OOC: Alarming new trend!

[JadedHeart]

I have recently found myself with time on my hands, so I decided to join a couple of the threads on the SRPB. I was invited to join one, and I was looking for another in which to participate. I specifically wanted a thread that was just starting so I wouldn’t have to catch-up. There were five new threads, and out of those five, three were reserved for specific people or you had to “audition” by e-mail in order to play. “Virgins” started the other two. I hardly think this is fair. I do understand that sometimes people would like to play with a certain person, or maybe the thread is being continued from another one and they just want to start over with the same people. That's fine.

I’m having some trouble understanding this. I have seen how hard it is to find enough people to participate, especially in the larger role-plays. The thread which held the most interest for me actually said, “I don't want to give (this) part to just anybody... so if you're interested, just drop me an e-mail.” That thread is now in the middle of page two, and it doesn’t look like the person that started it is getting a lot of e-mail! Why couldn’t I just post and say, “Hey, great idea, I’d love to play!” Why wouldn’t you want to just open it to everyone, in hopes of finding enough people? I realize not everyone has perfect spelling or punctuation, and some people might even be difficult to write with, but the board is open to everyone and everyone should be given an opportunity. Who knows, the person with the worst spelling may have the most creative ideas???

I didn’t post this to flame anyone! In fact, I really like a couple of the culprits. I am just hoping that if you are one of the people that do this, maybe you’ll think about what I’ve said.

 

[Guest]

So, you wanna know why we do what we do, huh? Well, I'll bite. Yes, some of the new threads are continiums from other, much larger threads. They are like "part 2" or "the next chapter". Most all threads that I know of are "open" to everyone (even if they say to mail the author first). Perhaps you don't want to mail an author? Well, that's not their fault. If a thread is "closed" between two or so people, then that means they want it to start off that way...they don't want people joining until a new character can get worked into it. many of us take the RPs very seriously. It's like writing a live story with other authors. When you get a lot of "OOC"s in the STORY thread it tends to look messy and can get confusing fast! Not to mention, when you get a lot of "OOC"s, the pages quickle add up in the thread. Perhaps this has helped you some?


~Tiggs~

 

[JadedHeart]

Well, it seems you conveniently missed my point. I said that I understood that some threads were continuations of previous threads, and that’s fine. What I have a problem with is having to e-mail the thread starter in order to join the thread. Why should I have to? The only reason I can think of is so the thread starter can pick and choose whom they want to have join. I would assume it’s much easier to tell someone they can’t join via e-mail instead of having to do it out in the open where everyone can see what’s going on. If the thread starter wants to maintain communication while the thread is in progress, shouldn’t it be the starter’s responsibility to e-mail each participant AFTER he or she has joined, to say welcome and state his or her feelings about communication?

 

[Guest]

Well, like I said, a lot of "OOC"s inside a thread can tend to look messy and can make a thread long fast. It's easier to correspond (for ANY reason) via IMs or mail than it is IN the story thread itself. I know I personally never played favorites when people have mailed me. It's been first come first serve...and hell, I still have male and female opening on a new thread I'm working on.

 

[JadedHeart]

...shouldn’t it be the starter’s responsibility to e-mail each participant AFTER he or she has joined, to say welcome and state his or her feelings about communication?

An example of his or her feelings about communication would be that the thread starter prefers to communicate through e-mail instead of OOC posts. I agree OOC posts do make the thread look messy, and I try to delete them after I’m sure the person for whom they were intended has seen them.

I honestly don’t know if you play favorites, since I’ve never asked to participate in one of your threads. But there are others that do. The thread starter that I quoted in my original post blatantly stated “I don’t want to give (this) part to just anybody.” If I don’t meet his standards then I don’t get to participate. How unfair is that?

 

[Guest]

I agree OOC posts do make the thread look messy, and I try to delete them after I’m sure the person for whom they were intended has seen them.

Can't be done unless you're a moderator to that said board.

 

[JadedHeart]

No, I meant my own personal OOC posts that I have made in a role-play thread.

 

[Guest]

Unless you are Laurel or a board mod, you cannot delete any thread or post, even your own.

 

[JadedHeart]

But you can delete the OOC part of a post, and just leave the IC part. This is what I was talking about. I have done it twice on the Karma Island thread.

 

[Guest]

Okay, so you're talking about editing your post.

 

[JadedHeart]

Since the definition of edit is 'to eliminate; delete', the words are perfectly interchangeable.

 

[Just Teazin]

Um folks?... I know that NO ONE asked me.. But I was reading along.. Just reading.. and I was really starting to get into the debate..

You both had really valid points.. and everyone was being so polite.. It was SO interesting.. (really - I'm not the sarcastic type.. I just can't carry it off - too honest I guess)...

Anyways.. It was interesting.. and I'm reading.. and thinking, "Yeah! That's a good point!" and "oh wow! I never thought of it that way!"

And I'm getting into this.. I guess I have no life.. but I'm getting into it..

Then suddenly... I am reading (what I hope are) two grown adults squabbling over wheather it is "editing" or "deleting"..

And.. far be it for me to judge.. The two of you started this post.. have kept it open and going.. and if you suddenly want to discuss babboon butts.. it's your perogotive..

But while we are digressing?.. Don't you just hate it when someone uses "..." instead of "." "," or "-"? LMAO

Anyway.. to add my unwanted oppinion into the melting pot..

Yeah, everynow and again, someone is going to want to start a thread that is private - at least for a while.. But haven't you noticed, Tiggs, that alot of someones are starting alot of threads like that? It's enough to make someone feel unwanted!

(hey! I'm someone! anyone want me??? lol)

 

[Countess DeWinter]

I can see both of your points of view.....but perhaps there's one other angle you're not considering? I've been in threads - Tiggs, you may remember this one - where someone "crashed" it and screwed it up for everyone in the thread. The only threads I've started were private ones (just for one other person and myself) mainly because I don't want to put time and energy into a thread to have it sink into oblivion because one party decided not to stay with it. Had that happen on Smuggler's Moon....newbie posted, we tried to include him, then he just dropped out.
Yeah, I don't like to think I have to audition for a part in a thread. So fine. Skip that one and go to the next. If one you'd like to join is too involved, start your own! There's no law that says we can't have two or three of the same theme going!

Keep the faith, JadedHeart.....as I tell my kids, life ain't fair. Got lemons? Make lemonade

 

[JadedHeart]

Just Teazin & Countess DeWinter

Thank you both for your thoughtful responses. You both have very good points and I appreciate that you have shared them. I would however hope that this discussion be closed. I have privately apologized to Tiggs, and had hoped that would be the end of it.

I am incredibly sorry that I started this post. What had originally been intended to provoke thought and spark discussion was instead the cause of hurt feelings. That was never my intention and for that I am sorry.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Blah. Take it from the current General Board Bitch, don't be sorry you started this thread. You brought up a valid point involving this board that can be a big turnoff to a lot of new and talented SRPers. If no one likes it, toughy stuffy, you are entitled.

Some thread starters are a little overzealous in guarding who or what can post on their threads and prefer to do via email since OOCs do disrupt the flow of the story. It'd be like posting your story without removing the editorial comments in it. However, at the beginning of the thread OOCs can be forgiven since it is a "sorting out" of sorts.

By the by. Board vernacular, editing a post is what you've done, changing the post in any way shape or form while leaving it where it is at. Deleting a post deletes it entirely so it no longer takes up the space. You can edit, but you cannot delete it, that is remove it.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

Point well taken, Muffin, bravo for clearing up the misunderstanding!

 

[Renegade]

You brought up a valid point involving this board that can be a big turnoff to a lot of new and talented SRPers.

And I know that from personal expierence! When I first came here, that kind of thing happened with me. I would try to join a thread just to have the more expierenced SRPers ignore and(in one case)actualy tell me to leave the thread. Was just about to leave the board when the Superhero League thread started up and the people there actualy gave me a chance to show if I could deliver the goods.

I'm not saying that all threads should be open to anyone like that. I can understand posters not wanting certain people to join for personal reasons. One being that the person is known for ruining the thread. It could also be to keep people that could suddenly disapear from joining and hurting the story.

Now, I know that I kinda did a personal thread with RoseThorn right now with Lobo. It's open now for anyone to join now but we wanted it be be private at first. The reason for that was so we could set up where we wanted things to move more towards without anyone else taking the story another way. Would we have gotten more people to join if we started it with everyone allowed to join? Yes. But now with the three that have joined us, we know that they aren't going to leave in the middle of the story because they had to have been devoted to the thread to have followed it for three pages.

So basicly my opinion on this is that: I prefer threads that are open to anyone that joins as long as they go with what the thread starter has set up. But I can see how private threads are needed in certain cases.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!