Is ILF too cliquey? Are we pushing people away? BST question

[Seance]

We're clearly the forum with the highest number of meta discussions on our identity, so that's... something.

I've never meta discussion I didn't like.

I feel like I got a very light attempt at hazing, but I also generally dgaf and much prefer to go back and forth with someone than turn the other cheek, so this place kind of feels like my home (mental institution).

I think most of the people here mean well, and that goes a long way. It just takes a bit to figure that out.

Yeah, middle age whitedudeblues is scum, but so is modularimdoingsomethingthatwasexperimentalin74

Scum is what happens when waters are still. Everything has been done. Everything is being done.
There is nothing new under the sun. Algae grows where there is no flow.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I feel like I got a very light attempt at hazing, but I also generally dgaf and much prefer to go back and forth with someone than turn the other cheek, so this place kind of feels like my home (mental institution).

I think most of the people here mean well, and that goes a long way. It just takes a bit to figure that out.

Yeah, middle age whitedudeblues is scum, but so is modularimdoingsomethingthatwasexperimentalin74

I fully embrace that this is what I'm doing.

[01010111]

It’s definitely cliquish here. I mean, I never have felt like I was a part of the main clique. There have been waves of change on this forum. Whenever there’s been a sense of what the forum’s “is” and “isn’t”, and new people come in from somewhere else (usually when some other forum closes), then a bunch of people leave because they don’t like the change.

In recent years I have noticed the trend towards “hazing” as Jwar put it. So, things have been more stagnant lately (i.e. fewer new people seem to become regulars).

When it comes to BST, having some kind of “gate” makes sense (though, creating a gate that only keeps in the true fuzz-bros is problematic to say the least...). But I think we need to work on being more accepting as a community (myself included). It’s about fuzz love. If someone’s weird and doesn’t conform to your ideas of what a “good” member of the community would be, don’t give ‘em guff. Fuzz and let fuzz

[Chankgeez]

... and new people come in from somewhere else...

I liked it that time when we were inundated by refugees fleeing the advance of the Golden Horde.

[01010111]

... and new people come in from somewhere else...

I liked it that time when we were inundated by refugees fleeing the advance of the Golden Horde.

I miss those refugees, tbh. I think the Doom Room refugees were my favorite. The initial doom room thread in the general discussion was gold.

[Chankgeez]

[D.o.S.]

It’s definitely cliquish here. I mean, I never have felt like I was a part of the main clique. There have been waves of change on this forum. Whenever there’s been a sense of what the forum’s “is” and “isn’t”, and new people come in from somewhere else (usually when some other forum closes), then a bunch of people leave because they don’t like the change.

In recent years I have noticed the trend towards “hazing” as Jwar put it. So, things have been more stagnant lately (i.e. fewer new people seem to become regulars).

When it comes to BST, having some kind of “gate” makes sense (though, creating a gate that only keeps in the true fuzz-bros is problematic to say the least...). But I think we need to work on being more accepting as a community (myself included). It’s about fuzz love. If someone’s weird and doesn’t conform to your ideas of what a “good” member of the community would be, don’t give ‘em guff. Fuzz and let fuzz

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4ZxVBgi8U[/youtube]

[dubkitty]

i really miss the days when we had a whole bunch of Aussies. there were some really great posters from there, and i don't quite understand why they went away.

[D.o.S.]

i really miss the days when we had a whole bunch of Aussies. there were some really great posters from there, and i don't quite understand why they went away.

Global warming?

But also I think Pope is mega-busy now, plus the doom room is dead so that (and life) killed samgadzen too. He's still around a little bit, Boxbie is still around.

We have some closeted Aussies but you can bait them out with metal and Fosters.

[D.o.S.]

Double also I feel like this forum is way less 'hostile' (in-jokey and memey) now than it was 5-6-9 years ago, so I think this thread is based on a false premise anyway.

So, perhaps, what has changed is that pointing out that 'shitty' contributors to the site are 'shitty' is much more of a cause for concern among the usership now than it was a few years ago?

Cydonia: ahead of his time.

[popvulture]

Frostier bogans needed.

But yeah, I don't think it's that cliquish around here. Sure, it's tight knit, but the only times I've ever seen anybody shunned is because they're breaking the one rule. There have been plenty of instances where I didn't feel like I fit in, but then again there have been tons of times I really felt the general top-notchedness of this community and felt like I was a part of it. Plus, I hate to say it, but just go to pretty much ANY other forum and you'll quickly see why this place is special. I'm kinda of the "if it ain't broke" mentality, though sure—a min post count on BST to keep lame flippers out would be a-ok.

[fcknoise]

Cydonia: ahead of his time.

rip

we drove a true hero away that day

we have succumbed to chumminess and chattiness

[Disarm D'arcy]

Double also I feel like this forum is way less 'hostile' (in-jokey and memey) now than it was 5-6-9 years ago, so I think this thread is based on a false premise anyway.

So, perhaps, what has changed is that pointing out that 'shitty' contributors to the site are 'shitty' is much more of a cause for concern among the usership now than it was a few years ago?

Cydonia: ahead of his time.

I’ve been a lurker since pretty much ILF existed and signed up after many years of existence and then became somewhat of a regular maybe 2-3 years after that. And I totally agree with that.

[Jero]

Why not just vet buyers your self folks? You are not forced to sell to that person.
If they have a post count/style that doesn't meet your approval, just ignore them or say 'sorry, I fear you you might be a capitalist'

[greyscales]

I don't think ILF is necessarily cliquey, but it is definitely niche. Not sure how to describe that difference exactly but it's the most concise way I can put it.

Even though I've been on the forum for a long time, I still mostly lurk. That's probably 80% social anxiety (even online). But the other 20% is coming from how tight other users seem to be when you haven't participated much. It's hard to "prove" yourself on a forum where the average user has a lot more knowledge about gear than on other forums. Looking at the front page of general gear right now, there are threads about glitch pedals, pitch shifting delays, bit crushers, ring mods, modular synths, and various other non-mainstream effects. That can be intimidating sometimes. It can be easy to lurk way more than post just because there's always going to be someone more knowledgeable here.
Maybe that doesn't push people away so much as it makes more people lurk for a longer period of time.

I've never been a fan of gated BSTs personally, but that's precisely because I have a tendency to lurk. It will probably take me a year or two to be able to participate in Muffwiggler's BST because of that reason. But at the same time I've gotten so many amazing deals here because ILFers tend to really trust moderately established ILFers. So it's really a win-lose situation.