Ori&#39;s Orations

I think it's jealousy, pure and simple, or rather envy. The problem with it is that it doesn't have to make sense. Which it doesn't.

I guess Boolprop.com *might* seem clique-ish IF you were hypersensitive, but I don't think it really is. There are a lot of people who go out of their way to be welcoming to newcomers. It is true that once some people have started to notice a legacy, others start to as well. This could, if you really wanted to, be construed as some sort of popularity contest. But I've seen a lot of authors coming around in the last year or so who have become popular because frankly, their stuff is great.

I wonder if this is in any way related to the "I'm my only reader" thread? At its best, that ought to be some kind of "new legacy authors support thread." I miss the use of the actual review thread, too. It was nice to go through and occasionally find something cool and write a review.

I can't imagine that you did anything to offend anyone, other than being a nice, friendly moderator and writing a very popular story.

I must be getting hardened to this sort of criticism, because I'm starting to be amused at the idea of being in the outer circle of a gang of heartless Heathers :).

Oh, yes, Inner Cecil says:

"Hmph. Beneath contempt."

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It's true! No publicity is bad publicity, yes?

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I usually just ignore stuff like this, but since it's targeted other people too, I've responded a little in the Sim Secret threads. I should probably stop.

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smoothiesims.livejournal.com

I don't even know why I read SimSecret anymore. That secret DID make me angry, even though it's just someone being petty and using a juvenile way of expressing it. "Jerking each other off"? What the hell?

I've been on Boolprop since 2006 and I've known most of you since you started your legacies, and I've seen that a) "famous" authors sure as hell do not get that way overnight and b) yeah, there's a group of us that happen to really enjoy each other's work. SO WHAT? It's not jerking off and it certainly doesn't mean anybody's leaving anyone else out. Goddammit.

I probably shouldn't be this annoyed. But it seriously makes me want to smack someone.

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Sometimes the Inner Cecil does make sense.

It's just funny. Like the Sim Secret from last week that was ranting about the 'popular legacies'. Three of those legacies were Vetinari, Bohemian and Victorian. All three of those are relatively new and got readership because they're GOOD. Not because they're part of some inner circle. The rest of them, (mine, yours and Sarah's, I think) have been chugging along for close to two years now, eighteen months at the least. They've paid their dues.

I mean, if you go back to the beginning of my legacy thread, there are like two responses between updates at times. Thank god for Ben, he was wonderful encouragement back then. Marina too. But I started with no readers. YOU started with no readers. Everyone starts with no readers unless they've already 'published' something. It's just ludicrous to think that there's some sort of in-crowd of Heather-like Legacy Writers who decide who shall be successful and who shall not based on their whim.

Sure, success does carry some weight. When I discover a new legacy I enjoy (like Bohemian or more recently, Victorian) I hope my comments spur other people to start reading them too. But it's not like I'm bestowing them the honor of my attention or something insipid like that.

Grr.

Anyway, rant off. :)

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Exactly. Everyone starts at ground zero with their first story. If you've already published something, it gives you a leg up (like you with the apocalypse or Robin with the Darlings), but that's about it.

Part of me wishes I knew who was doing it, but ultimately it doesn't matter. It's just someone anonymously poking the 'popular kids' with a stick just to get attention.

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Also, you have been one of the most welcoming and helpful authors there. I always remember that you were one of the very first people to comment on my legacy, and that was back when frankly, it stank on ice. And I've seen you do it for lots of other authors since then.

I guess the reason this amuses me, instead of annoying me, is because I've seen the same thing among academics. Grownups huddling in hotel lobbies whispering and saying "Did you SEE his luggage?" "Yeah! Who does he think he is?" and getting jealous of "famous" professors. And I always want to say, "Guys. GUYS. Outside of this hotel, nobody knows who the heck you are."

Also, some of the most famous people I've ever come in contact with were also the nicest. Not that I did anything more than carry his lunch one time, but Placido Domingo is nice as pie :)

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docnerd.livejournal.com

I think that was a jab at me more than you. There was that "famous authors jerk each other off" secret a few weeks ago, and I made a comment about the difference between developing a rapport with other authors and "jerking them off." That may have been the week you were out of town, and I don't remember you making any comment on that particular secret at all, which makes me think this one's directed at me, or at the very least, at the both of us. Either way, totally idiotic cheap shot.

I'm guessing some 12's jealous of the attention and decided to whine at the grown-ups' table. Whatever. I left that high school BS back in high school.

So far, it's more amusing than anything else. When it ceases to amuse... Well, cross that bridge when I come to it, I suppose.

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It is such high school-ish behavior. It's just funny because I'm within six months of a birthday that will mean I am securely and undeniably middle-aged and there's no other way to get around it. I'm so far removed from high schools, the theoretical children I should have had would be attending by now.

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avidreader7.livejournal.com

I never read simsecret unless I see someone here in livejournal talking about it, so I've missed this whole drama. I think I'm glad for that.

I will reiterate what everyone else is saying, though - it sounds like someone is jealous, because they feel like they're not included in a so-called "in crowd." Which is ridiculous, because I don't think boolprop is like that all. We like good legacy writing. We read and comment on the stories that are written well. End of story.

It's just that high school BS that we grew out of a long time ago (if I had done the kid thing when I was supposed to, they would be in high school now, too, so I figure we're about the same age).

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honorkid54.livejournal.com

I wish I hadn't checked this morning. It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen someone say. And believe me, and don't believe anything they say about you.

I got posted at the last one, 65. It doesn't make me furious, I actually laugh a bit... but it still really hurts me how someone would be shallow enough to say that. Ah well, stupid junk anyway... :\

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dicreasy.livejournal.com

I will admit all the Boolprop secrets are starting to get rediculous. If people are that bothered by what they perceive as happening there, they should just leave the forum.

I think some members are just jealous of the fact that some stories and writers are more 'popular' than others. They forget that those stories didn't arrive on the scene popular and that the author has built up a fan base over time by writing damn good chapters. We all do this for fun, not to have our egos stroked, and if the secret makers aren't writing for this reason, maybe that's the problem. In fact the only wanker I can see in post 29 is the tosspot who wrote it.

Urgh sorry that came out a bit more ranty than I was expecting.

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I actually left a comment myself, cuz it's just getting stupid.

How many people are there on boolProp? It's a huge number! There's legacies with a billion jillion comments I've never read by people I have never interacted with. Why do people always go after the same 5 or 6 people?

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smjoshsims.livejournal.com

I responded to Doc's post with the same answer- I think they are jealous. It's just weird that they have been attacking you for two weeks in a row, and are attacking the same people over and over. I'm not "famous", and I read all of those legacies, and you guys are nice. It's not like you're a secret clique and no one can join. *shrug* That person seriously needs to chill.

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Heh. We must be the same age.

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As of February 13th, I will have a 4 in my age. And it's not the second number. :}

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I think we figured it out a while ago that we're both about the same age, so yeah. :)

Sim Secret's one of those things that at times I enjoy and other times I wonder why I'm bothering with it. I definitely don't like it when people get nasty which seems to be happening more often.

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No worries on being ranty. My response to Prof B came out more ranty than I intended.

I do wonder if this person is one of those people who've posted on boolprop wanting to know how to make their legacy famous. I always get a little irritated when people post that type of thing 1. Being e-famous is not really that amazing of a thing and 2. we all do this as a hobby, not our life, and 3. we all started at exactly the same point - no readers at all.

Folks who get 'famous' have all gotten there because the stuff they're putting out is good and people enjoy it. It's not some secret clique no matter what that poster thinks.

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mmmfobbs.livejournal.com

As far as I know, they haven't touched me yet, but it's just a matter of time.

I do think these are young, overly sensitive people making those secrets. And yes, they've got some good points, like you can't see a clique unless you're on the outside of it. But boolprop has always emphasized Play Nice. We try our hardest to NOT be exclusionary, so I don't see why they continue to whine.

Give 'em some nice Smoked Gouda and let 'em steam themselves silly.

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Which makes me just under 3 months older than you.

We can celebrate middle age together. :D

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marla2007wapi.livejournal.com

I saw the Sim Secret in question and it is targeting my favorite legacies. Why are they my favorite? Because they are freakin' awesome. You guys are great. As a newcomer to boolprop, I have never seen anything but friendly behavior from all of you and feel quiet welcome.

Keep up the great work and ignore these immature kids that are really just super jealous. If they spent more time working on making their legacies better, they would build up and fan base and might become popular. :D

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Sigh. I will have a 4 in BOTH slots come October 31st. I'm pretty blunt about my real age in real life, but I underplay it online because I don't want people to feel uncomfortable. And also the simsecret poster might very well say, "you're WHAT age and you're playing a COMPUTER GAME? Pathetic."

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I have friends older than you, Prof, and some of them play computer games, too. And an ex-bf almost exactly your age (his birthday is October 18th) who has actually worked on them professionally.

My usual response to that sort of nonsense is "I don't remember signing an agreement to stop having fun when I turned 18." I started playing computer games pretty much when there first was such a thing, I'm part of the reason why they're so common today, so to hell with anyone who doesn't understand.

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I'm a little apprhensive about turning 40 since it's definitely, undeniably middle-aged. I certainly don't feel like I should be middle-aged. But I can't deny the number any more.

Beyond that, though, I have no intentions of giving up anything that I currently enjoy, no matter what age limit people want to put on it. Video Games? Damn straight I'm going to keep playing them, and at least I'll be able to afford the screaming machine I want. Roleplaying games? Oh hell yes. And don't give me any flack for going to a gaming convention either. There's more of us middle-agers there all the time.

:)

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I suppose from the outside, someone could perceive it as cliquish, but at the same time, that argument falls apart the moment anyone puts it to the test.

The funny thing is, half the people they're accusing of being part of the 'clique' are people that I really didn't know that well several months ago. DocNerd, Jamie, and Dicreasy were all folks I've gotten to know within the last few months and I talk to because they're cool to talk to. That's it.

Mmm. Smoked Gouda...

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One nice thing about being a professor is that in my department, they hadn't hired anyone new for about a decade. So I went from feeling "old" as a graduate student to being "the baby."

Every time I feel down about getting older, I think "consider the alternative!"

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fireflower314.livejournal.com

Oh man, I'm going to have to make a post about all this in my simming journal. I was thinking about it off and on all day today.

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