Kinda Sad

[rastarogue]

mrw said:

rastarogue said:

If your theory is not commented on, it could be that you have alredy fully explained everything, and the only thing we (that is the rest of the posters) can do is agree with you, which we all seem agreed we should not do.
Sort of a "catch 22"

No offense, Rastarogue, but I disagree with the bold portion of your posting.

I don't think it's fair to the poster, who has no idea if his post was received well or panned as trash. And it's not fair to the lurkers who are considering posting either, because they can't tell the "atmosphere" in the forum very well.

There's been a few times when people have posted some complimentary response to a long analysis, and I felt it strengthened the sense of community here. Why should people be opposed to that? I don't understand.

I at least have no objection to agreeing, or complimenting a post, but if that is the only thing you do in that post it just doesnt quite feel right. I am not saying you shouldn't agree or compliment something, but try to also add something to the discussion at the same time.

[julieth]

I feel kind of bad about complaining about no one answering, and then...not answering any posts...I can see both sides of the issue. I wouldn't want the threads clogged up with "thats stupid" posts, of course, but I also like knowing that someone is paying attention.

[Minimiscience]

I never seem to have anything to contribute. Until now.

[Rem]

I usually only stop posting to a board when I feel I can't contribute to it much. It usually depends on how far up my ally the typical topics in it are. Some forums I've been active in forever, and others I still lurk about in once and a while, but don't have much to say. Plus, you know, school and other unimportants like that I think a lot of lurkers are like this.

By the way, hi hi! Just spent the night catching up on all of GC. So lovely. Hopefully I'll stick around, since this comic deserves it, but if I don't, it's not because I don't love the comic.

More likely it'll be that school ate my head and I'm busy chewing my way out of a tub of lard labled "homework".

I should go sleep or...something...

[raka]

rastarogue said:

He's cool and all, but I felt it did not advance the plot, and did not reveal anymore depth to anybody's character and was thus unecessary, cool but unecessary.

Actually, I think it did a lot to develop Annie's character. Not only did she relax and have some fun, but she was the center of attention for a group of her peers in a positive way. Both are somewhat unusual for her.

I also suspect that Dr Disaster's missions aren't just excuses to let the kids burn off some energy. It could be some form of early training/evaluation, like in "Ender's Game". Or the real answer may be more complex. Or I could be totally wrong. That just about covers the possibilities, I think.

[Count Casimir]

I like forums, but usually I just join once 'cause I want to say something to someone. With this one, it's different, 'cause I really enjoy this (continuous) storyline.

[absentbabinski]

Some of us don't post that much because we're too busy to get the chance to

Seriously though, I get maybe 2 hours a day to myself and my computer. Half that is taken just by sifting through the day's RSS feeds, webcomics, reading email, watching that "hilarious" youtube vid that someone had the good grace to forward to you and 200 of their closest friends only to find out it's one you saw about a year ago and saying hello to a few people on gaim.

My mind is normally so mushed after that, I can barely put a coherent sentence together >.<

[Anon]

This is the same problem I have with the other forum I frequent: I almost never have anything relevant to say. For the most part, I won't post unless I feel that what I am posting contains something worth putting into words. Since this forum is mostly concerned with discussing GC, I don't find much that I am interested in. To clarify, I am somewhat private in my enjoyment of things. I don't generally participate in discussions about things I like unless I feel there is some unique reason that others might find interest in knowing. I also don't enjoy speculating, either doing it myself or reading someone else's speculative reasonings. Given that this forum is generally concerned with those things, I find myself often without anything to post.

The other forum I check is practically ancient by internet standards, and because I was fairly active a while ago, back when I had more time and energy to think of and post things, I now enjoy several long standing relationships that allow me to occasionally carry on pointless conversations. However, even counting those, I have only made about one thousand posts over the course of seven years.

I signed up for this forum right away because I believed it could potentially become an interesting place to be over time. I prefer to get in on things when they are new, especially if they start small. I have more patience when I have time to get to know people -- and for them to get to know me -- as opposed to coming into a large, insular group where so many people are talking at once that it becomes hard to learn who anyone is, and where you need to be much more engaged if you don't want to be lost in the noise. Though I rarely post here, I still check the forum every update, and I read every thread that appears interesting to me. And every once in a while, when a topic strikes me, I may just end up posting.

[iralie]

Some of us also have lower post counts as we always used guest when it was available - and didn't bother posting as much once it was lost.

And some people may also not post unless they feel that their post will bring something new to the thread as well - and if about ten - fifteen posts are already in it we often don't.

[Aspen d'Grey]

MM, going to chime in again... Bumping something just to say that it's garbage? Maybe not the best idea. Bumping it because you like the theory? Ok for the first 5 or so responses, but after it's bumped, try and contribute something to it. I''d say that the exceptions to this are easily the Kudos thread and the stickied fanart thread. People like to see that their artwork is good or at least gave someone a good laugh, and the kudos thread is basically... well, kudos to Tom.

It's kind of a balance, try and experiment to find out what's enough bumping and whats too much. We're not going to take a flamethrower to your head unless you do it way, way too much and keep doing it long after it's been pointed out that this might not be the best way to go about voicing agreement.

Use poles when appropriate! The board has the ability to use them, and sometimes they can really add to a discussion. That said, you can't add them in the middle of the thread, and adding a new thread might not be too good either. x.x

Try not to double post... If you're the last post, it's going to get read, so unless you max the character count, try and combine posts if possible.


--Also, I've been gone for a while due to Car + Leg while on bike == Tib/Fib Fracture with a stay in the hospital and the itchiest cast EVER.

[Bobbey]

First of all I would like to say that I am new here and that I am not afraid to admit it: I joined this forum because I discovered GunnerkriggCourt not to long ago and fell in love with the comic instantly.

I agree with what most people have said here so far: it is hard to post when you feel like your reply might not contribute to the subject of the thread, but we shouldn't fear of what other people might think of our post. As a matter of fact, seeing most of the posters on this forum, they seem to be openminded about what other people have to say about any type of subject and they encourage other people to give out their opinions on the matter:they want to know what you think about said subject .

I am currently a member of another webcomic forum in which I have been with for a little over a year now, and my post count is still under 200 because I used to think the same way as some posters/lurkers: I did not feel like I had something to contribute to the conversation/subject and I prefered standing in a shadow then to go into the light.
I can garanty that this will not be the case for the Gunnerkrigg forum and that I will try to be a very active poster.

[ocafi]

This here is my second post ever, but I've been a member since January, and I've been reading the comic since God knows when.

I admit I actually forgot this forum existed. I do comment on the episodes directly, though, so that should count for something. ^_^

[Phantasmagoria]

Well, everyone, reading this thread has convinced me to sign on! I've been lurking on the forum for a few weeks now.

Things that have kept me from posting (all forums in general):
1) Fear of sounding stupid
2) Fear of sounding redundant
3) Nothing to say
4) Something to say, not sure how to put it.

But you guys have done a good job of allaying my fears.

[anduin]

I think I would rather have many people lurking rather than truckloads of people who have nothing to say constantly posting. I can tell you why people like me don't post very often though.

I have a number of forum homes. Most of the comic ones I don't say much in, because
1. Most of the time, it'd be "Ooh, nice page," which is meaningless, and I try to refrain from meaningless posts.
2. Any theories I might have have already been covered by someone by the time I stew them up.
3. The rest of the threads are games or otherwise that I've already participated a thousand times elsewhere.

If I did have something to say, I say it. Like here.

And by the way, this post is much more light-hearted than I've typed it to sound.