Vicky

Dude... Just decided to pop back out of curiosity. Sad news. RIP mate, years late as well but still shocked.

In general I learn pretty well in lectures and by reading. It's a difficult question the answer, though. An example of how I work when I study is to attend lectures or read my material, then write about it in my own words. If I struggle I know I need to go back and go over certain concepts. When I speak about topics, there is a huge difference between the things I have written about and things I remember. I'm more confident with the former because I've been able to synthesise the information and adapt to different scenarios; the depth of what I learn depends on how I've used the information. I retain information quite well, but it's useless to me unless I learn how to work with it. On another level, once I write about things I improve by talking about them with people verbally. It's like a three step process; read it/learn it, think about it (writing), talk about it. It has to be in that order. I don't know if that's a method of learning, but it's what I'm used to. I usually write everything by hand as well, not typed. I think about things in my head but I find it easier to organise my thoughts when I write by hand. For other things I can use manuals or written guides to do something (if I need to memorise a process I'll repeat it, or again write down notes). But occasionally, when it's something I'm not comfortable with, I need to watch someone else do it. Those are mainly social things, like managing student workers or talking to a customer when I used to work in retail. Otherwise I'm fine if you just give me a book and say 'learn to do that thing'.

I think the whole success thing is really interesting. I always like to argue I would much rather be great at what I do and then if success follows that's just a bonus point. There are so many people battling to make themselves a name or become successful, mostly for the sake of it, rather than paying attention to the careful act of actually learning something. For me that's the best part. There are so many things I wouldn't have been able to do, or you either, if I had succeeded early on. I would have rushed myself and not learned all the amazing (albeit useless in everyday life) things I have now. So it really throws into question what people mean when they say 'succeed' - it's really more like a trade-off, an early finish for missing the rest of the journey which could have offered different avenues of opportunity. Anyway, sorry for the ramble! I was lucky that I knew what I wanted to be when I was younger and had every opportunity to follow it through. I see my posts back here about wanting to be an author, and I'm not technically that yet, but I'm on a similar career path. I messed up most of my degree by drinking and being a general mess, but then something just clicked in my final year (maybe I grew up?). My degree was in Creative Writing and English, and now I've been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to study all the way to my final PhD. I don't officially start until September, but I already work in a University in research - mostly I'm supposed to be working in the Manchester School of Art but I also teach a few seminars in the Humanities department and help with the projects over there. My research area is in contemporary culture, mainly digital culture, identity and the aesthetics of a culture that manipulates information more than objects. It's super broad at the moment, but I'll probably find a niche area pretty soon. Actually, a lot of what I do is considered 'digital humanities', which is an exciting newish field. I'm hoping a lot of what I do can contribute to that area in particular. One of the benefits working in an Artschool as a creative graduate is I get to work on loads of my own creative projects. I'm in four exhibitions over the summer where I've got a combination of visual art, interactive pieces and 'critical commentaries' pasted up all over the show. I'm also working with a local (but pretty big) publisher on debuting a short story with them and I've got plans to release a poetry pamphlet with our University press. In the grand scheme of my dreams, this isn't anything impressive, but it's a step in the right direction. So it's exciting career wise for me. I hope to eventually be teaching in a University, or doing something creative, and I'm stoked to be doing those things even if it might be financially difficult. At 24 it actually feels like a start for me more than ever before; I feel like I'm at a point where I can finally articulate my ideas properly and offer intelligent contributions to what I see as a fundamental method of understanding our lives. I know I've taken a very specific career path with limited opportunities, but the opportunities that do exist are fulfilling enough for me. I'm very happy where I am, but only because I know there's an immense challenge waiting just around the corner. Also I get free cake at my job which helps.

Here when did we get a LIKE button?!

What on Earth is happening?

I always post in here when I get back, so here's a picture of me from when I graduated last year. I don't even want to see the earlier pictures I posted on here.

Look at all these familiar faces. Hi guys! I actually came back to this site for a moment because I'm writing a piece for my job, which I wouldn't have without joining these boards. I'm doing my Doctorate in English and Cultural Studies and get to work as a lecturer too - there's a big series of talks in the summer that I'm involved in around digital culture so rightfully I ended up back here. I'm only 24 now and I joined in 2003, thirteen years ago. I was the type of kid that spent a lot of time in my room and on my computer, so I was here quite a lot making RPGs. Since I've been writing from my undergrad and had a lot of success in that area, I've never come across a time where I've improved creatively and technically in my life than joining these forums - everything after was a steady climb that doesn't compare to the dive bomb of joining a random internet forum when you're eleven. It's not necessarily learning how to be a writer, but more the imaginative process that goes into what we used to do here; character and world creations, collaborations, motivation to carry on (I don't recall a finished RPG though) and the benefits of thinking big when you're working with what is essentially such a small, limited platform. You have to come up with a lot of clever solutions and most of the people I work with don't have the same base skill set I feel I've gained from my adventures online. This forum, which again explains why I'm back here right now, is also a gateway to my field of expertise in what I hope is a long career for me. I feel like I grew up here. There was, of course, the outside world, but this place is influential to my perception of my work and the cultural landscape I'm exploring. Also, I certainly was a pretty lonely and depressed kid, and I still have trouble talking to IRL people about anything that's troubling me. The friends I made here got me through to being an adult who is almost comfortable with myself, and sometimes I cherish the memories of the friends I had on here more than the ones outside. I'm actually quite upset AIM closed down and I can't stay up until 4am to chat to some of you. To be specific though, I'd list my lessons from this site as: Creative Writing;Graphic Design;Handling criticism;Never argue with Allamorph on the rules and regulations of grammar;Internet etiquette; Boo is not from England.

EDIT: Judging from the date, you might not need this anymore. But it's been written so it might as well be posted :P Poetry is amazing. I love poetry. Songs are poetry, adverts are poetry, poetry poetry poetry.   You don't have to be Eliot or Poe or Bukowski to write poetry. Widen your search a little.   In all honesty there are very few influential/mainstream poets I like. T.S. Eliot is my favourite, Ezra Pound and Sylvia Plath come pretty close in second place. Anything pre-20th century isn't my cup of tea. This is the problem with people disliking poetry, I find; we're only introduced to most of the famous, older poets which I find have a very stagnant and boring way of writing poetry.   In my class, our poetry teacher challenged every single person who disliked poetry. Whatever excuse they had, she came up with a reason, or a poem, that changed their mind completely. People who said "I just don't like poetry" were shot down because they did in fact listen to Eminem and many other popular songs that use poetic techniques and are therefore poetry (whether they are GOOD poetry is another story), people who found it "too boring and slow" were introduced to the madness of Bukowski and anyone who complained the language in poetry was "old-fashioned" was stunned to silence by Phillip Larkin's blunt edge and his ever famous line "they fuck you up your mum and dad" and his ramblings about being a filthy old pervert.   So, there will be something that counts as poetry you'll adore. Be it songs, Will.i.am or Dante. The problem is getting your teacher to agree with that - which, if you can argue for it properly, they should agree or they shouldn't be teaching you about poetry at all.   Other than that, I've got nothing to suggest except a few of my own favourites.   Because I love poetry so much and I eat and shit poetry, I've got a huge backlog of poets I truly appreciate:   These are some of my favourites, if you're interested (some well known, others not, some arguably not poets, but poetry is life itself so of course they are):   Itch (youtube five bottles of shampoo) Phillip Larkin Charles Bukowski T.S. Eliot Felipe Andres Coronel (aka Immortal Technique) John Cooper Clarke (youtube "chickentown") < (from my hometown, aka "The Punk Poet" highly renowned for his live performances) Alex Grant Mark Girst (youtube his name to see the most legendary rap from a poetry teacher, ever) Paul Celan (a must-read) Nazim Hikmet Raegan Butcher  (http://www.raeganbutcher.com/): Billy Childish Jack Micheline

For starters, I have two cats: Lucky, a mean lean vicious machine (about 6 years) and Tiny... 19 years old, balding but still not dead. Anyway, dogs: [B]Name:[/B] Pixie Lott [B]Breed:[/B] Miniature Jack Russell (girl) [B]Age:[/b] 2 [B]Likes:[/B] Cuddles! [B]Dislikes:[/B] Not sleeping in the bed. [attachment=15237:pix.JPG] [B]Name:[/B] Jack Black [B]Breed:[/B] Miniature Jack Russell (boy) [B]Age:[/B] 1 [B]Likes:[/B] Being called a pretty little boy. [B]Dislikes:[/B] Other dogs, men, hoovers, stairs, people coughing near him, children... umm... everything, really. [attachment=15239:jack.JPG] ANNNNNND the two combined to make three puppies: [B]Name:[/B] Jack II (black and white one) [attachment=15241:jack2.JPG] [B]Name:[/B] Timmy Totts [attachment=15242:timmy.JPG] [b]Name:[/B] Mrs. Parnell [attachment=15243:parnell.JPG] *breathes* Annnd finally, ol' reliable, my childhood dog: [B]Name:[/B] Chance [B]Breed:[/B] Alsatian Labrador cross (Boy) [B]Age:[/b] About 9. [B]Likes:[/B] Being fat. [B]Dislikes:[/B] When you call him "James". My brother once tried to teach him his name was "James" and now he barks when you call him that. Middle doggie between Pixie Lott and Jack Black. [attachment=15240:chance.JPG]

[quote name='Allamorph' timestamp='1316027847' post='709443'] [FONT=Calibri]Good Lord, what were you thinking? That t-shirt is horrid. I'm calling Fashion Police.[/FONT] [/quote] Shut up, Allamorph! [img]http://herecomesthegirls.co.uk/cxlondon/Faster_Pussycat_Kill_Kill_Girls_T-Shirt.jpg[/img] Clearly no sense of style WHAT SO EVER. You come down Manchester and you say that, boy! You come right down here now! PS I love you.

HIA GUYZ. This is still happening. I've just been getting really really drunk with my new uni house mates and neglecting my life. I'll something sorted soon.

[url=http://postimage.org/image/bx0k1u2s/][img]http://s3.postimage.org/bx0k1u2s/291580_10150220999257706_695717705_6527511_56255.jpg[/img][/url] Rollin' roll ups 'cause I'm poor like that.

I've got a feeling the dinosaurs are going to pull it back.

[quote name='Pleiades Rising' timestamp='1313734206' post='708981'] To add another noisy German band to the mix, I'd have to nominate [b]Atari Teenage Riot[/b] ([i]go! go! go! go! go!, ATA-RI! TEEN-AGE! RI-OT![/i]). This is what happens when you let anarchists express themselves through music, and it's often as chaotic as an actual riot. With titles like "Start The Riot", "Destroy 2000 Years of Culture", and "Revolution Action" you know you're not gonna get afternoon tea music. Musically, they're like a mad cross between industrial, techno, and late 80's speed metal. [/quote] ATR is one of those bands that's passed down through generations of appreciation. If you ask anyone of the punks/anarchists/hippies or even remotely cool people in Manchester who have an incline towards punk-ish music, they'll know ATR and probably know most the songs off the back of their head. But nowadays you get these wannabe rave songs that are considered "hardcore" when it's really just a super-speedy bass line and some idiot talking about sex. That's why ATR would never be on TV or more famous than the little whispers... they just don't talk about sex and girls and glamour and mad club nights enough. Crystal Castles (woo woo!) is the closest thing I've ever came to Atari, but we all know for a fact Alice Glass from CC stole her image off Atari.

I'll let you all in on a secret; the only reason I'm actually making you play yourselves is 'cause I can't think of any new characters :P. Haha, I just think it would be a fun experiment. For me it'll be completely different, especially since I never play female characters. But to keep it as a fantasy game of course I'm not going to expect total unflinching honesty, for example I know a lot of people aren't as camera happy as me so won't be comfortable posting their own picture so their appearance can be acceptably changed. Think of it like an OB confidence building course. A hardcore version of team building exercises. Most of the time when see an RPG I come across other people's characters and I find them really interesting and cool, with totally whacked backgrounds and well-thought out personalities. By playing yourself to an extent things become a bit more difficult. For one, none of us hardly think we're that interesting (is that just me?) and one of the things I've managed to hold onto on these damn writing courses is the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Rather than diving in with a well-developed, awesome character we've instead got a mix of people too much like ourselves (because in reality they'll never be exactly us) with nothing but the foundations. By the end of it we can turn around and say Lara Croft ain't got **** on our characters :P. PS: BOO GET OFF MA' LAWN. Although we could call 'em trolls. Why not?

I think I might totally ditch super powers. The only reasonable explanation I had for obtaining such powers was a meeting with a post apocalyptic-style Wizard of Oz. I'm still totally playing with ideas... I came up with a sorta Silent Hill thing. After the recent riots here, I thought having the world slightly normal in the day and then CRAZY MUTANT DESTRUCTION AND EVIL at night would be cool. But I just don't know yet. I'm a bit weary about throwing us into a totally whacked world... I might just do a "I Am Legend" thing and have it quite normal in the day but decidedly evil and twisted at night time when the nasties come out to play.

[quote name='James' timestamp='1313469211' post='708936'] [font=palatino linotype]Are you kidding? I [i]only[/i] hire anarchists. I'd mention kuja to you, but you may not remember who he was.[/font] [/quote] I remember the legends around him, haha. I'd make a terrible [i]anarchist[/i] moderator at least - what would I do? Parade around the Arena controlling everyone's characters and being [i]really[/i] naughty by double posting to set a terrible example? Down with the Otaku regime! >_< By the way, not to advertise here but you should totally join my new RPG too. When I start it, that is. Since a certain Allamorph is refusing to join... :P

The sign-ups will probably be the most difficult part of all this. I've been thinking about what to put and it's bloody hard to describe yourself, ha. Another thing I've been pondering is whether or not to have the story as we know each other, from Otakuboards that is. I reckon that would be hella interesting and add a bit more... well, realism. And what's more interesting, writing about other people you know exist! This takes controlling characters to a new level in my opinion. Anyone who's interested is in. I'm not going down the normal "dude, you gotta be some Shakespeare guy for this" route. But I won't be starting until maybe end of August since I'm in the middle of moving at the moment :D

That was one of the main reasons for "play yourself". A lot of people do have vulnerable characters, but I just thought it'd be such a great experiment to have almost real people parading around in some other world. With no super cool background stories that can only be found in movies, just normal people. Normal-ish. I haven't decided yet. The post apocalyptic thing is really the only world I'm good at. I was thinking maybe to leave this entirely and just work on the whole world itself - develop it as we go along and try and find out the cause. What I wanted to do originally was have one normal post in our every day lives but ending with us waking up in this world. Not too original, but at least there's a lot of mystery. That leaves avenue for almost anything to happen - maybe we just happened to have sat in a coma forever, or were transported into the future, or a parallel universe, or - well, you get the idea. :D

Can't what, mister?

So I got really drunk last night and made a post or two, one of which included troll face and another included be babbling about an RPG. But this time I've actually decided to do it. I got a lot of spare time on my hands in September, which I'd like to revolve around writing since that's what my degree is meant to be. Anyway, I want to get some opinions and interest. And some comments/suggestions. The basics I have so far, which I've pretty much thought about for like... five seconds maybe... are below: [No title... yet] The general idea is to do something original. As a self-proclaimed writer I believe that you really find out a lot about yourself through writing, or at least solidify your identity. What better way to explore yourself than through a role play? The problem is, we all take on a completely different persona through our role playing. Maybe it's a indication of the kind of person we want to be - I know that's certainly true for me. So instead of coming up with brave new knight of the Kingdom who slays dragons and sleeps with the princess of a post apocalyptic future filled with androids and blue-eyed zombies, we're going to play [i]ourselves[/i]. I know some people prefer to keep their identity a bit of a secret here or might not be comfortable posting a picture so some exceptions will be made. Of course, I ain't going to know if you're lying about yourself, but the idea is to try and keep as close to [i]you[/i] as possible, personality wise above all else. Of course, I'm going to throw everyone into a new world. Post apocalyptic is always my special area, so that's the image I've come up with. Think of the "Tribe" (if you've seen it) but a bit more perverse; the books of the old world have been burnt, a distant distortion of what our society used to be roams the streets. Throughout the chaos and cruelty is... us. Trying to reclaim and remember what happened, what we had... and probably find out something new. After all, how the hell are [i]you[/i] going to react in a destroyed world? I'm not asking how Barb the Notorious dudette will react with her glorious super powers - but [i]you[/i], sat here at your computer playing pretend. I'm thinking of giving us all some brief super powers, just because I know we [i]all[/i] wanted a super power when we were little. But I'm not too sure about that. However, I want to see how we develop [i]ourselves[/i] and not just the characters. I think it'll be interesting. What'da ya think? Any suggestions?

It's okay, I'd make a terrible moderator anyway. That's like an anarchist campaigning to be chief of police. And I'm a very bad influence. If anyone was wondering... yes, I was drunk in the previous post. I might come back and do an RPG in September when I'm back at University. You never know! (Or I might just post troll faces everywhere. Take your god'amn pick!) EDIT: In fact, yeah, I'ma do an RPG soon! In September at some point. Watch this space. Spread the word. And more importantly y'all better join.

I come back when I've been drinking. 'cause to return in a sober state makes me depressed. The days when the Arena was, like, the BUSIEST PLACE EVA has gone. And like, me and another bunch of RPers were the big dons of that place. And James never made me a mod after all the work I did there! Pffffffffffffffffffffffft. :( Anyways, ciao for like another five months or somethin'. There be Tekillya in the corner.