I was a mod on a now defunct online gaming/anime/bullshit about anything/hentai forum once. That was probably the height of my "internet popularity" and I was very well liked. There were about 8 people that you really HAD to know on that forum and I was one of them (kind of like dappled here on IIN :P).
It wasn't something that I forced, I was very active on the forum and eventually I caught the attention of a mod who needed some extra mods and that's what happened.
It's pretty cool except for the fact that everyone is fucking watching you. Almost literally, everyone. There was always some newbie that thought he was all that and a bag of rat turds who wanted to get this stupid "internet popularity" and would start off by going after the "popular" kids on the site. It's fun to troll them at first but it gets really fucking annoying after a while, even if you have a shitton of people sticking up for you.
That and people really do watch your conduct and your posts will hold a lot of weight with other users. Some people (I have even seen it on this site) trip when they have enough negative attention paid to them. It's really not that great.
Wow I sound like a horribly conceited snob. But it's the truth. Being watched and sometimes scrutinized by people who obviously follow what you say and do a lot more than you follow yourself gets kind of annoying and sometimes a little weird because you are truly being held more accountable for your words than someone that is a little more incognito. Just saying.
I'm glad you only saw my second coming. This one has been a deliberate attempt to not be unpopular but not be too popular either. First time around was surreal.
It was also, in every way that counts, a word for word facsimile of your own experience. I'll tell you how it feels; it feels like you and I both saw the same film and are now talking about it.
The scrutiny was the hardest. I was watched for making a mistake (which people leapt on as proof that they were better than me and to make themselves feel good. There was a simple reply from me but I never used it because it would have made people feel bad. I thought it would be hard, having the right answer but not giving it. Turns out it wasn't. Turns out that it's probably even a phase of human development because now I see a lot of people doing it).
I was watched for my reaction to everything and if it veered from the dappled norm of being nice, everyone wanted to know why. There are days in your life when you just want to tell the OP to fuck off. I used to do that when I started on IIN. Being "popular" at one point, I forfeited the right. Or rather, I thought I did. Flutterhigh and I used to talk about it. I don't think he ever did something because it was expected of him. I felt more pressure somehow.
Being popular is very constraining. I don't know why people think they'd enjoy it. I actually felt forced to play a part here, a "reduced" version of myself. The only way I broke free from that was as Frosties. He got treated very differently to the way dappled did and I played up to it because it was like being let out of jail. I see why flutterhigh reinvents himself. It's so much easier to remain closer to what you are, despite it looking the opposite.
Worst thing is, nobody believes you when you say it comes with many downsides. I don't know why they think you're lying but they do. I even had people wanting to swap accounts with me because they thought I'd somehow come across a magic username, or something.
I notice it happening with you to an extent too. Also to VioletTrees. It only happened to me when I turned purple here. I'm guessing it's more complicated than that, though.
Is It Normal To Want To Be Popular Online?
← View full post
I was a mod on a now defunct online gaming/anime/bullshit about anything/hentai forum once. That was probably the height of my "internet popularity" and I was very well liked. There were about 8 people that you really HAD to know on that forum and I was one of them (kind of like dappled here on IIN :P).
It wasn't something that I forced, I was very active on the forum and eventually I caught the attention of a mod who needed some extra mods and that's what happened.
It's pretty cool except for the fact that everyone is fucking watching you. Almost literally, everyone. There was always some newbie that thought he was all that and a bag of rat turds who wanted to get this stupid "internet popularity" and would start off by going after the "popular" kids on the site. It's fun to troll them at first but it gets really fucking annoying after a while, even if you have a shitton of people sticking up for you.
That and people really do watch your conduct and your posts will hold a lot of weight with other users. Some people (I have even seen it on this site) trip when they have enough negative attention paid to them. It's really not that great.
Wow I sound like a horribly conceited snob. But it's the truth. Being watched and sometimes scrutinized by people who obviously follow what you say and do a lot more than you follow yourself gets kind of annoying and sometimes a little weird because you are truly being held more accountable for your words than someone that is a little more incognito. Just saying.
--
dappled
11 years ago
|
pl
Comment Hidden (
show
)
Report
1
1
I'm glad you only saw my second coming. This one has been a deliberate attempt to not be unpopular but not be too popular either. First time around was surreal.
It was also, in every way that counts, a word for word facsimile of your own experience. I'll tell you how it feels; it feels like you and I both saw the same film and are now talking about it.
The scrutiny was the hardest. I was watched for making a mistake (which people leapt on as proof that they were better than me and to make themselves feel good. There was a simple reply from me but I never used it because it would have made people feel bad. I thought it would be hard, having the right answer but not giving it. Turns out it wasn't. Turns out that it's probably even a phase of human development because now I see a lot of people doing it).
I was watched for my reaction to everything and if it veered from the dappled norm of being nice, everyone wanted to know why. There are days in your life when you just want to tell the OP to fuck off. I used to do that when I started on IIN. Being "popular" at one point, I forfeited the right. Or rather, I thought I did. Flutterhigh and I used to talk about it. I don't think he ever did something because it was expected of him. I felt more pressure somehow.
Being popular is very constraining. I don't know why people think they'd enjoy it. I actually felt forced to play a part here, a "reduced" version of myself. The only way I broke free from that was as Frosties. He got treated very differently to the way dappled did and I played up to it because it was like being let out of jail. I see why flutterhigh reinvents himself. It's so much easier to remain closer to what you are, despite it looking the opposite.
Worst thing is, nobody believes you when you say it comes with many downsides. I don't know why they think you're lying but they do. I even had people wanting to swap accounts with me because they thought I'd somehow come across a magic username, or something.
--
NeuroNeptunian
11 years ago
|
pl
Comment Hidden (
show
)
Report
0
0
Maybe it's me but I kind of feel that here sometimes. Not to the extent that I did on FH but to a small extent.
--
dappled
11 years ago
|
pl
Comment Hidden (
show
)
Report
0
0
I notice it happening with you to an extent too. Also to VioletTrees. It only happened to me when I turned purple here. I'm guessing it's more complicated than that, though.