What ever happened to DCFreaks?

[vicarz]

This board died because of the low signal to noise ratio. Despite some pleadings, the board moderators refused to moderate. The board was dominated not by those who had the best, most interesting, or insightful posts - but those with the most time on their hands and the urge to 'shout' most frequently. Some were trolls, some were just genuine idiots, but the result was pretty much the same. It's an internet-wide problem - no matter how little they have to contribute, the net is a place anyone can 'make a name for themselves' just by shouting frequently. This board was a prime example.

This board was eventually populated more with 'non-freaks' than with anyone remotely related to the DCFreak scene. We have always had morons in the freak scene as well, but they used to be regulated to obscurity just by a lack of interest from other people. Now in this forum they can achieve 'fame status' again simply by frequently posting. Like a naughty child, they don't recognize the difference between being seen and recognition.

If you’re worried about them, feel free to cruise LJ community lists - the same trolls have found new homes in those areas. For people that don’t like the freaks, they seem to follow them everywhere, dunking their pig-tails in inkwells.

I remembered that linked post from BlackJack well, and I think it’s a stretch to claim “lack the self confidence/esteem (or tolerance for bullshit) it takes to handle the bodyslam posts.” If you read what he wrote it’s pretty self-explanatory. Signal to noise ratio was in there somewhere. By the time he left, many of the former posters had migrated to LJ. I don’t think I ever saw him bodyslammed per se. What’s the point of an argument where no matter what evidence or logic you introduce, they simply say “DID TOO!” repeatedly? I followed as well, and am glad I did.

For me retreating to LJ is not just avoiding trolls, but what I found on boards like this was that there was little else emerging. I liked the idea of exchanging ideas with people I didn’t know or know well. I even made some friends that way. What happened by the time I gave up on this board was that there were no peole I was interested in knowing appearing. It’s one thing to tolerate trash, it’s another to tolerate trash with little hope of any reward for doing so. If people that I thought I might want to know were appearing on DCFreaks I would have stuck around, or may have stuck around despite the yelling of the trolls and their ilk.


Wow, I do sound arrogant, huh? Oh fucking well!

Comments

[joanarkham.livejournal.com]

Arrogant? Then I guess I am too, cause it makes perfect sense to me.

Even though my LJ is friends only, I've still made some new friends by reading comments on other friend's journals. It seems to me that's the way things used to be...you met someone, then met their friends and so on.

well-put!

[dodogrrl.livejournal.com]

It’s one thing to tolerate trash, it’s another to tolerate trash with little hope of any reward for doing so.

(wow, formatting gone dadaist alluva sudden!)

So right -- it's nonsense to ascribe fragility or "low self-esteem" (a phrase I am oh so ready to banish) when folks simply see something as having become a waste of time. What I still don't understand is the trolls themselves, but I don't understand guvmint or "reality TV" either so I don't plan to spend my time trying to understand them.

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

“DID TOO!”

NOT ME!

--kelowna

[shadow27.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's arrogant at all. I avoided DCFreaks for the same reason I left Psychoburbia, too much noise from non-scene people on what was supposed to be a scene forum.

Why do in need some pederast from oregon telling me how awful I am for watching television when I just want to know what shows are coming up?

[bluvampr.livejournal.com]

pederast

i *love* that word. yay!

My confession

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I had to look that puppy up:
(pd-rst) n. A man who has sexual relations, especially anal intercourse, with a boy.

[elvenfrost.livejournal.com]

I peeked in recently to just post a hi for any I haven't found on LJ and just didn't bother. Crap a plenty is what I found lurking there! My cat's litter box is more interesting than the current DC Freaks.

[ashbet]

*snark* Amen to that last bit . . .

I'm saddened that I had to make my LJ friends-only *so that I would feel safe posting photos of my 10-year-old daughter* because of those fucking wastes of skin . . . I do add people who are known/recommended by friends, which is why I have *so many* people on my friends list . . . can't keep up with that many entries, but at least I can have a semi-'public' journal this way, while still filtering who can see it.

Still, a shame, and I still am absolutely furious at those sonsofbitches >:P

-- Andi