Quote: Modelling as in ramp model?
Image model? Model kits? Modelling clay?
Guess I should've
been more specific ^^;;; I meant model kits.
Quote: MTv2 had a friggin'
shoutbox! Everyone who was Level 50 or higher could post a quick message and
everybody whose got the shoutbox could see it.
Since I wasn't
here to see it, I can't judge personally. But there was a discussion once to
bring the shoutbox back. And the conclusion was that the reason the shoutbox was
cut in the first place was due to bullying or something; because only some
people could see it, which meant those who could see it could use it to talk bad
things about those who couldn't see there. Therefore, we decided not to bring it
back.
Oh yeah, speaking of inviting new people, I think we should invite . He is the current review mod after all.
Myself and Jak have already discussed that as a future possibility. He and I
actually exchanged about 4 PM's trying to get this thing tweaked and ready for
reposting. He sent me his revised review, we discussed changes and I forwarded
it to Jak and he put in his two cents. He seemend very receptive to our
criticism and really turned it around. Good to see.
Maybe my "you review, I WILL be there" comment scared him into
submission. Yea I'm that awesome... yea no I'm not.
Quote by jakulitoFirst off, most people
here do not like MiniTokyo being compared or even used in the same sentence.
With AnimePaper. (notice the punctuation usage)
LMAO
<snip>
Heh heh, I couldn't let the irony of this statement go past for too long. The
number of people I've seen with dual identities at both MT. And AP, for that
matter (see, I got the punctuation right this time) is quite large. Even I put
scans up in both - wider dispersion of one's scans cannot hurt
merged: 04-01-2008 ~ 03:46pm
Y'know Sho, I think we might have a new prospective MT Review squad member if
tricause's CfG revised review is anything to go by. This one at least has the
sense to take on board constructive criticism and learn from it - and I think we
should be encouraging these people to participate actively in this group where
experienced reviewers can provide the mentoring and support I was alluding to
earlier.
Quote by MapleRoseHmm, you go to sleep
for a few weeks and come back and see this interesting discussion.
First off, I apologize for my own inactivity in regards to reviews. I've
discovered the joys of modelling, and MSN >__> I've finished a few series
and have been meaning to write reviews for them. But then there's that inherent
laziness... and the fact that for some reason every time I open up what I have,
I can't seem to put down my feelings in words >__< Yeah yeah excuses and
excuses...
Modelling as in ramp model? Image model? Model kits? Modelling clay?
Quote: Like shoujoboy, I've only
seen MTv3, so I don't know what MT was like before that. The reason I come to MT
is to show off my art and look at other people's art. Reviewing was something I
discovered quite recently, and for me, it's much easier to draw/vector/wall than
to write a review (see above paragraph) >__<
...
MTv1 & v2 were the days that artists truly dominated this site. Vectors
weren't the fad back then and Abstract Art was recognized. Back then you get
actual constructive comments from members instead of a pat in the back
"Nice Work!" comment. And you're art gets noticed even if it isn't
highlighted or you don't have 1,000 friends. There was no such thing as an Elite
Gallery. Every work was in the same level. Be it a masterpiece from those days'
Gallery Directors or a noob submission from me, it didn't matter. MTv2 had a
friggin' shoutbox! Everyone who was Level
50 or higher could post a quick message and everybody whose got the shoutbox
could see it. It was the perfect place to get to know other active members
instead of the IRC channel. The forum wasn't as diverse as it is now, but
in-depth discussions were present. The Spam Lounge was the bomb back then and
everything was chucked in there if it doesn't make any sense. I could go on but
I'd just sound like an old war vet flappin' his gums so there...
Quote: I don't know about the
activity (or maybe lack thereof) on MT, but it does seem like a new generation
of people are here on MT (ie the old members left, new members came), and
unfortunately it doesn't seem many of them are interested in the review section
(in fact, I think many of them don't even know the review section exists),
because for most people a picture is much easier and faster and prettier to look
at than reading a review.
Most of the active forumers here in MT just compete to see who could post the
most in a day hence the Active Posters List. You see them buzz around the forums
and swarm in to post in threads in rapid succession with no actual content in
their posts. Fave threads is like a disease but there're threads poppin' up that
are so dumb its demoralizing to be on the same site as those people.
Quote: As for the
submission-filtering vs. quaranteen thing, it has been brought up before,
probably multiple times. As a gallery mod, I personally wouldn't want to look at
every single piece of art that comes through, when most of it is fine. And for
scans, we still wouldn't catch duplicate scans, since nobody knows the entire MT
gallery. I know it's discouraging to have your stuff deleted, but we also want
to keep up the quality of submissions, and encourage people to practice in the
Sandbox.
I understand what you mean and I'm very comfortable with the system in-place
right now.
Quote: jak, I don't know what you
mean by "flagging", isn't that like
reporting?
I suppose its basically the same thing, but as a developer, I define flagging as
marking a certain item. More flags means a Priority. A Report on the other hand
is just a flag that recurs as long as that item is in place and is continually
reported until action is made.
Quote: merged: 04-01-2008 ~ 04:57am
oh yeah, as for the layout, sheq has been working on MT v4, though I don't know
when it'll be ready.
MT v4? So that big-headed girl is going away huh... thank god.
Don't get it twisted, Maple. I ain't mad or anything at anyone here just wanted
to say some things. Hopefully I don't piss off anyone.
Hmm, you go to sleep for a few weeks and come back and see this interesting
discussion.
First off, I apologize for my own inactivity in regards to reviews. I've
discovered the joys of modelling, and MSN >__> I've finished a few series
and have been meaning to write reviews for them. But then there's that inherent
laziness... and the fact that for some reason every time I open up what I have,
I can't seem to put down my feelings in words >__< Yeah yeah excuses and
excuses...
Like shoujoboy, I've only seen MTv3, so I don't know what MT was like before
that. The reason I come to MT is to show off my art and look at other people's
art. Reviewing was something I discovered quite recently, and for me, it's much
easier to draw/vector/wall than to write a review (see above paragraph)
>__< ...
I don't know about the activity (or maybe lack thereof) on MT, but it does seem
like a new generation of people are here on MT (ie the old members left, new
members came), and unfortunately it doesn't seem many of them are interested in
the review section (in fact, I think many of them don't even know the review
section exists), because for most people a picture is much easier and faster and
prettier to look at than reading a review.
As for the submission-filtering vs. quaranteen thing, it has been brought up
before, probably multiple times. As a gallery mod, I personally wouldn't want to
look at every single piece of art that comes through, when most of it is fine.
And for scans, we still wouldn't catch duplicate scans, since nobody knows the
entire MT gallery. I know it's discouraging to have your stuff deleted, but we
also want to keep up the quality of submissions, and encourage people to
practice in the Sandbox.
jak, I don't know what you mean by "flagging", isn't that like
reporting?
merged: 04-01-2008 ~ 04:57am
oh yeah, as for the layout, sheq has been working on MT v4, though I don't know
when it'll be ready.
Why do I get the feeling that we may have just accomplished what we've always
accomplished... a whole hell of a lot of squawking, but nothing more outside of
that? To be honest I had assumed our members with higher ranks than those of us
with names not italicized or colored would have spoken up by now with some words
of wisdom, or some kind of condemnation as to why all of this talk will amount
to nothing. Instead we once again get Sho & Jak's MT playground with special
guest Davidh01.
First off, most people here do not like MiniTokyo being compared or even used in
the same sentence. With AnimePaper. (notice the punctuation usage)
LMAO
But seriously, I agree with you on the whole out of focus bit. The forum needs a
clean-up. The gallery needs more people to check them out or just add a function
to allow members to flag submissions as this sh*t, that sh*t instead of flooding
mods with Reports. The review section should get a more customizable interface.
HTML could certainly help spice up a review along with a more noticeable portion
of the front page.
I don't think MT is irrelevant, dead, dying (or other forms of decline). I think
MT, however, has become too big for its own good. The community, originally set
up for a place where people focus on anime, the galleries, wallpapers, vector
graphics, etc. has mutated into something far bigger and more nebulous than
expected (think the likes of "Google" here). Maybe this is one reason
why Jak suggests the "quality" of art is declining. One of the things
here is that art/scans are automatically accepted in the first instance (and
then quarantined or deleted if not up to scratch at the discretion of the
moderators). Speaking from experience, I've had a few arguments with moderators
about gallery submissions that I thought met the policy when literally
interpreted but had been subsequently deleted or quarantined for various reasons
(such as my kiddy Kaleido Star series of scans). Actually, that was the main
reason I purged all my content several months ago (one spurious rejection too
many). This can be a major de-motivating factor facing anyone who submits
wallpapers, art or scans to the gallery - see it up for a day or two, and then
get botchii's message saying the submission is deleted or quarantined. Maybe MT
should be looking at more active scrutiny of submissions before they make it to
the galleries (a la Animepaper). While this will be more onerous on the
moderators, it will head off at the pass any issues about sub-par
submissions.
Quite simply, I think MT has lost its focus and its prime objective. It is still
unique in a few respects (being one of only a few sites that allow anime and
manga reviews to be submitted by all and sundry), but the sheer diversity of
groups and some of the threads being thrown up on the boards are way off the
"core business" of anime discussions. Maybe its time for a clean-up, a
toss-out and an opportunity to re-focus MT as a community (distinct from the
likes of AnimePaper or other similar galleries).
I guess maybe I can't really grasp all of what Jak is saying. I know nothing but
MT3, so whatever kind of eutopia it was before then is something I can only hear
about. I guess maybe because of my ignorance of that, I was unable to see these
things that Jak does. Whether or not it's all truthful, I can't say... and I'm
sure other members will likely disagree with him. Maybe it's just the
pessimistic side of me that sees what he is saying and believing it.
Based on what is being said, I'm wondering then, is there really no point? I
mean yea, I'm going to write as long as I can, and I'll make sure that I can hit
up all the reviews that hit this site, but is that really the extent? Is it a
battle worth keeping up or one that is doomed to be nothing more than a waste of
time? I'm not really sure anymore...
MT is dead (or dying; depends on how long you've been here) =>
Dead site equals dead members =>
Dead members equals no wallpapers, no vectors, no submissions =>
Less prospects of new members =>
Low activity =>
No readers =>
No reviews =>
No sense in dropping by =>
No more MT-Review Crew =>
Period.
If you didn't get that, it means this in plain English:
MT's main product is anime wallpapers, but since
MTv3 came out the number of artists with exemplary skills dwindled. With that
decrease also came less visitors and prospective members which leads us to
assume that the number of other site functions will remain unnoticed and unheard
of(e.g. the REVIEW section). The forum is now comprised of patrons who spam
mindlessly to earn a spot in the "COVETED" Active Poster list in top
left-side of the forum page. This trend is abhorred by veteran forumites (i.e.
shoujoboy) who desire a more thoughtful conversation between members instead of
the generic "Who's your favorite in Bleach/Naruto?"
thread.
Personally, I try to make MT work for me. I submit arts and reviews every now
and then but I get no love for it which pisses me off. Its like I'm trying to
sell Ice in Alaska during winter.
In summary, if MT becomes active, this group will become active too. But since
that's a little bleak at the moment... we're left to gratify ourselves with
noble thoughts of change...
Maybe I just maintain my boyish enthusiasm because I have nowhere else to funnel
it. I suck artistically and I can't spend too much time in the forums, so nearly
all my attention on this site goes to the one thing I can stand. It's not even
that though, it just bothers me that ever since I've been a member, essentially
nothing has happened. We've pitched ideas, much like the adding of a .5 to the
scoring scale, but we never seem to actively pursue these things. It's almost as
if we have let ourselves sit here for show, pretty much for the sole purpose of
saying "I'm in the MT Review." I mean, I'll admit, it does make me
feel good to be a part of the group, but it makes me feel bad that we haven't
done more.
I'm not saying we should be writing reviews like every week, I'm just a freak
and I waste too much time. But what happened to getting out there and critquing
those front page reviews? What happened to trying to recruit those good writers
that are still out there? Why haven't we made even minor tweaks to the system in
place... or at least tried to?
That's all I'm wondering. Yea we are a small group, but that allows it to be
more personal. We don't have ecchi club numbers, but then again, we shouldn't.
We are a small group that cares about the future of at least this section on MT.
And hell, even if we have nothing to do with reviews at the time, I find myself
wanting to be on the same level as those people who are coworkers, but also
people you can hang out with after work. Hopefully that line didn't gay up my
point, hopefully you'll see where I'm coming from on this.
Interesting observation Shoujoboy,
I think, though, the silence on the group needs to be taken in perspective:
1. I believe we are a very small group in
the scheme of things for the MT community (only 12 members, and probably fewer
active ones);
2. The review mob does take time and effort to prepare their reviews. I'll put
my neck on the block and say the effort in preparing a decent review is
substantially greater than wallpapers, vectoring, and certainly submitting a
scan to MT in terms of viewing an anime (or reading a manga), forming your own
opinions, and then getting those opinions into a decent format; and
3. I'd think we're all polite here. Rather than spamming the board with inane
debate (not that yours and Jak's recent tete a tete wasn't entertaining - I was
checking it out daily to see what new angle was being thrown up), we'd hold our
peace until something worthwhile comes up for discussion - and then its
"all bets off". Do you remember the debate we had about scoring
reviews for MT (starting with shinsengumi). It is for this reason that I've
chosen not to join other groups after seeing their guestbooks - more often than
not just a load of dribble.
I'd also think the MT Review group is mature in its age as a group on MT. Its
been around for at least 2 years, so we probably won't have the wild enthusiasm
and abandon that a specialist group recently established would have - or this
group may have had previously. In addition, the membership is stable with hardly
any new members coming on board (I think they're scared of Jak and his "no
frills" sig). In that respect we are each quite experienced reviewers and
do not necessarily need the constant support of each other - we're decidedly
independent.
There's also probably not a great deal of competitiveness that we can bring to
the Review group - or is there? We don't have competitions for wallpapers,
scans, vector art, etc., but could we have a binge on "Anime that has been
butchered in its adaptation for Western viewers" - think Voltron,
Thunderbirds 2086, Saber Rider, Sailor Moon, DragonBarf Z, Pokemon, etc. you get
the idea. We prepare a review for critique by the rest of the group on a show of
our choice. Of course, an impending competition will be "best recognition
for Shoujoboy's 50th review".
Maybe it is time to think carefully about what we are trying to achieve here
with the MT Review group. Is our time up? Should we be inviting other people
starting out in their reviews (who may not necessarily do a good job first time
off) to join, and we provide mentoring and advice to them - hopefully being able
to improve the quality of the reviews being submitted generally? Certainly that
was the impression I got when I was first invited to join this group - a very
flattering position to be in, and I enjoyed the comments from others who had
recently joined as we had lots to discuss.
Any further debate? As the B*****d Planner from Down Under gets off his soap-box
and strolls off to the local pub.
Come on people, what the hell is going on? I was trying to wait to see how long
this group would go without a comment, but it's been damn near 3 weeks already.
What do we even exist for at this point? Are we reviewing? No. Are we improving
the system? No. Are we actively critiquing reviews? No. Aren't we supposed to be
here to improve Minitokyo and just make it an overall more pleseant experience?
It's fine that we all get busy from time to time, but this is just too much. Has
this group become nothing more than a place to plug our latest reviews and then
disappear?
And yes, for once I am serious. I'm allowed to be that way sometimes right?
Quote by shoujoboyYea the thing is, I
enjoy writing. From pointless blogs all the way to the reviews I do here, to me
it's just fun. But I kinda look at it like this, I also love video games. But
would I ever like to be a professional gamer? Hell no! Right now I just enjoy
writing, putting into words my thoughts on particular shows or games. If I made
that a living, now it's more of an obligation to write instead of just for
enjoyment. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but that's just how I see
it.
Good point. You're absolutely right. Its the same with me and music. I arrange
and record music because I want to, not
out of any obligation to do so. I therefore enjoy it as a hobby and a release
from normal tensions of day-to-day life. However, I've planned the hobby in a
manner so it can turn into a career path if my day job goes pear-shaped. I can
become a teacher (been there, done that) or a studio musician or other
opportunities may present themselves. Just thinking laterally here and, being a
typical planner, having contingencies in place... Shameless plug: go to http://music.hewetson.id.au and download
the MP3 there to see what I get up to in my spare time. Its from Kaleido Star
(Niji to hikari to kaze no kuni) - go figure - and Hearts' Soaring (as I've
titled my arrangement) sounds so much easier to say and reflects the ambiance
I'm trying to get across here.
Quote by MapleRoseI'm sure you're a
fine specimen shoujoboy, but that sounded really desperate, and that turns me
off
Remember that "gem"... hmmm. REMEMBER! Words hurt ya know, they sting
your soul and you never forget them.
*clears throat* Your offer to write for the MT-Maigetsu seems really desperate,
and that turns me off. Besides it reads to me like "yea so I'm on my last
resort, any of you guys wanna come from out of the bullpen and write?" Not
cool... so not cool.
SHOUJOBOY FTW!
*Disclaimer - Is anybody at this point taking me serious? If you aren't... you
damn sure should be cause I mean this.
Quote by Rosegirl18Hey y'all... I
haven't been around here since Sho went through his "I hate everyone"
phase, but glad to see that's all over now
Just letting you all know that I'm going to go on a huge reviewing frenzy soon,
so be aware!
Can't believe you took that stuff seriously?
Like huge huh...
Quote by shoujoboiOhh, a reviewing
frenzy... what would one define as a "frenzy"?
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:02pm
Oh holy crap... while cleaning up my laptop I found 2 reviews I wrote while I
was in Afghanistan but never posted. God I watched so much stuff over there I
actually misplaced reviews... thats disgusting. Oh well, looks like I won't have
to actually write again until 43.
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:07pm
Actually... scratch that. I read over both of them and they REALLY suck. I'm
actually ashamed my fingers had anything to do with these atrocities.
You prolly got sand in your eyes while typing those...
Ohh, a reviewing frenzy... what would one define as a "frenzy"?
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:02pm
Oh holy crap... while cleaning up my laptop I found 2 reviews I wrote while I
was in Afghanistan but never posted. God I watched so much stuff over there I
actually misplaced reviews... thats disgusting. Oh well, looks like I won't have
to actually write again until 43.
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:07pm
Actually... scratch that. I read over both of them and they REALLY suck. I'm
actually ashamed my fingers had anything to do with these atrocities.
Yea the thing is, I enjoy writing. From pointless blogs all the way to the
reviews I do here, to me it's just fun. But I kinda look at it like this, I also
love video games. But would I ever like to be a professional gamer? Hell no!
Right now I just enjoy writing, putting into words my thoughts on particular
shows or games. If I made that a living, now it's more of an obligation to write
instead of just for enjoyment. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but that's
just how I see it.
Quote by shoujoboy3. Review #40 posted!
I expected I'd be writing a negative rant but instead I wrote a '9'. Go figure!
Kodomo no Jikan posted. Now excuse me, I have to somehow convince Satan it isn't
my time... yet.
Mate, congrats on review no. 40. You should make reviewing and critiquing stuff
a full-time career. Well done. If only the rest of us had as much dedication (or
time, as the case may be) to focus on reviews then MT would be a significant
source for anime commentary - even outdoing AnimeonDVD.com.
1. Spam is cool, as long as it's from a group member. I just personally like to
see activity on here other than the ramblings of myself and Jak.
2. I didn't forget to vote, I just uh... didn't. Maybe if the results of this
proves me wrong on my original notion, I'll be more inclined to actively take
part the next time around. Until then I'll just assume it's Bleach FTW!
3. Review #40 posted! I expected I'd be writing a negative rant but instead I
wrote a '9'. Go figure! Kodomo no Jikan posted. Now excuse me, I have to somehow
convince Satan it isn't my time... yet.
Guess I should've been more specific ^^;;; I meant model kits.
Since I wasn't here to see it, I can't judge personally. But there was a discussion once to bring the shoutbox back. And the conclusion was that the reason the shoutbox was cut in the first place was due to bullying or something; because only some people could see it, which meant those who could see it could use it to talk bad things about those who couldn't see there. Therefore, we decided not to bring it back.
Oh yeah, speaking of inviting new people, I think we should invite
. He is the current review mod after all.
Myself and Jak have already discussed that as a future possibility. He and I actually exchanged about 4 PM's trying to get this thing tweaked and ready for reposting. He sent me his revised review, we discussed changes and I forwarded it to Jak and he put in his two cents. He seemend very receptive to our criticism and really turned it around. Good to see.
Maybe my "you review, I WILL be there" comment scared him into submission. Yea I'm that awesome... yea no I'm not.
Heh heh, I couldn't let the irony of this statement go past for too long. The number of people I've seen with dual identities at both MT. And AP, for that matter (see, I got the punctuation right this time) is quite large. Even I put scans up in both - wider dispersion of one's scans cannot hurt
merged: 04-01-2008 ~ 03:46pm
Y'know Sho, I think we might have a new prospective MT Review squad member if tricause's CfG revised review is anything to go by. This one at least has the sense to take on board constructive criticism and learn from it - and I think we should be encouraging these people to participate actively in this group where experienced reviewers can provide the mentoring and support I was alluding to earlier.
Modelling as in ramp model? Image model? Model kits? Modelling clay?
MTv1 & v2 were the days that artists truly dominated this site. Vectors weren't the fad back then and Abstract Art was recognized. Back then you get actual constructive comments from members instead of a pat in the back "Nice Work!" comment. And you're art gets noticed even if it isn't highlighted or you don't have 1,000 friends. There was no such thing as an Elite Gallery. Every work was in the same level. Be it a masterpiece from those days' Gallery Directors or a noob submission from me, it didn't matter. MTv2 had a friggin' shoutbox! Everyone who was Level 50 or higher could post a quick message and everybody whose got the shoutbox could see it. It was the perfect place to get to know other active members instead of the IRC channel. The forum wasn't as diverse as it is now, but in-depth discussions were present. The Spam Lounge was the bomb back then and everything was chucked in there if it doesn't make any sense. I could go on but I'd just sound like an old war vet flappin' his gums so there...
Most of the active forumers here in MT just compete to see who could post the most in a day hence the Active Posters List. You see them buzz around the forums and swarm in to post in threads in rapid succession with no actual content in their posts. Fave threads is like a disease but there're threads poppin' up that are so dumb its demoralizing to be on the same site as those people.
I understand what you mean and I'm very comfortable with the system in-place right now.
I suppose its basically the same thing, but as a developer, I define flagging as marking a certain item. More flags means a Priority. A Report on the other hand is just a flag that recurs as long as that item is in place and is continually reported until action is made.
MT v4? So that big-headed girl is going away huh... thank god.
Don't get it twisted, Maple. I ain't mad or anything at anyone here just wanted to say some things. Hopefully I don't piss off anyone.
Hmm, you go to sleep for a few weeks and come back and see this interesting discussion.
First off, I apologize for my own inactivity in regards to reviews. I've discovered the joys of modelling, and MSN >__> I've finished a few series and have been meaning to write reviews for them. But then there's that inherent laziness... and the fact that for some reason every time I open up what I have, I can't seem to put down my feelings in words >__< Yeah yeah excuses and excuses...
Like shoujoboy, I've only seen MTv3, so I don't know what MT was like before that. The reason I come to MT is to show off my art and look at other people's art. Reviewing was something I discovered quite recently, and for me, it's much easier to draw/vector/wall than to write a review (see above paragraph) >__< ...
I don't know about the activity (or maybe lack thereof) on MT, but it does seem like a new generation of people are here on MT (ie the old members left, new members came), and unfortunately it doesn't seem many of them are interested in the review section (in fact, I think many of them don't even know the review section exists), because for most people a picture is much easier and faster and prettier to look at than reading a review.
As for the submission-filtering vs. quaranteen thing, it has been brought up before, probably multiple times. As a gallery mod, I personally wouldn't want to look at every single piece of art that comes through, when most of it is fine. And for scans, we still wouldn't catch duplicate scans, since nobody knows the entire MT gallery. I know it's discouraging to have your stuff deleted, but we also want to keep up the quality of submissions, and encourage people to practice in the Sandbox.
jak, I don't know what you mean by "flagging", isn't that like reporting?
merged: 04-01-2008 ~ 04:57am
oh yeah, as for the layout, sheq has been working on MT v4, though I don't know when it'll be ready.
Be that as it may my brethren, at least we've released a good 2 days of steam...
Why do I get the feeling that we may have just accomplished what we've always accomplished... a whole hell of a lot of squawking, but nothing more outside of that? To be honest I had assumed our members with higher ranks than those of us with names not italicized or colored would have spoken up by now with some words of wisdom, or some kind of condemnation as to why all of this talk will amount to nothing. Instead we once again get Sho & Jak's MT playground with special guest Davidh01.
First off, most people here do not like MiniTokyo being compared or even used in the same sentence. With AnimePaper. (notice the punctuation usage)
LMAO
But seriously, I agree with you on the whole out of focus bit. The forum needs a clean-up. The gallery needs more people to check them out or just add a function to allow members to flag submissions as this sh*t, that sh*t instead of flooding mods with Reports. The review section should get a more customizable interface. HTML could certainly help spice up a review along with a more noticeable portion of the front page.
Aight!?
I don't think MT is irrelevant, dead, dying (or other forms of decline). I think MT, however, has become too big for its own good. The community, originally set up for a place where people focus on anime, the galleries, wallpapers, vector graphics, etc. has mutated into something far bigger and more nebulous than expected (think the likes of "Google" here). Maybe this is one reason why Jak suggests the "quality" of art is declining. One of the things here is that art/scans are automatically accepted in the first instance (and then quarantined or deleted if not up to scratch at the discretion of the moderators). Speaking from experience, I've had a few arguments with moderators about gallery submissions that I thought met the policy when literally interpreted but had been subsequently deleted or quarantined for various reasons (such as my kiddy Kaleido Star series of scans). Actually, that was the main reason I purged all my content several months ago (one spurious rejection too many). This can be a major de-motivating factor facing anyone who submits wallpapers, art or scans to the gallery - see it up for a day or two, and then get botchii's message saying the submission is deleted or quarantined. Maybe MT should be looking at more active scrutiny of submissions before they make it to the galleries (a la Animepaper). While this will be more onerous on the moderators, it will head off at the pass any issues about sub-par submissions.
Quite simply, I think MT has lost its focus and its prime objective. It is still unique in a few respects (being one of only a few sites that allow anime and manga reviews to be submitted by all and sundry), but the sheer diversity of groups and some of the threads being thrown up on the boards are way off the "core business" of anime discussions. Maybe its time for a clean-up, a toss-out and an opportunity to re-focus MT as a community (distinct from the likes of AnimePaper or other similar galleries).
I guess maybe I can't really grasp all of what Jak is saying. I know nothing but MT3, so whatever kind of eutopia it was before then is something I can only hear about. I guess maybe because of my ignorance of that, I was unable to see these things that Jak does. Whether or not it's all truthful, I can't say... and I'm sure other members will likely disagree with him. Maybe it's just the pessimistic side of me that sees what he is saying and believing it.
Based on what is being said, I'm wondering then, is there really no point? I mean yea, I'm going to write as long as I can, and I'll make sure that I can hit up all the reviews that hit this site, but is that really the extent? Is it a battle worth keeping up or one that is doomed to be nothing more than a waste of time? I'm not really sure anymore...
There's a simple logic behind this really:
MT is dead (or dying; depends on how long you've been here) =>
Dead site equals dead members =>
Dead members equals no wallpapers, no vectors, no submissions =>
Less prospects of new members =>
Low activity =>
No readers =>
No reviews =>
No sense in dropping by =>
No more MT-Review Crew =>
Period.
If you didn't get that, it means this in plain English:
MT's main product is anime wallpapers, but since MTv3 came out the number of artists with exemplary skills dwindled. With that decrease also came less visitors and prospective members which leads us to assume that the number of other site functions will remain unnoticed and unheard of(e.g. the REVIEW section). The forum is now comprised of patrons who spam mindlessly to earn a spot in the "COVETED" Active Poster list in top left-side of the forum page. This trend is abhorred by veteran forumites (i.e. shoujoboy) who desire a more thoughtful conversation between members instead of the generic "Who's your favorite in Bleach/Naruto?" thread.
Personally, I try to make MT work for me. I submit arts and reviews every now and then but I get no love for it which pisses me off. Its like I'm trying to sell Ice in Alaska during winter.
In summary, if MT becomes active, this group will become active too. But since that's a little bleak at the moment... we're left to gratify ourselves with noble thoughts of change...
Maybe I just maintain my boyish enthusiasm because I have nowhere else to funnel it. I suck artistically and I can't spend too much time in the forums, so nearly all my attention on this site goes to the one thing I can stand. It's not even that though, it just bothers me that ever since I've been a member, essentially nothing has happened. We've pitched ideas, much like the adding of a .5 to the scoring scale, but we never seem to actively pursue these things. It's almost as if we have let ourselves sit here for show, pretty much for the sole purpose of saying "I'm in the MT Review." I mean, I'll admit, it does make me feel good to be a part of the group, but it makes me feel bad that we haven't done more.
I'm not saying we should be writing reviews like every week, I'm just a freak and I waste too much time. But what happened to getting out there and critquing those front page reviews? What happened to trying to recruit those good writers that are still out there? Why haven't we made even minor tweaks to the system in place... or at least tried to?
That's all I'm wondering. Yea we are a small group, but that allows it to be more personal. We don't have ecchi club numbers, but then again, we shouldn't. We are a small group that cares about the future of at least this section on MT. And hell, even if we have nothing to do with reviews at the time, I find myself wanting to be on the same level as those people who are coworkers, but also people you can hang out with after work. Hopefully that line didn't gay up my point, hopefully you'll see where I'm coming from on this.
Interesting observation Shoujoboy,
I think, though, the silence on the group needs to be taken in perspective:
1. I believe we are a very small group in the scheme of things for the MT community (only 12 members, and probably fewer active ones);
2. The review mob does take time and effort to prepare their reviews. I'll put my neck on the block and say the effort in preparing a decent review is substantially greater than wallpapers, vectoring, and certainly submitting a scan to MT in terms of viewing an anime (or reading a manga), forming your own opinions, and then getting those opinions into a decent format; and
3. I'd think we're all polite here. Rather than spamming the board with inane debate (not that yours and Jak's recent tete a tete wasn't entertaining - I was checking it out daily to see what new angle was being thrown up), we'd hold our peace until something worthwhile comes up for discussion - and then its "all bets off". Do you remember the debate we had about scoring reviews for MT (starting with shinsengumi). It is for this reason that I've chosen not to join other groups after seeing their guestbooks - more often than not just a load of dribble.
I'd also think the MT Review group is mature in its age as a group on MT. Its been around for at least 2 years, so we probably won't have the wild enthusiasm and abandon that a specialist group recently established would have - or this group may have had previously. In addition, the membership is stable with hardly any new members coming on board (I think they're scared of Jak and his "no frills" sig). In that respect we are each quite experienced reviewers and do not necessarily need the constant support of each other - we're decidedly independent.
There's also probably not a great deal of competitiveness that we can bring to the Review group - or is there? We don't have competitions for wallpapers, scans, vector art, etc., but could we have a binge on "Anime that has been butchered in its adaptation for Western viewers" - think Voltron, Thunderbirds 2086, Saber Rider, Sailor Moon, DragonBarf Z, Pokemon, etc. you get the idea. We prepare a review for critique by the rest of the group on a show of our choice. Of course, an impending competition will be "best recognition for Shoujoboy's 50th review".
Maybe it is time to think carefully about what we are trying to achieve here with the MT Review group. Is our time up? Should we be inviting other people starting out in their reviews (who may not necessarily do a good job first time off) to join, and we provide mentoring and advice to them - hopefully being able to improve the quality of the reviews being submitted generally? Certainly that was the impression I got when I was first invited to join this group - a very flattering position to be in, and I enjoyed the comments from others who had recently joined as we had lots to discuss.
Any further debate? As the B*****d Planner from Down Under gets off his soap-box and strolls off to the local pub.
Come on people, what the hell is going on? I was trying to wait to see how long this group would go without a comment, but it's been damn near 3 weeks already. What do we even exist for at this point? Are we reviewing? No. Are we improving the system? No. Are we actively critiquing reviews? No. Aren't we supposed to be here to improve Minitokyo and just make it an overall more pleseant experience? It's fine that we all get busy from time to time, but this is just too much. Has this group become nothing more than a place to plug our latest reviews and then disappear?
And yes, for once I am serious. I'm allowed to be that way sometimes right?
Good point. You're absolutely right. Its the same with me and music. I arrange and record music because I want to, not out of any obligation to do so. I therefore enjoy it as a hobby and a release from normal tensions of day-to-day life. However, I've planned the hobby in a manner so it can turn into a career path if my day job goes pear-shaped. I can become a teacher (been there, done that) or a studio musician or other opportunities may present themselves. Just thinking laterally here and, being a typical planner, having contingencies in place... Shameless plug: go to http://music.hewetson.id.au and download the MP3 there to see what I get up to in my spare time. Its from Kaleido Star (Niji to hikari to kaze no kuni) - go figure - and Hearts' Soaring (as I've titled my arrangement) sounds so much easier to say and reflects the ambiance I'm trying to get across here.
Remember that "gem"... hmmm. REMEMBER! Words hurt ya know, they sting your soul and you never forget them.
*clears throat* Your offer to write for the MT-Maigetsu seems really desperate, and that turns me off. Besides it reads to me like "yea so I'm on my last resort, any of you guys wanna come from out of the bullpen and write?" Not cool... so not cool.
SHOUJOBOY FTW!
*Disclaimer - Is anybody at this point taking me serious? If you aren't... you damn sure should be cause I mean this.
I tend to be a serious person.
WHAT?
hey shoujoboy (or anyone else), wanna write for MT-Maigetsu? We're kinda short on the anime review section.
merged: 03-06-2008 ~ 01:02pm
yes, I'm *still* procrastinating on those reviews I promised ;__; .... *shhhhh*
Can't believe you took that stuff seriously?
Like huge huh...
You prolly got sand in your eyes while typing those...
Ohh, a reviewing frenzy... what would one define as a "frenzy"?
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:02pm
Oh holy crap... while cleaning up my laptop I found 2 reviews I wrote while I was in Afghanistan but never posted. God I watched so much stuff over there I actually misplaced reviews... thats disgusting. Oh well, looks like I won't have to actually write again until 43.
merged: 03-05-2008 ~ 04:07pm
Actually... scratch that. I read over both of them and they REALLY suck. I'm actually ashamed my fingers had anything to do with these atrocities.
Hey y'all... I haven't been around here since Sho went through his "I hate everyone" phase, but glad to see that's all over now
Just letting you all know that I'm going to go on a huge reviewing frenzy soon, so be aware!
Yea the thing is, I enjoy writing. From pointless blogs all the way to the reviews I do here, to me it's just fun. But I kinda look at it like this, I also love video games. But would I ever like to be a professional gamer? Hell no! Right now I just enjoy writing, putting into words my thoughts on particular shows or games. If I made that a living, now it's more of an obligation to write instead of just for enjoyment. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but that's just how I see it.
Mate, congrats on review no. 40. You should make reviewing and critiquing stuff a full-time career. Well done. If only the rest of us had as much dedication (or time, as the case may be) to focus on reviews then MT would be a significant source for anime commentary - even outdoing AnimeonDVD.com.
1. Spam is cool, as long as it's from a group member. I just personally like to see activity on here other than the ramblings of myself and Jak.
2. I didn't forget to vote, I just uh... didn't. Maybe if the results of this proves me wrong on my original notion, I'll be more inclined to actively take part the next time around. Until then I'll just assume it's Bleach FTW!
3. Review #40 posted! I expected I'd be writing a negative rant but instead I wrote a '9'. Go figure! Kodomo no Jikan posted. Now excuse me, I have to somehow convince Satan it isn't my time... yet.