Nerd-rage and Elitesm

[Innis Cabal]

Being with the forums for a while, well….just forums in general I have begun to notice a trend that I find disturbing and a little troubling. The idea of elitism isn’t a foreign concept to me, growing up in a society that views anyone different as lesser has taught me to take such in stride. But, that’s not about the community as a whole, more to the point, it’s about the a community that is often ostracized for being different, that is doing the same thing to people they should be embracing.
Nerd-rage seems to have flooded these forums, and I think it’s a little disappointing. Discussions that could be otherwise fulfilling and intelligent fall into egotism and rudeness, and often times those that are not well known are ignored outright by the “elite” or degraded for their “lack of knowledge”. Coupled with the mini-modding and the “better than thou” attitude’s so many thrust about here it seems to me these forums have become a haven for those that wish only to stroke their e-penis’s because things outside of their small internet coven are not panning out.
This isn’t meant to be taken as an attack on any individuals, but a reminder to a community as a whole, your not special because we cant see you when you type up nasty things. As you can see, anyone can do it, and get away in the end. You just come across as bullies and jerks. Just remember, everything done here can be erased in a matter of milliseconds.

[Zarrexaij]

I think it's just you, since I haven't noticed any "alarming levels" of this nerdrage. I've seen a lot of it on other forums and quite frankly, there's nothing to be worried about. You see heated discussions, yes, but you get that with almost every larger than tiny forum out there.

[reorith]

what is nerd-rage?

[Edan]

From what I have seen since I have been here, the discussions are fairly mild compared to a lot of other locations on the internet. Most of the discussions I have seen here since I joined have been fairly mild, and filled with plenty of backup and supportive data. Compared to fanboy/fangirl non uncompromising flame of everything that is not in their fandom. Or other sites which need not be named.

Frankly, from what I can gather, most of this community has great respect and welcomes any and all discussion. Sure we are biased towards what we like and do not like to lose, but that is human. I have loved this forum and I really think it is fairly tame, and gives examples of most branches of geek, nerd and human mentality. So in essence, I think there is not a lot of elitism going on, just a group of people who love to debate while not pulling punches, as well as enjoying simple pleasures of internet use. Like social networking, community relations and the like. People are human, just never forget that.

[Pocketa]

@ Zar: I happen to love your avatar, but forgot to tell you earlier. Yes, this is off-topic.

Oh no! OFF-TOPIC POST?

SOMEBODY IS GOING TO UNLEASH NERDRAGE ON ME!

[/sarcasm]

Anyways, I get what you mean about elitism, haven't seen it that much here.

My friend who introduced me to these forums called it 'the nicest place on the internet'.

If you dislike a forum or a post or a thread, move on.

[Cobra_Ikari]

...I always thought that for the most part, people here are pretty cool about everything. There's a tiny shade of elitism that comes with having a certain length of being here, but that's really the only kind I see much of, and it tends to be not-very-offensive? I think?

*hugs everyone*

[Zarrexaij]

From what I have seen since I have been here, the discussions are fairly mild compared to a lot of other locations on the internet. Most of the discussions I have seen here since I joined have been fairly mild, and filled with plenty of backup and supportive data. Compared to fanboy/fangirl non uncompromising flame of everything that is not in their fandom. Or other sites which need not be named.

Frankly, from what I can gather, most of this community has great respect and welcomes any and all discussion. Sure we are biased towards what we like and do not like to lose, but that is human. I have loved this forum and I really think it is fairly tame, and gives examples of most branches of geek, nerd and human mentality. So in essence, I think there is not a lot of elitism going on, just a group of people who love to debate while not pulling punches, as well as enjoying simple pleasures of internet use. Like social networking, community relations and the like. People are human, just never forget that.Well said. I think it sums it up very nicely. This forum is incredibly civil and genuinely nice, especially compared to the cesspool official forum I came from. I spent three years in a place where people hated me, said REALLY NASTY things behind my back, and flamed me from start to finish. Why? Because I'm a very slow learner. I don't regret a damn thing, even though I got to know a few very nice, interesting people there.

Take it from me, this forum is MILES away from nerd-rage infected.

And thank you, Pockie. Hope you don't mind me calling you that.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

what is nerd-rage?

I agree. Could someone please define for us?

[Rowanomicon]

While many discussions could be nicer and I have seen flaming/nerdrage/elitism on these boards I tend to agree that this is (at least one of) "the nicest place[(s)] on the internet."

[Copacetic]

Nerdrage

Nerdrage is both the emotion felt when a nerd is exposed to something that directly contradicts the core beliefs of their obsession, and the reactionary diatribe by the nerd that inevitably follows.

Dude did you hear about the new Transformers movie?
Yes, it fills me with a seething nerdrage

I use to keep up with internet discussions related to comic book movies but the nerdrage became too much.


Your wish is my command.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Thank you!:smallsmile:

[Terraoblivion]

There has definitely been some from both sides involved in the discussions about fourth edition D&D. Likewise there was a fair deal in the Exalted vs. Warhammer 40k thread. It is still not a whole lot compared to what you can find in other places and even the most trollish and aggressive nerd-ragers actually argue their case in some form instead of just flinging insults. The worst i have seen was someone who spent a fair deal of time trying to create humorous insults, he failed, but even so the sheer mudslinging found on much of the internet is not present.

[Cobra_Ikari]

Ah. Perhaps I don't see this because I never leave the FB section of the boards?

[reorith]

thanks frigs

minutes before posting in this thread, i was flaming a guy for misspelling "grok." looks like i was familiar with nerd-rage all along.

[Brickwall]

Nerdrage, by definition, comes with nerds. I'd actually expect to see MORE of it in a nerd-dedicated forum than I see here. There are some bad individuals (I am a horrible person, for example), but as a community, we tend to keep it pretty low.

[Copacetic]

Brickwall, your failing too take into acount that to understand the jokes in either Erfworld or OOTS you have to have a brain. And use it quite throughly. And people who Nerd-Rage (generally) don't use theirs very often. But yes, we do keep it low. For the most part.

[Bag_of_Holding]

Ah. Perhaps I don't see this because I never leave the FB section of the boards?

Well, F from FB doesn't stand for French for sure. No offense.

[Icewalker]

I've always thought that this has been an extremely civil place, and I haven't noticed any increase in that recently, although I spend most of my time in my pbps, WW games, and the homebrew section.

[Trog]

There is a REASON nerds are social outcasts. Nerd rage (as this thread terms it) and elitism has the effect of turning people off. It may not be the product of being a nerd... but could it instead be the reason for being a nerd at all. Which came first?

*zen enlightenment noise*

[Cobra_Ikari]

Well, F from FB doesn't stand for French for sure. No offense.

I suppose that's good, since I don't speak French. :smalltongue:

*hugs*...offense? How would I be offended by that?

[Jae]

Anyways, I get what you mean about elitism, haven't seen it that much here.

My friend who introduced me to these forums called it 'the nicest place on the internet'.

So was I, by a friend who also acknowledged the elitist factor that lies within these forums. It being "nice" has nothing to do with the fact that there IS still an elitist group, and people will be ignored as such. It's not really in a mean/rude way, but if you aren't "on-top" on this forum, you just aren't going to be answered that much. It definitely exists, and it's a fairly clear line.
Those who are answered in massive amounts are probably part of the elitist group, or are going to become part of it. The people whose threads die within a few days, aren't.


There's a tiny shade of elitism that comes with having a certain length of being here, but that's really the only kind I see much of, and it tends to be not-very-offensive?
Basically my take on it, although I think it's more than a tiny shade and I think its got less to do with a certain amount of time...more to do with already established people taking a liking to you.
But it's pretty inoffensive.





And if nobodys already mentioned, it's spelled "elitist" and "elitism." No double e's.

[mercurymaline]

There is a REASON nerds are social outcasts. Nerd rage (as this thread terms it) and elitism has the effect of turning people off. It may not be the product of being a nerd... but could it instead be the reason for being a nerd at all. Which came first?

*zen enlightenment noise*

The point, I think, is that people who are familiar with being outcast should not treat fellow nerds as outcasts. I have seen just a bit of flamage here, mostly in the Media and Gaming forums, because people are discussing things that they
feel very strongly about. Its how people tend to behave concerning politics and religion. That's why I don't post in those forums.


morbid

[Pocketa]

Brickwall, your failing too take into acount that to understand the jokes in either Erfworld or OOTS you have to have a brain. And use it quite throughly. And people who Nerd-Rage (generally) don't use theirs very often. But yes, we do keep it low. For the most part.

Why do I get the jokes then?

[Syka]

The only place I've ever seen 'active' elitism is in the PbP section, except there is a very good reason why many DM's will only take players they are familiar with- there is too much chance of several group members dropping out and thus the game failing. All my games except one have failed for this reason, members dropping out, and the other was the DM disappearing.

On FB I don't see much of the elitism. I mean, I consider myself a fairly regular member of the community and (evidently) well respected, yet some of my threads fall off the page quickly. And Pocketa was a new member (I think...I hadn't seen her previous to the Apple Incident), but her threads been up for a couple weeks now. It just depends on relevance, I think.

Cheers,
Syka

[Copacetic]

I have to agree with Syka here. I have seen the PbP Elitism, but only small amounts. And I know nothing of this so called "FB Elitism".

Heh, Syka, your basically the Fairy god-mother of FB. Everything is step-sisters and washing floors until you turn up and we have a ball with glass slippers. Of Course your well respected.

Pocketa, I refuse to dignify that response other than I refuse to dignify that wth a response.

[Brickwall]

So was I, by a friend who also acknowledged the elitist factor that lies within these forums. It being "nice" has nothing to do with the fact that there IS still an elitist group, and people will be ignored as such. It's not really in a mean/rude way, but if you aren't "on-top" on this forum, you just aren't going to be answered that much. It definitely exists, and it's a fairly clear line.
Those who are answered in massive amounts are probably part of the elitist group, or are going to become part of it. The people whose threads die within a few days, aren't.

Well, you can't truly attribute that to 'elitism'. Really, it's more to do with the quality of posters. If you can't type, and you say totally idiotic things or just don't contribute to the community in any way, well, you aren't going to get much respect, are you? On the other hand, if you manage to stimulate the minds of the Playgrounders, say new and interesting things, and present yourself well, you'll be given plenty of attention.

Basically, social status notwithstanding, if you say something uninteresting, people won't pay attention.

Also, I'm pretty sure he's talking about elitism in the context of fandom, not an arbitrary social heirarchy. No need to make everything political.

[Raroy]

Ah, people never pay attention to me because I'm uninteresting. Elitism is for the angels of heaven, not for people to shun other's with similar interest in things because they don't agree with them. I've seen Elitism here (So and So is awesome. Me killing a few threads because I say something strange and incoherent. Vs threads). It exists everywhere, you just need to know how to identify it.

[FlyMolo]

I hadn't realized it till now, but this really is one of the nicest places on the internet. Welcome to the nicest place on the internet. In the internet. Whatever.

Elitism bothers me. Mostly in a weird backwards way. Because I go to a school for smart people, right? (I know that sounds bad, but I do.) But people from there have a reputation for being nasty preppy elitist pretentious bastards. I'd like to not be a nasty preppy elitist pretentious bastard, and I don't want people to think I am one. So I don't tell people where I go to school. It's probably one of the crowning achievements of my life to date, my acceptance here, and I'm really happy, but I don't tell people. And that's why I don't like Elitism. It's a good reason.

[Elliot Kane]

Few forums are really all that nice, though this is one of the better ones I've found. Even the ruder boardies tend to not be THAT rude at the end of the day.

One thing I feel is a factor in any perception of elitism is the sheer number of boardies here. It's very easy for many people to post in a thread and all but a few will not get responded to. It's not that they aren't interesting or have said nothing worthwhile, more that if you're responding to five pages of stuff that sprung up overnight it's more likely you'll respond to people you know (This is a normal people reaction after all) and maybe to the one or two posts that seriously catch your eye.

For example, I've posted a reasonable amount here (Up to Barbarian already, by Crom! :D) but I'd bet the number of you in this thread who have ever interacted with me or have any idea of who I am is pretty low. With nearly 27,000 boardies though, it's very easy for anyone to get lost in the crowd.

That's what any newbie is fighting against. It can be very hard to stand out against the crowd.

[Innis Cabal]

The simple fact it isn’t seen by one or two people doesn’t change the fact that it does in fact happen and often at that. If being an elitist or even rude jerk is part of being a nerd then they deserve to be made fun of. To answer which came first, Elitism came first. But that question in and of itself, and the little “Zen enlightenment” noise at the end is actually a good way of showing my point.There is no justifiable elitism, there is in no way a right way to feel better about anyone else because your apart of something they aren’t, or because you think you know some intrinsic fact of the universe they aren’t smart enough to know. Regardless of what you are, or who you are. If this wasn’t the internet chances are, that you wouldn’t say or do what you say or do in the manner you say or do. In a community where tolerance and humility should be paramount, there is nothing but silly little one ups "mine's bigger" contests.

[Elliot Kane]

Innis...

If I seriously believed this board was a hive of elitism and trolling, I would not post here. I belong to a couple other forums where I am a known and (I hope) well liked boardie. I have my own forum (Which IS the nicest place on the net - but then I might be biased :D). I don't NEED to be here, and with over 100 million forums on the web neither does anyone else.

I do not think the problem is as bad as you say, and I can honestly say that I have never yet posted anything online I would not say to the person I was talking to face to face. That's not my way.

There are plenty of nice people here who are NOT elitists or trolls and seem to enjoy peaceful discussion. Maybe I've just been lucky and stayed out of most of the bad threads - I don't know. But this is my experience and it's good enough for me.

[Gaelbert]

(I am a horrible person, for example)
No. You may have a biting and cynical manner, but I would not say that necessarily qualifies you as a bad person. In fact, I sort of look up to you in a way, the same way I do House. I might not agree with what you say or how you say it, but I still may like you. A role modle that I don't want to follow, say.

And now on-topic: Recently I was told that I belong to the elitest group at school. This floored me, because I never thought about it that way. I mean, al my friends are nice and amazing, ya know? But then again, that person may be right. I can only see from my view, not others, so I won't get the whole story.
There is elitism here, mild to be sure, but it is present. And the people who take part in it probably have no idea. You just don't really think about things like that.

[Dode]

Thread title accident or subtle insinuation?

t(:smallfurious:t)

ELITISTSSSS

[Jae]

Well, you can't truly attribute that to 'elitism'. Really, it's more to do with the quality of posters. If you can't type, and you say totally idiotic things or just don't contribute to the community in any way, well, you aren't going to get much respect, are you? On the other hand, if you manage to stimulate the minds of the Playgrounders, say new and interesting things, and present yourself well, you'll be given plenty of attention.
Sure, you could say that. The people who are witty and interesting get the attention, but that still makes them higher-up to an extent. Regardless, it's a hierarchy of sorts.


Also, I'm pretty sure he's talking about elitism in the context of fandom, not an arbitrary social heirarchy. No need to make everything political.
Oh yes..yes, there is.


But then again, that person may be right.
Oh, this person sounds smart. I bet their very, very right and that the statement was well thought-out. And they sound amazingly honest, you should definitely hold on to brilliant people like that in your life! :smallbiggrin:

[Rutee]

The point, I think, is that people who are familiar with being outcast should not treat fellow nerds as outcasts. I have seen just a bit of flamage here, mostly in the Media and Gaming forums, because people are discussing things that they
feel very strongly about. Its how people tend to behave concerning politics and religion. That's why I don't post in those forums.


morbid

"Should" is not "Will". That's the problem, of sorts.


But that question in and of itself, and the little “Zen enlightenment” noise at the end is actually a good way of showing my point.There is no justifiable elitism, there is in no way a right way to feel better about anyone else because your apart of something they aren’t, or because you think you know some intrinsic fact of the universe they aren’t smart enough to know.
Actually, you're finding the difference between Elitism and Cliquishness. The bolded is related to the concept of Cliques, wherein everyone is a member of a discrete social group, or wherein people automatically get more respect for being a member of your social group. This is often mistaken for Elitism. Cliquishness doesn't seem to be common here at all, because there aren't many discrete social groups (I was worried the SOS-Dan stickers would cause it, but it hasn't, to my knowledge).

If I were to take a stab at it, Innis Cabbal is monitoring the gaming forum, where it can crop up, primarily because some person or other believes that their particular style of playing is better. I think a big part of it is that nerd rage will just cause more of it. The Nerd who's angrious will tick off someone else with their abrasiveness, etc. It's tough to stop, simply put, and there's no real solution. This forum can get pretty bad about it, IMO, but it's nowhere near as bad as it could be.

Edit:Yes, Elitism can factor in based on forum recognition. For instance, I'm willing to bet someone dismissed my post based on never having once posted in the Banter forum :smallwink:

[Elliot Kane]

I think you make some very good points, Rutee, particularly on the differences between Cliquishness and Elitism.

I agree with you.

[tyckspoon]

The Nerd who's angrious

This is some Lewis Caroll phrasing, right here. I heartily approve.

... topic? What topic?

[Innis Cabal]

Cliquishness is in fact a mild form of elitism, just because you paint the horse pink does not stop it from being a horse at the end of the day. Hiding behind synonyms and degree’s changes nothing, snobbery is snobbery.

[Rutee]

I hope you recognize the irony in (Seemingly) displaying some measure of anger or disdain at the response. Cliquishness is confused for elitism; It's not. Cliquishness is when you confuse your friends with the elite. Actual elitists seek the actual elite, and with a sufficient display of ability, wholeheartedly welcome a new person into the group known as Elite. Cliques, basically by definition, will not quickly accept a new person, except on recommendation of a member of the clique.

Now, that aside, it's not any better, no.


This is some Lewis Caroll phrasing, right here. I heartily approve.
I wish I could say that it was Lewis Caroll. Remember when Red Mage invented the word Omniloathe? Angrious is Angry + Furious >.>

[tyckspoon]

I wish I could say that it was Lewis Caroll. Remember when Red Mage invented the word Omniloathe? Angrious is Angry + Furious >.>

Jabberwockian, then? I meant it sounded like one of Carroll's words; it'd go nicely in the stanza warning the callow forum newb of the dangers populating the threads. Somehow this poem would end with the phrase 'Unlimited Desu Works.'

Decrying a low level of cliqueism seems rather like a windmill-tilting job to me. The ingroup/outgroup distinction is a pretty basic part of human socialization and not something you can really get people to stop doing. It creates problems when it becomes near impossible for somebody to penetrate the ingroup, which isn't a situation I've seen here. New posters get accepted quickly and fluidly; it's not like we're (metaphorically speaking) silently staring down the Pixies and waiting for them to offer some proof of their fitness.

[Cuddly]

So was I, by a friend who also acknowledged the elitist factor that lies within these forums. It being "nice" has nothing to do with the fact that there IS still an elitist group, and people will be ignored as such. It's not really in a mean/rude way, but if you aren't "on-top" on this forum, you just aren't going to be answered that much. It definitely exists, and it's a fairly clear line.
Those who are answered in massive amounts are probably part of the elitist group, or are going to become part of it. The people whose threads die within a few days, aren't.


Basically my take on it, although I think it's more than a tiny shade and I think its got less to do with a certain amount of time...more to do with already established people taking a liking to you.
But it's pretty inoffensive.





And if nobodys already mentioned, it's spelled "elitist" and "elitism." No double e's.

Uhhhh, actually, this is one of the more active forums out there. Just about everything gets replied to, and in spades.

[Player_Zero]

Wait... Are you saying that if I, for example, don't like the new Transformers movie because it had nothing of the old series and movie's charm and design and if I state this openly with some anger to someone who believes it to be the best film in the world (has happened) then I am participating in wanton Fascism?

It just doesn't seem like that big a deal. I would be a bit more worried if, say, we rounded up all the people who thought that the new Transformers movie was good and shot them. That might be a bit more serious.

Internet? Serious business?

[Brickwall]

Edit:Yes, Elitism can factor in based on forum recognition. For instance, I'm willing to bet someone dismissed my post based on never having once posted in the Banter forum :smallwink:

OMG, you finally posted in FB! YAAAAY! *hugz*

Right, then, I think I've finally cut to the heart of the matter. First off, I'm going to say that whatever amount of 'elitism' there is on these boards, it's far far far less than (or should I use Carrol phrasing? Lessimal to?) the amount that there is in meatspace. People are scum, and for a race that theoretically invented elitism, this forum does a proud job of keeping it holed up.

And now for my main diagnosis. It's lupus. No, wait, it's never lupus (yes, coolgael, I saw your post). Okay, the real problem is that you're all looking at 'symptoms' of elitism that are also the results of far more innocent things that crop up in all communities. Longtime posters getting more recognition than newbies? Oh, well, let me see. Could it have something to do with the fact that establishing yourself in a community happens to get you recognition? Because that's what happens when you establish yourself in a community? It's only cliquey if they get recognition by a certain group and those who admire that group, as opposed to pretty much everyone who stops in.
And then there's the new people who come in and get floods of answers. And this place is the only one where someone managed to catch the spotlight by doing one interesting thing? No, it's not. In fact, that's what interesting things are for.
Perhaps you'd like to point out new or 'non-accepted' people being ignored. I got news for you, I don't respond to over 50% of posts in any thread, nobody does, except hyper people, or those in threads that aren't posted in much. Oftentimes, I'll barely address any of them. But if I do address any of them, it'll be the ones that I feel I need to respond to. It has very little to do with who the poster is. It's likely that certain people simply post more, and thus get a higher percentage of the limited responses I give out. Who could be posting more often than others? Could it be the folks with the high post counts that come from posting a lot?
Okay, perhaps you think that the 'popular' posters think they're better than everyone? I admit, some of them do (I know I do, but again, I'm a bastard, not exactly a good example), but that's just their personalities, and they'd be the same whether or not anyone agreed with them. I'm sure there are lots of people who aren't well known here who will go out decreeing that everyone is inferior to them in some way. Perhaps they will take the moral high road and call everyone cliquey and snobbish, and refuse to concede even the most hard-fought points, even though they aren't really using any logic of their own, and just adamantly standing by statements with no backup.

I don't know about other folks with high postcounts (actually, some of them I do), but I treat every statement how it deserves to be treated, no matter who it is. Sometimes, if I know a poster well enough, I'll have more knowledge of the appropriate reaction (joking about their tendencies to do something, as opposed to pointing out what's wrong with it in an aggressive fashion), but that's about it.

Also, nice to meet tyckspoon and Player_Zero, two posters I've not seen before. They seem like cool froods.

[Felixaar]

I damn well want all of t-shirts, bumper stickers, and pinflags that bare the maxim "NERD-RAGE!"

[Dragor]

I've found that the forums, in general, are nice. Sometimes, though, things get out of hand- remember the 'Fighter is the best class in the game!' thread? The OP, for the most part, got sneered and jibed at by some posters. And the thread where the OP's character was a total Final Fantasy rip-off? That was an example of the opposite- thread posters were generally nice and helpful, even though he didn't appreciate it.

Every forum has its elitist moments, and certainly I've succumbed to nerd-rage more than once (but not on the forums). I think I can safely say that GitP does not have a serious case of it going on, at least compared to other forums.

Media Discussions is always guaranteed to get heated, especially when it comes to Vs. threads, which is basically encouraging people to argue against each other- of course, this is the point of a forum, but arguments always have the potential to get heated.

As for certain factions of elitists, I see none, hear none, and smell none.

[Groundhog]

I'm a fairly recent newcomer to these threads, and haven't seen/felt any snobbery directed towards me. Of course, I'm still a novice to gaming and haven't been brave enough to venture onto the gaming threads yet, so I can't comment on the entire forum. But this place seems to be very good about that.

[bosssmiley]

Fair point about the nerd rage Innis Cabal, but isn't that what an ignore list is for? Why listen to the bigoted ravings of foolios when you can simply *blip* them with a mute button and enjoy the serenity.

"Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant!"
*blip*
"....................."
"Aaaaaah, peace and quiet."

Eggy's is a simple and happy life. :smallbiggrin:

[Catch]

Like many others have said, GiantITP is probably one of the more civil board in all of the internet, specifically because of the low tolerance for flaming and other customary acts of e-snobbishness. Having a zero-tolerance policy for controversial topics helps--mostly--so I wouldn't agree that there is a widespread occurance of angry, opinionated posters.

Not that there aren't any, mind you, but because overtly incendiary posters tend to meet the business end of the b&hammer, most of the rudeness here is committed with a passive-aggressive voice, which usually comes off as that snarky, condescending vibe. Fortunately, that sort of behavior is largely localized to the forum-sanctioned yet just-as-controversial topics, such as class balance and edition preference in the gaming forums and the avalanche of versus threads in Media Discussion.

There's also a bit of cliquishness, which I think Rutee pointed out, but again, that's localized to specific sections of the forum, and more often than not, there's not so much a prevalence of iron-clad social groups, just a group of posters who follow the same sorts of threads (Ie, the Versus Thread trivia-mongers, the "Anime People" and the Random Banter crowd.) Breaking into one particular circles doesn't require a momentous effort, just a bit of consistency. If you're always around, making quality posts and generally adding something new to the discussion, you're much more likely to be actually heard, rather than screened out as is common on large forums.

So, not to add my voice to the overture or anything, but GiantITP is far more egalitarian and civil than most other forums, where flame wars and the in-crowd tend to dominate.