Maturity

[Sui Generis]

I was thinking today and I thought of something.

It seems like Otaku Boards has matured, I mean thread wise.

We have so many threads now of more mature topics ranging from pregnancy, suicide, or even homosexuality. Instead of the old stuff, such as snowboarding and such.

Am I the only one that thinks this?

And I was thinking even more about it and I thought of something else. I know its scary I'm thinking.

But do you think that its a reflection on the World today?

I mean has the world had more problems rise up on these issues or not?

Or is it just the people here are growing up and facing these problems, and trusting Otaku Boards to help with these problems.

Or could it just be both?

I know this is kind of an odd thread, but it just struck me. I mean we've had so many depression threads and such.

What do you think the cause is?

[silentdeath]

i haven't been around for long but i've been to other forums and this one does seem different.

strangly personal and friendlier.

whatever it is i like it!

[XxmagentaxX]

Yea I kind of agree. there dont seem to be as many stupid threads like there used to be...
I mean awhile ago no one knew where to post anything...They posted everything in the wrong place.... It bugged so bad..
But now alot more people seem to know what they are doing.... but there are still a few that dunno what to do about anything

[Harry]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lalaith Ril [/i]
[B]

We have so many threads now of more mature topics ranging from pregnancy, suicide, or even homosexuality. Instead of the old stuff, such as snowboarding and such.
[/B][/QUOTE]
When I came here (October 2001) all there was were suicide threads and how depressed everyone was, that's why I left.

[Kent]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i]
[B]When I came here (October 2001) all there was were suicide threads and how depressed everyone was, that's why I left. [/B][/QUOTE]

I thought you left because your damn sister died.:therock:

But whatever, I stuck up for you in that thread too.
enough of that though...

Im hitting on this idea of maturity.

The way I see it... although the subjects have become more mature, the people discussing them and the quality of the replies are still the same.

The topics changed, not the people.

Just look how long it takes before any political thread turns into flaming and inturn is closed.

[James]

[color=#808080]I think part of the reason the site matures over time is because of our rules and the way we enforce them. Over time, if someone makes silly threads constantly...they'll either be banned or leave...or they will remain here and try to improve.

It is those members who end up representing the more mature aspects of our community, I think. Sometimes you'll notice that lots of threads get closed in a short space of time. When this happens, I think it reminds people of the quality we expect to see.

So, it's how things evolve over a period of time, really. That's how I see it, anyway. You can either get worse...or you can improve.[/color]

[Harry]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by gokents [/i]
[B]I thought you left because your damn sister died.:therock:[/B][/QUOTE]
If you didn't notice, I joined in October of 2001, and then came back less than a month ago.

[Guest Zeh]

[color=003399]Well, when TheOtaku changed from Gaming to Anime, most of the old people stayed. Very few of us are left now. I think it's because Anime in general produces an older, or more mature audience, than gaming.... I dunno, just an idea o_O [/color]

[silentdeath]

you guys' rules are very strict but that's the only way to produce order.

[James]

[color=#808080]I don't think that really has anything to do with it; if anything, we've gotten more "immature" members via anime.

If you remember our old GameBoy forums, you'll remember that most of the discussions were very mature...no need for much moderation back then.[/color]

[Charles]

I notice that there seems to be more depressing threads during the winter months. The same thing happened last year.

People are probably revealing more personal problems and intimate details about themselves because they've seen others do so. The responses are generally comforting--so they feel safe in seeking advice and comfort here. That speaks volumes about the progress the forums have made.

But, these topics aren't always mature. I've noticed a lot of silliness and immaturity resulting from those threads. Especially when the participants in the discussions have no idea what they are talking about. So, mature topics dealing with education, religion, homosexuality, or politics don't always equate into mature discussion.

[TheShinje]

Yes, i think these boards have matured alot since i've been here, forma about may 2002 (ignore my rego date, me and my stupid name "phases") I also took the liberty to go back and see most of the posts at the beginning of the Vbulletin era, and they were all OMG's and LOL, there was hardly even a good discussion on the first few pages, albeit there were a few.

That's also how I started, lots of shorthand quotes, because i thought of OB more as a slow chat room than a family of otakuites.

So, while the rules are strict, they have helped me grow in maturity, as this has been apparently the trend of this board itself ^_^.

[James]

[color=#808080]To be brief, we've seen both extremes.

The boards were pretty mature on v1. v2 was probably the most spammy/immature period for OB. And then, with v3...we've steadily grown into a more mature/prestigeous community. It's all about development, as I said earlier.[/color]

[Lady Macaiodh]

[color=darkblue]Charles took the words right out of my mouth. Winter is generally a more depressing time of year that makes people sit back & speculate about things, because in general people are more cooped up. It's also slam in the middle of the school year, which would depress anybody. Those type of threads will probably clear up in a few months.

I also agree that the rules keep things from going haywire around here with spam, pointless threads, etc. Some people complain about them, but I for one have never really had a problem following them. The rules don't really ask much of the members. I mean, everyone slips up sometimes, but the mods at least examine the context before they come down on someone. On the whole, the rules make this a much more mature place. I've tried other forums with virtually no rules, & the spam was outrageous, as was the flaming, which I see as utterly pointless. I joined this board to discuss things, not to read "YAY!!!" as a post or ""**** you *****, you don't know what the **** you're talking about, *******!" I mean, that's just a waste of time.

Also, everyone is growing up. Those members who have been around awhile have gotten used to the boards & are more comfortable expressing their opinions. I know the quality of my own posts has gone up since I first joined. Lalaith Ril, I've noticed that you've matured a lot. So have many others. Besides, the whole, shall I say, "screening process" weeds out the ones who won't be quality posters. I can usually tell by a newbie's first posts if they're going to last around here or not.[/color]

[GhostofSalvtore]

Well does it have to do with maturity, does talking about these topics make us more mature? I just see it as a way to express ourselves but I have never thought of it as being mature. I mean is the Otaku Lounge just for mature or controversial topics like suicide and homosexuality? I guess people put more thought into there posts so that could be said they are mature, but still................otay.

[Guest Altron Gundam]

Well, Tasis might have already said this, but I could agree to a certain extent. I kinda is the "off-season" for anime right now in the mainstream as for dub watchers, they are seeing nothing but re-runs from Cartoon Network or whatever. This is the time of year, topics start to lack in the anime sections, while people turn to the situations of the world to talk about.

[DuoMax]

I have only been here for a short while,right at the beginning of v3, so I wouldn't know.

[Magnum Apex]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Well, I won't comment on how the boards have grown, since I'm a newbie. I've been coming to the site for a long time, but not to these message boards.

However, I don't think calling this place "mature" should be the right way to define it. Maturity is an arbitrary concept. What can be mature to someone may not be mature for another, and sometimes the way people express themselves doesn't necessarily mean they're acting immature or otherwise. A person can be thoughtful, intelligent, but not "mature." The same goes with topics discussed. Sometimes people call topics "mature" just because these emphasize on real-life situations, such as international news, life and death, etc. Just because these topics are more discussed, doesn't mean a community is more mature. Beh... even that last statement is wrong, since the concept itself is highly subjective and undefined in nature and society.

Oh well... as for the rules, ever since I've joined I've believed this place has several more rules than other forums, and it is thus a more 'uptight' environment. I still believe it is. I try to get entertainment out of everything I do, and that includes browsing certain message boards when I'm online. Entertainment doesn't always translate to serious discussion, at least not for me, which is why I only come here every so often. Either way, the rules seem to reflect the goal of this place, which is having a very tightly controlled community, with a certain level of discussion that must be met. Every time I need to get away from spam and flaming, I know I can come here.[/color][/font]

[Guest cloricus]

[color=teal]I personally put it down to the community growing older as a whole and all the new members are respecting that and following the good examples.
Especially those of Jamez, TN and depending on how many more metal asylums you wish to build "Charles". (You know your insane!) (And also the countless other Mods.)[/color]

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]I don't know. I haven't really been able to post much lately because that's ALL that's on here: depressing threads about how much life sucks. Well, everyone goes through bad times. I think the reason people makes threads about it is to get attention and to get people to console them. I'm not saying it's a bad thing becuase everyone needs someone to talk to and I guess alot of people feel they can only open up on here. So this place may be their safe haven and their only escape.

I'll just be glad when someone starts an entertaining and happy thread. I'm tired of all of you being depressed. Cheer up! The world is not ending! ^_^[/color][/size]

[ChibiV]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#808080]I think part of the reason the site matures over time is because of our rules and the way we enforce them. Over time, if someone makes silly threads constantly...they'll either be banned or leave...or they will remain here and try to improve.

It is those members who end up representing the more mature aspects of our community, I think. Sometimes you'll notice that lots of threads get closed in a short space of time. When this happens, I think it reminds people of the quality we expect to see.

So, it's how things evolve over a period of time, really. That's how I see it, anyway. You can either get worse...or you can improve.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

True. Unlike other boards that I'm in, this board is stricter. I don't see a lot of spam or ridiculous threads. The quality of this boards is very high.

[Lady Macaiodh]

[color=darkblue]I don't get bored here, despite depressing threads, because I've had to leave the Boards for extended periods of time, & I missed many people a lot. It wasn't until I didn't have a way to come here that I realized how important the friends I've made here are to me. I almost feel protective of this place, in a way. If somebody were to disrespect the boards or any of its members, I'd probably snap off on them hard. It becomes like a society to those who have been here awhile.[/color]

[Genkai]

*doesn't read thread beyond 1st 3 posts*

I've been thinking the same, thread-wise. But people-wise, I dunno. It doesn't feel as family-ish as when I first came here... Hmm. I still like the seriousness of our boards.. No " I lke pie" threads or "in this thread you are a pirate thereads" (though they are genius), like on other boards.

[Pressure]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by genkai [/i]
[B]*doesn't read thread beyond 1st 3 posts*
B][/QUOTE]

[color=purple]Augh.. now this is what bothers me.. more as a member of the boards than as a Moderator..

If you are not willing enough to read more than the first three posts of a thread, why bother posting in it at all? If it is a long thread, like ones I've read before, that got near 60 pages, then by the 60th page, the topic has been scruitinized very finely, and every aspect has been sought out and voiced.

Usually when this happens, members begin to "bounce" off of one another, they stop posting about the topic, and begin to post about one another's views. When this happens, opinions are spurred, and this is when the truly interesting topics and discussions are started. If you don't want to read the entire thread, at least read the most recent posts, that way your post won't disrupt the over all flow of the thread.

That said..

Otaku itself has not matured much, it's the members that have. I believe I joined Otaku right around the same time as the terrorist bombings occured. Back then, you could go to nearly any topic, and at least one thread, was about Dragonball Z. Or you could go down the member list, and 60% of the names, had 'Goku' or 'Vegeta' in them.

I remember my first three posts, were pure spam, nothing more.

I also remember reading the threads, and being both astonished at the intelligence of some members, Lady Macaiodh, Sara, Sephiroth, and Transtic (who had the most amazing icon I had ever seen). I began to feel unintelligent and ashamed, so, I stopped posting about how much I loved Sailor Moon's hair, and began answering topics that were well thought out, and in my opinion, were worth reading and answering.

I do so love a good controversial topic, most members do. I.E.My abortion topic nearly started a riot. :devil:[/color]

[Nimrod]

I would most certainly agree with anybody that says that these boards have matured, at least since I came here. I originally joined close to the end of V1 (Feb 2001, 2 years and 10 days ago to be exact). I would say that the people at the end of V1 were pretty immature. At that time, almost no admins or mods were around to keep things in order. It seems that every week there was a new idiot that needed banning, but with nobody around to do it, it became a problem. I remember nights where there'd be some new member just flaming people for hours before Hbomb would finally show up and ban them. Some of these problems continued into early V2, but I don't think they were as severe as soon as some admins that actually stayed around on the boards showed up. Since then these boards have come a long way in level of maturity.