ZU becoming repetitive

Dear fellow ZU frequenters

I have noticed how repetitive the ZU forums have become the last couple of months. The poll-function is often used to hear opinions, but opinions tend to be expressed without further debate. The typical post contains "I just came to think of" or "I sat thinking the other day" for instance, followed up by an enquiry like "So what do you think?" or "What is your opinion?".

Pardon my frankness, but this is becoming SOOO boring. Have we lost our imagination? Can we not come up with something more exciting than "what do you think about this and that". Because all that is expressed in such threads and the posts that follow is people's opinions and no more. Nobody responds particularly to the post above one's own or comments on something that somebody said. They express their own opinions and that's it. What a thrill!!! Is this a sign of inquisitiveness or a sign that the ZU forums are dying out from unimaginativeness?

I'm no better myself. I haven't contributed much to the activity on the forums lately, because I have no idea of what to write. Are we in the middle of a dull phase of ZU's forum history?

Mrs Ganondorf, the Inquirer

Yes and no. Lately I've been branching out all over the board - I even venture into the dreaded Zelda Forums.

*oooooh*

I find it works well to diversify. For a time all I did was visit Serious Business, and it got tired real quick - the same old arguments between the same old people. I started "God's Politics" in an attempt to change the character of how people argued here, but it passed like a fart in the wind.

Online life is all about posturing. Sure, we first come to talk about Zelda and meet like-minds, but we keep coming back because we... exist here. I like to think I'm pretty much the same across all realities, but that's probably not true. A lot of people have confessed their online identities express facets of their personalities that don't find outlets in the real world. We pose - I am posing as pipking, you are posing as Mrs. G. It's the nature of text-based interface. A big part of posing is telling people what you think, and through inference they figure out who you are. It's the only way we become 'real' to other people in the virtual setting.

Every forum goes into a little "rut" like this every once in awhile. I have noticed ZU becoming repetitive, and I can deffinentally see the cycle. Now I'm not blaming the newbies (because we were all newbies one time or another), but when they come in we (veterans/Mods/ect) hope that they come in with new ideas, but it's really old ideas that we've already come up with in the past. It's hard to find a few members who are original everytime they post. What I see the rut is as fallows:

News about an upcoming game
New Newbies (fallowed by repetitive posts/threads)
ZU gets a "facelift" from its looks
New Newbies (fallowed by repetitive posts/threads)
More screenshots/videos from the upcoming game
New Newbies (fallowed by repetitive posts/threads)
Game comes out
New Newbies (fallowed by repetitive posts/threads)
E3 comes along
[Repeat]

When it comes to the older games, there's really not much to talk about. It has seemed like everything about the game itself has been talked about so that's why you may see those kind of threads. What newcomers usually like to focus are the games as a whole (General Z), the games presently (Gamecube & GBA), and future games (Zelda'05).

I've been here at ZU for nearly eighteen months now, and I've been seeing this cycle ever since (not just in this forum, but in all forums).

-BGS

Hmm... Sometimes, when I'm reeeeeally bored, I think about what I should post in SD here. But I always come up with boring, strange, or already-made ideas. And when I do come up with an idea, I'm usually sitting, so I usually write: "I was just sitting here when it occured to me... *blah blah blargen*". Sure, it's uncreative and drab, but... it's true.

Things do get repetative. Everything gets repetative... forums, school, TV shows, conversations, food, nose-picking... you get the point. I personally find SD to be the most stupid of all the forums. In fact, I actually left another Zelda Forum on account of the fact they had a Serious Discussion-like forum. When I came here, I looked around, and thought happily: "Oh, good. No religious forums." Imagine my surprise when I logged on one day and saw the SD forum. "Chaos" was one word that came to mind, because that's what it was at the other forum. It's not as bad here, but I still don't enjoy it. Even though, I can't resist it. I love expressing what I believe, even if I'm not good at it.

Yes, SD is repetative, uncreative, and I've spelled repetative wrong through this whole rant. Maybe we'll get ourselves out of this uncreative rut somedays. But I've started venturing to the Entertainment section, the Newbie forums, and I spend more time in the Nayru Clan. Maybe someday I'll even find my way back to the... Zelda part of this forum *Scream!*...

Of course ZU has become repetitive. The forums have been in a rut ever since The Minish Cap/LoZGC was announced. The period in between games is the only time when the forums actually thrive, and until then it's basically just hard work trying to keep the crazy fans in place because all of them think no one here knows about the new Zelda GC or about how to break open a pot in The Minish Cap.

It's centered more around the Zelda sections than around other areas. Of course, there is the occational repeat thread or thoughtless poll in other sections, but it's nothing serious. All of those little things are taken care of if they are spam...

Now, about the forums being boring, I agree. But it's basically just the rut that has occured ever since the new games were announced. It will be that way all the way into the holidays and past that time as well - so you'd best get used to it for a while. The flood of newbies has only just begun.

Actually, accourding to Lars, we've gotten 600 viewers in the past five minutes. I expect some major newbies coming in soon. And some major repeat threads.

About losing imagination: Some threads ou probably think are unimaginative are probably seeming pretty creative to the person who made it. You just think it's boring because you're an older member. To those people who are older and have seen it all, the best remedy might just be a break from ZU for a while.

I think internet forums tend to be cyclical.

It can't be the peak of entertainment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

Wait it out and things will be more interesting.

I don't really feel the same way, to me ZU feels more "fresh" now because I got a new internet browser, changed the style of my Windows XP, and got a new desktop wallpaper.

Most importantly though is that Nintendo have been dropping a lot of good news to us, (release date for Zelda 2005 announced, a new trailer of that game is out as well, found out Revolution will be able to play Gamecube games) and I'm glad to hear it. All this makes me want to post more and discuss with others about it.

To put it short: I don't feel this "rot", and I rarely do. When it does happens, it hardly goes away, but eventually does. I feel like I'm "back", like I'm an active member again. At other times I felt like someone that just browsed and posted a bit.

But, I've always noticed that it seems to be become very active and a lot more fun during the summer, for some reason

Mirren, that's odd. I always see this forum become a lot less active when it's spring break, (or summer as you said) because people probably decide to other things than to browse a message board all day long when the sun is shining and they're free from school/work... People also take vacations by that time.

Originally Posted by Mrs Ganondorf

I have noticed how repetitive the ZU forums have become the last couple of months. The poll-function is often used to hear opinions, but opinions tend to be expressed without further debate. The typical post contains "I just came to think of" or "I sat thinking the other day" for instance, followed up by an enquiry like "So what do you think?" or "What is your opinion?".

The problem is that no one is allowed to do anything but that kind of groupthink. Dare to queston anyone on it, or worse, do something new(and thus scary and evil) and you get canned. Five bucks says this post gets canned by the McCarthyist dogs.

Originally Posted by William Shatner

The problem is that no one is allowed to do anything but that kind of groupthink. Dare to queston anyone on it, or worse, do something new(and thus scary and evil) and you get canned. Five bucks says this post gets canned by the McCarthyist dogs.

I agree. As much as I favor rules to prevent idiots who seriously know **** about anything from going crazy. I say some new things should be allowed to occur. What kind of new things? who knows. But never the less. I agree.

edit
I got one thing... things like this that technically had broken no rules, merely pushed the envelope a bit. Someone had to be a "party pooper" (nice terms for intelligent discussions) and remove it.

Moved to Feedback, Suggestions and Questions.

I'll respond with this: forums have their ups and downs. I believe ZU is on the rise right now, though it really his hard to say. The number of newbies is hard to deal with, and old members are rare.

Originally Posted by Mess

edit
I got one thing... things like this that technically had broken no rules, merely pushed the envelope a bit. Someone had to be a "party pooper" (nice terms for intelligent discussions) and remove it..

Technically, a lot of things don't break any rules, but they wouldn't be appropriate or tolerable through common sense and relative morality. This is an all-ages forum; despite being mildly funny, images advocating anal sex are not appropriate. Find another community if you must use such things. Otherwise, keep it to yourself and have some decency.

The point of the action was because everyone was a bit "anal" about the rules... hense the signature. Don't tell me to find another community for any reason, you yourself just mentioned that old members were rare. Also, the signature held nothing wrong, sure it "advocated" anal sex but one would only know that, had they been aware of what it was in the first place. Otherwise they look in confusion. It's not like the kids ask someone to explain it to them anyway, if they aren't old enough to understand in the first place their attention span probably isn't long enough to care. I'm getting quite tired of this "well leave" bull **** you mods seem to have. At the rate at which I've seen "old members" post, in a couple months this forum will be nothing but newbs, and I bet you can't wait for the release of Zelda 05... You SearanoX will have a blast being the admin of such a "community".

Originally Posted by Mess

The point of the action was because everyone was a bit "anal" about the rules... hense the signature. Don't tell me to find another community for any reason, you yourself just mentioned that old members were rare. Also, the signature held nothing wrong, sure it "advocated" anal sex but one would only know that, had they been aware of what it was in the first place. Otherwise they look in confusion. It's not like the kids ask someone to explain it to them anyway, if they aren't old enough to understand in the first place their attention span probably isn't long enough to care. I'm getting quite tired of this "well leave" bull **** you mods seem to have. At the rate at which I've seen "old members" post, in a couple months this forum will be nothing but newbs, and I bet you can't wait for the release of Zelda 05... You SearanoX will have a blast being the admin of such a "community".

Yes, that's right. I'm an admin because it enlarges my penis when I delete posts.

I'm suggesting you find another community to use such signatures in. I never said to leave ZU completely, just to leave that stuff out of it. Just because children don't fully understand the concept of death doesn't mean it's okay to show them violence at a young age, nor does it warrant you and your "rebellion" against much of the garbage that you yourself are not helping to stem the tide of.

Originally Posted by SearanoX

Yes, that's right. I'm an admin because it enlarges my penis when I delete posts.

I'm suggesting you find another community to use such signatures in. I never said to leave ZU completely, just to leave that stuff out of it. Just because children don't fully understand the concept of death doesn't mean it's okay to show them violence at a young age, nor does it warrant you and your "rebellion" against much of the garbage that you yourself are not helping to stem the tide of.

Well, you said "if you must use such things" That means something way different than "to use such things". Understand where my response came from. Also, my point still stands firm. Kids don't know about it... they don't understand it... It's not like I was showing the ass hole and the dick about to dive or anything. What I did was symbolism. It's not like I'm showing pins through the skin of someones arm or anything... oh but wait... that's allowed... something so vivid and actual can be left untouched here on a forum, but a signature that uses hints for the older kids who understand can't be? Ever watch Shrek?

Also, since when was I a part of a rebellion or where do you get the idea I am rebelling?

Originally Posted by Mess

Also, since when was I a part of a rebellion or where do you get the idea I am rebelling?

Recently you've been talking about "pushing the envelope", and shown a general defiance of all authority. That's rebellion if I've ever seen it.

Here's something to consider: ignoring the kids who you claim will not understand this stuff for a minute, have you considered somebody may be offended by such things? I believe at least one complaint was made on that signature, or a similar one by another member.

Exactly why do you want to have a signature related to anal sex in the first place? Is it a political statement? That "the back door isn't just for outies"? I'm confused as to motive.

Heh, Lioness told me flat out she removed it. It was here, it had no real complaints.

Second: I don't want the sig, it's retarded. It merely helped argue along side of my original post.

Third: Pushing the envelope with one signature is not rebellion. I do not defy authority, merely have been challenging it, basically showing my point of view on matters such as this. I was told that it showed I was involved and that I wasn't a whipped suck up like more than half of the members on the forum. I see nothing wrong with that.

Originally Posted by Mess

Third: Pushing the envelope with one signature is not rebellion. I do not defy authority, merely have been challenging it, basically showing my point of view on matters such as this. I was told that it showed I was involved and that I wasn't a whipped suck up like more than half of the members on the forum. I see nothing wrong with that.

To what end? Why challenge authority? If you have a complaint, let it be known, but don't add to the problem yourself. And to be honest, Mess, from you, I haven't seen any concrete suggestions, but rather vague references to how great ZU once was and that we need to "start doing doing new things."

Originally Posted by SearanoX

To what end? Why challenge authority? If you have a complaint, let it be known, but don't add to the problem yourself. And to be honest, Mess, from you, I haven't seen any concrete suggestions, but rather vague references to how great ZU once was and that we need to "start doing doing new things."

How else would you like me to say my thoughts? Throwing a flat out suggestion or thought gets nowhere in these forums... sending bits and pieces of a similar thought or idea into the minds of the reader several times is more effective I believe. This isn't why I post like I do, but does it matter anymore? I'm not respected in these forums by any of the higher in authority members any more than I ever was, in fact possibly even less so now. Me trying to do something productive at this forum seems fruitless almost. I don't see why my trying in the first place is so wrong. I don't add to the problem. I had concrete suggestions... need we bring back the post count discussion and the chatroom discussions? I was one of the most active discussers, only to be shot down completely with a flat out "No" by someone who isn't even an active member of the community. THEN to be blamed for the downfall of #zelda... sure... I'll throw out my ideas, thoughts, or suggestions flat out next time... SURE... When in full support of the regrowth of a community I've been involved in for quite some time now only to be shot down, it makes me feel all peachy.