- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: Recon Number 54
What a great discussion!
If I may add my opinions and observations to the mix. Not that anyone can stop me... *grin*
I am under the impression that the original poster (who seems familiar, I suspect we have chatted) is looking not so much for a more "corporate" but rather a more "defined" and/or "structured" Bungie.Net. I can understand and appreciate that desire. Just one look at Zanzibar after a spam attack, (or even at it's more civil periods) can have someone wishing for someone who can "make the trains run on time".
I am assuming, (so please forgive me if I am wrong) that the original poster is looking for more of a Bungie.COM as opposed to Bungie.NET. Domain suffixes have come to mean little in the 'Net of today, but I think that astute observers will already be nodding their heads.
Even though "bungie.com" resolves out to this site, Bungie deliberately and specifically did NOT create a dot.com site. As Sketch said (or as I will paraphrase), this site isn't about the business, it's about the people. A Bungie.com would be about advertising the games, press releases, FAQ's, game manuals, online job applications, product support and not much else. Sure it would have structure, but so does a bank. No one goes to the bank to "hang out".
On the other end of the spectrum is bungie.org. A fan site made by, run by, and populated with fans. Non-profit, lovingly and professionally provided with no true ties to the company itself. It's a thing of beauty and Louis Wu is a monument in the community.
The dot.net site (which we are on) is an opportunity to have the best of both worlds. It's company provided, and has the possibility of being a place that a HUGE fan community can come to and benefit from. I will be the first to admit that a significant percentage of people (to varying degrees) use this site as an online "litterbox" for what comes out of their twisted minds, but they too are part of the community.
I wouldn't normally single out one user, but I want to make a point and I hope that he doesn't mind. A poster on the first page of this thread (who is approaching his one-year anniversary as a member) came into The Septagon nearly a year ago and was a good example of the "typical" new member. Loud, easy to flame, easy to anger and even to curse. Unaware of the rules, but interested in seeing what this site and these forums had to offer.
That member is now (at least that I see) a valuable, calm, rational and contributing member of this site and the community. What happened? Well, first of all, they were willing to listen, pay attention and to see that there was "a better way" to make a mark.
Secondly, there were some members who actually took the time to talk WITH that rash, loud and bold new member. We listened, we replied, and he listened. It was a conversation. It made an impression (I think) and it made a difference.
Any member of Bungie.Net is aware that they have the ability to make this place better. One member and one encounter at a time. Sometime the effort seems lost in the tide, it's easy to give up. All I need to do is think about one member who has a member name based on a young kids mispronunciation of an after school TV hero and to me, I know that the effort is worth it.
Well, time for me to step off of the soapbox. The fact is that we have a community and "they is us". We are part of it, we can enjoy it, take part in it, make it better and we all seem to want to. Bungie is cool enough to give us the place and the opportunity to do that.
Would I work at Bungie.Com? Nah, I have a real job and they likely couldn't afford me. Would I visit it? Probably not. Bruises, pimples, buck teeth and all, I kind of like Bungie.Net.
But that's just me.
Wow, good discussion and I'm not part of it. What's wrong with me?
Anyway, I wonder if I could summarize that, more for my understanding and less for anyone else. I may be stating the obvious, but...oh well.
So what you are saying is basically, everyone is different on B.net. No matter how many stickies with rules, there will always be new people who feel insecure. All we need to do is try and educate them all in manners. So basically, those who understand the place and the people, need to help those who don't. Right?