With any community you are a part of, whether online or in real life, there will be some kinda of drama. Personalities clash, tough subjects are discussed and competition sometimes gets a little less than friendly.
With a long list of non-scrapbook-related (NSBR) forums and even a smack blog or two, this is certainly true in digital scrapbooking. On one hand, lively debate adds some spice to the conversation. But on the other, everyone’s personal line for what is cordial or inoffensive is different. Whether or not you sense this depends on how often you interact in forums.
So tell me what you think of the drama within our community:
- Do you lurk in forums with heated discussions, i.e. “I just can’t look away”?
- Is the drama easy enough to avoid if you want to? What’s your strategy?
- Do you engage in heated discussions if they seem to be good hearted and among friends?
- Do you think “hot topic” forums have a place and is that place in a scrapbooking community?
- Are there drama-free zones you enjoy hanging out?
Let’s not focus here on any specific places that do have drama. This discussion is not about bashing any sites or groups of people. I believe strongly in allowing anyone to say their peace, within the construct of a site owner’s rules. My rules are simply to not attack and to be constructive in your criticism or comment.
I haven’t really witnessed much drama in the digital scrapbooking community, myself. Anything I might classify as “drama” seems to be confined to single threads in the forums, so I could just ignore those threads, but of course I read through them but probably do not post anything myself.
I DO like that most forms have a non-scrap area to discuss whatever you want. You get familiar with people, so it’s nice to just chat too, or vent!
I’ve been thinking a lot about all-about-me pages, so I would challenge people out there to scrap about their views on controversial issues/hot topics. I know my thoughts on certain things have changed/evolved over the last several years, so I think it would be great to have that documented for later down the line.
My time is so limited that when I do jump into a scrapbook community, I’m going there to look for an answer to a scrapbooking related question. I might peruse the scrapbooking forum to see what is being discussed but I just never feel the need to go to the NSBR forums. I think it’s good they are there though because basically when it comes down to it – us scrapbookers are caring people who try and appreciate all that life has to offer. If I wanted an opinion on something NSBR, a scrapbook site might be a good place to post something. Maybe if I had more time I’d hang out there.
I have a tendency to be turned off by all the information in people’s signatures at various digi scrapping stores communities. For one, I don’t feel like I need to see the advertisement of the designers in a forum. And it just makes things seem so “clicky” if that’s a word. It doesn’t matter to me when I’m reading someone’s post who they design for, where they shop or who they are a fan of. Maybe there is a reason that so many people incorporate that info in the siggy’s that I’m not aware of so I do not mean to offend anyone with that comment!!!
I do my best to avoid the drama, and it seems to me that there’s less of it on the large sites lately, which is probably due to good moderation and level heads. I tend to be in my own little zone anyway, and often don’t know there’s a big controversy brewing until someone alerts me to that fact! Then, I’m a total rubbernecker. I drive by on purpose, trying to look like I’m not really looking, but making sure I get all the details!!
@Carri – I’m with you, I hate the huge siggys with a zillion flashing blinkies. You have to scroll forever to read anything, and the flashing stuff reminds me why I don’t allow those blinking colored christmas lights at our house! But… it IS good to know who’s ‘working’ for whom. You do need to ‘consider the source’ of comments and opinions, and it tells me something if the only people commenting are from one particular store or creative team. We need to remember that CT members are really employees of their respective designers and sites, as they receive payment for their services. So you do need to consider their comments in that light, and for that reason it’s good that they are up front in their siggys with where their allegiances lie. But I do SO wish they could be smaller and not flash!!!
Given that the new FTC regulations regarding disclosure include posts in forums, I would think its actually more necessary than ever to include your own businesses and CTs in a signature.
The new rules cover “any advertising message (including verbal statements, demonstrations, or depictions of the name, signature, likeness or other identifying personal characteristics of an individual or the name or seal of an organization) that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions, beliefs, findings, or experiences of a party other than the sponsoring advertiser”, not just blogs.
I guess this would apply to layouts also created as part of a CT as they are advertising for the designer. And most galleries don’t show siggys of the layout poster, just the commenters. I’m wondering if CT layouts should be identified as such? hmmm food for thought!
Some good points of view expressed here! I tend to do my own thing and don’t “hang out” on large forums. Rather, I post on personal blogs that interest me. I have seen one “drama” event occur because I found out from someone else. I admit that I did go read what was going on, because it was such a huge thing. Other than that one time, I haven’t heard anything else and don’t really want to, LOL!
I do like that some forums have non-scrapbook related areas. I think it can be a place for like-minded individuals to chat. I did check out one thread on Digiscrap Addicts that was about twilight, and had a few good laughs. If you’re looking for humor, they often have a thread going.
I hate to say it but I really stopped hanging out on the digi sites that have the non scrap view areas. They used to be nice but about 6 months or so ago it seemed like it became a huge attack area from everything to religion to politics and it got nasty. Also there seemed to be a spillage of attacking people that were on cts and problems with piracy and other nasty stuff.so I just left except to play with actual scrapping stuff.
As far as the blinkies in sigs, alot of times they arent for other people. They are for the person who posts them. They make people happy. I understand when they get crazy big it can be irritating but to be honest, they are another form of creativity for some people ( making tags and siggies is a sep area from scrappingand has its own whole culture) and also as a CT member Im PROUD of my designers. They work very hard for little profit and I want people to see them. Sooo irregardless of new FTC rules, into the siggie they go!
Great discussion…I will look at the siggy’s a bit differently now.