This fandom has changed.

[SilverStarApple 849]

I remember being here a few years ago. I was legitimately shocked at how nice everypony was. I made my first real friends here.

 

And now... they're all gone. I don't know what happened to most of them. They just stopped talking to me or replying. Now, I can count the friends I have on one hand and still have fingers left over.

 

And this site... it's different. The debate pit is the most active part of the forum and anyone that objects to SJW crap gets banned or shadowbanned. Anyone that whines about hurt feelings in a debate gets to win it because their opponent gets a warning. The genuine love and tolerance, the people inspired by the show and its message that a beautiful world could exist... they're gone. Did they all leave after having bad experiences on Fimfic.net, where if you aren't a multi-story front-page author with a few hundred sycophants and people clamouring to write stories in your "Verse" to try and lick up some of your delicious fame, you're nothing, and will be treated as such by every bitter hack that hates your genre, OCs that aren't "Socially awkward, utterly talentless, nerdy, stupid, and unloved, this loser is you!"-brand reader stand-ins as pathetic as the reviewer, and will take a dump on you to make their own candle seem brighter?

 

What happened? When did you all lose that spark of hope? When did you let the haters win? When did you all stop being bronies? 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@SilverStarApple,

 

I got a question for you.  Why do you believe we've stopped being bronies? 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I know how you feel man, I've felt the same way. Sure it's changed but that's only to be expected and the whole Pc thing doesn't really have much to say about bronies as such. Though yeah, lot of people have well just vanished, gotten banned, left or whatever. Well still I think there are bronies who still have that spark, just different you know. Of course maybe that's just us who have been ones for a long time. I'm not sure how new bronies see it. Personally I think the fandom is still somewhat similar to how it was, changed but still similar and you know I think we just need to try to hold onto what made it special in the first place.

[Mesme Rize 15,687]

I never stopped being  a brony. I never considered myself being a part of a movement or something. I just considered being part of a fandom that likes this show, that's it. This fandom was never special from any other one.

 

Maybe we didn't change. Maybe it's just you.

 

Also, love and tolerance was something that was made out of irony and shouldn't have been a slogan. I believe in respect and if people give me respect i respect them back.

[galaxysquid 2,122]

This fandom has been around for many years now, and a lot of people probably have gotten bored. But, not everyone has left! There are still millions of people who enjoy ponies. Nobody here has stopped being a brony. 

 

I know how you feel in the part where you mention that everyone left/disappeared. A lot of (or maybe pretty much all of) the older forum goers I was friends with when I first joined unfortunately disappeared or just got themselves banned. (A lot had to do with drama, drama and oh, more drama.) It kind of blows, because now I'm never as active in status updates and PM's as I used to be when they were around. I was very close to them, and I'm not even sure how to contact them anymore!

 

Yes, a lot has changed. Don't worry though, the forums is still the forums. Maybe not the same forums as two or three years ago, but it's still the forums. c:

[GeekySonic 1,150]

I fooled myself into thinking that this fandom was special. It's not. But it doesn't have to be. I watch the show to have fun, I browse this site for the same reason.

 

One day, I will also leave here, and I don't really have any friends, so I guess it won't matter.

[Sapphire Lightning 784]

I only joined in here in early 2015, and I can say that I have met some of the nicest people here. There are of course nasties, but rare here compared to most of the rest of the internet. The IRC channel-suite and micro-forum I help run grew organically out of a need for real time conversation with the many people PMing me asking if I wanted to chat. If it had not been for so many here that wanted to reach out and extend a hoof, I wouldn't have ended up with multiple IRC channels and dozens of bronies to chat with daily.

Maybe I am missing what the "old ways were"? Or maybe the community you think you have lost has gotten over the "Oh cool! You like a show for little girls too?!" thing and grew up to become a more normal community?

[@lpha 41]

Change is what things tend to do over the course of about 6 years, a thing no one can avoid is change.

 

Also, the nice people couldn't be ALL gone, that's impossible (imeani'dliketothinki'mnicebutwhatever) and to be optimistic, with less friends comes a better bond between the ones you already have.

 

Also, to be more specific.... Your rant was about mlpf (and fimfiction...?) Not about the entire fandom....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry... Was that salty?

Edited April 23, 2016 by @lpha

[Eiwly 77]

honestly I think all fandoms are filled with the absolute greatest, most wonderful people. & they're also filled with the complete worst. each fandom has that 'dark side' so to speak, it's nothing new, it's just sometimes that side is more apparent that the wonderful people. it comes and it goes, sometimes it's more apparent, sometimes it's not.

 

the only real change is people leave. some just grow tired of it, some find other interests, or some are sadly chased out by the negative fandom. it sucks, I've lost friends too, simple because of drifting interests. people come and go all the time. I know I've come back to the mlp fandom numerous times, whenever my interest is renewed.  It's unfair to generalize an entire fandom based on select experiences here or fimfiction.

 

sure, everyone looks back on the old days of the fandom with a sort of idealized impression of it. ya it's okay to be nostalgic about those early days, of the show, but it's important to remember that anything that's happening in the fandom now, also happened then. people will crawl to whoever's popular at the moment, before buggering off the next. happened then and happening now, there's no change there. only difference is who's around at the moment.

 

so maybe the people have changed, but the fandom really hasn't.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

 

 

I was legitimately shocked at how nice everypony was.

I am shocked that it's you who made this topic.  I don't necessarily disagree with what you're saying, as my naivety towards the fandom - and this site in particular - took its own personal nosedive a while ago.

 

 

 

And this site... it's different. The debate pit is the most active part of the forum and anyone that objects to SJW crap gets banned or shadowbanned. Anyone that whines about hurt feelings in a debate gets to win it because their opponent gets a warning.

But you aren't exactly contributing to this disingenuous, phantom policy of "love and tolerance" with some of the overtly sarcastic stuff that you post.  Sometimes in, I'll wager, The Debate Pit.  Spouting "SJW" left and right neither qualifies as love nor as tolerance.  The moment I see that sort of thing in anyone's post, I assume that they're firmly decided on a matter and will not budge no matter what amount of rational thought heads their way.

 

So if you would like the fandom to be something different, start by changing yourself.  Or hell: Forget the fandom.  You have no control over it.  Just don't expect everyone to rally behind you or agree with everything you say.

 

 

 

Now, I can count the friends I have on one hand and still have fingers left over.

Then you should count yourself lucky.  It's not quantity that matters where friendship is concerned; it's quality.

[Odyssey 5,717]

The fandom may have changed, but there are a lot of people here that are still bronies. I mean, check out how many people here have joined the forums recently or even people that have been on them since 2012. In spite of how many things this fandom has been through, there are still people who want to participate in the fandom.

 

We really shouldn't let stuff like drama or anti-bronies get in our way. I know we've had our moments, but at the end of the day, what really matters is the many people we've met over the years. Without the fandom, we probably wouldn't have as many friends as what we had initially. And most of the people who leave is sometimes because they have a life outside the fandom. They may not be the best reasons, but really, the fandom isn't as perfect or not as horrible as what many people make it out to be.

[King Sejong 859]

   I understand, I have noticed subtle changes, including this attachment that bronies have, that makes leaving seem like a travesty, I have almost left the fandom many times, and by leaving, I mean no longer participating on the forums or Facebook bronies. It's more than the occasional unpleasant outburst from overzealous fans, but I also found a new energy for my first fandom, the furry fandom, for Zootopia is my new fantasy world, it came into my life just as interest in MLP was dissipating, it may seem temporary, but I feel like I will be involved with furries and Zootopia for years to come. I never really referred myself as a brony, I was a furry first, so if the spark for Friendship is Magic is lost, I would simply go back to the furries, and rekindle my old friendships, although I do not regret being part of the bronies, it has been quite an experience, to finally have an active role in a new fandom, now that the furry fandom has begun to advance, I want to be part of the movement, time will tell if the fandom changes, hopefully into something positive, the choice is up to the individuals, not the mob who wants to dictate to lesser fans, you must have balance before you can make changes.  

[Scootalove 10,689]

Fandoms have their relatively times that change over time and you start to notice what was once the past, proceed on into the future from humble beginnings to the fast proceedings. I know I have lost friends and some that I haven't seen around in so long, but there is always that spark which brings you right back.

[Trinitron Keys 89]

Socially, I don't mess too much with the ficwriters - a few of them write stuff I like, but most of it is too radically different from canon to give me the same benefit I get from the show, its world and the relatable bronies. If I write a story, I usually just tune out the rest of the world beethoven-style and compose my metaphorical symphony. For social purposes the main-line forums and general discussion make for better venues; it's happy, tolerant, and good for an occasional laugh most days. You just gotta find the right thread. If I want dark, moody or critical, all I have to do is shut down the computer and go downtown or go to work.

[Megas 27,786]

Fandoms change

Not everyone in the fandom will be nice

something something MGS4 opening monologue parody

Edited April 23, 2016 by Megas

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

I'm pretty sure no one even back then took love and tolerence seriously. I was in the fandom back then too, and the only time people would use that term was when yelling at haters, "I'M GONNA LOVE AND TOLERATE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!"

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Of course fandoms change. The show changes. If everything stayed the same it would stagnate and not be worth a thing anymore.

 

On top of that, every experience is different. Your experiences might have been bad, we don't know who or what was the reason why and can't just take one user's word for it. I've had good and bad times on this site, and it's how you survive the bad times that show just how committed and attached to something you are.

 

I've been banned from the site before. I've disagreed and had fallouts with the moderators before and considered not coming back. But I got through it. I learned from the experience, we made our peace, and we're all better people now than we were two years ago as a result of it. Trust me, it's worth more to stick out the bad times than to complain about how people just aren't as tolerant as they used to be, or to make accusations.

 

The fandom was a part of my coming of age. I was in high school when this fandom reached its critical mass in 2012 and it's definitely changed. Some parts are better, others not so good, but it doesn't matter all that much to me. That's a good thing. As long as I'm not fussing and worrying about it, it's a good thing.

[Solid 1,327]

How you perceive things completely depends on what you allow yourself to perceive, and even when you accept everything you see, it's not necessarily the whole story.

 

If you spend the majority of your time in mlpforums on reading posts from Debate Pit, you will eventually encounter toxic posts, and a few of them would give you that impression. There is simply so much more to this site than a subforum of a subforum of a subforum of a subgroup.

 

I've been on fimfiction before. Yes, some people there are tough, but most of them are actually trying to offer constructive criticism, perhaps in a too direct way for you. Yes, there could also be trolls, or jerks, but a dozen of them is quite minor compared to thousands of other relatively same individuals.

 

In the end, the phenomenon we are talking about is "the problem of other minds." It is virtually impossible to be 100% correct about exactly what thoughts and feelings are going through other people's heads. You can try to fortune tell all you want, but chances you would end up upsetting yourself over some negative assumptions when nothing could be further from the truth in some cases.

 

For one, some of those friends you've talked about who seemingly "abandoned" you could very much be busy like hell, with school, work, other non-mlpforums related stuff. The problem is, you might not know.

 

 

 

Lastly, mlpforums might be the biggest brony forum on the Internet, or one of them, but even then it only just contain a small fraction of the brony fandom at large.

 

Generalization can kill.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Solid

[SilverStarApple 849]

"Wrong and stupid" are your words, not mine.  I implied that such a person was less likely to entertain an alternative viewpoint.  There's a difference between saying a word I don't like and relying almost exclusively on inherently inflammatory terms whose sole purpose is to be cast at others in the heat of an internet rant.

 

You have a chip on your shoulder, and it does all of the talking.  I'm not saying I don't know what that feels like.  On the contrary: I've been precisely where you currently seem to be (and, regrettably, make visits back there from time to time).  I think you express yourself poorly and rely largely upon the regurgitation of fundamentally worthless buzzwords and similar phrases.  What you're doing isn't competent arguing, and one could even claim that it veers dangerously close to the "crybaby" mentality that you apparently disapprove of.

 

I think it likelier you were banned from The Debate Pit because you don't know how to debate.  You may be an intelligent, creative, free-thinking individual for all I know, but nothing you've said mid-debate shows me any of that.  Take it from someone who still struggles with precisely this issue: Leave the chip behind when you walk into a debate.  Or, at the very least, develop a more effective way of giving it voice.

I'm wondering if there may be any truth to what you say. After all, perfection is a lie and anything can be improved. Then, I remember that you hate the term SJW, and begin to wonder why.

 

Tell me why.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

I'm wondering if there may be any truth to what you say. After all, perfection is a lie and anything can be improved. Then, I remember that you hate the term SJW, and begin to wonder why.

 

Tell me why.

A number of reasons:

1. It's used SO frequently that its original intent and meaning have all but evaporated.

2. From a writing standpoint, buzzwords (or the overabundance of them) strike me as lazy.  If you truly care about what you're expressing, use your own words as often as you can.

3. Sometimes the people using "SJW" to indicate an extreme viewpoint exercise a viewpoint that is, itself, an extreme.  One extreme condemning another extreme can come off as hypocrisy and weakens your fundamental argument.

4. Other than ruffling someone's feathers, there's no real NEED for it.  If feather-ruffling is what you're trying to accomplish...  Okay, then.  But if you're trying to make a point, there are plenty of buzzword-free ways to do it.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

Guys, I'm sorry to say that this discussion has devolved to the point where I'm going to have to do my moderator thing and lock it. I'll also be issuing a few reports...just saying.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,162]

Just so we're clear; I am not unlocking this topic. While not among the worst, it was heading down a path of no return.

 

Simply put no fandom is perfect; that is a universal truth. Likewise we have perceptions of a fandom and it likely will change over time; that's just how it works. The tricky thing is we deal with change. Some either accept it, or they move. Either method is fine. However, what is not acceptable is finger-pointing and accusations.

 

That said, be careful with how you perceive change, and especially be careful how you deal with it.

 

That is all.