Heads up to the HoPers.

[dagas_isa]

DagasIsa: I love you guys, but sometimes I wonder if I'm giving too much or not enough. You know I feel invisible unless I pester you all or come up with something really good out of my ass. Actually, I feel invisible most of the time.
jadeangel86: Well to tell the truth I basically feel the same way... except I just don't really let it bother me
DagasIsa: Yeah.
jadeangel86: Akai and Megs are off doing whatever and sometimes I'm not even online until the next day or two and I feel like I've been gone for weeks or something
DagasIsa: *noddity*
DagasIsa: It's not necessarily that. It's that no one bothers chatting with me unless they want something.
DagasIsa: Or I pester them first.
jadeangel86: Yeah I definitely get that
jadeangel86: I've essentially given up IMing the hoppers
DagasIsa: *is probably guilty*
DagasIsa: Aww...
DagasIsa: I try to not let it bother me, but the hoppers are the only ones I have.
DagasIsa: Sorry... no wanking zone.
jadeangel86: And sometimes you just get the feeling they just don't want to know you at all
DagasIsa: Not that. It's like they don't hate me, but they just don't care. Like I have to attention whore myself to them to even get them to talk to me.
jadeangel86: Yeah that's what I meant
DagasIsa: And what saddens me is that I'm willing to do it.

jadeangel86: I've come to this point where I'm just ready to cut off ties with all o fthem
jadeangel86: *of them
DagasIsa: Aww...
jadeangel86: Blargh, don't aww me >(
DagasIsa: What?
DagasIsa: Should I say good riddance?
jadeangel86: Everytime anyone "awwws" I get this feeling that they're just saying it to sound sympathetic and not actually being sympathetic... Sorry
DagasIsa: Should I throw a mean bitchy fit about how without you you're going to leave a lot of HoPer's and the one's who are already somewhat left behind in the dust?
DagasIsa: Should I give you a pat on the back and say, "Thanks for creating this great place Naelly! Now leave us all here without a clue!"
jadeangel86: I'm sure you'd all manage fine without me
DagasIsa: Umm... Naelly, I talked to Star today. She's talking about how much she wants to RP, but how she needs you. She's talking about how she's feeling out of the loop. Personally, I feel the same way.
jadeangel86: I haven't been part of the fricking loop since... well since a looooong time ago
DagasIsa: Yes, but you're still part of our loop.

DagasIsa: Naela, you're probably the only reason why we still have a place in the RP.
jadeangel86: I suppose I should feel so much better because people want me around for the RP
DagasIsa: No not just that. I guess, well, the RP is just a huge thing, and if someone is not part of that they really aren't part of HoP.
DagasIsa: And yes, I understand that if you have the strength and the means to cut off ties with HoP and all that, and if that makes you feel better, then go ahead and do it. What I'm trying to say is that you'll be letting down a lot of people in the process.
jadeangel86: You know it's going to be inevitable that HoP'll shut down
DagasIsa: Yes.
DagasIsa: Sorry for being so selfish about it.
jadeangel86: Well I suppose I'll stick around for this arc and then pull Enigma out
jadeangel86: I'll continue using Tarnet since RPing him with Lana and Axel hasn't become a chore
DagasIsa: ^^;; Organ showing.
jadeangel86: lol
jadeangel86: I'm just being petty about this
DagasIsa: And you might want to give warning to the members of HoP that you're thinking about leaving.
DagasIsa: You probably are. So am I. So is probably anyone else who feels like doing something because they're out of the loop. But the people in the loop are being oblvious. So there.


Okay, Dagas's reasons for posting this:

1. I think it's obvious that there is a loop and that there are people who feel out of it. When one person says there's a loop, that can be paranoia. But when multiple people are saying there's a loop, perhaps it's time to really look at the structure.

2. Even though I'm not a terribly active member of HoP, I don't want to see it go kaput. And personally, I doubt that the hyper-active members want to see it go kaput, either.

3.There needs to be a dialogue between the people who are feeling left out and the ones who are perhaps doing the bit of leaving behind. If this can take care of it outside of HoP, all the better, which is why I've decided to leave it public for a moment. So please, if you're involved, or if you have something that needs to be said. Comment. Comment hard.


Very little of this is anyone's direct responsibility. Really, there's no reason why Naela shouldn't leave if she's not having fun, and there's no reason for the people who are having fun to slow down and think about other people. I wouldn't blame anyone for that; I just think that it's selfish on the part of everyone involved and it's cutting down on the close community that we used to be. Honestly, this is my plea to ask people (everyone) to become slightly more aware of those around them and perhaps compromise a bit.

You guys are all my friends, or I'd like to be friends with you at least. But somehow, what used to be a cool place to meet people and hang out and have fun, is now not like that anymore. It's a tad cliquish, for lack of a better word. A tad cold.

When someone who was integral to founding and running HoP is ready to give it up, then it's time to step back and examine the situation, all of us. This idea of a loop: Apparently not as stupid as it once sounded, eh? It's not one paranoid person's crazy ramblings. It's now something real, and it's leaving out otherwise sane and happy people.

As I said at the beginning, this is no one's direct responsibility. But wouldn't it be nice of people to concern themselves with the happiness of others in order to keep the board fun for everyone? Wouldn't it be nice if people could try to make HoP as close and caring as it once was? I don't necessarily expect this from everyone, I just expect that people listen, talk, and say what's on their mind.

Over and out.

Comments

*pounces*

[sabinae-saga.livejournal.com]

I suppose I don't have a place to comment since I've always been on the outside. But if Naela feels like it has become a chore then she has every right to step aside if she wants to. Personally, I don't think she should do it. She's a wonderfully nice person and her characters rock. Same goes for you, Dagas. And you guys are not being petty - you just want to feel included. Nothin' wrong with that.
Maybe it just means you need to gather up everyone outside of the loop and make up one yourselves. *shrugs* Could work...
And the IMing deal... I tend to not IM people because I usually get mauled by IMs or have nothing pertinent to say. *huggles to both of you*

Re: *pounces*

[sphekiko.livejournal.com]

Actually, you're not somseone I was adressing. ^^;;

You're my Queer Eye buddy. You doodle on my half of the board. You're awesome. *huggles*

Re: *pounces*

[sabinae-saga.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I realized that after I posted the comment. *huggles back* I was bored this morning before class and I'm a journal addict. ^ ^()

Re: *pounces*

[sphekiko.livejournal.com]

You're a masochist?

I just realized how many typos I have in that thing. Methinks I need more sleep.

Re: *pounces*

[sabinae-saga.livejournal.com]

Me thinks you need more sleep too. :b
Me also thinks a motorcycle ride tomorrow afternoon sounds nice but that's me and my masochist ways. ^_^ *showers Dagas in pocky*

Re: *pounces*

[sphekiko.livejournal.com]

Yesh, that sounds lovely. ^_^ Let us go and terrorize Chambana!

And this reminds me that I have to think of something awesome to do for you. *plots*

Re: *pounces*

[sabinae-saga.livejournal.com]

Uh.... *hides behind a pillow* You're scary when you plot. *whimpers and cowers*

[squeakchan.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I know I don't talk to either of you that much, and for that I'm sorry. I feel sorta uneasy starting convos with you guys because I feel like I would be bothering you, honestly. I know you, but I don't know you guys very well yet, and that's more than likely my fault because I never initiate things.

But I'm always thinking that I would just bother Naela, or that I don't have anything to say to you Dagas. I love when we do talk, because you're a very fun girl and you're cute--both of you are. But I still think I would be more of a bother because I don't know you that well yet, and I would only say something that would make you guys upset.

And yes I know that's a lame reason.

So I'm sorry. Any and all cliqueishness between me and you two is solely because of me, and for that I am really sorry.

[sphekiko.livejournal.com]

Don't apologize. Sorry, I disallowed comments on the last entry because I didn't want apologies.

I guess though that I can't get to know people better if they don't actually talk to me. Sorry for being so dull and uninteresting and untalkable.

As for Naela or anyone else who's feeling left out, I don't think I can really speak for them except for what was said in a convo.

[squeakchan.livejournal.com]

You aren't dull and uninteresting, Dagas. I just feel like I don't know what to say to you, so it's the fault of me and not you. When we do talk I enjoy it and have fun, so it's not your fault.

[kmegumi2.livejournal.com]

I think I might understand how you guys feel because I've been feeling it the whole time we've been doing the Doppelganger thread. Being able to go into things with the Zack plotline lately has been nice because at least there I feel like I have some say in what's going to happen, whereas in Doppelganger I spent forever trying to find out what in the world people were planning. I mean...Chev even started a chat about it once because I admitted to her that I felt out of the loop. I felt like I'd go off to bed so I could work the next day and miss all the planning. I admit that more recently I just gave the worrying up and went with it, but...well, I understand the feeling.

And Naela, our lack of communication has been bugging me for a while... I see your name on AIM, and sometimes I try to IM you, but I never know what to say, so most of the time I just don't. I'm not sure what to do about that...put more effort into it or something. I wish we could talk more like we used to, but I certainly won't say I'm not at fault for the lack of communication.

If Naela does want to pull out of HoP, that's obviously her right. It's supposed to be fun, and when it's not anymore, then it's a problem. I'm sure I've made a huge contribution to the cliquish feeling, and for that I'm sorry.

I feel like I shouldn't be saying that I've felt the same way when I'm probably one of the major forces behind the problem...but honestly, over the last month or so, I have felt out of the loop. Having the Coliseum stuff start back up again is the first time I've felt in control in forever. I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe it's not as much a problem of a single clique as of various cliques. And maybe no one feels in control.

I don't even know what I'm saying...but you guys know how obsessed I've been with HoP, and I've been sad to see a lot of the fun sucked out of it for me, too. I don't know what to offer as solutions or suggestions. All I can do is offer apologies for my part in it. But I think it would be nice if we could all talk about it--honestly how we're all feeling about it--and maybe that way we can start to come up with something to do about it.

If Naela would rather just leave, though, I would understand. I'm sorry I haven't been a better friend, Naela.

[cole-chan.livejournal.com]

:( I'm eternally grateful to Naela for creating HoP and to all you Admins and Mods for running things so smoothly. It's been the most fun I've had online in such a long time. Everybody there is so kind and made me feel so welcome when I first joined.

I'm sorry if I'm one of the cliquey people...I probably am. I'll do whatever it takes to stop =)

Sorry I don't talk to people much on Messengers. I shall make more of an effort to do so from now on. I could blame it on the difference in timezone or my RSI but that's no good reason so I shall do what I can to talk to you all more often. Oh, and I'll have an AIM name soon too seeing as lots of people I know use that more often than MSN.

If people leave it would be so sad. There's got to be a way to make people feel back "in the loop" as it's been put.

Maybe the each RP thread needs a summary thread in the RP Discussion forum so people who've missed a few days can go there and check it out and know what's going on.

Anyway. Naela, it'd suck majorly if you left because it's YOUR board and without it well hey we wouldn't be here huh? Dagas, you're not boring and I apologise for not talking to you on MSN. And as for making HoP like it once was (sorry, maybe I'm too new to notice much of a difference) perhaps we just all need to take a step back from the RPs and spend more time chatting away in the General forum talking about this that and everything?

[cole-chan.livejournal.com]

Oh, um, sorry I thought of something and I don't think LJ posts can be edited.

There's the HoP LJ community too we could use as an announcement place for stuff like this or RP updates.

Just a thought.

Sorry again.

[vampydirector]

A summary is an iffy thing. It'd be beneficial to those who haven't been around for a while, but it'd be very hard to summarize everything. For one thing, things that characters have said to each other or asked can't be ignored. Yes, inconsistencies happen, but for the precise reason that people just don't read what the fuck has been happening or going on. And yes, pages upon pages of updates can seem so daunting. Try leaving for a month (or any long amount of time) and have to catch up on what's happened. It's a bitch, but who knows what kind of fun little things have happened in the mean time? The RP, at least to me, seems almost like one giant book that we're all contributing parts to, and I try to treat it as such. Would anyone just skip chapters in a real book and pick up from there?

A generalized weekly update thingy might work, however. MIGHT. That'd give people a nice general feel for what's happened recently and then they can see precisely what's happened, but relying on summaries alone just won't work. Sorry to be a pessimist about the summary thing, but we have to think realistically here.

[cole-chan.livejournal.com]

No, you have a good point. Weekly generalisations would make more sense.

[fireflyrebirth.livejournal.com]

I've been out of the loop for approximately ten million years (give or take), and I've been meaning to get back in the loop since you asked me, but will there be any loops anymore?

I also don't really go on AIM anymore, I don't know why. It's too distracting, I mean already more distracting than email and LJ... Also, it often gets kind of uncomfortable on AIM because conversations often die (not just with you people, I mean with everyone) and so it's as if you're virtually standing awkardly next to someone and neither of you are saying anything, which unfortunately happens to me enough in real life...

Well anyway. I still have my list of personal resolutions to come up with. But I was planning to hit HoP this weekend, honest -_-

Eep!

[technobubblegum.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I know I don't talk to either of you that much, and for that I'm sorry. I feel sorta uneasy starting convos with you guys because I feel like I would be bothering you, honestly. I know you, but I don't know you guys very well yet, and that's more than likely my fault because I never initiate things.

^ What Squeak said. (But hey... I'd talk to you if you weren't on away status right now. XP And I'd talk to Naela if she were ever *on* AIM.)

I never noticed a loop... But we'd better do something about it. We can't have Naenae leave. :( Especially if it'd shut down the board... *sigh* what is WITH fun things always having to go wrong... *somewhat pessimistic*

[vampydirector]

Where to start...well, I'll first say that I absolutely enjoy talking to both you, though I do need to start IM'ing you more, Dagas, and I apologize for that. And I apologize if conversations die for a while. I do end up getting focused on something else, and I don't mean to neglect. Not by any means. I also don't want to bug and be all 'hey, how come you're not talking? Huh huh huh???'
As far as the cliques go...even when I first joined, there seemed to be aof a vague hint of a cliquey environment. Just a hint of it, but that could be because I was basing that judgment off of who was with who, and because HoP is my first RP ever. I've never done it before I came here so I didn't know how things like that work on boards and whatnot. And most of you know how I can be about that trait...

But now, my god...there's a definite division in the members (we all know who we are) and it seems like breaking in to another group is next to impossible. I've been trying for weeks to RP with the people in Bastion thread, and yes, I'm able to post every once in a while, but I feel useless and just shunted to the side whenever little tangents come up between two or three characters. I'm so grateful for the chance to RP with you and Nae with your two characters there, and I so look forward to seeing something progress there. But sometimes with Zion it feels like I'm not even there, that people only talk to my character if they want to know something or are friggin' impatient about something. I'm sorry, but I have a life too and if my compy fucks up, I'm not going to be able to get on or answer a question quickly. If you ask me a question, don't post again without hearing my answer. It ruins the flow, and honestly, would you do that in a real life conversation? That annoys the piss out of me. I don't know if it does anyone else; I may be the only one that that bugs, but it drives me insane. There have been several times where I just want to say fuck it, they're not paying any attention to me, I might as well leave. And I agree with not wanting to attention-whore myself. I just don't do that.

Now, I've been lucky with being to 'RP' in the Bastion thread, and I've been able to learn more about Axel and Zion, but my heart still lies with my two other boys. It strikes me as odd that things just came to a crashing halt there. I would like to see it moving again, hell, I'm sure everyone does. And it'd be a real shame if Enigma was pulled out at the end, but you do what you have to do, Nae. *huggles* I want you to be happy with this. *huggles Dagas too* Same with you, hun. I haven't had much of a chance to RP with the both of you like the others have and I want to do more. Think of all the chaos we could wreak!

I just don't want either of you to feel left out anymore. I don't know what I can do to pull you back in, but if there IS something, let me know and I'll do it at the drop of a hat! I just don't want people to leave or feel crappy about things anymore. *huggles all*

[myxsilentxcries.livejournal.com]

[technobubblegum.livejournal.com]

DAMN! It threw a "cannot find server" at me and I lost my comment! ><

Anyway... the more I look over these comments, the more it seems like the RP is the root of all these problems. :/ We can't get rid of the RP, though...

I know that I have nothing to do with this (hell, I'm still having trouble breaking into the RP...), but I feel horrible about it anyway, and I'm trying to be more social (even if it means just poking someone and going "blahblahblahsadblahblahduststormblahblahblahtalkingforthesakeoftalkingblahblah... I'm being annoying, aren't I?").


Nae... I understand and all, but... damnit, why'd you have to say "going to be inevitable"? That means it's definite! >< why couldn't you say "might"? ;_;

*crosses fingers and toes that it'll all get better... I want everyone to be happy, and I want the solution to be one that'll make everyone happy. must... banish... pessimistic... thoughts... glass half full... glass half full...*

[cole-chan.livejournal.com]

Okay sorry - deleted my other post 'cause I had to add something to it and LJ doesn't allow editing so:

Well, hey, everybody's talking about it right? That's a good sign because it's in the open and we can all do our bit to help deal with it and get things back on track =)

And I have one thought. You know the Welcome! sticky thread. Well, maybe we could set up a new one where we all post short bios of outselves because the old one is huge. I don't know about anyone else but I didn't know I had to post there when I first joined (hence my own personal Newbie thread =P) so maybe a newer, fresher thread will be less scary? ^_^

[technobubblegum.livejournal.com]

*in a better mood this morning*

Well, hey, everybody's talking about it right? That's a good sign because it's in the open and we can all do our bit to help deal with it and get things back on track =)

This is true. ^_^

Not sure what the Welcome thread has to do with this, but that's a good point.