This Website and Exclusivity

[Makο]

This was originally gonna be a post in the "Site is dying" thread, but I decided it's too specific of a topic to lop into a 5+ page topic where.

 

 

This website is insanely bizarre. I don't know whether or not the feel of this website is exclusive to the site itself or if it happens on other forums, but this website is definitely very, very exclusive. The only reason why I even managed to get where I am in because I got very lucky with friends and connections, eventually becoming one of the fabled "Oldie" members.

 

Since day one, I've always had the feeling that this website had incredibly exclusive vibes. The reason behind it, when I think about it, is kinda strange in it's own right. In a place like reddit, you can be one of 5 million and not feel out of place because you know you are joining the other 4.9 million no-faced randos. However, here, the memberbase is just small enough that, when you start at the bottom and no one is willing to help them up, you feel incredibly isolated and lonely.

 

You try to do things to get involved, such as making cards or posting around, but because you either lack the knowledge in YGO to be immediately good, lack the foresight to somehow know all of the trends in terms of naming / sig creation / titles / posting on YCM, or both, and then no one wants to be around you. I'm not spitting sheet like that; I'm the same way, unfortunately. We hold events that new members couldn't possibly join (if they even finish), and do things that seem like it's almost specifically trying to keep new members out. Hell, even I, one of the aforementioned Oldies, couldn't do jack sheet in the Masquerade because how the bloody hell am I supposed to know enough about everyone to guess these sort of things? Am I in the wrong circles for this? Do I not pay enough attention? Did they give hints and we just weren't told?

 

I dunno, maybe I'm just talking out of my ass, but this is a real 100% problem that needs to be fixed. Also, because this is misc, I am under no obligation to offer any form of solution in addition to me pointing out what's wrong.

[Simping For Hina]

Tl;dr website sucks and senior members make it worse.

[Flame Dragon]

Would be interesting to see what newer members have to say in regards to this. The active member base is pretty small and while I see a couple lower post count people here and there increasing that is certainly something we'd want to have happen.

[Krein]

It's kind of exclusive/cliquish yeah, but most places are anyway. I used to be and I think still somewhat am a lurker, and my reasons for that is that I don't feel I can really trust myself to post comfortably since I'm afraid I'll make myself look like an idiot/n00b, especially in the actual Yugioh discussion section where people apparently get hounded at times. People doing what they do there, often givin off an air of pretentiousness, has honestly made me predisposed to think that mostly everyone here is also pretentious and unwelcoming if you don't have certain knowledge.

 

That's just my experience though, and I'm starting to be a little more active in spite of it anyway.

[Goose]

dude you joined in 2010 the second most cliquey time in ycm history

[Mr. Hyde]

As an oldie myself, when I came back to the website, I noticed it wasn't as active as it had been back in my day (snapping back intensifies.).  I can agree that when I first came back, I was a little shy because everyone already seemed to know/be friends with one another.  I mainly stuck to creating my own cards and lurking.  

 

However, I finally went back to my routes as an roleplayer, and even there it seemed like I didn't fit in.  It wasn't until I was able to merge accounts with this old profile of mine with 6-stars that I finally felt...relevant.  

 

I'd like to say now that I've joined clubs, rp's, and post sporadically in every other section that i've settled into the community.  Sure, it takes a bit of a barricade to hop over, but if you try your best to put yourself out there, you can make friends here too.  

 

I don't think this site is dying!  I just think newer members need to just stick around and get used to the site and community.  Put yourself out there and ol' hyde here will be your friend!  I'm not too picky ~w0!

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

At this point, I imagine I am a fairly well-known member, but I can definitely attest to it being difficult for a new member to really become well known, from my experience.

 

Toyo and I spoke of this, and her idea (which I support wholly) is not to do away with the cliques, as this is ultimately a social website, but to work to be more inclusive, and pull members into the groups that qlready exist.

[Simping For Hina]

That is a good idea in theory, but you can't force people to interact if they have no desire to do.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

That is a good idea in theory, but you can't force people to interact if they have no desire to do.

If they don't want to be included, then what is the issue with not including them?

[King K. Azo]

I've been here for almost a year, so, I don't think I'm 'new' per say, but I can say right now, besides maybe two rp groups, I don't feel like I belong anywhere on this site. I don't have the game knowledge for the TCG section. Any cards I make, I'm lucky if I get two people saying anything. Any misc. post is pretty much ignored, and I had no idea what the hell was going on for the past month. I just sat there like an idiot while TEW wrote in binary and everyone else had all these talks about monsters and stuff.

 

I don't know how to get my foot in the door. I'm trying, but anytime I post, I seem to clash with older members. It almost feels like I'm not wanted. I don't even know how to find out about the events we do have going on. I just... Kind lurk now.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

I've been here for almost a year, so, I don't think I'm 'new' per say, but I can say right now, besides maybe two rp groups, I don't feel like I belong anywhere on this site. I don't have the game knowledge for the TCG section. Any cards I make, I'm lucky if I get two people saying anything. Any misc. post is pretty much ignored, and I had no idea what the hell was going on for the past month. I just sat there like an idiot while TEW wrote in binary and everyone else had all these talks about monsters and stuff.

I don't know how to get my foot in the door. I'm trying, but anytime I post, I seem to clash with older members. It almost feels like I'm not wanted. I don't even know how to find out about the events we do have going on. I just... Kind lurk now.

Join Duel Portal.

[King K. Azo]

Join Duel Portal.

See, I keep heading about that, but what the hell is Duel Portal?! I know,it's a section, but it just looks like the Casual/Advanced Multiple sections to me.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

See, I keep heading about that, but what the hell is Duel Portal?! I know,it's a section, but it just looks like the Casual/Advanced Multiple sections to me.

I am gonna do a whole thread about it soon.

 

Tl;dr: dueling network for created cards.

[Dova]

 

See, I keep heading about that, but what the hell is Duel Portal?! I know,it's a section, but it just looks like the Casual/Advanced Multiple sections to me.

http://192.227.234.101/

 

It's a site, similar to Dueling Network, designed for the custom card community. It has most of the real cards (And if there's one missing you want you can upload it) and a ton of custom cards made (it has an easy YCM card to DP card system). Not to mention the community there is great. It's a shame more people don't go there.

[Tinkerer]

I'm coming up on my one-year activersary. That, said, I still don't really look at this site as anything more than that, a site. People will post if they want to post or not.

 

Personally, I have seen several people with potential throughout the year and, because I'm not really linked to any particular group, I tend to enjoy messaging them directly and offering my help. I don't want to pat myself on the back, but that direct, subservient, approach might have been what kept them interested in this site... Feeling as though they already had a friend.

 

As it is, the whole "clique" mentality feels less like exclusive groups, per se, and more like wholly different generations. While no, it's not impossible for a new user to become friends with a much older user, it is more likely that they will connect with peers. It's just natural, especially with stars and post count showing the differences between members.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

Add me on Skype and I can answer any questions you have, as well as add you to the group.

[Maeriberii Haan]

At this point, I imagine I am a fairly well-known member, but I can definitely attest to it being difficult for a new member to really become well known, from my experience.

Toyo and I spoke of this, and her idea (which I support wholly) is not to do away with the cliques, as this is ultimately a social website, but to work to be more inclusive, and pull members into the groups that qlready exist.

Not saying I'm opposed to this, but the last time we try doing inclusion like that (that was regarding to CC iirc), the newer members become too intimidated to continue.

 

The approach to this is very important.

[Blake]

As an "oldie" myself, while I've seen the cliques, I've never felt there's much to be changed.

 

Anything I attained was due to climbing from the bottom. R.P.820 was my idea, when I was in the Ragnelondite account, proposed to ThePhantomDuelist and 820Reborn. The name wrote itself, considering our aliases and the topic of the club, and it was exclusivity in its own way. There was an entry "exam", if it could even be called that, where you had to supply a sample/make a sample of RPing. It wasn't anything difficult, but just enough to show competency.

 

During that time, I put my thumb in lotsa pies. Clubs, to be precise. I got to meet a lot of people due to that, and it wasn't too hard to slide into the cliques, if only as someone on the outer rim. Orgy XIII, Club Pikachu, Chibi Knights/Akatsuki (DEF), and others. Club Pika was definitely the hardest to slide into, though. Orgy was insane, and CK/Alatsuki was mostly new members, but CP was a bit more closed off. Not sure why.

 

And despite trying to join lots of places, I ended up in/with none of them. I was a sorta 5th wheel to DEF, getting along with DL really well, but that's about it. In TCG, I still had to climb from the bottom, as I had no one to help me up, bar Bree for support, and the only people I knew in the section were Armz and Koko, the latter of which... Yeah. And it was mostly done to try and garner favor, though it evolved.

 

The only "group" I belong to now, 3-4 years later, is being friends with certain people. Koko, Bree, Ken, Marco... Only other people I really talk to are Nai, sometimes Toyo, and sometimes Kate. I guess a lot of these CAN overlap, but eh.

 

Sections aren't really clique-ish, just happen to share interests. And don't try to argue TCG and new members, as members who show some form of understanding are accepted openly. It's just a mindset of "lurk moar", for better or worse. It encourages not getting in over your head, but hurts the path to improving.

 

tl;dr began to ramble, but I don't see it as an issue. Sure it's lonely, but that's just what happens. I only knew so many people to guess at in the Masquerade, which was why Toyo and I just discussed who the other monsters may be.

 

Your choices are find a group, and be labeled as part of that group, or climb from the bottom to the top. That's just life.

[mitchermitcher]

This was originally gonna be a post in the "Site is dying" thread, but I decided it's too specific of a topic to lop into a 5+ page topic where.

 

 

This website is insanely bizarre. I don't know whether or not the feel of this website is exclusive to the site itself or if it happens on other forums, but this website is definitely very, very exclusive. The only reason why I even managed to get where I am in because I got very lucky with friends and connections, eventually becoming one of the fabled "Oldie" members.

 

Since day one, I've always had the feeling that this website had incredibly exclusive vibes. The reason behind it, when I think about it, is kinda strange in it's own right. In a place like reddit, you can be one of 5 million and not feel out of place because you know you are joining the other 4.9 million no-faced randos. However, here, the memberbase is just small enough that, when you start at the bottom and no one is willing to help them up, you feel incredibly isolated and lonely.

 

You try to do things to get involved, such as making cards or posting around, but because you either lack the knowledge in YGO to be immediately good, lack the foresight to somehow know all of the trends in terms of naming / sig creation / titles / posting on YCM, or both, and then no one wants to be around you. I'm not spitting sheet like that; I'm the same way, unfortunately. We hold events that new members couldn't possibly join (if they even finish), and do things that seem like it's almost specifically trying to keep new members out. Hell, even I, one of the aforementioned Oldies, couldn't do jack sheet in the Masquerade because how the bloody hell am I supposed to know enough about everyone to guess these sort of things? Am I in the wrong circles for this? Do I not pay enough attention? Did they give hints and we just weren't told?

 

I dunno, maybe I'm just talking out of my ass, but this is a real 100% problem that needs to be fixed. Also, because this is misc, I am under no obligation to offer any form of solution in addition to me pointing out what's wrong.

From my personal experience this level of 'exclusivity' isn't rare in forum boards but the only other community with at least this level of exclusivity that I'm in is much deader than here, maybe that really isn't a good sign but anyway...

 

The thing is, I barely post on reddit, if at all. It's a neat site for getting news but I feel absolutely uninterested in interacting with the community because it's too large and faceless. Compared to YCM with a smaller and much more recognizable regular userbase, I felt a lot more attracted to this place. Even if my interest has little to nothing to do with card making, I stick around because I share some other interests with some of the members here and the misc section is fun as sheet(which makes me far from an ideal member). I would pick a super exclusive place like this over one like reddit where I can't get a feel for the place at all. Though, it was tough as sheet at first to 'get in' and I do think that should change, yes.

 

From what I've observed the main way to really get to know the community is to get into one of the group skype chats, some of which are for RPs. Chats are great but private chats that require you to get someone to add you are terrible. It's absolutely intimidating to PM a veteran member you've never really talked to to ask them to let you into a skype group of people you've seen around a couple of times around the forum and they all are already familiar with each other without you there anyway. Certainly, I don't doubt that any veteran member here would be more than happy to add a new guy to one of the existing chats should they be asked, but it doesn't change that the overall air of an already-established group's exclusivity. Which makes the only real way to group chat with the various YCM members is to join an RP, and not everyone's interested in that. Hell I usually ain't.

 

The idea's been shot down a number of times and I definitely understand why but I do think a public chatroom's a really nice way to allow new members to easily get used to the community. There's a good chance it'll drain a lot of activity from other sections and might become the main draw in itself, or a new clique will be formed around it, but an easily accessible and general purpose chatroom as a way to get to know the community is better than a private off-site skype chatroom if you ask me.

 

I can't really tell if what I typed had any actual relevance to the problem you're talking about but after ihop's post yesterday and this thread, I just wanted to get it off I suppose. YCM's a nice place and I really wouldn't want to see this place dwindle down and eventually die, although you guys are still far from that, I'm sure.

[EndUser]

  I... think I want to say my own perspective on the matter. Nothing specific in particular, nor organized, just a general opinion.

 

  I started because I liked making ygo cards. Since I joined, my desire to meet others and be part of a group started to grow. It hasn't stopped, but right now I feel so much accepted (whether you like it or not :P ) and that my patience in posting (regularly) has paid off.

 

  I haven't joined a single Skype group, I rarely have a quick look at the RP and Graphics and many other sections. I stopped talking about cards and the Meta (although I want to, but I'm a bit lazy. And slightly uninformed :/ ). However, I managed to be someone who receives replies. This means a lot.

  

 If (for whatever reason) the site is gonna die, it won't be because of the members here; it's because of the hostility the new ones show or their fear of not being recognized or, simply, their mere sign-up with absolutely nothing to do. If something's really wrong, the members and the mods here should fix it, but the way I see it, there actually is none. If this was the case, then I'd stopped being active too. There is reason I haven't: It's because of how strangely I've become addicted to the kindness I see here and the abnormalities people have that I enjoy seeing come to surface. :D

 

  After all, it's the f... internet people! Everyone could be whatever, but everyone is chatting/posting/sharing etc. Why not just do it? Say a million things with no response. Don't you like it? Leave. Wanna try more? Stay.

 

 (I might have said more, but I have to leave for work, sorry... )

[Makο]

 

The idea's been shot down a number of times and I definitely understand why but I do think a public chatroom's a really nice way to allow new members to easily get used to the community. There's a good chance it'll drain a lot of activity from other sections and might become the main draw in itself, or a new clique will be formed around it, but an easily accessible and general purpose chatroom as a way to get to know the community is better than a private off-site skype chatroom if you ask me.

 

In all honesty, I think a public chatroom would make a suitable replacement for Misc and Statuses both. I mean, those two combined practically have the same effect as a chatroom.

[Trebuchet MS]

I've been around for at least 3 years. I usually drop by to discuss card design or participate in contests. Otherwise I'm a social ghost, staying mostly distant from the rest of the community. I don't mind this.

[Tourmaline]

I remember when many people used to try talking to me.

 

As desired, I am where I want to be in this community. There are no issues I can see with this position. Others can find themselves, too, but I only need to concern myself with the ones who interest me.

[EndUser]

I remember when many people used to try talking to me.

As desired, I am where I want to be in this community. There are no issues I can see with this position. Others can find themselves, too, but I only need to concern myself with the ones who interest me.

The confidence...

 

If I had to interpret this differently, I'd say that you're right: You find the people you want to talk with and be fine with yourself. If you don't do these, you don't do a thing.

[Tourmaline]

The confidence...

 

If I had to interpret this differently, I'd say that you're right: You find the people you want to talk with and be fine with yourself. If you don't do these, you don't do a thing.

You're not bad. If you can acknowledge selfishness then you are worth consideration that most are not. People are happiest that way, so it even satisfies the common utilitarian (basically YCM). For newcomers, let them do as they like.