are we minority?or the one true vioce.

[Devons Daddy]

this is the officail site.
we the boarders are dyed in the wool fans.

as such are we representive of a shared mentality. we belong because we share this view.
or are we actaully a true measure of the satifactoin levels tooth is achieving.

how do they actaully measure it other then weekly sales.

[ukdane]

Well, we're certainly the ones with access to both computers and the internet.
We also know of the site's existence...
... and we're not afraid to use it!

[Proudhuff]

Ah grasshopper, An anorak shared looks like a tent from within...

Middenpus

[Buddy]

We are the ones who read 2000ad, have access to a compter, have access to the internet and could be arsed to spend our presious time typing messages tike this on the bloody thing!!!

P.S. DD don't mention 'One True Voice' I much prefer 'Girls Alowed' (except the ginger minge!!(no offence Mecha Bou - I'm sure your minge is beautiful, Oh dear I'm just digging a hole for myself here, arn't I - sorry Mecha))

[The Monarch]

one true voice the reason the girls aloud tour was canceled thanks boYs!!

[El Spurioso]

I'd hazard a guess - and it's just a guess, mind you - that the types of people who are regular messageboarders/chatters represent the tiniest portion of the full spectrum of types of people who read 2000AD.  Think about it - 24000 people (or whatever it is these days) read the mag week-in, week-out: do we really believe that the 60-or-so regulars in this community are the *only* ones with access to the internet?  Of course not.  

My conclusion - and remember that this is all just opinion, mind, and I know from some great discussions in the chatroom that there are plenty who disagree - is that us lot represent just one strata of 2000AD fans who digest it and regard it with a sort of religious fervour.  We're the football hooligans of the 2000AD readership, if you want to look at it that way. ;)  

The logical extension of that supposition is that what we want out of the prog isn't neccessarily the same as what other, more 'casual' readers want.

I'd argue that this disparity in audience-gratifications isn't really a problem for 2000AD: as an anthology it can afford to target different types of audience simultaneously.  That would certainly explain why it's rare for anyone to love *everything* in the prog, just as its rare for anyone to *hate* everything.

I'm not 100% convinced by this, but I'm leaning that way at present.  I'm prepared to be shown otherwise, though.

[Tu-plang]

"We also know of the site's existence..."

I don't think there are many regular 2000ad or Megazine readers who don't know about this site.  It's on the cover, in the Nerve centre, on the letters page I think, and on many of the advertisements in the prog.  I've often wondered why more people don't use it.

[The Monarch]

well who's complaining because there's so few of us we practically know each other quite well we rule but not as much as tooth or the trout

[jock]

I think you're right Si... summed up for me as a metaphor with one strip. Sinister Dexter. I know it has some fans here and on the alt.comics board but as far as I can tell it's generally disliked.

I've always enjoyed it, when I was just reading the comic (before having my circuitry implanted) it always seemed to be a refreshing change of pace to the rest of the comic...

My point is that when I threw progs at friends who didn't read it, Sin Dex was often the strip they enjoyed the most/ found most acessible etc. Where as to the 'hardened' 2000 fan it 's often deemed almost offensive. Showing perhaps that the message board culture has a particular 'level' of appreciation? Which perhaps Sin/Dex doesn't operate on...

I don't want to open another long winded Sin Dex discussion but for me this fact was always quite revealing. I do think the phrase 'the vocal minority' exists for a reason.


Jock

[The Monarch]

i think jock is pretty much right sin/dex must have it's fans its just many of us on the board arn't saying that bison must have its fans right?

[karne]

I think that Tharg should run regular features in 2K and the Megazine, showing readers what this site contains and how to use it. Basically something to make new users feel more at ease when they first log on.

I remember my first experiences here, being new to the world of Internet surfing, I had no idea how this site worked, how to find anything or who to ask. Consequently it was a while before I felt confident enough to even post, let alone visit the chatroom. Hard to believe I know, when you see the sh*te-spouting monster I have become.

Anyway it's just a thought, but if you want more people to visit here, maybe a virtual guide/welcome pack would be an idea.

[Trout]

I'm very interested to read Jock's opinion on SinDex as a metaphor for 2K, because I've been thinking along similar lines myself.

I'm willing to bet that a wide-ranging poll of readers would fail to produce any story that was universally liked or disliked.
I bet there's even a fan of Chronos Carnival somewhere, but they'd be too scared to post here. :-)

I'm part of that strong anti-SinDex brigade, although I used to quite like it.

However, I'm aware that it has a lot of fans and people seem to love it or loathe it, like the comics equivalent of Marmite.

I'd hate to think that criticism on this site would be enough to kill it off if it does have a lot of fans who simply don't post here. Doubtless Tharg has an indication himself.

Distilling the board's regulars:

loyal 2000AD/Meg readers

with access to a computer

and the internet

and a good bit of spare time

and a tendency to talk too much.

I fit the bill. I admit it.

Hey Si - comics' equivalent of football fans? That's an insightful thought.
Let's chant together:
"The Alien's going home in the back of an am-bu-lance!"
:-)

- Trout

[Slippery PD]

I have to agree with Si here.  We are a vocal minority, but maybe we dont reflect the opinions of regular (non posting) readers.  

Look at the make up of regular posters (creative droids (si, gordon, jock, fraser), admin droids JB1, mark13, wake), proto-droids (art, gw, Al Ewing), Fanzine editors  & webmasters(Logan, PVS, uncle umpty) and some hardcore fans (dxb, uk, oddboy).  The list is kinda made up of insiders or those in the "know" isnt it?

My own personal bugbear on this site is the seeming lack of "normal" fans.  Where are they all?!?!?  At times, for me, we have references to Dr Who & lots of little obscure Sci Fi references.  Well soem of us aint fans and if Id arrived on site during some of these "discussions" I cant say Id be back.

On the subject of SinDex, Ive grown to loathe this strip, but I accept that it is accessible and not quite Sci-Fi. So it may be more acceptable to a non comic reading audience or at least a non sci fi audience.  But I do feel once youve read a years worth, you dont need to read them again.....

Ach Well....

Yer Slippo

[Trout]

"Look at the make up of regular posters (creative droids (si, gordon, jock, fraser), admin droids JB1, mark13, wake), proto-droids (art, gw, Al Ewing), Fanzine editors & webmasters(Logan, PVS, uncle umpty) and some hardcore fans (dxb, uk, oddboy)."

Royal Sycophant, you forgot despotic fish. :-)

Seriously, remember past polls have shown most boarders are long-term fans of the comic.

I was struck at Dreddcon by the similarities between us all, roughly speaking.

I mean age, interests, social class and even race - and in some cases (shudder) weight...

- the Trout carries more weight round here than anyone

[Queen Firey-Bou]

hmmmm, well it can be a bit cliquetastic geektastic, but it doesn't take too long to push in & join in. mebbe a lot of 'average' fans aren't so pushy as me? theres loads of times, i feel like a half arsed tragic fan girl cos i really dunno what the chat/ board are on about. But some of us are too busy living all action adventures to be up to speed on all the fictional ones. mebbe 'average' fans are busy & go out n do stuff & wisely know that to enter the chat is a slippery slope of obbsessional no mates & no return?

The letters on input seem to differ from chat opinions, is this because they are hand selected for print or do they represent a cross section of opinion?

Anywey it doesn't matter at all cos we should trust the omnipotent Thargs judgement, he truely knows which thrills are required.