Ok, now that the unpleasantness of last week is over, let's move on.
I've been looking around other e-fedding communities lately. A lot of this has to do with sheer curiosity. I'm a well known isolationist in my circle of feds. I only really go to feds I'm not already in if I'm recommended to do so. Generally, the joining of said feds happens when I'm super bored and itching for something to do.
But in looking around Torch and EWZine and more recently The Experts and EfedKnights, I do have a few legitimate "culture" questions.
1. Why do any of you use pic bases? Why is it cool or in any way original to create a character and then use Christian or Rob Van Dam or Austin Aries as the graphical representation of this character. Doesn't that kind've fly in the face of the originality you're trying to go for? If you're writing for a guy and I see Christian's smirking mug as your signature or avatar, aren't I just gonna think of Christian? I'm just saying - this seems unbelievably unoriginal to me, and it's never been a staple of any of the feds I've been involved in. Legitimate question. I'm curious as to the rationale there.
2. Signatures. Is there any reason why, on some of these sites/communities, the items in the signature fields are ten times larger than the actual post content? Whether it's several very large banners for the aforementioned pic bases and logos created for their characters, or a huge hype graphic of some kind, it's a little out of control. I found some of these forums downright difficult to read because of this. Legitimate question. Again, I'd really like to know why this isn't discouraged. As an admin this would drive me up the friggin' wall.
3. Why do you still allow handlers to writer for "real" wrestlers? By this I mean, why do people still get to write for "Chris Jericho" or "Bret Hart". Going back to point #1, isn't this unbelievably unoriginal and pointless? Where's the talent in writing for a character that's already very established in style, moveset, speaking and history? What's the point in that? Don't we want to create characters from the ground up? In my case at least, the fun is in creating an entire person and not just a name to go trash talk with. I can tell you everything about my character's life, how he would react in literally any situation, where he went to school (not that you'd care) and a million other minute details that would define his psyche. He's a human being who is a professional wrestler. He's not a cardboard two dimensional avatar of a human being. Legitimate question. Why do people still do this, and why would anyone want to read it?
4. How old are most of you in these other communities? Average age, I'm talking. I see a lot of "we've been in business for over ten years", that sort of thing. Are we saying then that you're in your mid-30s and have been doing this since you were 22? Or are you 25 and you've been doing it since you're 14? I'm gonna sound egotistical here, and I'm really not trying to - but a lot of what I'm reading, at least so far seems remarkably similar in style and form to what we were doing in our community about ten years ago. We changed a lot, and maybe it's just that we evolved our version of the game off in a different direction than these other places did - but some of it seems really elementary. And yet, these are the feds and names I see all over the rankings and awards on some of these sites that say they cover many different corners of the e-fed world. I really really have to wonder if either A) There are some SEVERE homer tendencies going on or B) some of these people have Special Ed Syndrome, which is basically how I refer to people who themselves are so mediocre that mediocrity in others impresses them. They're confused by a character or by writing that is truly dynamic and complex in anyway, and that comes out in their opinions.
Look, I'm not a writing genius. I do know good writing though. I'm not a professional writer, although it is something I've excelled at academically. I have a pretty good grasp on what good writing is and what it isn't - enough to know that there are a lot of good to great writers in this hobby. I've been able to hang with a lot of them, but some are way above me also. These however, are questions I have. Legitimate questions, not trying to sound like a dick (if that's how I sound) - because I'm really curious about this stuff.
Why did this come about?
I was sifting around some of these other communities, thinking... maybe I should join one of these leagues. I like to experience something before I know it. If it confounds me how these other feds are considered great, I owe them a personal show in the very least before forming a judgment.
So - I'd really like to know. Why are these things accepted?
Just curious.
I've been looking around other e-fedding communities lately. A lot of this has to do with sheer curiosity. I'm a well known isolationist in my circle of feds. I only really go to feds I'm not already in if I'm recommended to do so. Generally, the joining of said feds happens when I'm super bored and itching for something to do.
But in looking around Torch and EWZine and more recently The Experts and EfedKnights, I do have a few legitimate "culture" questions.
1. Why do any of you use pic bases? Why is it cool or in any way original to create a character and then use Christian or Rob Van Dam or Austin Aries as the graphical representation of this character. Doesn't that kind've fly in the face of the originality you're trying to go for? If you're writing for a guy and I see Christian's smirking mug as your signature or avatar, aren't I just gonna think of Christian? I'm just saying - this seems unbelievably unoriginal to me, and it's never been a staple of any of the feds I've been involved in. Legitimate question. I'm curious as to the rationale there.
2. Signatures. Is there any reason why, on some of these sites/communities, the items in the signature fields are ten times larger than the actual post content? Whether it's several very large banners for the aforementioned pic bases and logos created for their characters, or a huge hype graphic of some kind, it's a little out of control. I found some of these forums downright difficult to read because of this. Legitimate question. Again, I'd really like to know why this isn't discouraged. As an admin this would drive me up the friggin' wall.
3. Why do you still allow handlers to writer for "real" wrestlers? By this I mean, why do people still get to write for "Chris Jericho" or "Bret Hart". Going back to point #1, isn't this unbelievably unoriginal and pointless? Where's the talent in writing for a character that's already very established in style, moveset, speaking and history? What's the point in that? Don't we want to create characters from the ground up? In my case at least, the fun is in creating an entire person and not just a name to go trash talk with. I can tell you everything about my character's life, how he would react in literally any situation, where he went to school (not that you'd care) and a million other minute details that would define his psyche. He's a human being who is a professional wrestler. He's not a cardboard two dimensional avatar of a human being. Legitimate question. Why do people still do this, and why would anyone want to read it?
4. How old are most of you in these other communities? Average age, I'm talking. I see a lot of "we've been in business for over ten years", that sort of thing. Are we saying then that you're in your mid-30s and have been doing this since you were 22? Or are you 25 and you've been doing it since you're 14? I'm gonna sound egotistical here, and I'm really not trying to - but a lot of what I'm reading, at least so far seems remarkably similar in style and form to what we were doing in our community about ten years ago. We changed a lot, and maybe it's just that we evolved our version of the game off in a different direction than these other places did - but some of it seems really elementary. And yet, these are the feds and names I see all over the rankings and awards on some of these sites that say they cover many different corners of the e-fed world. I really really have to wonder if either A) There are some SEVERE homer tendencies going on or B) some of these people have Special Ed Syndrome, which is basically how I refer to people who themselves are so mediocre that mediocrity in others impresses them. They're confused by a character or by writing that is truly dynamic and complex in anyway, and that comes out in their opinions.
Look, I'm not a writing genius. I do know good writing though. I'm not a professional writer, although it is something I've excelled at academically. I have a pretty good grasp on what good writing is and what it isn't - enough to know that there are a lot of good to great writers in this hobby. I've been able to hang with a lot of them, but some are way above me also. These however, are questions I have. Legitimate questions, not trying to sound like a dick (if that's how I sound) - because I'm really curious about this stuff.
Why did this come about?
I was sifting around some of these other communities, thinking... maybe I should join one of these leagues. I like to experience something before I know it. If it confounds me how these other feds are considered great, I owe them a personal show in the very least before forming a judgment.
So - I'd really like to know. Why are these things accepted?
Just curious.
Current Mood:
contemplative
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