I Don't Care (what you think, as long as it's about me)

Yes, that Fall Out Boy song is actually Yuffie's theme song, but it just goes so well with both Alex's expression and the theme of this post. I want to warn you, that I might sound really pissy and bitchy in the following block of text, but it's because this particular topic is a major peeve for me.

In the last few days, our national bjd forum has been in turmoil over some whiners about the forum spirit. Their major points are that the moderation is too strong (You can't talk about anything unrelated to dolls! On a doll forum! Can you believe it?!), they're too afraid to post anything, or always were too shy to post anything in the first place and when they do post, no one comments or they don't get enough comments. And of course this is all because of some mean elitists, who only hang out with their own little clicks, comment on each other or only on the popular elitist brands like Soom, Volks and Fairyland.



Now, this actually paints me as a True Elitist! I have two irl doll-hobbyist-friends (love you Dark and Tiirikka!) with whome we sometimes have our own little meets and whenever I see either of them posting their doll photos on our forum, I tend to leave a comment to them, since I actually have something to say, since I 'know' the dolls in person. In addition to this, I have three Soom dolls (two of which are limited! OMG!) and two Volks (both of which are limited! OMG indeed!). My friends have Soom, Fairyland and Dollshe dolls. We are one mean click...

And when I browse the doll forums, I really don't check out all the photo threads. I'm more likely to open the thread if I know the poster from somewhere (irl, they've posted lovely stuff before, they've made a comment on something I've posted or I've traded some doll stuff with them to mention a few examples), or if there's a doll sculpt I'm interested in mentioned in the topic. I'm in this hobby to see nice dolls, not to be surprised by shiny new doll sculpts I've never heard of before. If I'm bored enough, I go browsing for new stuff, but really, Flickr is much more convenient for it... I tend to make a comment if the thread has a wow-factor of any kind, even if it's just a oneliner like "your doll is cute!", because then the poster knows I've seen the photos and liked them.

Now, am I a mean old fart for not going out of my way to find the noobs to check their stuff out and comment on them? Or not comment or even watch the threads I know have nothing of interest to me? If so, I Don't Care!

Dark actually said it best (she heard it from someplace else): one should post photos to share them, not to gain comments. (End of quote.) If you only want attention with your work, then you need to wake up to the real world. If that's all you're really after, then save up, get that limited new Volks, buy it the most expensive brand clothes and the most sought after face-up, a new DLSR (some lessons on how to use it, and proper studio lights) and go ahead and post your doll. Is the doll how you want it to be? Do you care if it gets the comments? If you do... Wake up!!

The other way to get those comments and be 'accepted into the clicks' is to actually be active and make contact to the hobbyists you want to befried. Yes, you! Yourself! I really can't fathom how these whiners expect to get comments on their mostly mediocre doll photos (of mediocre styled dolls) when they don't comment on anything themselves? Really, they just expect others to comment on theirs out of pity or something? I know for a fact that anytime I see a whiny attention whoring plea for comments like this, it's a sure way to avert myself from any future posts they make...

How I got my irl doll friends? I held several meets at my own house for local doll collectors, we hit it off with these two (on other interests, like RPG) and things evolved from there. How I got comments? I comment on other people's stuff. And usually if someone shows interest in my work (and I thank you all!), I like to find out what they do with their dolls. Even if the dolls are something I wouldn't get myself, they might be something awesome (like Alice's Switch crew, wouldn't buy one myself, but hers are really pretty!), or they might be a fun blogger. But I don't need more doll friends, so I don't actively seek them out. Why should I? I don't have any obligation I know of to do so. And these whiners have no right to demand such a thing from me. But hey, if I come about a nice new doll person, I won't turn them away! :D Now that'd be stupid!

Ok, that was a rant off my chest... But hey, comments are welcome! ;)