Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
214,388
edits
Forum Pecking Order: Difference between revisions
{{trope}} -> {{Useful Notes}}
Looney Toons (talk | contribs) (added link) |
({{trope}} -> {{Useful Notes}}) |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{
{{quote|''This comment is informed, reasonable, and it makes sense.
''[[Self-Deprecation|You must be new here...]]''
|"Schmorgluck" [http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,25219.100.html sums up] the ''[[Questionable Content]]'' forums and internet communities in general.}}
When a large group of people get together, chances are that they'll form some kind of hierarchy to try and keep some semblance of order. Internet forums are no different.
Ranks can be assigned on a purely practical level - for example, the forum creator maintains the board, while moderators can ban members, meaning that their status is "official" and grants more actual power. Other members, however, form a [[Cult of Personality]], with status being assigned according to fellow members' perception of them. Certain types of [[Online Personas]] gravitate towards particular ranks. This can seem strange, since most people start out as a Newbie, but can perhaps be explained by the newbie tendency to be quiet and careful until they gain some support and respect within the forum. That's when they relax and show their true colours, for better or worse. See also [https://web.archive.org/web/20130704152838/http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.htm Flame Warriors],
From highest-to-lowest status, forum members can be grouped into these divisions:
Line 22 ⟶ 23:
* '''The Old Guard''': They don't have any official power, per se, but they're the celebrities of the board. Newbies and Regulars know they've made it in the fandom if an Old Guard praises their [[Fanfic]] or asks for their MSN address. As with Regulars, they participate in day-to-day discussion, but often not to the same extent—The Old Guard have been into their specialisation/fandom for a while, and unless some sparkling new debate catches their attention, or a new series kicks into gear, they're not known for posting every five minutes. Sometimes even the Mods can be wary of crossing this group, since they've been here long enough to have a strong set of allies (and, occasionally, a mini-fandom of their own)... which means if they're a [[Jerkass]], hapless Newbies and blithely ignorant Regulars should be very careful in their dealings with them. Usually, though, this is a pretty benevolent group, and ''the'' ones to go to if you want to know obscure facts about the fandom. Most likely to be voiced (+v) in a channel.
** ''Who's here?'': [[Small Name, Big Ego]] with a [[Hair-Trigger Temper]] (if they don't get banned), The [[Resident Freak]], [[The Shepherd (trope)|The Shepherd]]. There's nearly always someone here who [[Suffers Newbies Poorly]].
* '''Regulars''': The bread-and-butter of a forum, and usually the most concerned with whatever topic the forum is ostensibly about. They hold debates, chat about [[OTP]]s, wonder what the deal was with the silent guy in episode 13 and greet/assess the Newbies. They'll also start Shipping Wars and occasionally [[Flame War|flame each other]], so watch out. They're the most active group, and the most closely watched by the Mods. Because they're the mainstay of the forum, they tend to define its tone and interests. Some Regulars may have been on the forum longer than some of the Old Guard, but due to lower post count aren't as well-known or popular.
** ''Who's here?'': Just about every personality type, but a few stand out: the [[Mediator]], the [[Single-Issue Wonk]]. and the [[Left Fielder]] in particular. Subgroups include the [[Die for Our Ship]]. A proto-version of [[The Shepherd (trope)|The Shepherd]] often occupies this space; always nice to Newbies, but lacks the clout to challenge the Old Guard.
* '''Bright Young Things''': An odd group, consisting of Newbies who have been promoted quickly. Their opinions are given more weight than those of other newcomers, although they're still expected to defer to Regular and Old Guard members. The reasons for this rapid ascension in the ranks can vary. They might be a friend of someone held in high esteem in the forum. They might be a well-known fanfic author or [[BNF|other fandom celebrity]] who's been active elsewhere. Or they're just plain nice, and have been making themselves useful from day one. Either way, it's not long before they've settled into the forum and are indistinguishable from other Regular members.
* '''Newbies''': Nearly everyone starts here. These are the board's new arrivals, often recognisable for their recent "Hi, I'm new!" post. After the initial meet-and-greet, a newbie will usually post sparingly until they get a feel for the board. Confident ones can find themselves quickly raised to the level of the Bright Young Things...or [[Gannon Banned]] for unwittingly [[Internet Backdraft|upsetting the forum's heavy hitters]]. Smart ones will have trawled the archives and checked the Rules and Regulations before speaking up, but that doesn't mean that they're immune to mistakes. Most decent Mods will make allowances for Newbies, and [[The Shepherd (trope)|The Shepherd]] will take extra pains to make sure they're given a fair hearing. However, this stage is also where the [[Troll]]s are weeded out, so the Mod will probably be keeping an eye on any newcomers for signs of trouble.
** ''Who's Here?'': Depending on the competence levels of the newbies (or the balance of acceptance vs. cynicism among the forum's regular members), they might find themselves branded a [[Noob]]. [[Lickspittle]]s and [[Me Too]]s usually don't get very far above Newbie level, since they never really say much to warrant "promotion." Unless, of course, they're fuelling the resident [[Small Name, Big Ego]].
Line 46 ⟶ 47:
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Fora]]
[[Category:
| |||