What's Your Value Here?

In some cases, you'd do as well to ask gamers what their value is to the video game they're playing. Ultimately, value-bringin' or otherwise, lots of people are here to entertain/occupy/distract themselves. A little selfish, but not overly outlandish or particularly horrifying.

Uh, do you honestly expect people to be that realistically self-aware or introspective?

Hey grazie, but I would be suspicious of anyone telling me what their value is - it'd taste of salesmanship. You're going to have 3 pages of people defending/pitching themselves before midnight, but it's always seemed to me that the kind of value you mention is decided by someone else, or several someone elses.

I take away a lot more that i give to the boards. That's for sure. CHUD is my source of information for upcoming movies, tv, videogames, and so on. My knowledge is a fraction of that of the big players at this place, so i won't pretend I help at all. I do like to comment and congratulate the staff on the job they are doing, even in the most "simple" stories. And I like most of the people that post here, and enjoy reading/making some joke here and there while reading about films.

I'd say 2 years ago I was 80% fun 20% film, but this place has turned me around a lot lately and i'm more and more interested in the film department. Trying to watch more and more and to actually talk more about them.

As i said, i take away a lot more than what i provide.

Honestly, I think I generally end up absorbing those specific knowledge sets you mentioned and (try to) broaden my appreciation and understanding of films more than I ended up giving that same "value" back to others.. sadly.

But that touches on one of a few aspects of the message board community, and I think some of the friendships I've made on here are just as valuable, to me, as anything else. If that general attitude is reciprocated by those people, than I suppose that counts for something.

I don't believe I'm a great deal of value to the community, but it's a great deal of value to me.
I may have managed to start one or two vaguely worthwhile discussions, but I primarily came here to learn. My own knowledge on film is still too inadequate to share much.

I'll bite.

In all honesty, I don't think I have a whole lot of value here. There are some specific things I enjoy about the users of this board and I enjoy occasionally conversing with them. I can only imagine a handful of people give much of a damn what I say. Usually I just hang out in the sports sections and Darkmites dank corner, so I'm easy to ignore.

When it comes to film knowledge or perspective, I think I bring nothing to the table unfortunately. I still like to engage in conversations whenever possible though. I do think I bring a fair amount of music knowledge and opinion to the table. Maybe not on a scale as DaveB, but enough to hold my own in a conversation with him.

Tati, you might just have summed up a common feeling. I certainly related to some of it. Also, I don't think there can be any question that particular contributors regard themselves rather highly.

I like to think on a good week that I contribute 70% specific film talk and 30% smartass comments/easy jokes. Don't know if that constitutes "value", but I rarely get complaints. More to the point, I come here to read a great array of excellent film-related articles on a wide range of topics, so it's kind of like the best movie geek online library out there, esp. with regards to obscure/exploitation titles.

Plus, I like the camraderie.

Stuff in the "Going to the Gym" thread, occasional bits in the political discussions, but overall I'm one of those who has gotten to where I read more than post, unless it's to be snarky, which of course isn't helpful.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there thankful for the change in my posting-to-reading ratio.

I like to think that I'm passionate about cinema and that I can at least post with with an intermediate level of knowledge. Most of my specialised knowledge unforunately is about stuff that never sees the light of day outside of Asia/Film Festivals.

I think what I add to the boards is a voice of dissent against certain perceived cinematic truths, I know I come across like a stick in the mud about fun films, but I honestly just don't get a lot of commonly loved movies and I'm always fascinated in getting to the nitty gritty of why they're so popular. I also know for a fact that I've got a few people into bands they love by making constant threads in the music section, so there's that I guess.

If I never posted the boards wouldn't suffer in any way so I'd say I have zero value. I have always enjoyed the film related chatter on the boards and felt weird just reading and never joining in on the conversation which is the main reason I started and continue to post.

I know I've contributed something, but I'm not sure what it is; I haven't posted on here often, despite reading CHUD for years and years. The site has broadened my film knowledge while kicking me in the crotch when I post, sometimes deservedly (the silly, pretentious smoking thread I started), and other times because my self-effacing nature didn't translate well to the net.

My initial purpose was to parody the usual internet persona of appearing to be aggressive and quite self-adequate, but I've been often defeated by trying too hard and actually considering myself the pretentious artiste of that smoking thread; Chewer criticism has been also constructive, yes.

Note that my arguments on this board were genuine, I admit.

Actually...I think I have contributed some expressiveness to your board. I'm not saying that my debating skills have been fantastic. But, for instance, that I've put an image in the heads of some regarding who they think I might be, and it wasn't simply an ass-clown. Not that this place would suffer without me.

You don't call yourself a louse for no reason!

Heh.

Not much, if any. I've always enjoyed the hell out of film, but I'm one of those guys that hasn't seen much of anything before Star Wars. I don't have any real in depth (or even shallow depth) knowledge of the technical side of the business, and I'm not a particularly literary person so it is difficult to discuss screenplays or stories in that sense. Sometimes I find myself wanting to get involved in the discussions on this board, but the level of knowledge of some people here (and the high levels of snark) become pretty intimidating and I often just lurk in the "good" discussions and participate in the Sports forum or other mundane shit.

I probably crack a decent joke every once in a while and I'm not a douche, so at least I don't drag the board down.

Yep, I'm just site traffic. Every team needs bench players.

I'd like to think I give some insight and contribution. Occasional attempts at humor. Although I don't contribute as much as I like to think to film discussion. But if I really don't have anything to the table. I don't post.

I can provide a certain insight into the post-production side of film. Particularly in the sound field. I can occasionally get a good lather up debating Cameron fans. I provide obvious jokes and the odd nice guy attitude to a thread. I can also be excellent for amusement when DaveB schools me.

The sad thing is I'd like to contribute more to film discussion but usually by the time I see something I really like people like Devin, Phil or Dave have already expressed far more pointed and insightful comments then I ever could. So, I usually end up being a lurker more then anything.

Is there value to posts that, when all is said and done, are so much noise? For more intimate discussions, there are private forums- but is there a value in volume? For things like consensus building, at the very least? Maybe that's just an excuse. I know there are certain people who post constantly that get on my nerves, and I don't say anything because, really, who am I to say anything? But I think Devin's question is certainly worth asking, if only to make people reflect a little bit. No matter how much you think message boards are just for passing time at work, there is nothing wrong with a little refinement now and then.

ETA- To answer the question directly- when it comes to the non-film forums I am a little more casual in my responses. But I honestly try not to post about a movie if I don't have something to say beyond what I liked or disliked about it. If I have one major beef with internet film discussion, it's that a lot of people seem to think breaking down a film into separate elements and giving thumbs up/down opinions on them amounts to better discussion than doing it for the film as a whole.

If the writers of the site are the 86 Celtics, with Phil as Bill Walton...I try to be M.L. Carr enthusiastically waving the towel.

(tortured sports metaphor!)

I like that this MB--shell of its glory days, it may be--feels like a community. I dig people being joyful about, and debating the movies they love. I hope I've added to the overall discussion in even a small way.

This seems like a test.

I feel like 50% of my posts have been neutral (read: mostly pointless) statements where I'm agreeing with other people's opinions or making one-line posts, 25% have been playing devil's advocate/being an asshole in "debate" threads be they sport, film, or politics-related (when the truth is I tend to see both sides of just about anything and debate for the fun of it, largely), and 25% have been constructive additions to CHUD conversations.

That's how I feel. As far as I know the reality may be more along the lines of 70%/29%/1%. Hard to account for 1600 posts.

But I definitely consider myself here for personal entertainment/satisfaction and occasional debate... so definitely falling in the category Phil outlined.

I have no delusions about my relative value around here. I certainly regard many of you highly for your depth of knowledge and insight on various subject matters, and I hope that I occasionally bring something to the table that advances a topic of discussion. I actually read more than I post, now; like Tati, I'm trying to stop posting in a lot of meaningless threads.

Based upon the feedback that I've received, I'd say that my 'General Banking Advice' thread provided some value.

I bring a much-needed anti-Christopher Nolan perspective to the boards.

Great thread. I think there's an amazingly large percentage of posters who never seem to add anything more than "This movie looks good, and I will see it someday," and I always wonder the same thing. It's the message board equivalent of Twitter: I don't have anything interesting to add, but I still want attention.

Of course, I'm a total hypocrite, because most of the time I just show up to make fun of stupid people. But that's more a function of CHUD losing its community feel for me, as the only people here whose opinions actually matter to me are all guys I see in real life anyway. And when potentially interesting threads immediately become an echo chamber of me-too posts or get derailed by retards like Duke Fleed, it's hard to muster up much enthusiasm.

I read the boards everyday and post whenever I come up with something useful to add. As a result -- 376 posts since June 2008. 100 of those are from the Sam Strange thread, and another 50 is me saying "I enjoy this" every time Devin writes a new Star Trekkin.

Yes, same here , almost 0 contribution. Also, for me is hard to contribute to mammoth post release threads. And sometimes those threads falls into obsessive compulsive mode.

Definitely been reading more of the topics than posting as of late. I'm not as up on most of the newer films, so since I don't have anything to contribute, I hang back and read what everyone else thinks about a flick. Doing that led me to experience Let The Right One In for example, and I'm thankful for that. I've also been revisiting or checking out older flicks as well (Chudsploitation is a blessing).

As to what I contribute, moreso in the Chewers Catch-All and threads of that ilk, is more of coming up with some weird ass shit that might put a smile or snicker on someone's face. I usually read/post during slow times at work (of which there be many), and usually I'm not the only one posting then. So, I try to throw something out there that may make someone's workday go a bit faster or alleviate some 9-5 boredom. Doing so has allowed me to make quite a few friends on the boards, all of whom I'm grateful and privileged to know. By no stretch, however, do I feel I as valued like the old guard or the more educated and erudite amongst us. Those folks have my respect, their posts are usually the best of the lot , and if I can contribute something to any of their topics, great. Otherwise, it's more fun to watch from the shadows and get my learn on.

I am useful in the HORROR RECOMMENDATION/WARNING thread but nowhere else really.

I'd like to think I'm useful, but I don't really know. I talk about movies a lot, but I'm versatile.

Maybe if you spent more time doing your job, writing decent copy, instead of continually massaging your ego on a message board, you wouldnt think to yourself such thoughts in the first place, Devin.

'What is your value here?'

Are you kidding me? You're going to be cringing at all your posts here years from now, I'm telling you.

I find it difficult to bring anything to these boards that wasn't already said before me.
Which makes those moments when I feel that I do, so much better.

I guess its one of those things, where I love coming to these boards to hear intelligent (its there naysayers) conversation about topics that are extremely near and dear to me, yet find it difficult to add anything as usually the opinions i have, have already been said, and I hate playing the Shadow game.


**EDIT** (rereads post) unless its with myself lol

Mostly just bullshitting with the occasional movie discussing.

I bring boobies, bizarre and disgusting news stories, and the opportunity for people to feel moral superiority because they don't dare relish in the superficial aspects of our culture.

On the film front, I was much more participatory in the first half of this decade as I was immersed in film at the time. I have fond memories of working through Donnie Darko and Memento with Chewers, was swept up in the buzz for the Prequels and the Matrix sequels, and saw tons more movies (several in theater a week and more on DVD) than I do now. These days I see a movie in the theater every several months and I find my enthusiasm for supposedly event movies waning. Thus, its hard for me to comment these days because by the I've seen a film, everything has already been said.

On the TV front, I have a great rapport with people who watch the same shows as me. I look forward to what they have to say and I hope they do of me.

But as to the question at hand, value is subjective. To the people who think CHUD should be all for people who live and breathe film, I probably don't add much. For people who utilize the message boards for social networking, to chat with like minded others, and as a fun diversion from work/school/whatever, my posts may entertain. But in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter what "value" I bring to the boards. As long as I am getting something out of being here, I'll stay. And when I don't anymore, I'll leave.

I figure I'm basically "just there" these days. I don't detract from the boards, but aside from the occasional bon mot or snarky comment, I probably don't create much of an impression.

I USED to be pretty active in film discussion along with political discourse. However, I either sound like a broken record on films I love, or don't feel like wading through 3,000 Watchmen posts to see my opinion (or something roughly similar) has already been posted by someone else at 3:15 am the night of release and I didn't see it until the NEXT Friday, so I don't bother. As far as politics, they've won - I just am disgusted with both major parties and really don't give much of a fuck anymore.

So basically, CHUD is full of a bunch of people who don't affect themselves.

At the risk of being a stupid person about to be made fun of, that's bullshit Slater. Especially recently, where you've been giving advice out in the Budding Screenwriters thread. I actually was looking up your posts the other day to see what malicious snark you had thrown around recently, or to see if you had any new fun stories, and I noticed you actually were just taking time to help people. Pretty admirable, I think, to give back like that.

Commence the flaming.

I am of little to no value that I know of and I come here purely for my own entertainment.

Nah, I post in that thread pretty infrequently, and only because guys like SJR did the same thing for me in the past. Most of my time here is still spent making fun of retards like Barry Woodward.

I also think most posters eventually (hopefully) reach that epiphany point where you look back on your years of posting and are kind of horrified by how much time you've wasted arguing about Batman with strangers on the internet instead of doing productive things in the real world, like fucking people or taking pictures of dogs having sex.

I don't think it's "growing up," because I haven't, but I do think it's pretty healthy to analyze the amount of time you spend on places like this and the reasons why. Which I think is kinda sorta the purpose behind this thread.

I'm one of those guys who reads more than I post, but that's mostly because everyone here is much more knowledgeable than I am about films and pop culture and whatnot. That's partly why I don't post so much; because I don't have much to contribute beyond "That looks great! I will see it some day!" I do enjoy reading what everyone else has to say about things, though, which is one of the reasons I keep coming back here.

So I probably don't have a lot of value around here, but I do feel like I share a sense of community with a number of the posters here (birthed on the boards, but developed more through Facebook and instant messenger), which is the other main reason I keep coming back.

I make threads about films I see and have a strong opinion on. At the very least, it can make others aware of these films, at best it can spark interesting discussion.

I'm not of much use in Post-Release threads though. I don't like reading through large threads to make sure that I'm adding something, so I usually stay out of them.

I also, like many folks, serve the purpose of responding to news threads so that Devin knows that his work is in fact being read.

As has been mentioned, value is subjective. I think the Corner Creatures value my philosophical discussion threads on the underpinnings of horror film, but that's really the only area I have any depth of knowledge in. My Cigar Chewers thread seems to have had an enthusiastic response, and I've specifically advised people there & via PM on cigar related questions. I've also posted a few favorite recipes some have mentioned they'd be trying. Don't know if any of them did, but the ptential is there. I'd like to think my book reviews (the official ones for the site and the blurbs in the Horror Novel thread) have helped steer some people toward or away from (as appropriate) some works of horror fiction.

Lastly, I've fed about a half dozen of you at my home, and plan on doing so again soon.

I'm going to cop to being unsure of my place at times.

I lurked Chud for years (going back to at least 2001 maybe?) before I ever started posting and I'll cop to being intimidated discussing a film or what have you with someone whose stuff I've read for years. I have hundreds of posts/threads that are lost to my delete key because while I think they make good discussion..I just don't know if they'll fly. And God forbid I miss the start of an engaging, informative thread. I do not want to be the guy who jumps in and makes a point already covered previously.

I do try to interject some levity from time to time and I'm kind of irreverent but my value to Chud is, while enjoying many of the people I interact with when I'm on, very minimal. I would miss someone like Phil or Ed Hocken or Anderson or a host of others if they were gone and note that absence while assuming many others shared that feeling. I can't say the same for myself.

I read the main site, refrain from cracking jokes indiscriminately, think before I post, and focus on the topics that interest me. You're welcome.

What he said...among with the many idiotic nonsense threads Ive created.