Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 saul_durian Jul 18, 2008 23:19:46	Hello everyone, I am fairly new to the forums here at wotc, but I am in no way new to forums, even forums about dnd. I think I have done a pretty good job being constructive here on the forums (example http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1061728 ), yet lately I have been getting flamed pretty hard because of my join date. And I often see phrases such as "Nice join date jerkwad...ignored" posted under other peoples responses and post w/e. My question is, does it really matter when someone joined? Does it take credit away from people just because they (or at least their current username) has a recent join date? If so, should I stop posting until a reach a certain milestone of time as a member? Sorry, just a little aggravated with some messages I have been receiving.
#2 Titanium_Dragon Jul 18, 2008 23:23:43	Well, it really depends. Sometimes people are sock puppets (i.e. they aren't real people, but just an additional account created by some user in order to make themselves look like at least someone agrees with them). Outside of that, though, no, it doesn't matter when you joined.
#3 malcapricornis Jul 18, 2008 23:26:07	I am a new poster myself. I have to agree with Titanium Dragon that it's the sock puppet type posters that are annoying. Especially when the writing style of some of these July '08 posters seem very similar to older posters.
#4 outlaw68 Jul 18, 2008 23:32:24	A lot of the grief people are getting for join dates is mainly because of the sock puppet accounts getting set up so they can log on bag the new edition and never be heard form again. Obviously not all new members are doing this, and to be honest i am surprised you have got grief. the posts of yours that i have read have all seemed pretty level headed, and have managed to steer clear of the normal 4th = Wow, or there are no craft skills diatribes. There has been quite a few people with Jun/Jul join dates that we see one post from, nearly always completely negative, and they never log in again to see if their "concerns and criticisms" have been addressed. Another example is users who have been banned for flaming and baiting creating a new account to do more of the same. Unfortunately the recent climate on the boards has bread a lot of dislike and led to these pointless edition wars. there are people over reacting on each side and taking personal offense to a lot of things. It will die down soon... I hope. The really stupid thing about all of the edition war crap is that posters who genuinely want help with something are getting caught in the crossfire. The thing a lot of the people that are trying to call people out for the join date are forgetting is that they are not helping their cause either way by doing it. My best advice is try and be level headed in your posts (i know it is hard sometimes) and try to engage the posters that give you a reasonable response in conversation. That way the people who jump to conclusions can see you aren't what they accuse you of being.
#5 splinters Jul 18, 2008 23:34:43	It's generally assumed that if you are flaming the new edition and you have a recent join date, that you are a troll who's been previously banned. Because you have a negative opinion about 4e and everyone who likes the edition is still trying to get over the tide of flamers and idiots, you will probably be grouped into this group. Blame people like Psionx who decide to troll about the new edition with wanton abandon, because you're probably gonna be seeing a lot of this:
#6 ocarina_guy Jul 19, 2008 0:03:51	Yeah, you're reasonable. But it's part of the human mind to remember the bad more than the good. Also, I think it's part of a "prove that you're not a spy" reflex hardwired into our minds from when we lived in close-knit tribes. Until you've been in long enough for the rest to get to know you, make sure that you're not going to stab them from behind, you're a target for flame. Also, let me point you to Jonathan Gabriel's Greater Internet F***wad Theory. http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/ It's a little blunt, and certainly not widely applicable, but still. It's a fine explanation, isn't it?
#7 batshido Jul 19, 2008 6:54:39	It really comes down to the overabundance of sock puppets and newly joined trolls we have around here. Every couple of days there's an extremely inflammatory thread started by someone who joined that day and never shows up again. That said, it's not fair for other posters to be lording your join date over you. Seniority and stupidity certainly aren't mutually exclusive around here, and everyone deserves to be heard if they're willing to listen themselves. Unfortunately, the level of generalized hostility that can be found in this particular forum has led to a bunker mentality on both sides, so new posters are viewed with suspicion. I'm sorry you're getting ignored or insulted because of your join date. Hopefully you can look past that and enjoy your time here regardless. It's never good when a couple of ********s scare off new ideas.
#8 obiwaynekenobi Jul 19, 2008 6:58:01	Basically what Batshido said. We're on the defensive, so to speak, about people with recent join dates because there are a lot of trolls setting up new accounts to tell us all how 4E is like WoW/videogame/anime/etc, ruined "their" hobby and how they're leaving gaming behind because of it. I propose the new way to check is to see the # of posts someone has after their join date. If someone has a Jul 2008 join date, 1 post and that post is bashing 4E, it's a pretty good guess they're a troll. If they have a recent join date and a post that's like something a newbie would ask, or a general question, then they're probably in the clear.
#9 steerpike7 Jul 19, 2008 8:01:58	Hello everyone, I am fairly new to the forums here at wotc, but I am in no way new to forums, even forums about dnd. I think I have done a pretty good job being constructive here on the forums , yet lately I have been getting flamed pretty hard because of my join date. When you disagree with a fanboy on either side of the "edition wars" (and the edition wars are stupid to begin with) you have to realize that most of these people are running on knee-jerk emotional reaction and not reason or logic. Therefore, since they don't have anything substantive to say, they default to the join date comment. I think it is safe to assume that anyone who flames you or ignores your post because of your join date is an idiot who can be safely ignored from that point forward.
#10 oxybe Jul 19, 2008 8:23:17	i dunno, i tend to just ignore the blantant nerd rage and actually look at issues that haven't been discussed yet or are actual issues the player has with the game, though i do admit that i have been lured by a troll on several occasions. if people are rude, ignore them or if they actually offend, report. most are just tired of the same "issues" being thrown around.
#11 vaelan Jul 19, 2008 8:48:34	I tend to actually take a look at posting history before deciding whether sockpuppetry is afoot.
#12 ssvegeta555 Jul 19, 2008 17:41:40	I rarely look at join dates honestly. If a poster is a troll, I will ignore him. But I do look at join dates at annoying trolls, because it's easier to troll with a newly crated account when you have nothing to lose compared to an old account and risking a ban.
#13 ardent Jul 19, 2008 19:09:36	Prove your opinion is worth the time I spend reading it and your join date is irrelevant. Sure, I've been at this longer, but I'm not stupid enough to think that fresh perspective is worthless.
#14 Troll_Grappler Jul 19, 2008 19:15:57	Also remember that most people have better things to do. I've had a number of accounts here going a few years back because I didn't care enough to remember the account id and password. If a WOTC forum membership is really that important to them you have to ask yourself if that is a person you should listen to about anything else.
#15 on_the_wings_of_tpk Jul 19, 2008 20:13:57	I am a new poster myself. I have to agree with Titanium Dragon that it's the sock puppet type posters that are annoying. Especially when the writing style of some of these July '08 posters seem very similar to older posters. Becuase you've had so much time here, your obviousely an expert on whos a sock puppet of whom.
#16 obiwaynekenobi Jul 20, 2008 7:21:54	Becuase you've had so much time here, your obviousely an expert on whos a sock puppet of whom. See? Even people who have been here a while can act trollish, threadcrap for no reason and contribute nothing meaningful to discussions! :P
#17 calronmoonflower Jul 20, 2008 13:23:02	I have been getting flamed pretty hard because of my join date. And I often see phrases such as "Nice join date jerkwad...ignored" posted under other peoples responses and post w/e. If you see such a comment hit the button on the post and report them. Flaming and baiting can be subjective so it is a good idea to explain exactly why you are reporting the post. My question is, does it really matter when someone joined? Does it take credit away from people just because they (or at least their current username) has a recent join date? If so, should I stop posting until a reach a certain milestone of time as a member? Trolls tend to get banned, so a recent join date and low post count are associated with them. However, people should be aware that that doesn't make anyone a troll. Try reading [post=15679705]How to be a Responsible forum member[/post], it may help.
#18 saul_durian Jul 20, 2008 16:59:13	There's a noob move Just got bumped to community business, which I suppose is where I should have posted this in the first place
#19 coyoterex Jul 20, 2008 23:02:08	Becuase you've had so much time here, your obviousely an expert on whos a sock puppet of whom. Timeism* is a sad sad thing. ;) Just because someone is new to the forums, does not preclude them from reading old posts and recognizing similar posting styles between different login names. Then again, I am pretty new myself to the forums here also. Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, I have yet to get a negative PM, or a hostile response to any of my posts. *Timeism is a made up word to represent people who judge someone by the date of their start, not by the content of their posts.