Thief 4, or the latest games; to grab the latest FMs; or to ask some questions in the Editor's Guild (since I'm not stopping FM work). And, hopefully, I'll hear from friends via PMs or messages. But, beyond that, there's no other reason for me to participate. I honestly feel that I don't belong here. Hell, I wonder if I actually belong to these times! And I wonder if similar thoughts are the reason you're seeing a noticeable drop off.
So that's it for me, as far as regular posting and participation goes. It's nothing that anyone said, or didn't say. I'm not pissed off or whining about anything. It's just time to not have a presence anymore, and I've felt that way for awhile.
