Are SL forums addicting?

During the time I have been in SL I have not spent ALOT of time browsing on the forums, in fact I made my first post today! But during the past week or so I have read posts that are so inflammatory they caught my attention.

I read some past threads and it seems these posts are made by the same posters who appear to be intent on instigating a confrontation. Out of curiousity I started looking at the members online section of the forums and noticed that some the SAME PEOPLE are in the forums every single time I checked.

Why is that? Are the forums addicting to people? Do those who like to inflame and instigate arguments do it for the attention?

Some like to post threads that essentially say “look at me and tell me I am funny or important.” Others post threads that are designed to sling insults at other members. I think some people need to belittle others in order to elevate themselves.

How do people find all this time to be on the forums, lurking and waiting for posts so they can reply and get attention or cause a fight. Is it just attention whoring? Do they have no real life?

People who are on browsing and lurking on the forums almost EVERY waking hour, even when they are working! , and reply to every thread almost always with gibberish, why do you do that? Don’t you get enough attention in real life?

I am not addicted. I can quit any time I want. I quit twice just this morning, in fact!

There are probably as many varied reasons as there are posters on the forums, and yes, the forums are addicting For me, it's a way to stay connected when I can't be in world (and to procrastinate from doing the things I should actually be working on.)

Welcome to the forums Silvergirl

just make sure you are not replying to those who start drama threads. i have noticed that those who do end up getting lumped in with the thread starters.

those who start these threads are very careful to not target a specific individual. its kind of like a sniper vs. a machine gunner. the machine gunner can spray bullets all over and be assured of hitting a few people even though they are not specifically targeting individuals. if you respond to the machine gunner, you may be accused of "having such a big ego that you think i was talking about you". it's a very clever game they play indeeed and a no-win situation for those who reply. the best bet is to ignore the machine gunner all together.

welcome to the forums, and yes they are addicting.

Ditto. I really should be working right now. *sigh*

But here I am!

and



If you just look at the threads and responses from today, I think you'll see a dramatically reduced occurance of the "confrontational" type of posts you're referring to. LL seems to have started cleaning up the forums...and yes, it got way out of hand for a while.

That being said,



...could be read as a confrontational statement in itself....just my opinion.


To answer your question, I'm on here constantly lately during the day because its the only way to maintain my sanity while I'm working on the Project From Hell.

Boredom

The Fashion Barbie Online forums are down. So Im here.

This should perk you right up, David...

*waves at Aimee and Chip*

Yeah - same here. I should be doing 100 things other than posting right now but I just don't want to begin them on a Friday afternoon.

.

Yep, the post itself is confrontational and if allowed to run unchecked, will lead to the usual Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the forums. SO many assumptions about people -- and really mean assumptions! -- are contained in that seemingly "healthy" post that they do bear some answering.

I personally happen to keep the page logged in while I do all kinds of other things, housework, desk work, leaving to go to work for hours or whatever -- I just tend to leave my computer on and stuff logged in. I sometimes work in other windows if I'm home, tune into conference calls, etc. and also answer posts if it seems I'm getting respones.

Sometimes you go on a long forum jag because there are really, really, important burning issues needing discussion. People who tell you this is a "game" and you should "get a life" aren't seeing ahead to understand this is a metaverse, the beginning pioneering days of it, and how it gets made now will shape a lot of what is to come, and it is well worth wasting the time on it now. Later it might not be. Even now it might be a waste of time, but there is still enough of a hope (or illusion) that it is not.

Of course, certain recent events have made me and others very, very sanguine and even disillusioned about this being quite the free pioneering project we thought. But that's a story for somebody's off-campus blog.

I personally have plenty of Real Life and plenty of accomplishments and plenty of RL opportunities to get plenty of attention. So I personally don't feel these forums are about attention-whoring. If they are for somebody else who lives some impoverished, cramped life in some provincial backwater, I can only be glad they've obtained that outlet through the Internet. People are all about praising the Internet for enriching lives...except when they want to play a game of oneupmanship to prove who has more RL currency they can deploy on SL to make up for SL deficiencies -- or visa versa.

Some people bicker and argue and cavil endlessly because they are just on autopilot and are like that, unable to rise much above their own kneejerk reactions. They give the forums its substrate of nasty invective and tinfoil-hatted dog pictures. Others are trying to have a serious philosophical and political discourse above the din, taking side trips to defend their good name.

To be sure, it's a tar baby.

Still, these active five percent, the at-most 700 people who bother with the forums, are here because they believe in something. That's important.

Yes, they are addicting. My name is Coco, and I am an addict.

And yes, they are important, and the place where important ideas get discussed (or SHOULD get discussed), and they were the only way to help shape the game in TSO. Fortunately, here, there are also in-game meetings with the game developers.

coco

Huh. The post didn't seem so bad to me. Come to think of it, up to this point the whole thread seemed very civil and nice. For that matter the whole FORUM seemed very nice today!! Even Flipper's "Creators of Beauty" thread, which turned out to be a bit emotional, has been discussed in VERY nice terms.

Kudos forum folks!

Ohh..I want to subscribe to that. I wonder if there is a centerfold....

you should know, having much experience in the area of confrontational posts that you make yourself, which led to your own 'demise'. not that it matters too much, youre still posting. i nominate this sentence as the most ironic sentence in the history of sl. coming from some one who bases rash accusations of 'fact' upon assumption, like the'harvesting' of IPs to track people in real life or to reveal alts, for niether of which have you shown any actual proof.

*giggles loudly*

can you say 'here we go again'?

I 'hear' that Schwan has papered his walls at home with said insert .....

yeah, some people like to write and generally have a point, their point, but some are here to inflame 'the other side' because they think they are helping their side by pointing out the apparant failings of the other side. Why we talk about polotics in SL escapes me but I can be on the forums and do my work at the same time so i reply for something to do, it's fun!

Yes it's like we got the case of the forum herpes. Thought it was calmed down, but no, it's back to flare up our forum genitals.

Someone get the cream please!

This would be a great thread to make love to, but it doesn't have big enough breasts.

Your wish is my command.

ZOMG GIBERISH YOU HAVE NO LIFE!

wooot !! Deboned already heh!

i prefer my breasts boned.

Damn I set myself up for that one LOL

You are funny and important Iridian!