you're a bit late seth, I since got told nobody gives a fuck, and then I realised I didnt anymore either.
I might just amuse myself here a bit more though by fucking with your 12 year old retard ponychanner faggot fans. I guess some of them are okay, but that crazy guy is a straight up cock sucker
I'm going to use this thread as an opportunity to complain about obnoxious wallpaper. I fail to understand or comprehend how anyone can tape neon green shit with smiley face patterns on their walls and expect to sleep at night.
@Altercation When I was little and we moved the room I got had really lame cowboy wallpaper so we took it off and panted dinosaurs on it, IT WAS AWESOME! But now my walls are just boring fake wood.
Oh and in the living room all the walls were the same color as that stripe in Twilight's hair...wile that might be cool now it gave us headaches in the morning
@crazyredemu can i be frank with you for a moment. The reason im acting a dick is because I actually kind of care about the blog. You chose to act all self righteous and indignant instead of being reasonable, and if you'll notice, I was alright to that fluttershy fan or whoever it was. The reason Im being this way to you is because you are a little fucking prick who basically defines everything wrong with 14-16 year olds, and you are 14-16, so dont bother dodging that one.
On top of that, if we both settled down a bit we could probably make some progress here, but its a bit late for that because I reached some plateau of rage and you slotted your head up your ass.
I am actually going now though. just thought Id tell you
i guess somebrony said his papa had died in the terrorist fiasco and seth made a post about it and then he got lots of love and then it was a li AND THEN... the hate was released
I was confused a bit too, but here's what I've gathered in regards to the situation with Dykas. He claimed his father had been killed in the Norway shootings, and got the sympathy and support of like 75% of the pony fandom. Then he admitted he was lying about it entirely. To my understanding, a lot of people are sore about it because he was forgiven so quickly. I didn't care much for any of the drama, seeing as I don't care for Ponychan (or any chans, really), so I couldn't tell you the specifics of it, but yeah.
Also, he also apparently changed his middle name to Fluttershy. One could say you could admire his dedication. But one could also say that was an idiotic thing to do.
Lemme see if I've got this right. Guy changes his name to Fluttershy. Pretends (?) his father dies in a terrorist attack. Seth posts an article on it. Dykas admits (?) to lying, hilarity does not ensue. Some people call Dykas a Dick, and others forgive.
I think that's the story, I may have gotten it wrong. Basically, a call out to a brony who was going through a "rough time" turned out to be a hoax, and nobody thought it was funny.
14-16 year old HA! More like 23 year old war vet! Want proof here have a video I took wile in Turkey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Hney6j-2M Also I got to shake Chuck Norris's hand
Just wanted to also mention about fagbutts claim about "everything in the fandom" coming from /co/ The only possible way for this to be true, would be if EVERY SINGLE artist, PMV editor, music maker, and author was/is an active poster on /co/ and dumps everthing they ever make pony related there first before anywhere else. This is simply logistically impossible given the size and spread of the fanbase. If anything I alone would make it untrue for the simple fact I have created content for the fandom that I never posted to /co/. I am also not an active poster on Ponychan either and only posted my videos there after they had been posted elsewhere first.
Ahh k, I kinda was thinking that was the case. While it was clearly a massive retarded thing to do on Dykas' part, I personally don't care much as its not like I ever donated money to the guy or anything.
Alright, I'll toss my 2 bits in about this whole thing.
How about everypony just shuts up for a minute and think. No community can be totally united, that is a fact. We can't change it, opinions separate everything. Trying to make it whole will only create more boundaries for the fan base to overcome. We have to live with each difference, Tolerance. It helped build the fanbase and is what a part of the fanbase lives on. Other parts, live on fan art and fan fiction. And even more are just part of the whole community by watching the show and only the show. We can hate, we can love and tolerate, but we can't force ponies on others. Weather it be other parts of the fanbase or non-Bronies. /co/ and EqD are two diffrent parts of the fanbase. Attempting to merge them will only end in disaster. It may have good intentions, but will always have disastrous effects.
Anyway, that's my two bits. Other sites exist, every Brony has a home. Here, at /co/ and /b/, MLPNews, or any other source that has ponies.
Considering you entered that post attacking everything that moved, I find your "well, I was only an asshole to those who were assholes first" diatribe to be a bit of a joke.
Okay... maybe we can all calm down just a little bit. I'm talking to pretty much everyone here, hell I'm talking to myself even. Seriously, seeing the community I've come to love so much get in a little bicker-fight like five-year-old children over whose turn it is to be line leader really does put me on edge.
Now look, it seems to be becoming obvious that around the internet, various sub-communities of the fandom are pretty much in a civil war or some such with one another. And as much as we preach love and tolerance, we don't seem to be doing much loving or tolerating of each other recently. Hopefully we're all just antsy for season 2, but this can't keep going on like this lest we end up like the whiny children of the sonic fandom as Fagbutts brought up. It's looking like a legitimate concern at this point.
So okay, why don't we all just stop, proofread our comments, make sure they aren't to raging or fiery, and try to be civil. Civility breeds civility after all.
Now, if people have complaints, let's go ahead and voice them nicely. Pretend you're trying to talk to Fluttershy if you must. Nobody wants to upset Fluttershy.
Love and Tolerance, while no body may know exactly where it came from, is a good mantra to live by nonetheless. So let's try to uphold this, okay?
Ok Im a sonic fan but I don't go to online sites about it or anything so I have no idea what is so bad about it... unless it's all Archie vs Video games arguments. I do know people are always making OCs but I don't mind, most are crapy repaints but whatever.
@Dusty the Royal Janitor To be entirely honest, I expect the entire fandom to shut the fuck up when S2 arises. I think the main thing that separates us from the Sonic fandom is that, rather than bitching uncontrollably whenever something officially Sonic related comes out, we, I dunno, appreciate it.
That's actually surprising. I do believe my point still stands though. Wherever the phrase itself may have come from, the idea behind the words love and tolerance is an excellent way to live. I know for a fact that my life has really improved since I joined the fandom and started trying to live this way anyway...
@Marfikent If that's true, that is f*ing hilarious. Not because of the joke, but because of how we twisted it for good... PONIES MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER!
I'm of the personal opinion that anyone using racial, homophobic, or other strong epithets in comments should get a warning ban of some number of days, and second strike within 3 months = permaban. This simply is not the place for flame wars, let alone ones using hate speech.
Honestly, though, I'm actually surprised and pleased by most of the responses to "fagbutts" nasty intrusion.
He uses a homophobic slur as a username, his main complaint is about something he could easily avoid seeing, he somehow thinks he should be the arbiter of content for a blog he claims to hate, and a considerable portion of his comments consist of belligerent obscenities, yet most of the responses are calm and reasonable.
Seth could have easily quipped, "30 million hits and counting, bitch. Tell me what I'm doing wrong some more." Or he could have simply banned the user and deleted his posts. But he actually took the time to try and calmly communicate with the guy.
I'm stunned.
Bravo to the all bronies who tried to keep it civil! Obviously, a waste of time, but you still held the moral high-ground.
Haha, that's a damn good point. How beautifully ironic is it that a great fandom based in friendship built a ton of its ideas off of a rape joke? I guess it just goes to show you that no matter where you start, in the end, you choose who you are.
Lol, my younger brother is a Sonic fan, he's firmly in the pro comic side (though he hates the current writer) and even made his own Archie Sonic Wiki about it. I don't really follow that fanbase myself though even though I have always liked Sonic as a character and used to love the SatAM toon. Overall I just care that the fandom keeps strong enough to continue providing amazing enjoyable content in all the forms that it has spread too.
Factionalism is just a part of the human condition and is unavoidable. So long as we all remain fans of the show and enough of us pour that love back into the greater community as a whole with cool content and discussion, regardless of what "factions" we see ourselves in, that is all that matters to me.
hurr durr this site is dumb, why you ignore (insert pony community here)?! AND ANOTHER THING, NEVER MAKE A POST THAT ISN'T 100% TRUE EVER AGAIN AND NO MORE SUGGESTIVE PONY IMAGES AND NO MORE FANFICTION
@Icehawk Yea Im a fan of both, but I don't think the two should merge, that way Sonic can be with Amy in the games and Sally in the comics....Lucky jerk gets two girls. lol Im not to sure about the current writer ether but its better then anything I could come up with so it's all good. I have a self insert oc for sonic in my head just like I do with Ponies, and Beast Wars...but not Godzilla...don't know why
That Dykas thing is hardly original, though. Every fandom's had people who've claimed they've died, lost someone, need money, etc. That's what happens when there's a community. People want to know others care, even if they lie about it. (Someone I know deals in fanthropology as a hobby. I pick up stuff here & there.)
And not everyone came to this show through /co/ or /b/ or FiMchan. Some of us liked the old show when we were younger and came because the new show surprised us with its attractiveness.
A lot more's going to happen to the community, too. Buckle in, folks.
You know what? I'm gonna go ahead and pretend I have some semblance of influence around here, and declare that to be the new Golden Rule of the pony fandom:
"If you wouldn't say it to Fluttershy, don't say it to your fellow bronies."
Is there going to be any way for this complaints post to be accessible from anywhere else of is this the hidden post that was created for people to vent?
Yeah, I know. Cute name and everything. It's his hobby, not his vocation. But he runs panels at Cons on stuff like Writer's Block, How to Turn Fan to Pro, and a lot of creative stuff. And when wacky events happen, like a company thinking they can monetize a fanfic site and have users 'generate content' for them and then the fanbase rebels... well, it makes for entertaining viewing.
People have probably done theses on fanbases for university papers. I know Steve, the guy I know, said in May at Anime North that if he was back in university, he'd study bronies.
I don't go to any chans all that often, I have the link in my favs for Ponychan but that's about it. I did go over to co to see what they were talking about during the argument and it was just about what pony they wanted to do it with.
That's... actually fairly clever. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. As for all this controversy, I don't really know what to say. Being a fairly new Brony, I'm not particularly sure how this argument even started. But, it looks to me like it was resolved fairly peacefully, so kudos to all who helped bring that about.
Oh, right, I need something to complain about. Well, you know how sometimes you're walking down the sidewalk, and there's a group of people in front of you walking really slow, and you can't get around them? I'll complain about that.
At the risk of taking up valuable complaint space, Donald E. Westlake once demonstrated the use of the misplaced modifier with: "Zachary's partner, a younger man with a moustache named Freedly - Well, no. The MAN was named Freedly."
Still, if you don't mind a small complaint, can I complain that WTFHIW hasn't solved his writer's block with "Luna's Goodwill Tour" yet?
Fantasizing about the ponies is not actually bestiality. Bestiality is sex with NON SAPIENT animals. The ponies are fully sapient beings on an equal level with us so it would actually be Xenophilia (AKA sex with a sapient alien species, just like in a lot of scifi) I hate it when people try to claim it as bestiality just because they walk on 4 legs.
I'm complaining that people might have taken my "Also, this complaint thread is turning more into /oat/" comment as a complaint; I wish to state I didn't intend it as such, just in case.
Sorry, It was about what pony they would like to go on a blind date with most and the comments went south fast, It started with daddy issues. I only skimmed it tho so...
@crazyredemu I checked that thread out, and it seems like most 4chan threads, starts out with a fairly innocuous premise, then quickly derails into the worst things people can think of. So it's "nice" to know 4chan hasn't changed in the 2 years since I last visited.
Also, I've not been introduced to whatever the hell Futashy is.
@Flutterfan Nah, it's more like joining the Young Flyers' competition with Gossamer wings. It's starts out alright, but then somebody starts getting..."sweaty"...and then there's a 10,000 foot fall filled with kicking, flailing, and screaming.
@NDupree93 It's mostly like "a crunchy bag of potato chips full of chips got throwed into an chainlink fence, and I have no idea where this metaphor is goesing"
Pinkamina Diane Pie is a result of depression not sadistic, bloodloving, backstabbing, lying and overall horror-movie-esque villainy. The sheer amount of... let's go with squick... is much, much more than I could see ANY pony in Ponyville doing this. It is asininely gory, with no true rhyme or reason of its existence other than that.
@krazykatboy It exists to mess with our heads and put disturbing images in there when we turn off the lights or need to go to the bathroom at 3:00 A.M. It is the ultimate trollfic.
I don't really get fagbutts, why does he think Seth owes /co/ the right to have a site without fanfiction or whatever?
That would be like me writing to McDonalds and saying "I am from Wisconsin, and you OWE us. You say McDonalds isn't trying to upset Wisconsin, but then why are you selling french fries?
I don't wanna see french fries on your menu. I mean I love your restaurant, but McDonalds just doesn't give a shit about Wisconsin so I gotta say something. Like it or not, McDonalds is the face of all fast food, so stop shitting on Wisconsin. Stop selling french fries.
I have a complaint! I came here to calm down what I thought was a raging flamewar, but instead I find that it subsided well before I got here! I guess that's a good thing, but I think we still have some room for improvement.
Perhaps it's my eyes playing tricks on me, or my naive willingness to believe in the best in people, but I don't think this poster was a troll. I believe it may have been a person who legitimately had issues with the site (or more precisely, the site owner). I think Seth saw it too, hence the reason why he responded to the individual in question, and even gave him a place to vent. And vent he did, the whole thing turning into an emotional slugfest on both sides.
Now, as a Devil's Advocate, I can only go so far. The comments section of a news post is not the place to air one's dirty laundry. Seth has an email, an email he replies to frequently. I'm sure he had contacted Seth directly, they could have discussed his issues with the site in a calm, reasonable manner. When you add more people on a subject that already runs high with emotion, no logical conclusion can be reached, and the only result is hurt feelings on all sides.
Ethics seems to be the big factor here, and though I disagree with most of what he said, there is some truth that lies buried in his posts. As a news source, you are a gatekeeper of information. How one chooses which stories and content goes out is based on one's ethics as a journalist. What Dykas did was wrong, there is no denying that, but what would creating another story about it do other then rile more people up? That is not the intention of this site. To let the whole issue die down and let everyone get on with their lives was the correct move.
However, that doesn't mean that things are perfect. Seth has jumped the gun on some of his news stories. For example, when the youtube videos were pulled, I remember the headline after Hasbro's response saying that it was confirmed that Hasbro had pulled the videos. Later it was proven that wasn't the case. The headline was sensationalist, and had a lot of people up in arms at Hasbro for what turned out to be a false reason. This was a mistake made by the blog.
However, we need to accept that these mistakes can and will happen. Seth is not a journalist. He has not studied the proper way of vetting and producing news stories. This is not to say that he is not learning from these mistakes. It may not have occurred to him when he first started, but I believe that he now has a new respect for ethics and the art of newswriting, and is legitimately trying to improve himself in that regard.
The /co/ argument does not hold merit in this regard. Seth provides community news without bias, and this includes bias from /co/, or any other source for that matter. This is another integrity issue, and people from /co/ should respect that. They are getting the news they want.
Now, why type all this when the main poster has left? I still think we have a lot to learn as a community. We did not handle this well today. People are going to come, and they are going to have issues with the way we do things. We need to be prepared to logically and civilly discuss with them their problems. We also need to try and see things through their eyes, and come to a reasonable conclusion with them. We can set the example for others to follow, if we try.
So if someone ever comes here again, obviously upset about something, take a step back, ignore any insults made in anger, and try to figure out the root of their problems. And for the love of Celestia, don't say that we will "love and tolerate" them. It's the biggest passive-aggressive insult that people do here, and I see it all the time. It doesn't help, in fact it hinders.
Ok, wall of text over. If there are any rebuttals or comments, I'll try to answer them the best I can.
@Dr. Henry Killinger I like how you said that we shouldn't say love and tolerate them, but you basically Joseph Decruxed(this can't be spelled right) love and tolerance.
By saying "love", we put emotions back into the argument. That is what we are trying to avoid when discussing people's problems.
By saying "tolerance", we imply that their problem has already wronged us in some way. It is impossible to show that we are understanding when we put them on the backfoot at the start.
Love and tolerance is a philosophy, but philosophy has no place in a discussion, unless it is used to explain where one's point of view is coming from. If anything should be our flagwords, it should be "logic and compassion".
If a poster has a complaint and phrases it in a forceful and disrespectful manner, they might be forgiven for writing in the heat of passion. But if their username is a slur and their posts consists of a good percentage of direct, vulgar insults, what can be gained from trying to communicate calmly with them aside from teaching them that such vile behavior is acceptable?
I think the people here (for the most part) did remarkably well for an internet forum. (I know that might be damning with faint praise, but still....) Quite a few people did try to answer him calmly, to little avail.
My suggestion for dealing with direct cursing and insults is to ask the poster, once to please re-state their post in a clear manner without the swearing and insults and assure them that, if they curb their hostility, you will be happy to address their concerns. If they continue to insult and swear, no matter how valid their complaints may be... simply ignore them.
The poster who started all this obviously fed on the anger he stirred up. The best way to get rid of a parasprite is to starve it.
I have to admit that my "method" might not work... but I don't know if it's ever been tried.
Well as someone from /co/ I'll spell out my thoughts:
I don't mind fanfics, fanart, OCs, porn-- whatever. My problem lies on the glorification of the fanbase as something more than an appreciation for the show.
It really started going down the shitter when that aspergers guy from the Wired article claimed he learned vital life lessons out of a damn kids's show and how he applies it to every day life. C'mon now, I like the show but it's shit like that that bodes ill to those of us who just want to discuss the show and its fan creations.
Basically, turning the enjoyment of the show into a damn lifestyle out of it. The meetups is one of the things that pisses me off. Do we really need a "bronycon"? I know ComicCon gets hosted but that's essentially a gathering of nerds of all sizes and shapes-- going to a FiM meetup, what exactly is there to discuss beyond just a show? Oh right, it's just an excuse to go everywhere shouting "LOL BROHOOF xD" and being all around obnoxious to everyone around you. It affects me because that's what people will see when they think of FiM-- not the show itself but the idiotic masses making fools out of themselves (and by proxy, the folks who just want to enjoy a show) in public. Not to be insulting either, but when you guys dress up the way I've seen from the photos... well that also adds to the preconceived image people have.
That's where my problem with EqD stands: it panders to the idiots that are in it for the "lifestyle" and "love and tolerance" (a saying which the show itself never promotes).
Why should I care what other people think of the fanbase though? Well this is actually the first fandom I've "belonged" to (I use that term loosely because frankly I've contributed no art, fics, or anything of the like) that I've been part of since the very beginning (October /co/ threads). Seeing it turn into this noxious self-- it just vexes me greatly.
I don't want to go around everywhere saying "I like the show but I hate the bronies" because that's what it's come to lately. People outside the fandom don't recognize this show for being a good quality "girl's" cartoon but rather the massive shoving into people's face in online communities and real life. And what gets to me the most is that it's ultimately the creators of the show who are probably more hurt by that thought (just as the creator of Invader Zim was when dealing with his own show's fanbase).
The fanbase truly saw its best times when only /co/, SA, and AllSpark knew about it. Knowing Sethisto's track record from /tg/ I wouldn't be surprised if it was him all along that tried to fucking spread it on /b/ around January-- which was when shit really hit the fan.
TL;DR 90% of the fans today are in it just for the community; they might pretend to like the show, have not even watched it at all, don't care about it or even hate it, but all they want is belong to the next big internet sub-culture (as is the case with sites like /b/, Ponychan, KYM, EqD, etc.)
@o2si hey, just because somebody is into things for another reason doesn't make them idiots, it is fine to have opinions but you seem angry, also the creators of the show seem to like us(for examples, the shout out in equestria girls, Ashleigh Ball's shout out to bronies, they do nothing to get rid of our fan created content and even encourage it honestly, and Mr. Ingrim even gave us an unreleased season one song). And what is wrong with going to bronycon to talk about a show that you love, if it is obnoxious people shouldn't go into the bronycon so us bronies can hangout, and to be honest this show has changed my life to(in small ways), I'm not so angry all the time(nothing better to cool you off than a dose of Fluttershy), The lesson in suited for success definately helped me, and the character Rarity inspires me to be more generous, Rainbow Dash inspires me to be more self confident and outgoing.
I still find this site to be the best source of all things pony. ALL things
OCs are not my cup of tea but I'll take them when they are well written, hell, I'll even take self inserts when they don't take themselves seriously.
While I would love to keep up with the entire fandom (ponychan, /co/, and the synchtubes) I just do not have time for it. This site allows me to at least keep in touch with at least important stuff going on. I'm not really sure where im going with this but I guess I wanted to say that I think Seth, Cereal, Phoe, and the pre-readers do an awesome job at keeping the site constantly updated with all the original content that the fandom comes out with on a daily basis.
While this isn't the "face" of the fandom /co/ was hoping for, I think EqD is probably the most accurate "face" we have.
@o2si If there's one thing I've leaned from spending way too much time on the internet, it's that every fandom has "lifestylers" in it who take things to the extreme. As much as I love the Brony community, I'm not naive enough to think that it'll be free of all the problems that plague other communities.
However, I have to disagree with your characterization. In my experience, most Bronies are regular people who do their own thing, enjoy the show, and act perfectly respectful towards others in and out of the fandom. It's never fair to take the extremes of the group as a representative of the whole.
Also, considering that there exist conventions for just about anything (furries, trekkies, Call of Duty, etc), "Bronycon" doesn't seem all that unconventional (pun intended). Attendance, after all, isn't mandatory.
Just to clear this up a little, I don't think his name is intended as a slur. "Fag" is actually a British slang term for "cigarette", so "Fagbutts" basically translates to "cigarette butts", and that's certainly not derogatory.
I agree that his name and mannerisms were inappropriate, and that such conduct should not be encouraged. However, this can only be discussed with the person after we have calmed him down and connect with him on a personal level. If you bring this up in the middle of his point, it will seem to him that you are dodging his concerns by focusing on semantics instead. We need to try and address one problem at a time, but once he sees that we aren't his enemies, he is more likely to be reasonable, and as such, reasoned with about his other issues.
I also agree that the community did well in trying to keep this calm, but that doesn't mean there can be room for improvement. I believe in the benefit of the doubt, and that we shouldn't run people out on a rail if there is any way around it. I've seen it happen too many times here where an unpopular view or opinion has gotten shut down by the majority.
Ignoring these things won't help either. If you can see something that will be inflammatory, then someone with less reason and judgement will definitely see it. It is up to us to try and respond and calm the situations before these events happen. It is up to us to set an example for others to follow. After all, if we don't do it, who will?
@o2ci I read about "bronies as a lifestyle" before (in some comments in youtube), but I think it's not true, most of bronies who are here just love MLP, take the lessons from the show to improve their own lives (just a little, I supose), some of them "love and tolerate the shit outta people, trolls, haters, etc.",, but that's all about it. Even if I'm wrong I don't think bronies are taking this as a "true" lifestyle.
Yes, there is a certain percentage of the fanbase that does this. Yes, it is unfortunate. But it is a very, very small percentage. The majority of the community love the show, and respect the creators of it. The weird ones are just seen more often because, and this is an honest fact about news, they are more fun to talk about and see then what actually goes on. Normal things are boring, we see them every day.
As for the conventions, are they really any different then someone going to see their favorite football game? I've never been to one myself, but it seems that they end up with three things happening:
1. Some kind of marathon of the shows.
2. Drinking. Lots of drinking.
3. Video games. Lots of video games.
Two out of three of these things aren't even pony related. The conventions are just an excuse to go out and have a good time with people that share the same interests as you. Just like any other social gathering, really.
Well I've seen many posts and I've now gone through all the posts from the original article that directed here and some ponies are asking about the, "Dykas," thing, so here we go. When the terrorist attack in Norway occurred there was a brony over on another one of the forums that claimed that his father had been killed in the terrorist attack, this brony was Kim Fluttershy Dykas (I believe he is well known for being the brony who changed his first name to Fluttershy, correct me if I'm wrong).
So what I learned by reading through that massive amount of flaming and hate was that the claim of a deceased father made by Kim Fluttershy Dykas, was a false one, I hadn't heard anything of that till now and it rather pains me to think that one of us would do such a thing, those feelings only being reinforced by the google doc compilation of... apology letters? I really don't know what to call them but they were pretty much a bunch of bronies sending their condolences to someone who deserved none.
It angers me that someone...anyone would lie about something like that; I can, however, forgive him since he apologized, from what I've heard at least.
Yeah, I haven't seen much evidence of any sort of huge "lifestyle" for Bronies apart from a lot just trying to be overall more pleasant or positive in daily discourse than they may have been up until they got into the show. This is perfectly fine and not in any way "extreme". Ponychan seems to be the place with the largest congregation of the more emotional "hugbox" types, but I haven't seen much of the intense aspergers people like the one featured in the Wired article, not that I have anything really against those people either mind you, everyone has their own personal issues and shit to deal with in life.
I pretty much am in agreement with the good Dr. Henry on this stuff. I certainly fall under more of a "Logic and Compassion" mentality (which is really what I was before getting into the show anyways) as opposed to the "Love and Tolerance" mantra.
@o2si I don't see how meet ups have been that harmful. Of all the meetups I've seen the way people show themselves could be improved but it's not terrible. And meetups provide an opportunity for networking etc. There are other things to discuss besides ponies you know.
I do agree that people should simmer down with the way that they are presenting the show to others but for the most part I've seen they've done a decent job. Though it needs to be taken down a notch a little.
However I do think that your statement of 90% of the fans don't actually like the show is rash and unfounded. I don't think you wouldn't STILL be getting the sheer volume of content from the fandom if they were just pretenders. Every where I go people are genuine. There are a few wolves in sheep's clothing I've spotted but nonetheless the love of the show is genuine.
Quite frankly what the fandom needs is less infighting amongst itself. and quite frankly once season 2 hits it should alleviate that problem.
Basically the fandom needs to get back to focusing on the show instead of each other. Call me crazy but I do think in my opinion that this is one of the best fandoms on the net. It just needs to stop focusing on petty issues such as what happened tonight on the OC pony post.
As for your take on "love and tolerance" I'm gonna be honest here and say the motto needs to be retired whenever it's brought up it always brings controversy. Now I'm not saying the fandom shouldn't be closed minded idiots and not accept anyone. Rather be pleasant and deal with issues when they arise savvy?
TL;DR You have a points I agree with but not all of it, lets get back to focusing on the show.
I believe bad behavior should always be addressed first. I went through a conflict-resolution course many years ago and the iron rule was that when anyone began shouting or cursing, the conversation was over until they calmed down. If the participants were physically present, they would be separated, preferably to different rooms, and if they were on the phone, they were to be given one warning and then hung up on. This was a course primarily for law-enforcement officers and it doesn't apply directly to the internet but it was impressed on us, over and over again, that as long as someone was permitted to be an asshole, they would continue to be an asshole and nothing would get resolved.
I've never encountered a situation which makes me doubt that assertion.
You have to admit, though, it's difficult to have these sorts of discussions at other cons. Anime North gave us room this year and we jammed it full. But it wouldn't work at many other anime cons. TFCon? Funny to talk about crashing a Transformers con (Yes, they have their own) but nothing will ever come of it. So maybe we have space of our own for a year or two, see how it goes.
Same goes for 'meetups'. You *want* to gather in person and talk, which is very difficult to do in this case, as opposed to say, House MD or Star Trek. That's what meetups are good for.
I'm a fanfic writer. Not a vidder, artist, cosplayer, or gamer. That's all I really pay attention to, except for interesting Youtube videos that people create. I can ping ideas with people online until Doomsday, but it's far more fun to sit in a room with thirty other people and go, "Six Elements of Harmony; Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Which Noble Steeds will Step Forward?" and watch the carnage.
As it should be for law enforcement. Law enforcement is an extremely dangerous job, but thankfully you have the power to resolve situations like that. The internet is different, like you noted. We can't put these people in time out. We can't separate them from the people they are fighting with. We can't hang up on them. They will still be there, whether we leave them alone or not.
The best way I can think of to calm them down is to acknowledge that they are upset and try to understand the reason why they are upset. If we can start seeing eye to eye at least on that level, then we can talk about their behavior as well.
Most of these people behave the way they do because they are ignorant. They were raised that way, and it has become a part of them. To attack that right off the bat is almost to say to them that their fundamental being is wrong. Things go very quickly downhill from there.
This may just be because I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum: I do customer service, or at least customer service is a large aspect of what I do. If we tell customers to shove off every time they are angry with us, then we won't have a business to come back to. That should only happen when people are being disruptive for the sake of being disruptive, and even then there has to be some kind of motive we can try and fish out and solve for them.
As a side note, big respect to you for working in law enforcement. My grandpa is a retired LA Sheriff, so I know much about what goes on in that industry. I understand how difficult it can be.
Good points, there. BTW, I haven't worked in law enforcement in... *cough* well, let's just say a long time. (Yes, I may just be the oldest brony on the planet.)
I think our approaches aren't too far apart. I can see not "attacking" anyone for their behavior. That would only be more counter-productive. calmly addressing the points they have made in a coherent way might be the best way of calming them down. But ignoring their bad behavior means you are guaranteed to get more of the same.
I guess it comes down to a matter of how much abuse you're willing to put up with. I could never work in customer service!
I really only advocate the "completely ignore" option for hopeless cases but even that approach is difficult when someone like "fagbutts" barges in to pee in the punchbowl.
@Watchit This post was made because someone from co got a bee in their bonnet about OCs and started calling everyone fags and so on so I called him out as a bitch and he got butthurt. (Im paraphrasing mind you)
I'M MAD BECAUSE I /JUST/ DISCOVERED THIS THREAD. I'M ALSO MAD I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, AND THAT I CAN'T FIND WHERE TO TURN THE CANTERLOCK OFF UNDER ALL THIS PONY.
168 comments:
Grr. Seth, I think your choice of socks is, uh... dumb.
I DONT WANNA COMPLAIN :(
you're a bit late seth, I since got told nobody gives a fuck, and then I realised I didnt anymore either.
I might just amuse myself here a bit more though by fucking with your 12 year old retard ponychanner faggot fans. I guess some of them are okay, but that crazy guy is a straight up cock sucker
Yea! you need new socks Seth!
Hey that's War Vet cock sucker to you bub! Bahahahahaha!
Do I HAVE to complain? man complaining sucks!
@crazyredemu
the fuck are you even talking about?
@crazyredemu
the fuck are you even talking about?
...oh nevermind you didn't get it
I'm angry. ANGRY about Ponies!
I'm going to use this thread as an opportunity to complain about obnoxious wallpaper. I fail to understand or comprehend how anyone can tape neon green shit with smiley face patterns on their walls and expect to sleep at night.
@Altercation When I was little and we moved the room I got had really lame cowboy wallpaper so we took it off and panted dinosaurs on it, IT WAS AWESOME! But now my walls are just boring fake wood.
Oh cool looks like fagbutts left, good riddance to bad rubbish I say.
I hate when I go to the store and Celestia sends me to the moon
@fagbutts
... Wow... I would have never guessed you loved cock... tmi...
@Altercation
When we moved into our house, several rooms were covered in the most 70's-tastic wallpaper you'll ever see outside of a Dirty Harry film.
Fake wood on the walls up to about chest level, and above that was taupe or beige wallpaper with a ridiculous pineapple pattern on it.
Oh and in the living room all the walls were the same color as that stripe in Twilight's hair...wile that might be cool now it gave us headaches in the morning
@crazyredemu
why dont you go fuck yourself, you pompous little asshole
Sorry Im not that flexible...HOLD ON I thought you left, well there goes the party plans
painted walls are the best IMO
Is this a safe place for someone to explain the whole Dykas thing?
@Altercation
that wallpaper sounds...terrifying.
*rants and raves about various things with no one paying attention for upwards of several hours*
Yayy~
I have no idea what this Dykas thing is, it's like one of the things in sitcoms that people mention but never explain
Fagbutts needs to be banned in some way, shape or form... also, I apologize for my previous post, I accidently fell to his level...
@crazyredemu
can i be frank with you for a moment.
The reason im acting a dick is because I actually kind of care about the blog. You chose to act all self righteous and indignant instead of being reasonable, and if you'll notice, I was alright to that fluttershy fan or whoever it was. The reason Im being this way to you is because you are a little fucking prick who basically defines everything wrong with 14-16 year olds, and you are 14-16, so dont bother dodging that one.
On top of that, if we both settled down a bit we could probably make some progress here, but its a bit late for that because I reached some plateau of rage and you slotted your head up your ass.
I am actually going now though. just thought Id tell you
Seriously, you're an asshole, work on it
i guess somebrony said his papa had died in the terrorist fiasco and seth made a post about it and then he got lots of love and then it was a li AND THEN... the hate was released
Dude Krazykatboy I love your name! It's awesome!
@krazykatboy
yeah, you are included in that other post.
Why do I even care what you faggots think at all? holy shit
I was confused a bit too, but here's what I've gathered in regards to the situation with Dykas. He claimed his father had been killed in the Norway shootings, and got the sympathy and support of like 75% of the pony fandom. Then he admitted he was lying about it entirely. To my understanding, a lot of people are sore about it because he was forgiven so quickly. I didn't care much for any of the drama, seeing as I don't care for Ponychan (or any chans, really), so I couldn't tell you the specifics of it, but yeah.
Also, he also apparently changed his middle name to Fluttershy. One could say you could admire his dedication. But one could also say that was an idiotic thing to do.
woah like five posts were made while I was writing that
@Icehawk
Lemme see if I've got this right.
Guy changes his name to Fluttershy. Pretends (?) his father dies in a terrorist attack. Seth posts an article on it. Dykas admits (?) to lying, hilarity does not ensue. Some people call Dykas a Dick, and others forgive.
I think that's the story, I may have gotten it wrong. Basically, a call out to a brony who was going through a "rough time" turned out to be a hoax, and nobody thought it was funny.
yes, Kim Fluttershy Dykas, lessbronies sure raged that time
@fagbutts
Who said I was talking to you?
14-16 year old HA! More like 23 year old war vet! Want proof here have a video I took wile in Turkey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Hney6j-2M
Also I got to shake Chuck Norris's hand
Just wanted to also mention about fagbutts claim about "everything in the fandom" coming from /co/ The only possible way for this to be true, would be if EVERY SINGLE artist, PMV editor, music maker, and author was/is an active poster on /co/ and dumps everthing they ever make pony related there first before anywhere else. This is simply logistically impossible given the size and spread of the fanbase. If anything I alone would make it untrue for the simple fact I have created content for the fandom that I never posted to /co/. I am also not an active poster on Ponychan either and only posted my videos there after they had been posted elsewhere first.
@The Cyan Flash
Ahh k, I kinda was thinking that was the case. While it was clearly a massive retarded thing to do on Dykas' part, I personally don't care much as its not like I ever donated money to the guy or anything.
@Altercation
thanks for clearing that up.
Alright, I'll toss my 2 bits in about this whole thing.
How about everypony just shuts up for a minute and think. No community can be totally united, that is a fact. We can't change it, opinions separate everything. Trying to make it whole will only create more boundaries for the fan base to overcome. We have to live with each difference, Tolerance. It helped build the fanbase and is what a part of the fanbase lives on. Other parts, live on fan art and fan fiction. And even more are just part of the whole community by watching the show and only the show. We can hate, we can love and tolerate, but we can't force ponies on others. Weather it be other parts of the fanbase or non-Bronies. /co/ and EqD are two diffrent parts of the fanbase. Attempting to merge them will only end in disaster. It may have good intentions, but will always have disastrous effects.
Anyway, that's my two bits. Other sites exist, every Brony has a home. Here, at /co/ and /b/, MLPNews, or any other source that has ponies.
@fagbutts
Considering you entered that post attacking everything that moved, I find your "well, I was only an asshole to those who were assholes first" diatribe to be a bit of a joke.
Well I was an ass to him but he was being an idiot, and Im not from the love and whatever side of the fandom so I gave him shit for it.
My right leg hurts a bit and I don't like it so i came here to complain
This entire is blog is ruined. All these ponies posts are getting in the way of what people really wan to see.
I mean, who the hell comes to a site like this for Ponies? It's just so stupid.
0/10 stars.
Okay... maybe we can all calm down just a little bit. I'm talking to pretty much everyone here, hell I'm talking to myself even. Seriously, seeing the community I've come to love so much get in a little bicker-fight like five-year-old children over whose turn it is to be line leader really does put me on edge.
Now look, it seems to be becoming obvious that around the internet, various sub-communities of the fandom are pretty much in a civil war or some such with one another. And as much as we preach love and tolerance, we don't seem to be doing much loving or tolerating of each other recently. Hopefully we're all just antsy for season 2, but this can't keep going on like this lest we end up like the whiny children of the sonic fandom as Fagbutts brought up. It's looking like a legitimate concern at this point.
So okay, why don't we all just stop, proofread our comments, make sure they aren't to raging or fiery, and try to be civil. Civility breeds civility after all.
Now, if people have complaints, let's go ahead and voice them nicely. Pretend you're trying to talk to Fluttershy if you must. Nobody wants to upset Fluttershy.
Love and Tolerance, while no body may know exactly where it came from, is a good mantra to live by nonetheless. So let's try to uphold this, okay?
@NDupree93 Well said, all this original content is of the devil! lol
@NDupree93
Oh that's a good one sir.Congrats.
Ok Im a sonic fan but I don't go to online sites about it or anything so I have no idea what is so bad about it... unless it's all Archie vs Video games arguments. I do know people are always making OCs but I don't mind, most are crapy repaints but whatever.
@Dusty the Royal Janitor
To be entirely honest, I expect the entire fandom to shut the fuck up when S2 arises. I think the main thing that separates us from the Sonic fandom is that, rather than bitching uncontrollably whenever something officially Sonic related comes out, we, I dunno, appreciate it.
@crazyredemu
Not just the original content. ALL the pony stuff.
Who comes to a site like this for ponies, really? I liked this place better when it was about Daria.
-1/10 stars.
@Dusty the Royal Janitor
Do you realize that "I'm gonna love and tolerate the shit out of you" was orginally a rape joke on /b/?
Here's my complaint.
I AM UNABLE TO SLEEP
eyup
@Marfikent
I did not.
That's actually surprising. I do believe my point still stands though. Wherever the phrase itself may have come from, the idea behind the words love and tolerance is an excellent way to live. I know for a fact that my life has really improved since I joined the fandom and started trying to live this way anyway...
@Marfikent
If that's true, that is f*ing hilarious. Not because of the joke, but because of how we twisted it for good... PONIES MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER!
Successful troll is apparently successful.
I'm of the personal opinion that anyone using racial, homophobic, or other strong epithets in comments should get a warning ban of some number of days, and second strike within 3 months = permaban. This simply is not the place for flame wars, let alone ones using hate speech.
Wow.
People drew OC ponies... let the bloodshed begin!
Honestly, though, I'm actually surprised and pleased by most of the responses to "fagbutts" nasty intrusion.
He uses a homophobic slur as a username, his main complaint is about something he could easily avoid seeing, he somehow thinks he should be the arbiter of content for a blog he claims to hate, and a considerable portion of his comments consist of belligerent obscenities, yet most of the responses are calm and reasonable.
Seth could have easily quipped, "30 million hits and counting, bitch. Tell me what I'm doing wrong some more." Or he could have simply banned the user and deleted his posts. But he actually took the time to try and calmly communicate with the guy.
I'm stunned.
Bravo to the all bronies who tried to keep it civil! Obviously, a waste of time, but you still held the moral high-ground.
@krazykatboy
Haha, that's a damn good point. How beautifully ironic is it that a great fandom based in friendship built a ton of its ideas off of a rape joke? I guess it just goes to show you that no matter where you start, in the end, you choose who you are.
@crazyredemu
Lol, my younger brother is a Sonic fan, he's firmly in the pro comic side (though he hates the current writer) and even made his own Archie Sonic Wiki about it. I don't really follow that fanbase myself though even though I have always liked Sonic as a character and used to love the SatAM toon. Overall I just care that the fandom keeps strong enough to continue providing amazing enjoyable content in all the forms that it has spread too.
Factionalism is just a part of the human condition and is unavoidable. So long as we all remain fans of the show and enough of us pour that love back into the greater community as a whole with cool content and discussion, regardless of what "factions" we see ourselves in, that is all that matters to me.
@krazykatboy
It's like the reverse of what usually happens on /b/.
Makes me wonder if it's like the antithesis to Rule 58,
"The more corrupt and disgusting something is, the more satisfying it is to purify it"?
hurr durr this site is dumb, why you ignore (insert pony community here)?! AND ANOTHER THING, NEVER MAKE A POST THAT ISN'T 100% TRUE EVER AGAIN AND NO MORE SUGGESTIVE PONY IMAGES AND NO MORE FANFICTION
http://i.imgur.com/WuxYR.png
@wanderhoof
i'm gonna complain about the resemblance between your name and mine.
@NDupree93
that sounds about right.
@Icehawk
Yea Im a fan of both, but I don't think the two should merge, that way Sonic can be with Amy in the games and Sally in the comics....Lucky jerk gets two girls. lol
Im not to sure about the current writer ether but its better then anything I could come up with so it's all good.
I have a self insert oc for sonic in my head just like I do with Ponies, and Beast Wars...but not Godzilla...don't know why
@NDupree93
That's my belief. It either ends up as something huggable or something so hilarious/ludicrous you have to laugh at it.
here is an actual complaint! 18 more days to go is too many.
@Flutterfan
Now THAT'S a complaint I can agree with!
@Flutterfan
You sir or Ma'ma, win hands down flawless victory.
sir.
That Dykas thing is hardly original, though. Every fandom's had people who've claimed they've died, lost someone, need money, etc. That's what happens when there's a community. People want to know others care, even if they lie about it. (Someone I know deals in fanthropology as a hobby. I pick up stuff here & there.)
And not everyone came to this show through /co/ or /b/ or FiMchan. Some of us liked the old show when we were younger and came because the new show surprised us with its attractiveness.
A lot more's going to happen to the community, too. Buckle in, folks.
I had something to complain about, but then I forgot what it was. Must've not of been important.
@Flutterfan
Spiffy, I just didn't want to presume.
@Dusty the Royal Janitor
You know what? I'm gonna go ahead and pretend I have some semblance of influence around here, and declare that to be the new Golden Rule of the pony fandom:
"If you wouldn't say it to Fluttershy, don't say it to your fellow bronies."
Dere we go.
@Nightbreak
Fanthropology is a thing? ... huh.
OH, just remembered!
Is there going to be any way for this complaints post to be accessible from anywhere else of is this the hidden post that was created for people to vent?
@Aquaman52
Hey, can I use that as a sig? I'll credit you for it...
@crazyredemu
Spiffy, indeed ol' chap!
@krazykatboy
Yeah, I know. Cute name and everything. It's his hobby, not his vocation. But he runs panels at Cons on stuff like Writer's Block, How to Turn Fan to Pro, and a lot of creative stuff. And when wacky events happen, like a company thinking they can monetize a fanfic site and have users 'generate content' for them and then the fanbase rebels... well, it makes for entertaining viewing.
People have probably done theses on fanbases for university papers. I know Steve, the guy I know, said in May at Anime North that if he was back in university, he'd study bronies.
@Nightbreak
"I know Steve, the guy I know" lol had to do it, sorry.
@Nightbreak
Cool! I'd have to look into that.
Also, this complaint thread is turning more into /oat/
Flutterfan: Terrible, isn't it? And I claim to be a pretty good fanfic writer. :P But at least he didn't have a mustache named Freedly.
@Nightbreak
lolwut?
I don't go to any chans all that often, I have the link in my favs for Ponychan but that's about it.
I did go over to co to see what they were talking about during the argument and it was just about what pony they wanted to do it with.
@Aquaman52
That's... actually fairly clever. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. As for all this controversy, I don't really know what to say. Being a fairly new Brony, I'm not particularly sure how this argument even started. But, it looks to me like it was resolved fairly peacefully, so kudos to all who helped bring that about.
Oh, right, I need something to complain about. Well, you know how sometimes you're walking down the sidewalk, and there's a group of people in front of you walking really slow, and you can't get around them? I'll complain about that.
@crazyredemu
as ponies? please say your not talking about bestiality.
@Whispy Willows
It's worse when your in a school hallway, and you can tell they have no intention of getting to class on time.
I was wrong it was about a blind date but the comments went south fast
@Flutterfan
At the risk of taking up valuable complaint space, Donald E. Westlake once demonstrated the use of the misplaced modifier with: "Zachary's partner, a younger man with a moustache named Freedly - Well, no. The MAN was named Freedly."
Still, if you don't mind a small complaint, can I complain that WTFHIW hasn't solved his writer's block with "Luna's Goodwill Tour" yet?
@Nightbreak
Rainbow dash: Are you gonna complain to me like that? BIGGER!
I am a bit worried that Seth is mad at me for making it worse...well I didn't get banned so there is that.
@Flutterfan
YAY more complaint fuel!
Fantasizing about the ponies is not actually bestiality. Bestiality is sex with NON SAPIENT animals. The ponies are fully sapient beings on an equal level with us so it would actually be Xenophilia (AKA sex with a sapient alien species, just like in a lot of scifi) I hate it when people try to claim it as bestiality just because they walk on 4 legs.
@crazyredemu
ummmm....wat?
I'm complaining that people might have taken my "Also, this complaint thread is turning more into /oat/" comment as a complaint; I wish to state I didn't intend it as such, just in case.
@Icehawk
sorry, I'll be honest now, I have had my fair share of...thoughts
@Flutterfan
*DEEP breath* ... some decent toys from Hasbro would be nice, too.
Sorry, It was about what pony they would like to go on a blind date with most and the comments went south fast, It started with daddy issues. I only skimmed it tho so...
@Flutterfan
ROFL, no worries, you are far from alone in those "thoughts" XD
You know what I wanna complain about? 8:00 am classes.
Fuck that noise so hard.
@Nightbreak\
lou-oh, wait that is a nice complaint, hooves up!
@Icehawk
:)
@crazyredemu
I checked that thread out, and it seems like most 4chan threads, starts out with a fairly innocuous premise, then quickly derails into the worst things people can think of. So it's "nice" to know 4chan hasn't changed in the 2 years since I last visited.
Also, I've not been introduced to whatever the hell Futashy is.
@NDupree93
so, it's like your going to help a friend make some cupcakes...then your being tortured to death by said friend?
@Flutterfan
Nah, it's more like joining the Young Flyers' competition with Gossamer wings. It's starts out alright, but then somebody starts getting..."sweaty"...and then there's a 10,000 foot fall filled with kicking, flailing, and screaming.
@Flutterfan
Thank you for reminding me. I would like to complain about that fic's very existence and every resulting portrayal of Pinkamina Diane Pie.
@krazykatboy
Do it, brony!
@NDupree93
and then the "back" button is like rainbow dash swooping down and saving you?
@Flutterfan
actually the Red X is her swooping down, and the removal of it from your history is the Sonic Rainboom.
@NDupree93
It's mostly like "a crunchy bag of potato chips full of chips got throwed into an chainlink fence, and I have no idea where this metaphor is goesing"
@NDupree93
You win.
I want to complain that butts left before having to admit Im not 14 lol
Pinkamina Diane Pie is a result of depression not sadistic, bloodloving, backstabbing, lying and overall horror-movie-esque villainy. The sheer amount of... let's go with squick... is much, much more than I could see ANY pony in Ponyville doing this. It is asininely gory, with no true rhyme or reason of its existence other than that.
@crazyredemu
I want to complain that he even showed up.
I don't like that he showed up. done.
@krazykatboy
It exists to mess with our heads and put disturbing images in there when we turn off the lights or need to go to the bathroom at 3:00 A.M.
It is the ultimate trollfic.
Yea you got a point Flutterfan.
I want to complain about how I got stepped on by a half pony and now have a trick knee!
@crazyredemu
A trollinator? Half pony, half troll sent from the future to ensure the great flamewars of 2011 happened.
No it was my mom's pet pony/horse....my knee hurts worse the closer I am to it...I have a pony detector in my knee
@crazyredemu
ah, I know of a robot who keeps a gaydar in his stomach.
@Flutterfan
And then there's the fact a portion of the fandom actually ACCEPTED it... (Looking at "ask pinkamina pie" on tumblr...)
Hmm...I does he really need it? I only know of one gay robot, his name is Church, he is my best friend....
@crazyredemu
oh, yeah I don't think he likes you though, it is hard to forgive someone for repeatedly killing you.
This is the worst thread ever.
Of all time.
Wasn't my fault, sun was in my eyes.
@crazyredemu
okay, and I guess there really was no way of knowing that Church possessed Sarge.
I don't really get fagbutts, why does he think Seth owes /co/ the right to have a site without fanfiction or whatever?
That would be like me writing to McDonalds and saying
"I am from Wisconsin, and you OWE us. You say McDonalds isn't trying to upset Wisconsin, but then why are you selling french fries?
I don't wanna see french fries on your menu. I mean I love your restaurant, but McDonalds just doesn't give a shit about Wisconsin so I gotta say something. Like it or not, McDonalds is the face of all fast food, so stop shitting on Wisconsin. Stop selling french fries.
@crazyredemu
and somebody put a wall in your way.
@NDupree93
Yo, Imma letya finish, but this has been pretty funny and this comment is the hardest to end "of all time" with, of all time.
OF ALL TIME!
I mean yea, that post I just wrote makes about as much sense as fagbutts.
Why the hell does Seth owe /co/ anything?
Why does fagbutts speak on behalf of all /co/?
Why is /co/ so against the fanfics?
etc, etc
@Nämahs
because ignorant people are allowed to go on the internet. and that's what they do, they urinate all over it.
As far as I can tell /co/ is for people who like to bitch about something they claim to be a fan of
@Nämahs
I think he's under the delusion that /co/ made the site or something...
@krazykatboy
well, that's just silly
I am tried of these motherf*cking flame wars in my motherf*cking ponies. There I am done complaining.
Hell I think he is under the delusion that co made the fricken show and that we are all fans because of co.
Im a fan via Transformers Prime
Oh and uh, I hate giraffes, their beady little eyes staring into my soul..*shudders*
I became a fan via memebase. I eventually getting confused by all the mentions of "20% cooler" and "Trollestia" and figured, why the hell not?
@Flutterguy
like the image at the end of the Luna game?
All right Im closing this tab, bye ya'll
I'd like to formally complain about there not being a post for whining.
I have a complaint! I came here to calm down what I thought was a raging flamewar, but instead I find that it subsided well before I got here! I guess that's a good thing, but I think we still have some room for improvement.
Perhaps it's my eyes playing tricks on me, or my naive willingness to believe in the best in people, but I don't think this poster was a troll. I believe it may have been a person who legitimately had issues with the site (or more precisely, the site owner). I think Seth saw it too, hence the reason why he responded to the individual in question, and even gave him a place to vent. And vent he did, the whole thing turning into an emotional slugfest on both sides.
Now, as a Devil's Advocate, I can only go so far. The comments section of a news post is not the place to air one's dirty laundry. Seth has an email, an email he replies to frequently. I'm sure he had contacted Seth directly, they could have discussed his issues with the site in a calm, reasonable manner. When you add more people on a subject that already runs high with emotion, no logical conclusion can be reached, and the only result is hurt feelings on all sides.
Ethics seems to be the big factor here, and though I disagree with most of what he said, there is some truth that lies buried in his posts. As a news source, you are a gatekeeper of information. How one chooses which stories and content goes out is based on one's ethics as a journalist. What Dykas did was wrong, there is no denying that, but what would creating another story about it do other then rile more people up? That is not the intention of this site. To let the whole issue die down and let everyone get on with their lives was the correct move.
However, that doesn't mean that things are perfect. Seth has jumped the gun on some of his news stories. For example, when the youtube videos were pulled, I remember the headline after Hasbro's response saying that it was confirmed that Hasbro had pulled the videos. Later it was proven that wasn't the case. The headline was sensationalist, and had a lot of people up in arms at Hasbro for what turned out to be a false reason. This was a mistake made by the blog.
However, we need to accept that these mistakes can and will happen. Seth is not a journalist. He has not studied the proper way of vetting and producing news stories. This is not to say that he is not learning from these mistakes. It may not have occurred to him when he first started, but I believe that he now has a new respect for ethics and the art of newswriting, and is legitimately trying to improve himself in that regard.
The /co/ argument does not hold merit in this regard. Seth provides community news without bias, and this includes bias from /co/, or any other source for that matter. This is another integrity issue, and people from /co/ should respect that. They are getting the news they want.
Now, why type all this when the main poster has left? I still think we have a lot to learn as a community. We did not handle this well today. People are going to come, and they are going to have issues with the way we do things. We need to be prepared to logically and civilly discuss with them their problems. We also need to try and see things through their eyes, and come to a reasonable conclusion with them. We can set the example for others to follow, if we try.
So if someone ever comes here again, obviously upset about something, take a step back, ignore any insults made in anger, and try to figure out the root of their problems. And for the love of Celestia, don't say that we will "love and tolerate" them. It's the biggest passive-aggressive insult that people do here, and I see it all the time. It doesn't help, in fact it hinders.
Ok, wall of text over. If there are any rebuttals or comments, I'll try to answer them the best I can.
@Dr. Henry Killinger
I like how you said that we shouldn't say love and tolerate them, but you basically Joseph Decruxed(this can't be spelled right) love and tolerance.
@Flutterfan
Then I have gotten the wrong point across.
By saying "love", we put emotions back into the argument. That is what we are trying to avoid when discussing people's problems.
By saying "tolerance", we imply that their problem has already wronged us in some way. It is impossible to show that we are understanding when we put them on the backfoot at the start.
Love and tolerance is a philosophy, but philosophy has no place in a discussion, unless it is used to explain where one's point of view is coming from. If anything should be our flagwords, it should be "logic and compassion".
@Dr. Henry Killinger
If a poster has a complaint and phrases it in a forceful and disrespectful manner, they might be forgiven for writing in the heat of passion. But if their username is a slur and their posts consists of a good percentage of direct, vulgar insults, what can be gained from trying to communicate calmly with them aside from teaching them that such vile behavior is acceptable?
I think the people here (for the most part) did remarkably well for an internet forum. (I know that might be damning with faint praise, but still....) Quite a few people did try to answer him calmly, to little avail.
My suggestion for dealing with direct cursing and insults is to ask the poster, once to please re-state their post in a clear manner without the swearing and insults and assure them that, if they curb their hostility, you will be happy to address their concerns. If they continue to insult and swear, no matter how valid their complaints may be... simply ignore them.
The poster who started all this obviously fed on the anger he stirred up. The best way to get rid of a parasprite is to starve it.
I have to admit that my "method" might not work... but I don't know if it's ever been tried.
Well as someone from /co/ I'll spell out my thoughts:
I don't mind fanfics, fanart, OCs, porn-- whatever. My problem lies on the glorification of the fanbase as something more than an appreciation for the show.
It really started going down the shitter when that aspergers guy from the Wired article claimed he learned vital life lessons out of a damn kids's show and how he applies it to every day life. C'mon now, I like the show but it's shit like that that bodes ill to those of us who just want to discuss the show and its fan creations.
Basically, turning the enjoyment of the show into a damn lifestyle out of it. The meetups is one of the things that pisses me off. Do we really need a "bronycon"? I know ComicCon gets hosted but that's essentially a gathering of nerds of all sizes and shapes-- going to a FiM meetup, what exactly is there to discuss beyond just a show? Oh right, it's just an excuse to go everywhere shouting "LOL BROHOOF xD" and being all around obnoxious to everyone around you. It affects me because that's what people will see when they think of FiM-- not the show itself but the idiotic masses making fools out of themselves (and by proxy, the folks who just want to enjoy a show) in public. Not to be insulting either, but when you guys dress up the way I've seen from the photos... well that also adds to the preconceived image people have.
That's where my problem with EqD stands: it panders to the idiots that are in it for the "lifestyle" and "love and tolerance" (a saying which the show itself never promotes).
Why should I care what other people think of the fanbase though? Well this is actually the first fandom I've "belonged" to (I use that term loosely because frankly I've contributed no art, fics, or anything of the like) that I've been part of since the very beginning (October /co/ threads). Seeing it turn into this noxious self-- it just vexes me greatly.
I don't want to go around everywhere saying "I like the show but I hate the bronies" because that's what it's come to lately. People outside the fandom don't recognize this show for being a good quality "girl's" cartoon but rather the massive shoving into people's face in online communities and real life. And what gets to me the most is that it's ultimately the creators of the show who are probably more hurt by that thought (just as the creator of Invader Zim was when dealing with his own show's fanbase).
The fanbase truly saw its best times when only /co/, SA, and AllSpark knew about it. Knowing Sethisto's track record from /tg/ I wouldn't be surprised if it was him all along that tried to fucking spread it on /b/ around January-- which was when shit really hit the fan.
TL;DR 90% of the fans today are in it just for the community; they might pretend to like the show, have not even watched it at all, don't care about it or even hate it, but all they want is belong to the next big internet sub-culture (as is the case with sites like /b/, Ponychan, KYM, EqD, etc.)
@iisaw
and for this post, you gain an...EPIC BROHOOF
@o2si
hey, just because somebody is into things for another reason doesn't make them idiots, it is fine to have opinions but you seem angry, also the creators of the show seem to like us(for examples, the shout out in equestria girls, Ashleigh Ball's shout out to bronies, they do nothing to get rid of our fan created content and even encourage it honestly, and Mr. Ingrim even gave us an unreleased season one song). And what is wrong with going to bronycon to talk about a show that you love, if it is obnoxious people shouldn't go into the bronycon so us bronies can hangout, and to be honest this show has changed my life to(in small ways), I'm not so angry all the time(nothing better to cool you off than a dose of Fluttershy), The lesson in suited for success definately helped me, and the character Rarity inspires me to be more generous, Rainbow Dash inspires me to be more self confident and outgoing.
the "LOL BROHOOF xD" made me laugh though.
I still find this site to be the best source of all things pony.
ALL things
OCs are not my cup of tea but I'll take them when they are well written, hell, I'll even take self inserts when they don't take themselves seriously.
While I would love to keep up with the entire fandom (ponychan, /co/, and the synchtubes) I just do not have time for it. This site allows me to at least keep in touch with at least important stuff going on. I'm not really sure where im going with this but I guess I wanted to say that I think Seth, Cereal, Phoe, and the pre-readers do an awesome job at keeping the site constantly updated with all the original content that the fandom comes out with on a daily basis.
While this isn't the "face" of the fandom /co/ was hoping for, I think EqD is probably the most accurate "face" we have.
@o2si
If there's one thing I've leaned from spending way too much time on the internet, it's that every fandom has "lifestylers" in it who take things to the extreme. As much as I love the Brony community, I'm not naive enough to think that it'll be free of all the problems that plague other communities.
However, I have to disagree with your characterization. In my experience, most Bronies are regular people who do their own thing, enjoy the show, and act perfectly respectful towards others in and out of the fandom. It's never fair to take the extremes of the group as a representative of the whole.
Also, considering that there exist conventions for just about anything (furries, trekkies, Call of Duty, etc), "Bronycon" doesn't seem all that unconventional (pun intended). Attendance, after all, isn't mandatory.
@iisaw
>But if their username is a slur
Just to clear this up a little, I don't think his name is intended as a slur. "Fag" is actually a British slang term for "cigarette", so "Fagbutts" basically translates to "cigarette butts", and that's certainly not derogatory.
@iisaw
I agree that his name and mannerisms were inappropriate, and that such conduct should not be encouraged. However, this can only be discussed with the person after we have calmed him down and connect with him on a personal level. If you bring this up in the middle of his point, it will seem to him that you are dodging his concerns by focusing on semantics instead. We need to try and address one problem at a time, but once he sees that we aren't his enemies, he is more likely to be reasonable, and as such, reasoned with about his other issues.
I also agree that the community did well in trying to keep this calm, but that doesn't mean there can be room for improvement. I believe in the benefit of the doubt, and that we shouldn't run people out on a rail if there is any way around it. I've seen it happen too many times here where an unpopular view or opinion has gotten shut down by the majority.
Ignoring these things won't help either. If you can see something that will be inflammatory, then someone with less reason and judgement will definitely see it. It is up to us to try and respond and calm the situations before these events happen. It is up to us to set an example for others to follow. After all, if we don't do it, who will?
@o2ci I read about "bronies as a lifestyle" before (in some comments in youtube), but I think it's not true, most of bronies who are here just love MLP, take the lessons from the show to improve their own lives (just a little, I supose), some of them "love and tolerate the shit outta people, trolls, haters, etc.",, but that's all about it.
Even if I'm wrong I don't think bronies are taking this as a "true" lifestyle.
@o2si
Yes, there is a certain percentage of the fanbase that does this. Yes, it is unfortunate. But it is a very, very small percentage. The majority of the community love the show, and respect the creators of it. The weird ones are just seen more often because, and this is an honest fact about news, they are more fun to talk about and see then what actually goes on. Normal things are boring, we see them every day.
As for the conventions, are they really any different then someone going to see their favorite football game? I've never been to one myself, but it seems that they end up with three things happening:
1. Some kind of marathon of the shows.
2. Drinking. Lots of drinking.
3. Video games. Lots of video games.
Two out of three of these things aren't even pony related. The conventions are just an excuse to go out and have a good time with people that share the same interests as you. Just like any other social gathering, really.
Well I've seen many posts and I've now gone through all the posts from the original article that directed here and some ponies are asking about the, "Dykas," thing, so here we go. When the terrorist attack in Norway occurred there was a brony over on another one of the forums that claimed that his father had been killed in the terrorist attack, this brony was Kim Fluttershy Dykas (I believe he is well known for being the brony who changed his first name to Fluttershy, correct me if I'm wrong).
So what I learned by reading through that massive amount of flaming and hate was that the claim of a deceased father made by Kim Fluttershy Dykas, was a false one, I hadn't heard anything of that till now and it rather pains me to think that one of us would do such a thing, those feelings only being reinforced by the google doc compilation of... apology letters? I really don't know what to call them but they were pretty much a bunch of bronies sending their condolences to someone who deserved none.
It angers me that someone...anyone would lie about something like that; I can, however, forgive him since he apologized, from what I've heard at least.
Lesson learned, live and let live.
@Dr. Henry Killinger
"1. Some kind of marathon of the shows.
2. Drinking. Lots of drinking.
3. Video games. Lots of video games."
Really? Suddenly, Bronycon is starting to sound very appealing.
Yeah, I haven't seen much evidence of any sort of huge "lifestyle" for Bronies apart from a lot just trying to be overall more pleasant or positive in daily discourse than they may have been up until they got into the show. This is perfectly fine and not in any way "extreme". Ponychan seems to be the place with the largest congregation of the more emotional "hugbox" types, but I haven't seen much of the intense aspergers people like the one featured in the Wired article, not that I have anything really against those people either mind you, everyone has their own personal issues and shit to deal with in life.
I pretty much am in agreement with the good Dr. Henry on this stuff. I certainly fall under more of a "Logic and Compassion" mentality (which is really what I was before getting into the show anyways) as opposed to the "Love and Tolerance" mantra.
@o2si
I don't see how meet ups have been that harmful. Of all the meetups I've seen the way people show themselves could be improved but it's not terrible. And meetups provide an opportunity for networking etc. There are other things to discuss besides ponies you know.
I do agree that people should simmer down with the way that they are presenting the show to others but for the most part I've seen they've done a decent job. Though it needs to be taken down a notch a little.
However I do think that your statement of 90% of the fans don't actually like the show is rash and unfounded. I don't think you wouldn't STILL be getting the sheer volume of content from the fandom if they were just pretenders. Every where I go people are genuine. There are a few wolves in sheep's clothing I've spotted but nonetheless the love of the show is genuine.
Quite frankly what the fandom needs is less infighting amongst itself. and quite frankly once season 2 hits it should alleviate that problem.
Basically the fandom needs to get back to focusing on the show instead of each other. Call me crazy but I do think in my opinion that this is one of the best fandoms on the net. It just needs to stop focusing on petty issues such as what happened tonight on the OC pony post.
As for your take on "love and tolerance" I'm gonna be honest here and say the motto needs to be retired whenever it's brought up it always brings controversy. Now I'm not saying the fandom shouldn't be closed minded idiots and not accept anyone. Rather be pleasant and deal with issues when they arise savvy?
TL;DR You have a points I agree with but not all of it, lets get back to focusing on the show.
@Dr. Henry Killinger
I believe bad behavior should always be addressed first. I went through a conflict-resolution course many years ago and the iron rule was that when anyone began shouting or cursing, the conversation was over until they calmed down. If the participants were physically present, they would be separated, preferably to different rooms, and if they were on the phone, they were to be given one warning and then hung up on. This was a course primarily for law-enforcement officers and it doesn't apply directly to the internet but it was impressed on us, over and over again, that as long as someone was permitted to be an asshole, they would continue to be an asshole and nothing would get resolved.
I've never encountered a situation which makes me doubt that assertion.
@Flutterfan
Thank ya, kindly! ;)
You have to admit, though, it's difficult to have these sorts of discussions at other cons. Anime North gave us room this year and we jammed it full. But it wouldn't work at many other anime cons. TFCon? Funny to talk about crashing a Transformers con (Yes, they have their own) but nothing will ever come of it. So maybe we have space of our own for a year or two, see how it goes.
Same goes for 'meetups'. You *want* to gather in person and talk, which is very difficult to do in this case, as opposed to say, House MD or Star Trek. That's what meetups are good for.
I'm a fanfic writer. Not a vidder, artist, cosplayer, or gamer. That's all I really pay attention to, except for interesting Youtube videos that people create. I can ping ideas with people online until Doomsday, but it's far more fun to sit in a room with thirty other people and go, "Six Elements of Harmony; Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Which Noble Steeds will Step Forward?" and watch the carnage.
@iisaw
As it should be for law enforcement. Law enforcement is an extremely dangerous job, but thankfully you have the power to resolve situations like that. The internet is different, like you noted. We can't put these people in time out. We can't separate them from the people they are fighting with. We can't hang up on them. They will still be there, whether we leave them alone or not.
The best way I can think of to calm them down is to acknowledge that they are upset and try to understand the reason why they are upset. If we can start seeing eye to eye at least on that level, then we can talk about their behavior as well.
Most of these people behave the way they do because they are ignorant. They were raised that way, and it has become a part of them. To attack that right off the bat is almost to say to them that their fundamental being is wrong. Things go very quickly downhill from there.
This may just be because I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum: I do customer service, or at least customer service is a large aspect of what I do. If we tell customers to shove off every time they are angry with us, then we won't have a business to come back to. That should only happen when people are being disruptive for the sake of being disruptive, and even then there has to be some kind of motive we can try and fish out and solve for them.
As a side note, big respect to you for working in law enforcement. My grandpa is a retired LA Sheriff, so I know much about what goes on in that industry. I understand how difficult it can be.
@Dr. Henry Killinger
Good points, there. BTW, I haven't worked in law enforcement in... *cough* well, let's just say a long time. (Yes, I may just be the oldest brony on the planet.)
I think our approaches aren't too far apart. I can see not "attacking" anyone for their behavior. That would only be more counter-productive. calmly addressing the points they have made in a coherent way might be the best way of calming them down. But ignoring their bad behavior means you are guaranteed to get more of the same.
I guess it comes down to a matter of how much abuse you're willing to put up with. I could never work in customer service!
I really only advocate the "completely ignore" option for hopeless cases but even that approach is difficult when someone like "fagbutts" barges in to pee in the punchbowl.
I'M COMPLAINING IN LOUD VOICE AND STOMPING MY LITTLE HOOVES.
@Midnight Shadow
Didn't you just get *back* from the Moon after eating Luna's muffin?
Hey this thing is still here! I would like to complain about that fact.
What is this post?!? I dont understand!!! I would like to complain about a lack of clarity in this post!!!
@Watchit
This post was made because someone from co got a bee in their bonnet about OCs and started calling everyone fags and so on so I called him out as a bitch and he got butthurt. (Im paraphrasing mind you)
How did I get here? Oh well. Um... Dang it, I got nuthin.
I'M MAD BECAUSE I /JUST/ DISCOVERED THIS THREAD. I'M ALSO MAD I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, AND THAT I CAN'T FIND WHERE TO TURN THE CANTERLOCK OFF UNDER ALL THIS PONY.
I'm complaining because these complaints are too low quality! Take some pride in your complaining guys!
HOLY COW THIS IS STILL HERE!
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