Pretense & The Ng Community

[WaterShake]

Last night, in this thread regarding brevity, Limited made a point that I thought was noteworthy. I don't necessarily agree or disagree, I just find it interesting. He said:

At 7/25/10 04:32 PM, Limited wrote: Sometimes I think your long posts and threads about big issues and such is pretty pretentious.

He later went on to expand on this and those interested can clink the link above to see how the topic developed. However, discussion was somewhat limited given that it was distinctly out of place, i.e, off topic. Thus I feel the need to make this topic, in order to discuss the issue fully.

I don't see myself as pretentious. Perhaps this is because it's a negative characteristic, perhaps it's because admitting so, would undermine my conviction. Or maybe, it's because long posts and big issues have little to do with pretense.

If I wanted the NG community to perceive me as intelligent, I would approach it in an entirely different way. There are far more effective ways to "appear" intelligent, than to make numerous discursive topics in the hope that someone would start associating myself with them.

Furthermore, the association is entirely out with my control.What others perceive in my posts and writings is entirely their own choice. It's the NG community that tends to equate length to intelligence, not myself. I use "long" words to increase accuracy and nuance of expression. Not because I want people to notice that I do.

Why is making "long posts" deemed as pretentious? It seems quiet counter productive to assume someone is making a point for kudos, rather than discussion.

So NG, what are your thoughts on pretense? Specifically within the NG community.

[Ass-Crumb]

hey you know whats really pretentious?

the writing forum

zing

[WaterShake]

At 7/26/10 02:13 AM, FunnyStuff707 wrote:

At 7/26/10 02:09 AM, Sekhem wrote: this site is made for cartoons/games

not your incessant whining and being a complete and utter faggot

I don't think Sekhem could have said it better, except now I think it's more of an outlet for all kinds of art.

and dicks

Surely he could have said it better if you think "it's more of an outlet for all kinds of art"? Personally though, I think that ad hom attacks tend to negate any actual value of an argument put forward.

I'm also waiting on someone pointing out the last time I complained about something. Also, evidence that i'm "a complete and utter faggot". Although the latter of the two should be considerably easier to find.

[LardLord]

At 7/26/10 02:13 AM, WaterShake wrote: Just remind me the last time I actually complained about something?

Scroll up to the first post on this page.

[WaterShake]

At 7/26/10 02:23 AM, LardLord wrote:

At 7/26/10 02:13 AM, WaterShake wrote: Just remind me the last time I actually complained about something?

Scroll up to the first post on this page.

Ok. I see my post questioning peoples perceptions. I'm yet to see myself complaining about anything. Note how I didn't say, "NG users are morons because they don't understand the need for linguistic accuracy" or anything equally ludicrous. All I did was ask questions. So far, I haven't received any reasoned responses. I'm quiet patient though.

[Ass-Crumb]

WaterShake you over think things way too much

sooner or later i bet you'll also pick up drinking and showing your dick on stickam, considering you're like a mini scarab.

[WaterShake]

I'd also like to raise the idea that pretense may not always be an inherently bad thing. Whilts it is true that the standard definition of pretentiousness does seem inherently negative, i.e:

"Pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed."

But I think that pretense stems from the somewhat natural desire to impress others. So it seems almost as if we are to discourage ourselves from any attempt at impressing each other. Which from my perspective, would be a sorry state of affairs. I can't imagine how grim conversation and communication would be if anything of an impressive nature was disallowed from discussion.

[Sawdust]

At 7/26/10 02:16 AM, Ass-Crumb wrote: hey you know whats really pretentious?

the writing forum

zing

Actually yes that's quite true.

[Limited]

I think the point I was trying to make before was not that it's a bad thing to make intelligent and lengthy posts, it's not at all. I simply think that perhaps repeatedly making lengthy, intelligent threads on a forum, which you know to be just as full of crazy 12 year olds as it is with reasonably intelligent adults, could come across as pretentious. I do respect your threads however, and I don't in any way want them to disappear but perhaps this indicates that you need to relax more on the forums?

[WaterShake]

At 7/26/10 05:53 AM, Limited wrote: I think the point I was trying to make before was not that it's a bad thing to make intelligent and lengthy posts, it's not at all.

I agree with this, as long as both conditions are met, length for lengths sake is if anything, stupid.

I simply think that perhaps repeatedly making lengthy, intelligent threads on a forum, which you know to be just as full of crazy 12 year olds as it is with reasonably intelligent adults, could come across as pretentious.

I see the point your making, but I'm not sure how the audience relates to pretense. If you look at it logically, surely something would be or wouldn't be pretentious regardless of the reader?

I do respect your threads however, and I don't in any way want them to disappear but perhaps this indicates that you need to relax more on the forums?

Obviously, I wouldn't say so. From my perspective, i'm already relaxed on these forums. I enjoy the debate and conversation that I partake in with other users and it's all great. I get the impression that by relaxed you mean less "serious". If I were to start posting humorously etc., I wouldn't feel relaxed at all. In fact, I wouldn't enjoy using this site nearly as much.

At 7/26/10 02:32 AM, Ass-Crumb wrote: sooner or later i bet you'll also pick up drinking and showing your dick on stickam, considering you're like a mini scarab.

I'm frightened by the way something inside just laughed at this comment.

Regardless, if anyone reading this believes that they may be developing into a mini-Scarab, then please book an appointment with your GP or health advisor as soon as possible to receive guidelines about the help available. At an early stage, it is likely that enjoying a meal in an Indian restaraunt would be sufficient treatment.

Joking aside, I'm making some improvements judging from how I've felt recently on the whole, though I've not seen the professionals I'd like to see. As always, I encourage anyone insulted by my... erm, 'better half', to get in touch at once to chat.

At 7/26/10 05:53 AM, Limited wrote: I think the point I was trying to make before was not that it's a bad thing to make intelligent and lengthy posts, it's not at all. I simply think that perhaps repeatedly making lengthy, intelligent threads on a forum, which you know to be just as full of crazy 12 year olds as it is with reasonably intelligent adults, could come across as pretentious. I do respect your threads however, and I don't in any way want them to disappear but perhaps this indicates that you need to relax more on the forums?

As much I clearly enjoy using the BBS myself, I am looking for different, mature forums still like I've mentioned in the past, for stuff that probably wouldn't go down well here. It's not that any alternative forum would need to be 'serious' or anything (Hell, I'm partly referring to comedy here), but I personally just think the BBS is too gloomy and cynical a great deal of the time, even regarding the users we take to be 'intelligent'. Almost Jyggalag-y. Also, for everyone who pats it all away with Newgrounds being about Flash and stuff, I bet there're more threads about games that end up in 'don't discuss your games here, we're not interested, we'd check your userpage for your favourites, etc.'. This was one of the first things brought up in 'my favourite thread', though it's not really a mod issue.

I use inverted commas because of course, we all know this is my favourite thread (cached somewhere). And because talking about the forums generally bores me, but mentioning that would look criminally hypocritical on my part.

[InsertFunnyUserName]

First, I would like to say that before this thread, I had never actually linked the word pretense with the word pretentious in my mind before and now it seems like I should have noticed it sooner.

Anyways, pretentiousness is a demeanor, in my opinion. I don't think I've ever come into one of your threads and thought, "Goddamn, this asshole is pretentious" because you always seem laid back to me. Sure, you could probably state your point in less words, but I wouldn't say that that constitutes pretentiousness and it only really becomes a problem when it dissuades people from reading it.

Pretentiousness arises when the person creates a thread (or a post) with the mindset that they, their glorious opinion, their slightly-above-grade-level vocabulary and their superfluous paragraphs are doing the forum a favor by bringing in some semblance of intellectual discussion. In the general forum, I most often find it laden with narcissism and served with a side dish of an unsuccessful grasp at precociousness.

[hellokitty22x1]

It's ironic because Limited is pretentious and WaterShake and Scarab are not.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

yeah your thread posts are to fucking long especially your long posts about that whore Lady Gaga.

[WaterShake]

At 7/26/10 12:09 PM, Tony-DarkGrave wrote: yeah your thread posts are to fucking long

Personally (and obviously) I disagree with this. I think my posts more often than not, need to be the length they are in order to contain the amount of information they do. If I were to write shorter posts, I wouldn't be able to explain myself ideas thoroughly enough for my personal liking.

especially your long posts about that whore Lady Gaga.

My posts about Lady GaGa have been severely limited as of late, and I don't think they're much longer than normal. Also, she's abstinent.

[Ptero]

At 7/26/10 01:41 PM, WaterShake wrote: Also, she's abstinent.

Bullshit.
Anyway, I can understand that you would want to write so much about a subject. You can flesh out your ideas and elaborate. However, there is a difference between elaborating and dragging on, and your posts seem to lean towards the latter.

[WaterShake]

At 7/26/10 02:54 PM, Ptero wrote:

At 7/26/10 01:41 PM, WaterShake wrote: Also, she's abstinent.

Bullshit.

I'm well aware of that incident. I found it hilarious. The photo of her "flipin the bird" is priceless. But none of it has any bearing on her sex life or demonstrates shes not abstinent. Thus it doesn't prove what I say to be bullshit.

[ChainsawNinjaZX]

Like I said before, your words should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.

That aside, you are not pretentious at all, if anything you seem to be humble. If you truly need these many words to say something, take them; just don't expect everyone to be interested.