And Now, For Something Constructively Different

So, there's been people bitching and complaining about community. �People bitching and complaining about Dtoid losing focus. �There's been forum threads, cblogs both constructive and destructive, people leaving in a huff, and all throughout, there's been two people trying to round up the community and place them in the spotlight, every single week.

I am one of those people with their hand on the spotlight. �We took it over and rebuilt it so that you could enjoy its warm glow.

There are a few of you who have really stuck around for the weekly feature we work on, and to you, I must admit that I cannot thank you enough. �To those that have participated, I cannot thank you enough. �To those who take the time to click the fap button and comment, I cannot thank you enough.

However, beyond that, I'm having a small crisis of conscience, and I hope that the community can help me resolve it. �There's something bothering me. �Seriously, it's getting at me in a fairly major way.

See, there's been lots of bitching and complaining. �There's also been lots of discussion about what sucks, who sucks, what needs to change. �Well, myself, I come from the Mahatma Ghandi school of "Be the change you wish to see in the world," hence why I started my project of Community Interviews (and came to find out that OpiumHertz had the same idea, so we joined forces). �I wanted to make things better, so I've been trying as hard as I can to make something special that would not only give me an outlet, but also give back to the community here by showcasing one member per week, three weeks at a time. �I wanted to get feedback on the process, start dialogs, get people talking about something other than "Dtoid Sucks," because I started to feel that same way, too. �So, I decided to do something about it.

And thus far, the project has been warmly-received...but I would not call it a success. �And that doesn't have to do with me. �That doesn't even have to do with site staff. �It doesn't have to do with ads. �It doesn't have to do with Huge membership subscriptions.

It has to do with the very community I'm trying my good God damndest to serve, to set an example rather than just be another dissenter. �This feature has been a weekly staple for almost four months solid, and very, very few of you out there seem to care. �To those few who tune in, those few who comment, who vote it up so it can be seen by the community we make it for - I could quite literally cry and hug you. �

I guess I just expected better from a community who claims to be so damn hungry for their own to shine. �I expected a larger turnout from people here, and that's probably got a lot to do with my biased expectations - because I would have been glad to read this every week, myself. �I'd have been glad to see more community-based, community-driven features made by our own.

Problem is, the vast majority of you don't seem to be that interested, and that makes me feel like this is all very pointless except to a golden minority. �

So, I'm going to finish out my interview backlog / waiting list from the forums.�

At that point, I'm going to begin making a call out to the front page. �Instead of taking my ball and my teary eyes home in defeat, I've decided to to the exact opposite: I'm going to take my ball into your living room, and I'm going to suggest a game to play, and anyone who wants to play is more than welcome to join me. �We will have fun, I guarantee it. �Anyone who doesn't want to, well, you probably suck anyway. �:D

I'm doubling down so hard on this that I might as well get a forum badge for it. �And if you don't get that reference, well, you should probably take a look around some of the smaller nooks of this fine site we call Destructoid. �Maybe you should start working on something to make this place better instead of setting fire to your room before you run away from home, or publicly threatening adblock to get that negative attention you desperately crave, or bitching about paid subs / downvotes / whatever Sarkeesian video is blowing up this week.

I answered the call. �I stepped up. �What the fuck are you gonna do?

Oh, and before I forget - please take the time to tune in every Wednesday to go read our Dtoid cBlog Community Interview series. �It's fucking GREAT, we work our fucking balls off for it, and it stars the people who you argue / high-five every day here as a pure labor of love. �Much like The Simpsons, the cast only gets larger as time goes on. �And if you feel like you have something to say, step up and ask to be interviewed! �PM me or Opium, we'll be glad to get you into the rotation.

Try actually supporting community-driven efforts, rather than just sitting around and bitching about the state of things. �Listen to the community podcasts, like (the soon to be rebranded) Communitoid, The Lower Tier, Scary Granules or any other creative efforts spearheaded by your own virtual neighbors and friends. �Shit, I've even begun to attempt to resurrect the fabled NARP in the southeastern United States, because DESTRUCTOID! Join the Forums. �Start writing better cBlogs. �Start being the community you want to see.

Because until you do, all your silly bitching means nothing. �
Not when the power to truly direct change is in YOUR hands.

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LOOK WHO CAME:

Everyday Legend   

Seagull King   1

BrowneyeWinkin   1

Swiftly Bearded   1

Alphoyson   1

Marcel Hoang   1

Seymour   1

pk fire   1

molamolacolacake   1

VagrantHige   1

vxxy   1

Whispering Willow   1

dagiarrat   1

boxcollector   1

OpiumHerz   1

Old Lion   1

ooktar   1

karma0893   1

AboveUp   1

Headless97   1

Tarvu   1

smurfee mcgee   1

Usedtabe   1

Batthink   1

Jonathan Holmes   1

Char Aznable   1

Sephzilla   1

Elsa   1

Occams   1

Mxyzptlk   1

M Randy   1

Handy   1

Agent9   1

Nic Rowen   1

ShadeOfLight   1