Comments on: Guest Post: Knowledge communities: Information, interpretation, and the currency of the era http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/guest-post-knowledge-communities-information-interpretation-and-the-currency-of-the-era/ news & perspectives on fan communication and online social life Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:12:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Claw http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/guest-post-knowledge-communities-information-interpretation-and-the-currency-of-the-era/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 Claw Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:10:43 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/?p=470#comment-1314 Oh, that's ok. I'm a bit preoccupied right now - not too much to browse some forums, but I don't feel like I can tackle a 140-page document right now, even with a long appendix. Oh, the Anti-spam word is rabid. How sweet. Oh, that’s ok. I’m a bit preoccupied right now – not too much to browse some forums, but I don’t feel like I can tackle a 140-page document right now, even with a long appendix.

Oh, the Anti-spam word is rabid. How sweet.

]]> By: Ryan M. Milner http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/guest-post-knowledge-communities-information-interpretation-and-the-currency-of-the-era/comment-page-1/#comment-1313 Ryan M. Milner Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:47:34 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/?p=470#comment-1313 I've actually been talking with NMA a little about that sentence (at http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43028&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0). As I told them, I didn't mean to upset any fan with the statement. I was really trying to look at multiple perspectives, and then move from a broad generalization to a more nuanced evaluation. I hope that anyone who found the statement offensive can forgive me enough to read on and get to my real point, which actually advocates open communication between producers and fans. Or if you'd like to thumb through the whole of my thesis, it's at http://fallout3.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/thesispdf.pdf. I believe it's a fair characterization of Fallout fan interaction. That being said, I understand why many Fallout fans are tired of unfair characterizations about them. It wasn't my intention to add to that. I’ve actually been talking with NMA a little about that sentence (at http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43028&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0). As I told them, I didn’t mean to upset any fan with the statement. I was really trying to look at multiple perspectives, and then move from a broad generalization to a more nuanced evaluation. I hope that anyone who found the statement offensive can forgive me enough to read on and get to my real point, which actually advocates open communication between producers and fans. Or if you’d like to thumb through the whole of my thesis, it’s at http://fallout3.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/thesispdf.pdf. I believe it’s a fair characterization of Fallout fan interaction.

That being said, I understand why many Fallout fans are tired of unfair characterizations about them. It wasn’t my intention to add to that.

]]> By: Claw http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/guest-post-knowledge-communities-information-interpretation-and-the-currency-of-the-era/comment-page-1/#comment-1312 Claw Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:06:59 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/?p=470#comment-1312 "Part of me thinks that so many fans made up their mind so long ago that the only thing that would satisfy them was a Fallout 3 that looked just like Fallout 1 & 2, with no updates or changes." Why include such a silly, somewhat offensive, statement? The fans didn't make up their mind. Bethesda did. That's where the "Oblivion with Guns" monicker comes from. It's not just an insult, it's a prediction. I believe Pete Hines (or someone else at Bethesda) even confirmed "Yes, Fallout 3 is Oblivion with Guns - in a good way." Many previews have essentially stated the same with different words. Additionally, I recall a statement by someone at Bethesda claiming that "anything is possible" in the Fallout setting which seems to imply that Bethesda doesn't want to be restricted by canon. I don't see how the idea of fans not being thrilled by the idea of a game so radically different from their beloved Fallout translates into "the only thing that would satisfy them was a Fallout 3 that looked just like Fallout 1 & 2, with no updates or changes." It sounds like nothing more than a vapid knee-jerk reaction, so I wonder what part of your mind that comes from. “Part of me thinks that so many fans made up their mind so long ago that the only thing that would satisfy them was a Fallout 3 that looked just like Fallout 1 & 2, with no updates or changes.”

Why include such a silly, somewhat offensive, statement?
The fans didn’t make up their mind. Bethesda did. That’s where the “Oblivion with Guns” monicker comes from. It’s not just an insult, it’s a prediction. I believe Pete Hines (or someone else at Bethesda) even confirmed “Yes, Fallout 3 is Oblivion with Guns – in a good way.”
Many previews have essentially stated the same with different words.
Additionally, I recall a statement by someone at Bethesda claiming that “anything is possible” in the Fallout setting which seems to imply that Bethesda doesn’t want to be restricted by canon.

I don’t see how the idea of fans not being thrilled by the idea of a game so radically different from their beloved Fallout translates into “the only thing that would satisfy them was a Fallout 3 that looked just like Fallout 1 & 2, with no updates or changes.”
It sounds like nothing more than a vapid knee-jerk reaction, so I wonder what part of your mind that comes from.

]]> By: Spacekungfuman http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/guest-post-knowledge-communities-information-interpretation-and-the-currency-of-the-era/comment-page-1/#comment-1308 Spacekungfuman Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:12:33 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/?p=470#comment-1308 No mention of me when you described the meet the devs thread? I actively started those threads as a way to draw some information. I started posting on the Bethesda forums in the typical angry intelligent fan tone, by posting the transcript of a debate I had with Josh Sawyer (original lead designer of the cancelled Fallout 3 at Black Isle). I was hoping that maybe some developers would be prompted to at least post in a thread discussing the evolution of Sawyer's views, since if anything Josh was more in support of the type of game Bethesda typically makes than the fan community was. Ultimately I found that the developers would not discuss anything substantive, so I took on a different tone and started the meet the devs threads, which were a huge success, but required me and others to "mediate" between the fans and devs at first, to keep the fans from attacking too much. I also had to privately message many developers who were lurking in the thread to convince them to post. Ultimately, what those threads succeeded in doing was breaking down tension. I don't think you fully appreciate what the meet the devs threads really did for that community, at least for a short time. SpaceKungFuMan (original architect of the meet the devs threads) No mention of me when you described the meet the devs thread? I actively started those threads as a way to draw some information. I started posting on the Bethesda forums in the typical angry intelligent fan tone, by posting the transcript of a debate I had with Josh Sawyer (original lead designer of the cancelled Fallout 3 at Black Isle). I was hoping that maybe some developers would be prompted to at least post in a thread discussing the evolution of Sawyer’s views, since if anything Josh was more in support of the type of game Bethesda typically makes than the fan community was. Ultimately I found that the developers would not discuss anything substantive, so I took on a different tone and started the meet the devs threads, which were a huge success, but required me and others to “mediate” between the fans and devs at first, to keep the fans from attacking too much. I also had to privately message many developers who were lurking in the thread to convince them to post. Ultimately, what those threads succeeded in doing was breaking down tension. I don’t think you fully appreciate what the meet the devs threads really did for that community, at least for a short time.

SpaceKungFuMan
(original architect of the meet the devs threads)

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