At 3/7/15 02:04 PM, Ketchemonia wrote:
You know, I never thought Newgrounds was one for elitism. I won't point fingers at anyone or anything. But I gotta say, I've been getting those superior vibes from other Alphas. (Whoever you Alphas are)
So I need to ask, is anyone else seeing a state of Elitism here?
Here is how you detect Elitism over the net.
1. They have a superior mind complex (or at least believe they do) over the general populace
2. Mention specific people only, and never try to engage with the yokel peasants.
3. Are the Biggest Hug-Boxers out there. Literally will die for the circle-jerk.
Alright you are here reading this, and I sense you aren't elite because you decided that you'd see what this bullcrap is. So you see, you just being are not an Elite. Even if you think you are son.
Down with the Elites!!
There's a difference between elitism and a group of people who find themselves on friendly terms with each other, though many of the symptoms of elitism will be present in a community that fosters healthy friendships.
In your analysis, you haven't necessarily elucidated what makes one an elitist.
1. They have a superior mind complex (or at least believe they do) over the general populace
I think a lot of people fall into this. Taken by itself though, it doesn't translate directly to elitism; it's just an egotistic viewpoint. While ego is definitely part of the recipe, correlation in this case does not imply causation.
2. Mention specific people only, and never try to engage with the yokel peasants.
This, as well, does not imply elitism unless it's consistently done in comparative context and without consideration for the poster's relationship with the users they mention. Typically, people mention each other because they have a stimulating relationship, be they friends or rivals. The only time I would consider this to be edging on elitism is when the poster begins namedropping not for the sake of those (s)he mentions, but to prove to spectators that (s)he has those connections. It's fairly obvious when this happens.
3. Are the Biggest Hug-Boxers out there. Literally will die for the circle-jerk.
My response to this coincides with the previous one. When a few users who view each other favorably find themselves conversing, you'll probably see plenty baseless reinforcement which is, whether used consciously or not, meant to embolden tenuous friendships. I feel that in this case, you're mistaking people who want to get along with people who want to be revered.
What really signifies elitism in a community is a mentality that doesn't just discourage new blood from contributing, but actively attempts to disallow it. Some people naturally tend to discourage others for plenty of possible reasons, but when fresh personalities are completely shut out from using resources the same way everyone else does, there's probably some group dynamic (elitism) at play which goes beyond the relatively disconnected aggressive tendencies of individuals.
So in the end, the reason new users may have difficulty acclimating here is not because they're actively repressed, but because the pool of older users is simply very close thanks to the small community. Once we have mods or admins going around deleting new users' posts and banning them for acting like old chums I'll admit we have a problem with elitism.
oh wait
