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IJBM II's Two Year Anniversary
January 8th is the two year anniversary of IJBM II's creation, so it seemed like a thread might be in order. I guess last year's thread was a bit sappier than expected, but feel free to get sentimental again if that floats your boat. I do not really have anything else to say about this, but below is a questionnaire if you would like to answer it. It does not matter how long you have been here for the purposes of that questionnaire by the way. It is open to everyone.
Also, the stuff about the other sites and least favorite moments is kind of sensitive, so it is probably a good idea to avoid importing drama or insulting specific users when talking about it.
On IJBM II:
- Are you surprised that IJBM II is still around?
- Are you surprised that you are still posting on IJBM II? What keeps you coming back?
- Do you think that IJBM II's community is too large, too small, or about right? If you believe it is too large, do you have any thoughts about ways of attracting new members/bringing back inactive ones [no worries if the answer to the second question is no]?
- Just looking at this past year, what are your favorite and least favorite IJBM II moments?
- Has your view of IJBM II changed since last year? Do you think its atmosphere has changed?
- What do you think is the most important factor for keeping IJBM II alive in the future?
On IJBM:
- In your view, does IJBM II of today resemble the original IJBM?
- If the old IJBM was somehow restored to TVT, would you want to post there?
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
- Has your view of TV Tropes changed in the past year? Have your posting habits there changed at all?
- Are you a member of either of the two other spin-off forums (Heaper's Hangout/Beyond the Lampshade)? If so, are there aspects of those forums that you wish IJBM II had?
- Does the existence of three different TV Tropes spin-off boards surprise you at all?
- Do you think that all three of them will still exist two years from now?
- Do you think that those three communities could ever be merged into one site? Would you want them to be merged?
Poll Question:
- What should IJBM's next avatar theme be?
Comments
Somewhat. Never really thought about it much.
Nah. There are people I like here, and they talk about stuff I like talking about.
I don't care about size so much as general quality of posting, and we're way above average in that regard.
Idunno. A lot's happened.
Atmosphere seems a bit different. We've had people come and go, after all, and it's a relatively small community.
Continuing to post here and trying to make it a pleasant place to be.
Other than a few familiar faces (most of them now actually going by different names and using different avatars), not even a bit.
Nope.
Stopped liking the site and posting there entirely.
No. I might give HH a shot at some point. Maybe. But I'm lazy and only really have time for one forum.
Big site, people stopped liking it so much. Seems logical, though I wouldn't have expected it beforehand.
Probably not all three. I think one or two of them will be around.
No and no.
Don't look at me. I've changed my avatar twice.
Yes.
Sort of, mostly because I have friends here.
It's getting a little small for my taste. But I don't really know how we'd attract quality members though. By that I mean people that have something interesting to contribute and not act like assholes and get banned after a week of joining.
Best: The Timewarp.
Worst: Draven.
No, and no.
Keeping the regulars, regular.
No, and that's a good thing.
No.
Yes, I have nothing but disgust for TvTropes right now and I can't even bring myself to look at the site and cringe whenever someone elsewhere uses troper-isms.
BTL founder here, and no.
No, but I am surprised they survived.
Quite possibly, but don't quote me on that.
No, and no.
Can't think of anything that isn't stupid.
Not really, because I never gave it much thought.
No. I have friends here whom I've known for a while, and whom I would miss if I left.
It's kinda weird how small it is now, but I don't mind because, like Clockwork said, post quality is generally acceptable-to-great, and less people to keep track of means more time to be productive (hypothetically).
Couldn't tell ya.
It feels less juvenile, to me (probably helps that I'm less juvenile now), and the sense of humor is different now, so I would say yes.
Setting good administrative and moderation precedents, which were sorely lacking in the early days, keeping people off each other's throats in times of drama, and making sure posts are still interesting in general.
Nope.
Probably not. Maybe. I don't remember much of old IJBM, honestly.
"Stopped liking the site and posting there entirely." Might have stopped posting sooner than last year, actually. I'm pretty sure.
I've tried both, and while I have nothing against either site, the respective atmospheres don't really do it for me.
Not really, especially since they're all for different reasons.
I doubt all three, but hopefully we'll be one of them.
In spite of some overlap, these sites are all different enough that I don't see the point in a merger. And I don't know if I would want to merge them.
Dinosaurs.
Incredibly. Kinda thought the place would implode on itself.
Yes and I have no idea, respectively.
Entirely too small, but I have no idea what I'd do to fix it.
No comment.
Not really. To either question.
Elephino.
In several ways. It's not as openly vitriolic but there's still a lot of over-seriousness.
Not really. the first IJBM sucked.
I still think the site is ultimately one of a good premise executed poorly, and the still semi-recent crusade through there by the assorted goon wannabees last year left a poor taste in my mouth. As for my posting habits, I got banned, so, yeah just a bit.
Heapers' Hangout. I spend more time there than here honestly, and wish our quote button was the same as that site's.
No. People splinter all the time. I'm amazed BTL is still going though.
No idea.
No, and hell no, respectively. I hate BTL.
On IJBM II:
On IJBM:
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
Poll Question:
(I'm going to answer before reading other people's responses.)
Nope. Not anymore.
Not surprised. I like the community and being part of it.
Could be bigger so as to have more topics to talk about and in case it grows too small to sustain discussions and stuff. No idea how to go about making it grow.
Favourite? Halloween!
Least favourite? I dunno, very little happened since last year that stands out negatively to me. Being a drama hound helps with that.
It's become much quieter and less drama-prone, and with more discussions about fiction and making it.
I don't know. Leeching more members off TVT? (Hey, it's what's worked in the past).
Like night and day.
I'd check it out, but unless it were like this site or the original IJBM (and I doubt it'd be either) I'd likely leave soon enough. I know very few of current TVT forumites outside of specific threads, and with no longer being interested in the site, I no longer have a reason to want to fit in.
It hasn't changed, except I feel even more so that Fast Eddie is oblivious about it, and otherwise being more indifferent towards it.
There's only one thread I (rarely) post in (the Spanish one), and merely check two other threads when I'm bored (the What Was The Wiki Like When You Discovered It one and the Absent people one). New threads never catch my interest and I almost never check outside Yack Fest.
I check HH now and then, but never post there anymore. I don't know if the community is larger, but it certainly feels more lively, I'd like that.
Nope, TVT has been a large site for quite a while, it was bound to happen. What I find surprising is that they spinned out of a deleted subforum, a megathread and a drama incident.
Last I checked (admittedly long ago) BTL was really small and didn't have many new members, I'd be surprised if it'll stick around for that long. HH doesn't seem to be lacking in activity or members, new or otherwise, so that one might make it.
As for IJBM, I don't know, but let's make it happen!
I think they're very different, and that if they were merged the result wouldn't resemble what they're like right now. I certainly wouldn't want them merged.
Lesbians! Moe dictators! I dunno, but it'll probably come spontaneously.
On IJBM II:
Yes and no.
Probably the people.
I'm fine with the size of it. Then again, there's not a lot of variety here, which makes discussion of anything kind of bland.
Can't really say.
It's pretty much gotten smaller and smaller, and that's all I really notice.
corny subsections? I dunno.
On IJBM:
No, and maybe that's for the best.
Unless the way it's run and the kind of people that go there have improved, not voluntarily, no.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
I suppose I've outgrown it. You need a certain naivety to post there, and yet you build some disgusting modes of thinking from staying there too long. All I ever do nowadays is frequent the video game and film boards.
Not an active one, no. Anything I'm missing? Serious question.
Not at all. It's natural that people would be so repelled by the site.
Probably not, unless they keep evolving.
I don't think they'll merge without some bad compromises. I wouldn't want it happening, nor do I see it necessary.
Poll Question:
1. Pixel art
2. avatars assigned to everyone ala a Secret Santa.
Eh, maybe a little.
No, and I dunno, inertia I guess? And some of the people here are cool too.
I wish it were a bit larger, but only if we could get people who actually fit in and make quality posts. I second the thought that getting some of the lurkers to post more would be a better goal than trying to recruit new members.
idklol
No, and...yeah, a bit, but not too much.
I feel like if one or two of our more active members left the site might just die. That's in my experience the most common end to small forums like this; you don't realize just how big a percentage of posts are made by one or two people until they stop.
Barely. Actual IJBMs are like two thirds of threads now, tops. Probably more like half at this point.
Unlikely.
My view? Nah, not really. I still like the site in principle but find its administration insane. My posting habits have changed in that I have cut the number of threads I still post in from two to one.
No.
Not really.
idklol
No and dear God, no. No offence to the people here who are on BTL, I know there are cool people over there, but I've lurked there a bit and the culture is not anything I'd want to be a part of.
Tarmogoyf. Or dinosaurs, that works too.On IJBM II:
Nah, but haven't been here back in the day.
See above; as of now, it's the community. Like, a coffee house. Or better perhaps, like a pub where a bunch of downtrodden, jaded complainers meet up daily.
Kind of big enough. I could enjoy a couple more, but it would require them fitting roughly the same mold and being roughly recognizable.
Can't say for sure.
Naaah... I guess...
The jaded-downtrodden-guys-pub factor.
On IJBM:
No way. Early IJBM perhaps, but only so far.
Not anymore, I'd say.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
Past year dunno, but there've been crazy things. Nowadays I just lurk, but so far consider it a temporary state.
Nah... and the rest you know. Else I don't know enough of them.
As I see it, I am not sure why is HH out there, otherwise nah.
This site yep, but the others not sure.
Would bring a couple new guys, seems like HH to an extent, BTL not really.
Edit: ...Whoops!
On IJBM II:
On IJBM:
Nope!
On IJBM II:
Not really, no. The community's big enough, active enough, friendly enough and knit closely enough that I'd be surprised if this forum went under anytime soon, barring unforeseen major developments.
A little. I've contemplated just up and leaving a few times, but I'd have to say that it's the community. I like the people here, I like talking with the people here, and I feel like I have a place here. It's nice, and I don't want to just give that up without good reason, despite my occasional fuck-ups.
I think it's about right. We're large enough to generate plenty of activity, but we're small enough that we all know each other fairly well, new members don't just get lost and opinions are pretty much never passed over.
I can't answer this question. I was away for half of the year, and I unfortunately don't remember the first half. I had more important things on my mind at the time.
I think we've become a bit more authorative, but I think that's a good thing. There's still quite a friendly friendly atmosphere, but the rules are a bit firmer and enforced a bit more strictly when they're being broken, and members causing trouble are more likely to get tossed out after maybe one second chance than the numerous second chances I think I remember Chagen getting. I definitely view this as a good thing, particularly as it means there's less garbage being spewed out by crap members, which improves the quality of the site overall. The drop in shitposting is also something I heartily approve of.
I'd have to say that it's keeping the community strong. We're friendly with each other and everybody knows almost everybody fairly well, and we're pretty inclusive of new members (from my perspective). That's what keeps us up, and I think that's what'll keep us up.
On IJBM:
Given IJBM went down shortly after I joined and I barely went there, I cannot answer this question.
Going by the stories I've heard, not particularly, no.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
Definitely. In a nutshell, I swung around in heavy support of the Facist Eddie viewpoint, and when I left it to focus on school I decided pretty quick that I wouldn't be going back to the forums there. Since the few people who used to PM me there are now here (or I can contact them on other forums/through other means), all I do now is run the pages for an RP site I'm on and occasionally go on a binge when I'm bored and can think of nothing else to do.
No, and definitely not. What I've seen of both of those forums don't appeal to me at all, and I would be disappointed if aspects of them sprung up here.
Not particularly. If (faulty) memory serves, there were a lot of people dissatisfied with TvTropes, and not everybody's going to like the approach of IJBM2. Multiple spin-off boards catering to different aspects of TvTropes makes a fair amount of sense to me. I'm just glad I joined this one and not one of the others.
I think this one will still be here. I honestly can't speak for the other two though. I would not, however, be overly surprised if they failed. No offence meant to members of those forums.
No, and no. As I implied above, I think that if people wanted to be here, if they wanted the various aspects of TvTropes we originally and (still occasionally) provided, they'd be here. Same holds true for me: I like what IJBM2 is, I like its atmosphere, I like its community, I like its approach. If I wanted the aspects HH or BTL would provide, I'd go there. I think a merger would be to our detriment; we're solid now, and pulling in aspects and members from the other forums would wreck that.
Poll Question:
Russian cosmonauts. Failing that, space sloths. Failing that, whatever avatar Juan has.
Not sure. Avatar size is kinda small for me here. Maybe choose weird symbols instead of characters?
On IJBM II:
Nah, this place is pretty relaxed.
No, I like everyone here. I used to say that was true of TvT, but everyone I knew was banned and coming here or gone forever, and they were gradually replaced by some of the most naive people on the planet.
It's just the right size for a generous amount of activity, but not so much you've have pages and pages to waste going through.
Can't think of any, though if anyone felt unwelcome or uncomfortable here at any point, they can let us know.
It's been more or less the same, except with a bigger community atmosphere and thus more megathreads.
The community.
On IJBM:
No, and Thank God for that. If we were anything like the original, we would have people coming in without approval, starting shit threads and I would have to read dozens of moderator reports from overly sensitive people who didn't like certain topics.
That would mean agreeing to the old moderation, and that is absolutely a no-no.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
To be honest: ALL THOSE NEW PEOPLE SUCK. They are naive as all get out. That combined with the unwarranted banning of many people showed their direction was one I did not want to follow. Like GMH I post on threads of interest occasionally, but that place is mostly dead to me now
No. HH sounds like Yack Fest 2: Yack Festier, and BTL people seem to despise us. Whatever.
No, although none of us are "official" that a spin-off would imply, we're more like anti-fan clubs.
This one will, not sure about the others.
No, and I don't want them too.
(Doing this blind)
Just in a purely "Huh. That's interesting" fashion.
These days? Sorta. I just don't find most discussions here to be as engaging as they used to be and I just kinda lost the energy to explain myself to people unless it's strictly necessary. But I like most of the people here and those who I don't like hardly are much of a presence.
I'd say it's too small and it could use an expansion, but it's not something that the forum really needs. It's just something that would make it much more compelling to me.
I dunno. Everything relating to BTL and TvT? There're also some of our beloved banned users like Falconfly or Draven.
Favorite, though? The timewarp was sweet. But most of my experience has been pleasant here so...if I had to say a favorite moment, I'd say it was most of my time on the forum.
Nah, by the beginning of 2012, I had pretty much realized that IJBM was my kind of community. I think that it has become slower, though. And less people seem to be posting these days outside of the Updates thread.
I dunno, keep posting and interacting with each other?
No Chagen shit-threads make this already a much more different place.
Nope. I just don't find the idea of being on TvT compelling these days and god knows I've tried to go back and keep in contact with some people I liked over there who refuse to get a tumblr/IJBM/Steam/IRC account but overall I just disagree with almost every principle the wiki and the forum are based on.
I still think it's shit and I finally managed to mostly ragequit. I pop up every blue moon on the Magic thread, which is a really nice place but besides that, meh.
No and to be honest, I think they're very incompatible forums. That and I kind of loathe BTL (With no offense to Milos, TNS et al who I think are really great people but I just dislike the atmosphere over there)
See the first question.
BTL seems kind of volatile but the last time I saw anything regarding that place, they were in plain server change and I felt like there was a big dramatic rupture in the community so...I dunno, I might just be under the wrong impression, and like I said, it's not like BTL doesn't have people who I respect so there has to be something going on there, right?
As mentioned before, I believe them too incompatible (Although these days it's starting to feel more like IJBM is a sort of a meeting ground for people from HH and BTL, considering how many of our semi-regulars hail from both places)
On IJBM II:
Not really.
I like the atmosphere - like Gacek said, it sort of reminds me of a smoky pub full of rough patrons that is, nevertheless, charming once you get to know it.
A bit of fresh meat wouldn't hurt, to add some flavor and get things going.
The timewarp was fun. As for my least favorite moment... I have no idea. Even Draven and Falconfly were amusing to deal with.
I don't remember how I used to view it when I first came, honestly. And yes, I believe it has changed a lot - basically, going from a forum dedicated to bitching about stuff to a more-or-less ordinary forum about media discussions. We need more bitching, it can be fun.
Keeping the regulars regular.
On IJBM:
Not much, if at all.
No. I just don't like the current TVT community.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
I stopped posting roughly a year ago, for reasons all of you are already aware of. I've actually been toying with the idea of going back just for the hell of it, but didn't go through with it. Last I checked, my username was redlinked and troper page nuked, whatever that means.
All in all, while my view on TVT is still overwhelmingly negative, there are a few people towards whom, looking back at it, I have been unfair to, for all their faults. I feel that apologizing would be the right thing, but I believe it's too late for that, and I am too weak a person.
HH is way too inane and often immature to my taste, and I'm a founding member and moderator on BTL. All in all, I currently view it in the same way as a parent sees their retarded, malformed child - it's the way it is, but it's still your kid and you love it. It definitely had potential, and it's not a bad place now, but it has left a bad taste in many people's mouths, many regulars have left and it is dying. As a moderator, I feel that I am partly to blame, as I just stood there and did the Hamlet thing while everything was going to the dogs.
Nah, it's expectable when it comes to a big, flawed community.
Like I said above, I believe that BTL is, sadly, dying. HH, perhaps, although it may lose activity as many of its members could outgrow it. IJBM, probably.
If BTL dies, I'm pretty sure that many of its members who wish to stick with the community will fully migrate here, so a merger between the two is possible. Maybe HH, too. All in all, it may not be a bad idea.
Poll Question:
I have no good ideas.
On IJBM II:
Nope. We have enough members and turnover that the number stays stable, yet not so many that the forum goes to shit
Nope. And the community
About right, although I do sometimes post to Reddit threads that ask for small sites to try to get some new blood here
Favourite: *Shrugs*
Least Favourite: A certain event involving me that caused a massive shit storm
Iunno
A good, steady stream of new users that isn't high enough to kill the site?
On IJBM:
Not at all. Heaper's Hangout, on the other hand...
Nope... Maybe...
...I'm a hopeless addict
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
I think my account there is gathering dust
Yes. No
Eh, it was bound to happen. Heaper's Hangout was the best thing, though, as it leached the heavy shit posts from here. It's like IJBM's spam forum
This one and HH for sure
No. HH and IJBM have different feels. No comment on BTLS as I don't go there
Poll Question:
Pokemon. Of the seXY variety (Because Pokemon X and Pokemon Y hardeeharhar)
I've been thinking the exact same thing.
>"About right, although I do sometimes post to Reddit threads that ask for small sites to try to get some new blood here"
>Reddit
I'm obligated to complain about this due to childish site loyalties.
The first year, I was. Now, not so much.
Only a bit. I come here because my computer's wireless card is fucked up and I can't properly connect to #yackfest anymore, so this is the next best thing.
Too small. The thing is, it's hard to get new people in, because the purpose of this site has become to host a community of people that came from a specific site at a specific time... I guess if the lurkers thing is true it could be them, then. Provided I liked them.
I've been mostly absent throughout the last year.
Were Chagen, Vorpy and co. around one year ago? If so, yes.
Moisturizer
It very vaguely resembles IJBM back in the old days when it was just a regular informal discussion forum, but that's about it.
Well, as far as IJBM's premise is concerned, it was just an informal discussion forum. If you mean restored as in "with similar people and topics" then maybe, it would probably be entertaining.
It (both wiki and forum) stopped being amusing altogether, I started to only check out the threads of things I was into. Then I got into stuff they weren't into, and I pretty much stopped checking it out.
No, and if what I heard about them is true, I hope not. In fact, it'd seem as IJBM II had plenty of aspects about both those forums that were eventually abandoned.
Nope.
Ñope. (It's like Nope, but extra Latin American)
Does that kind of thing ever actually happen?
I'd say Ouran High School Host Club, but I don't think it'll catch on.
Stormtroper,
It's become much quieter and less drama-prone, and with more discussions about fiction and making it.
I agree that there does seem to have been a transition here from complaint forum spin-off to media discussion forum. There are probably pros and cons to that that other people could describe better than I could, but it certaintly is a big and (in my opinion at least) unexpected change from what IJBM II once was.
For example, the first IJBM II anniversary thread was much more focused on moderation, incidents of drama, and TV Tropes talk. While part of that might have just been because of the design of its questionnaire, it does seem to be the case that the "TV Tropes refugee" aspect of the forum has decreased somewhat. Unfortunately, as I think Noimporta rightly points out, the size and composition of the forum's makeup have not reflected that change much.
Basically, even though the overwhelmingly majority of IJBMers post sparingly (if at all) on TVT, I sort of feel like the userbase itself is still strongly associated with TVT.
Schitzo,
Not an active one, no. Anything I'm missing? Serious question.
Some of the people here who are active on BTL might be able to help you out there, but one possibly positive thing about HH is that it is more active than IJBM is and the moderation style is arguably a bit different. My impression is that people post more about creative stuff they have done there too, though I might be off on that.
HH isn't more active than this place.
I kind of wish it were sometimes, but it's not.
Finally, someone with taste
Super Lazuli,
HH isn't more active than this place.
I kind of wish it were sometimes, but it's not.
My mistake, sorry about that, I guess was just thinking of how fast the trash heap can move sometimes.
Are you surprised that IJBM II is still around?
I guess so, but it was probably predictable that it would not disappear.
Are you surprised that you are still posting on IJBM II? What keeps you coming
back?
I am somewhat surprised that I keep posting here, but what other people said for why they still are here probably applies for me too.
Do you think that IJBM II's community is too large, too small, or about right? If you believe it is too large, do you have any thoughts about ways of attracting new members/bringing back inactive ones [no worries if the answer to the second question is no]?
I think the site could benefit from a larger community for the reasons stated above. Based on what other people said I am beginning to be persuaded that IJBM’s community might be an alright size though.
Actually recruiting people is pretty tough I guess. At the very least, I feel like it would be feasible to at least try to get some Heapers over here that are not already members.
Just looking at this past year, what are your favorite and least favorite IJBM II moments?
I am not sure about favorite moment, but my least favorite ones are probably any of the drama incidents that led to bans this year.
Has your view of IJBM II changed since last year? Do you think its atmosphere has changed?
I cannot say I totally care for it becoming smaller and more community-oriented, though I cannot really complain either since it seems like moderation has improved substantially (as Legionnaire mentioned) and people tend to be reasonably chill. Super Lazuli's point about it being overly serious also seems legit to me and I feel like it might be something worth keeping in mind.
As Stormtroper and Ironweaver pointed out, the site more closely resembles a general media discussion forum now than it did before and there seems to be less wonderposting.
What do you think is the most important factor for keeping IJBM II alive in the future?
I am not sure. Having IJBMers collaborate on something could be a way to give it more of a purpose even though that kind of stuff may not be necessary for its survival.
On IJBM:
In your view, does IJBM II of today resemble the original IJBM?
I barely remember the original IJBM, though I feel like the complaint threads are at least a little like it. The media discussions seem to be something else entirely though.
If the old IJBM was somehow restored to TVT, would you want to post there?
I suppose I might lurk/post there for a week or so to see if it seemed alright and then go from there.
On TV Tropes/Spin-offs:
Has your view of TV Tropes changed in the past year? Have your posting habits there changed at all?
I think I pretty much decided that investing a lot of time in the site did not make a ton of sense when I was not exactly dedicated to it or contributing much and when there were plenty of other people around willing to work on it who were more passionate and capable. As for posting habits, I went from posting mostly in the TRS forum to not posting at all.
Are you a member of either of the two other spin-off forums (Heaper's Hangout/Beyond the Lampshade)? If so, are there aspects of those forums that you wish IJBM II had?
I am a member of HH, though I mostly just lurk there. I sort of wish IJBM II was as creative as HH is and maybe a bit less serious like that site, but that is about it.
Does the existence of three different TV Tropes spin-off boards surprise you at all?
Yes, if only because I had never heard of sites spinning off from a forum like that. It does strike me as being particularly odd, as Stormtroper mentioned, that they have such different sources (though I suppose the reasons for IJBM and BTL being formed may be a little similar) .
Do you think that all three of them will still exist two years from now?
I do not know enough about BTL to judge. Based on how close-knit HH’s community seems to be and how active it is, I could definitely see it surviving for a long time. As for IJBM, seeing as it has gotten this far, odds are that it will survive, albeit most likely in a more skeletal form unless it picks up some new members/calls back some inactive ones.
Do you think that those three communities could ever be merged into one site?
I think it is physically possible but it is probably extremely unlikely given the differences in the sites’ userbases and atmospheres and the logistics of actually doing something like that. Sorry that this question is a little silly by the way.
Would you want them to be merged?
As dumb as it may sound, I kind of would, if only because there are some former tropers on HH (for example) that I would like to see on IJBM and vice-versa. Plus, I feel like having a bigger site with subforums might be nice, though that is probably just a personal preference.
Poll Question:
What should IJBM's next avatar theme be?
An Ouran High School Host Club theme sounds fine to me.
> Are you surprised that IJBM II is still around?
In some ways, yes; in others, no.
The extended TV Tropes community contains a lot of ex-tropers who are interested in maintaining contact, but don't want to do so through the site for various reasons. We are, de facto, a community of primarily ex-tropers, and there's definitely an audience for us to serve.
That said, for a little forum that was created to continue the essence (whatever that was) of a subforum that was to be axed, I am quite surprised that we're still here.
> Are you surprised that you are still posting on IJBM II? What keeps you coming back?
I'm not surprised that I'm still around; in part because I'm a mod, I kinda have a responsibility to look over the place, and besides, this place is great for wasting time.
What keeps me coming back is that the people here -- all of you, that is -- are just so awesome and cool to hang out with.
> Do you think that IJBM II's community is too large, too small, or about right? If you believe it is too large, do you have any thoughts about ways of attracting new members/bringing back inactive ones [no worries if the answer to the second question is no]?
I think our community is rather small, and I'd like to see a more diverse crowd frequent our forum. Right now we're almost exclusively a bunch of teenage/young-adult male ex-tropers who like discussing videogames and anime, and I'd like to get more people who enjoy discussing more things. As much as I like media discussion threads, I also like the unpredictable meatspace/philosophy/politics/life-is-like-this threads, and I liked how on the old IJBM I could spring them up all the time and thanks to the speed (or volume, alternatively) of the forum, they wouldn't seem too much and they'd also actually get interesting responses, some of which developed into thought-provoking threads.
I'm not really sure how to recruit new members. I am aware that IJBM's activity does frequently revolve around several very-frequent members, and I'd like us to have a broader userbase.
I think what we could do is to try to attract back a bunch of old members that aren't currently active but are definitely still around in the TVT meta-community, such as being active on Heapers Hangout or something. This especially applies to those people who left us very early on (like, within our first few months) because of drama or stupidity that we had a bit of a reputation for back then.
As for new people, from outside the TVT community: being a general-topics forum with a creative media emphasis, I'm not sure we have a natural base constituency other than the one we're currently serving. However, please feel free to invite your friends over; a cozy little forum like this one is an awesome way to keep people connected.
> Just looking at this past year, what are your favorite and least favorite IJBM II moments?
I don't really remember in a "this year in IJBM" logged sense.
> Has your view of IJBM II changed since last year? Do you think its atmosphere has changed?
The atmosphere has changed a bit; I'd say that what started off as (what I'd hoped to be) just a general chat forum has definitely taken on a media emphasis, and actually, come to think of it, I guess I'm okay with it. It makes sense given our userbase, and no point in being a killjoy about it.
I do enjoy seeing meatspace-oriented posts though. It's always refreshing to see people on the internet talking about non-internet stuff.
> What do you think is the most important factor for keeping IJBM II alive in the future?
Maintaining a userbase.
The good news is that various community activities are popping up. Plug.dj, people organizing MtG matches, and stuff like that. I'm trying to let y'all know when UE streams his gaming, and I might start streaming gaming (or other things) myself.
> In your view, does IJBM II of today resemble the original IJBM?
Only barely, in the sense that it's a general-topics forum with a media emphasis where people go to complain about stuff.
The atmosphere, the speed, the language, the posting style, and more are all very different. IJBM I was extremely fast and shitposty; IJBM II is much slower and more thought-out, thoughtful, and polite.
> If the old IJBM was somehow restored to TVT, would you want to post there?
Sure, though that ain't gonna happen. And even if it did, it wouldn't be the same as this place.
> Has your view of TV Tropes changed in the past year? Have your posting habits there changed at all?
I've since given up on the wiki. I had a few pages I was planning to make there, but the YKTTW interface is just too clunky (last I used it, at least), and there have also been various administrative decisions that I think were ill-advised, so I've decided that, apart from being a contributor of minor corrections, I won't bother with editing it.
I stand by my opinion that TVT ought to be a site for encyclopedically cataloguing tropes and features of all creative and media works, and thus ought to be an analysis tool (though not a presenter of analysis). However, I no longer put lots of effort into arguing with people over site policy in order to make the site such; I've given up in thise sense.
I still post on the forum, though I pretty much only check my thread watchlist.
> Are you a member of either of the two other spin-off forums (Heaper's Hangout/Beyond the Lampshade)? If so, are there aspects of those forums that you wish IJBM II had?
I'm a member at HH, and I think I was at BTL way back when it started.
HH kinda stole our shitposting crowd. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. On one hand, I personally like shitposting, and I think an occasional dose of shitposting helps liven up this forum a bit when it gets a bit slow. On the other hand, some of you don't like shitposting as much, and seem to be glad that it's become minimal.
That said, I think our two forums are on good terms with each other, and I'm cool with that.
BTL I know kinda hated us for some period of time a while back during the P5 controversy (a.k.a. Second Google Incident) at TVT and there were some rather epic three-site conversations going on between IJBM, BTL, and SomethingAwful (four if you count TVTF). I hope that's subsided since, though I haven't followed BTL.
> Does the existence of three different TV Tropes spin-off boards surprise you at all?
Not really. With a community the size of what I call the extended TVT community, you have tons of people, many of whom can get together and share common interests.
> Do you think that all three of them will still exist two years from now?
I will defer to the Medic.
> Do you think that those three communities could ever be merged into one site?
It's technically possible, but you'd end up with three crowds of people using one big room, basically.
Right now, people (some of whom are members of multiple sites) use each site for particular purposes. Given the partially shared userbases, you'd also get some mixing-together of purposes, which some people might not like (see my earlier observation of some people here liking the lack of shitposting). Both IJBM and HH are configured to show the first page of all threads, by default; if you combined just these two sites, that would basically mean people who came to the combined site for the shitposting would need to sort through the serious topics, and vice versa. I guess we could use subcategories and stuff, but that would just be a bit clunky.
> What should IJBM's next avatar theme be?
[CLASSIFIED]
I won't answer questions I can't feasibly answer, as a non-regular poster.
"Are you surprised that IJBM is still around?"
Yes.
"Has your view of IJBM II changed since last year? Do you think its atmosphere has changed?"
I used to think this place was full of sperglords. It is, but there are plenty of cool people too.
"Are you a member of either of the two other spin-off forums (Heaper's Hangout/Beyond the Lampshade)? If so, are there aspects of those forums that you wish IJBM II had?"
I helped found and post on BTL, and wish this place was more like it since it's more active here.
"Does the existence of three different TV Tropes spin-off boards surprise you at all?"
I'm not as spergy about it as I was before, but the point stands that TVT's moderation is fucked and its inevitable that people would create different forums.
"Do you think all three of them will exist two years from now?"
BTL is hard to say. We aren't getting very much activity right now but it's like that, posts dry up and then some drama happens (like that huge SA vs BTL vs IJBM melee a trois) that gets things rolling again.
"Do you think that those three communities could ever be merged into one site? Would you want them to be merged?"
Many current posters on BTL post here too. Personally I'd hate some people from here to mix with mai precuz betul or whatever.
"What should IJBM's next avatar theme be?"
Goatse.