Messages

>Why, after pleading with Rebellion and Shoreline, for information with regrads to the Dredd movies, do we always seem to hear about any releated news in other publications first.

Or at least say weve done an interview for blah blah magazine or whatever and just point us in the direction so we can buy it or read it on the shelf of our local newsagents.

Comes to something whem the 'official' site lets us find out stuff from other places. I know that the Rebellion offices may be a busy place but cant take much to say that theyve been interviewed or done features for other mags.

Rebellion may have got off to a great start but do fans get treated any better now than before they bought it?

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

havent had a day off for three weeks but was supposewd to have this weekend off, but ended up working. Have booked Monday & Tuesday of next week off so will do the big sort out then and keep my eye open for it.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

the thrill of medals soon wears off, mine are pinned to a old teddy that my missus keeps in the spare room.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Link: http://www.hedweb.com/benmogun/mutley.htm" target="_blank">What Happened To Mutley?

http://www.80snostalgia.com/classictv/ddmuttley/pictures/pic9.jpg">

>or did I imagine an episode with undercover comic dealers

The Comic Pusher: Prog 20
http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/mediumres/20.jpg">

>WR Logan has expressed strong opinions about what we get up to here.
I'll try to sum them up, but he'll correct me if I'm wrong.

>1. He likes off-topic discussions and general daftness but believes it puts people off joining in.

I sure do, the reason that I frequent this place is because it?s like being down the pub having a chat without anyone seeing me fall over and flirting with the barmaid, but believe that yes we do put people off joining.

>2. He has objected to a sexual reference in terms of how young newcomers might react.

Personally I couldn?t give a stuff about sexual references or swearing, I?m an ex squaddie who can be as crude, rude and crass as the next person and don?t really care about it. I tone down my general Anglo Saxon language simply because this is a public forum and save my normal language for the pub.

>This begs the question: Should we have stricter rules for the board?

That?s up for discussion, but I?ll make some points in a moment.

>Anyone in favour of banning swearing (yes, we may have discussed that before, but it's worth airing now, IMO) and adult themes the comic might not use?
>And what about non-2000AD related dicussion?
Should we limit ourselves for matters which are strictly on-topic?

Again I don?t think so but a two-tier board or more topics to choose from may be of benefit.

>Are we a clique?

Yes.

The biggest problem we have is, are we happy with this board, I?d answer yes. Could this board do with a few more members, well it probably wouldn?t do any harm.

The biggest question we have to answer is do we want the mighty one to advertise or publicise this board more?

All answers will have benefits and a downside, more publicity may add more members, but if the board grows too much does it become to huge to retain its sense of community, as we have to dredge through countless posts each day, finding it hard not only to follow particular threads but to remember peoples names and keep that sense of knowing everyone.

Personally I like this board, sure it could be improved or tweaked but any wholesale changes would/could change the whole nature of what makes this place fun to be a member of.

Are we the vocal minority, yes, do we want things to change and make this place more inclusive of the 28,000 readers, well that depends on what you like about this place. If it?s the friendliness or community feel then bringing the board to the attention of a wider audience would probably change that, and once changed it would be impossible to go back.

Do we leave things the way they are, my answer would probably be yes, but I?m one voice amongst many, and I know I?m part of the vocal minority, and I?m quite proud to be so. 28,000 readers, 100+ board members, sounds about right to me. From time to time I?ll take part in discussions to make places like this more popular or known to the wider readership. In the end I know that those opinions wont really change much, and also don?t really want them to. Bring the topic up, discuss it but in the end the status quo will remain simply because the vocal minority will raise their voices but who will hear us 8-)

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

>The bullying seemed to me that you'd decided to have a bit of a go at someone who hasn't posted much before.  Because they are part of some phantom vocal minority.  Wow, new members joining every day.

My original post was sent at 01:18 in the morning and it may come as a surprise to this tightly nit community but I don?t always look at whose sent a post, so at the time I didn?t take much notice of who I was replying to. My post was just asking someone to elaborate upon his or her post. I get the boards messages by e-mail and look at them either before going to work or when I get back in whatever time that may be and sometimes flip through them. Depending upon time of day or how much free time I have I may take notice of whose post it is or try to take on board details to commit to memory about that person, but generally skip posts that don?t always relate to 2000AD directly. I pick up the odd personal details about spouses, kids or what jobs people have but not always. It sometimes amazes me that some people remember exactly who sent a post or said something weeks ago or remember exactly where someone lives, what job they do or the names of their kids and pets. That?s something that gives this board a sense of community, the feeling that although many of us will never meet we?ve got to know that person, but at times I just hit delete as when I?m looking at getting 5 hours sleep before going to work again time doesn?t always allow for in depth reading of some of the more off topic posts.

>I'm also going to challenge this vocal minority tag whenever it appears (is that vocal enough for you dude!).  It's basically just an attempt to sweep aside views that people don't agree with, without debating the merits of a strip.  Don't like what someone's said?  Well, they ARE the vocal minority, their opinion can't be worth a grain of salt.

Be as vocal as you like (dude!) but I will continue to say that we are the vocal minority and can?t understand why people see that as such a derogatory remark. Lets say there are around 25,000 people who read 2000AD, there?s around a 100 people who are members of this board. The vocal tag is simply because we seek out this or other 2000AD forums and make our different views known to each other. As for a minority well 100 readers out of 25,000 to me equals minority. We search out this forum to speak to like others who read 2000, we have different views and that?s what makes a place like this work, if we all liked the same thing it would be a boring place to be. Don?t equate Vocal Minority with people?s views not being worth anything, vocal minority to me means a small number of people who come together to let their voices be heard, out of a much larger readership.

>As this vocal minority seems to change from strip to strip, isn't it really the case that there isn't any vocal minority and what you actually have is a site where the people on it have different opinions and aren?t all part of some hive mentality (another popular euphamism for 'a bunch of wankers I don't agree with').

As I?ve said my tag of vocal minority is nothing to do with our views being wildly different from the average 2000AD reader, its because as I?ve said a small number of that readership make their views known.

>If someone says somethings crap, you can bet they do have reasons, if you really want to know, try asking nicely before laying the heavy guilt trip on.

Perhaps my post could have been worded better, but my views of 2000 are similar to some and completely opposed to others, I just like to see peoples reasons. Time doesn?t always allow for lengthy posts and I?ve posted my fair share of short posts but at times I just want to see more.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.http://www.regalweb.co.uk/loony/animated/flame_war.gif">

>Of course, you're welcome to disagree, but to me it sounds a little like bullying.

How do you bully someone on the message board? Could print off their icon and stick pins in it.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

>He has as much right to moan about it as you do sin dex Logan and you don't always give reasons for that.

He certainly does and over the years I've bored people stupid with my reasons, to the extent that most people know I dislike Sin/Dex and have read my reasons numerous times. So when I say I don?t like Sin/Dex I don?t go over the same points that I?ve stated on many occasions. My point is that too many people come on various 2000AD forums and say something is crap but don?t say why they don?t like it or try and convince us they are right with any argument. I don?t care whether people dislike stories or not, my only priority is how much I like a Prog, but when people have positive or negative things to say I like to see the reasons behind them.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

>Beck & Kawl is awful. I assume its sole purpose is to give hope to aspiring writers, but it would surely be more at a home in a small-press fanzine? Comedy strips do not work, and for a new writer to be doing parody is a bit lame.

Comedy strips dont work, what! Early ACE Trucking is funny and works, Robo-Hunter is funny and works, theres loads of dredds that sre intentionally funny and work, and the list could continue.
Bec & Kawl works for me, and to say that for a new writer to do parody is lame, is just, well, lame.
Im sure if we could actually get something into the galaxies greatest comic we could get all judgemental but theres nothing worse than someone from the vocal minority saying saying that something is crap without giving any real reasons. If Bec & Kawl are so out of place in the galaxies greatest comic then at least come up with a decent reason.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

The minority report gains new ground and some new pre pubescent fans join the group, what their first question ?Dad, what?s fisting??

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/graphicnovels/hires/mek7.jpg">

>i am still coinsidering having my entire tooth collection free gifts and all cremated with me to read in the afterlife.or sell for better priveledges with the population there.

Exactly what I told my wife before we got married, all my comics are top be turned into a funeral pyre with me ablaze on top.

My wifes reply is that'll I'll be dead and wont realise that I'll be on top of a pile of the Diss Mercury and that all my comics will be sold to the highest bidder, so she can sail round the world on the QE2.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Still have it and im looking at it on my desk at the moment.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

>There you're assuming something negative is happening to "put them off."

Unless something really positive is stopping them joining in, like having a life.

I?ll repeat, 5000 hits a week, 1000 registered users, 100+ board members, you?d think that the odd one might pop up and say you know that sin/dex is bloody great, or Siku now there?s an artist who should be in 2000 every week.

28,000 2000AD readers you?d think that more than 1 in every 250 may like to join like minded people and voice the occasional opinion on what?s in this weeks Prog or talk about days of old.

Maybe we should take the bull by the horns and on the opening page of the web site there should be a quick guide to the message board. Get rid of all the other news, job offers, Frazer Irving bum kissing, Dredd:Con 3 reports and tripwire features and just put up a quick piece on the message board, link it to a page listing the benefits. Tell people that you wont get spam, can read online or get the messages by e-mail, give them a guide to the pros and cons.

Put it up for the two weeks following the next Jump on point and see how it goes, there can be no excuse then for the multiple people that visit the site from knowing there is a message board amongst the plethora of other stuff on the site.

Let them join 2000 AA, 2000AD Anonymous, hello my name is William Logan and I read 2000AD, I?ve read 2000AD today and I?ll probably read 2000Ad tomorrow.

Hello William, everyone claps and we move on to the next person.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

>I'm not getting shirty, Logan, but I think one of the strengths of this board is that we get away with a little bit of misbehaviour.

As I said "I like the off topic chat, the quirkiness and irreverent nature of the board" So put your crown on straight and act regally before I launch 29 T.A.D.?s at your kingdom 8-)

My point is that if you were what ever a normal 2000AD reader is supposed to be and took a peek at the board, you?d at times for being forgiven for thinking the link had taken you to a completely different place, where 2000 can at times be the minority subject. Read through the posts and you see that yes on the whole it is a good natured place, the majority of boarders have a good relationship and the fact that it is a bit clicky is another reason that people may think twice about joining in any conversation.
Every good thing about this board can also be used against it for reasons that people don?t join in, 1000 registered users, 5000 different computers looking at the site each week and only a 100 or so message boarders of which less than half of those regularly post.
A great place to be this may be, but we the vocal minority must be putting people off in some way, either that or were just too boring 8-)

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.http://www.2000ad.nu/classof79/images/logan.gif">

The vocal minority, that we surely are, I mean who here thinks that Sin/Dex are great, when any true 2000AD reader knows that they are complete crap.

This board suffers in the same way as the 2000AD newsgroup, not enough people know about it and if they do then take a look at the group of people that use it and its enough to put anyone off subscribing.

Tharg could put a full page feature in the weekly Prog or once TPO has finished in the meg maybe something could be slotted in there, even with that exposure any new browser to the site has get through the banter to see the threads or posts that relate directly to 2000.

Internet literate or big 2000 fans may be interested in joining in, but those deluded people who don?t pray to the altar of Tharg may be put off simply because there is a clickyness to the board in the same way as the newsgroup. Read back through the posts and see how many are about king trout, other comics besides 2000, Arthur Wyatt?s gun and ammo weekly and the odd fallout between boarders. I like the off topic chat, the quirkiness and irreverent nature of the board but if you were looking at it for the very first time would you think about joining in, and how many people took a look when the board was first set up and was put off by the cat lover who?s name I wont mentioned. Also how many people are put off because they have to sign up and may think that they are going to be inundated with spam, how many younger readers are put off because chat rooms and message boards are the home of paedophiles?

This board and website could do so much more if given the backing of the mighty one but when something as simple as this weeks Prog cover has to be scanned by wake and isn?t sent to him straight from the nerve centre before the Prog hits the stands, what hope is there for Tharg to give more time and effort into promoting the site.

How many people have signed up for the 2000 site? Do they get e-mails giving them the line up for forthcoming Prog?s, what new features have been added or what?s for sale in the future shop.

Enjoy being the vocal minority because if the board becomes more popular how many more posts can you get through in a single day, especially if you read the board at home and not at work.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.