What's Your Value Here? - Page 3

We had a rep system for that but evil Nunziata erased it.

And that folks is a wrap. Thanks for playing and please drive carefully.

To be honest, I think the value I contribute to this board comes back to me alone for the most part.

Bouncing ideas off people who know a hell of a lot about film, arguing for or about films or subjects that I care about (esp the election just past), or just bullshitting, gives me new ideas, introduces me to new films I'd not otherwise ever see, and once in a blue moon change my ideas about specific films.

I do think the "QFT" quote does have a certain value BTW. I have no idea how many IMs or Emails Nick eta l get on their articles. I'd bet most are from people they know in real life, so if some stranger like myself posts a "right on" it (hopefully) gives them feedback on their work

Yuuup, when fleed shows up and does something like this...it's time to pack it up and move on.

I see myself as a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades. Which is the ego boosting way to say that I'm never the expert.

At one point I was trying to contribute more regularly, but the realization that just because I'm one of the "movie guys" in my group of friends doesn't mean much here on CHUD (where my knowledge and insight on movies is usually sub-par).

I tend to hit up all of the forums engaging in talk about movies, books, tv, music, tech, sports, politics, and religion. Like I said, though, my knowledge is usually pretty average, so I find that my opinion has already been expressed by the time I get to the thread, and I'm not usually one to say "me too" unless I feel I can add something.

Also, I had a daughter recently (19 months old now), and that has destroyed my theater going. I now have to plan 2-4 weeks in advance to see a movie, and I probably average one every 3 months now, so I can't really take an active role during the prime of most post-release threads.

As with many, though, I feel I've learned a LOT, and I realize how much more there is to learn regarding movies. I definitely appreciate the community for that.

I think the one area where I can actually bring something interesting and useful to the discussion is with some of the sciences. As one of only a few scientists on here that I know of, I try to jump in on any thread where I see scientific results being discussed. I love having my undergrads discuss issues of science in the media (both news and entertainment) with me, as I think it is very enlightening for them, so I attempt to do a little of that on CHUD. Sadly, I think there have only been a half dozen or so threads where I've attempted this, and in the majority of cases, I was largely ignored (and once I think I may have been at least partially responsible for driving a heavy posting CHEWER away from the boards, and I felt pretty bad about that). Oh well! I'll keep trying. Maybe I should be more proactive and actually start threads on this as opposed to just jumping in.

In line with this, I consider myself more of a "math guy." I like science, math, logic, and computer code. Areas like film study, literature, history, etc. were always the classes I had to work hardest at, so I'm probably kind of out of place on these boards, but I do love my movies even if I'm not always able to articulate my thoughts on them and deconstruct them as well as most of you.

Value is inversly proportional to quantity of blather produced. I maintain my high stock via absence.

This. I think of this board solely in terms of what I learn from it. I don't know that I'd care to have a one-on-one with somebody who thinks in terms of how s/he adds value to it. What a boring dipshit that person would have to be.

I'm not gonna deny the fact that I went through a period of complete and utter idiocy early in my stay on these boards. Once I got over that I actually began to add to discussions in a coherent and educated manner.

Occasionally, I get to bounce new ideas about a film or game off other Chewers, and the discussion that ensues is infinitely satisfying. The DVD reviews I've been lucky enough to do help with that.

Other than that, I just like being in a community with a lower percentage of fucking morons.

I didn't ask for the thread to turn into an emotional gang-bang. On the boards, I try to bring knowledge and an honest opinion, where I can. How "well" I do is a result of my own feelings and those of the other Chewers.

I think it's pretty obvious I have taken more from Chud than I've given, but I don't feel bad about that in the least. I've poured out a part of my soul on these boards, and I feel like my presence here has helped change me (for the better). Chud isn't just the fantastic movie dissection, in-depth film reviews, or the acerbic wit you'll find in almost every thread. It's seeing an awesome movie and running to the boards to see if it has a thread, it's hearing an odd news story on the radio and immediately knowing that its already being discussed on here, its seeing a movie poster and wondering how Myers would spin it, it's checking every Wednesday for a new Rated AARGH!, and it's knowing how some posters are gonna respond as soon as a question is raised.
No matter how great the old-timers make the "good-ole-days" seem, I think the boards have a thriving community right now.

Chud isn't just the best film site on the net, it is the only site I check everyday. It's a fine example of what the internet can be, when done right.

Hell, you guys even convinced me to vote for Obama.

But, I want to ask, what can someone do to raise their value around here, especially if they don't feel confident enough to "wade into the deep end" on film criticism?

Jared Melton, Bancroft Agee, If it is a wrap, does that mean that I could become a Wrapper?

Duke,no double dip please.

I don't know how I'd quantify the value of my participation here. I imagine I provide the value I'm equipped for. If a topic comes up that I know a little about, I try to make a post that's terse, factual, and relatively free of blather. I tend to think that if I can't say something that other people aren't saying already, I'm better off not saying anything.

I've posted off and on for 8 years, and I think over time i've added a lot. In the beginning there was a lot of stupid shit but I settled down. Still think of this place as full of old friends, to be honest with you, even if I haven't met anyone.

I'm aware I bring no value to the boards which is why I'm mainly just a reader now with the odd post here and there.

I posted a photo shop i did of a bucket of KFC in the hands of a infected villager in the Resident Evil 5 thread. That alone makes me irreplaceable.

You eat your dinner, you eat your pork and beans, I've ate more films than any man's seen.

I like to think I'm a decent blogger and occasionally write stuff that may be amusing and/or of interest.

As for what I contribute to the boards? I don't know. But I love it here. It's really the best internet community I've ever been a part of (I'm no longer a part of anything else) and the interchange of ideas and film discourse is always engaging.

By and large, even when I don't agree with someone's view, I have to concede that they're at least making their points intelligently.

And some of you are very funny as well.

I hope I'm, at the very least, pleasant company to keep.

Did I mention I can juggle?

It's definitely the smartest online community I've been a part of, the IQ average has got to be staggering considering this is the internet.

Or maybe I just ignore the smart pockets of the internet? Either scenario is possible.

I bring pleasantly forgettable niceness to CHUD. And very recently, I've been posting my doodles for fun and practice. People seem to be enjoying them, so I'm happy to oblige. Till I get bored of it. It's like high school all over again! Except I'm not drawing Dragonball versions of people. Yea... I did that. Everyone looked the goddamned same.

EDIT: Considering the fact that this is my 4,480th post in the past year and a half (was a member earlier, but never posted), my signal to noise ratio is pretty low. Heheh.

I would say my overall value to the forums isn't all that high. I appreciate the CHUD community and being able to come here everyday and learn about movies new and old that I never would've seen otherwise. While I don't post a whole heck of a lot I enjoy reading the opinions of the people who have a much deeper film knowledge than I do.

I've found CHUD to be an overall better place to learn about film than four years of college and a cinema degree offered me which is a depressing thought. I really used to enjoy watching movies and discussing them a lot more than I did before school.

Another thing I'm great at: not complaining when people misspell my name all the time.

I have been a member for years, but I rarely ever post. I take a HUGE amount more than I give and I am grateful for CHUD ... I feel like my expertise in prostitutes, pornography and suppressed sexual rage isn't a huge help to the community but if that day comes I will be here and ready.

If you're Jim, who's the rest of the band?

I'm something of an imposter here, as I'm not what I'd describe as a cinephile. I see maybe five movies a year in the theater, and between family time and work, just don't have the time to rent and watch anything for myself.

I have a couple friends who've taught me a lot about genre films in particular, who would make ideal Chewers, but for various reasons they're adverse to online message boards. But, with some exceptions, I enjoy the community here. And I can hold forth in almost any conversation that involves comics, for whatever that's worth (not much!)

To echo the feelings of many here, I feel as if I take far more than I give. It's not as if I wouldn't like to give more, but it seems as if any time I go to comment on a discussion my viewpoints have already been expressed in a far more eloquent manner. That said, I post when I feel compelled and I read frequently, and I don't see that stopping anytime soon.

Since joining the boards in 2000, I contributed to a Donnie Darko thread, and... I think I called Nick pretentious once.

I think I'm pretty much a non-entity. And that's the way it should be. Honestly, I enjoy reading the threads more than contributing when I usually have nothing interesting to say. I think I've made a dozen posts in the last year, or so.

But I'm always watching...

I'd like to think my technical expertise with cameras and FCP occasionally comes in handy.

I'm still developing my artistic sensitivities and discovering my tastes, which is why i'm watching classic films at an alarming rate. Once i've honed that aspect, i'll be able to pass on my experiences of actually creating.

I'm the voice of a student of his craft. I think there's value in educating yourself. What value that is to others is up to them.

Whatever your motivations for the thread Devin, it did actually make me stop and think quite hard for an answer.

Depends on who you're talking to.

D.B. Living up to his name.

I'm the lizard king, who needs a fucking band?

I forgot to add that I helped birth the COD 4 Rampage phenomenon sweeping both PS3's and 360's. So for that alone I'm bumped up to at least "ohhhhh that's the asshole" status.

I don't have any value, and I'm ok with that, basically because I don't watch that many movies anymore. I mean, it's just a message board for Dawkin's sake!

I haven't even added any value to my LIFE in the last 20 years so having a "place" on some message board is low on the list. Strangely I do check this board a few times a day. Although I don't have any "friends" here, it does give me good practice in using quotation marks.

There's just something about this board and the personalities I'm comfortable with. I still don't completely understand Devin, but he keeps it interesting.

I'm not exactly sure, which is weird to say after posting here for almost seven years. I've never thought of providing "value" to the boards as much as the value I've received from them.

Back in 2002, I was already passionate about movies. However, I wasn't really part of any online community and never had been. I used the Internet mainly for information and to chat with friends but actually participating in discussions was a completely foreign concept. But CHUD, being based in Atlanta, drew me in. I went to a coffee meeting, went to a couple of screenings, and since the people I'd met were pretty cool, I figured I'd check out the boards.

It took a little getting used to although I'm slightly proud that I've always gone by "Matt Goldberg" since I've always felt that anonymity was one of the problems of the Internet (although I certainly don't begrudge those who use pseudonyms). It's weird to think how far I've come since then. I remember defending "Mr. Deeds" and having an insane flame-war with HAM over "The Sum of All Fears". [EDIT: Yeah, it was rough at the beginning and I don't want the next sentence to read like I don't think the instances I just mentioned were not absurd].

Since then, there have been a lot of absurdities like the SP-fucks, Star Chamber, the secret boards, and other silliness but I've always dug the community. Most importantly, it's challenged me to be a better student of film. CHUD gave me the opportunity to write DVD reviews professionally and these boards opened up films and actors and directors and helped provide a gateway to work that would have otherwise seemed daunting. Furthermore, it pushed me to talk about film intelligently and to do so with people that understood it as a real industry with historical context and not simply in the clinical, academic sense that I found in college.

I'm not really sure the value I provide simply because I never thought I had to provide it and just hoped that if I wasn't a dick and spoke honestly, that was good enough. I like making humorous remarks, debating in the politics thread (I really miss the crazies like Grifter and Copperlocke), making suggestions in television, movies, and videogames, and discussing movies I find interesting. But whatever value I provide, it's always gonna be dwarfed by what CHUD provides me. I can't imagine not visiting the boards on a regular basis.

Uhh Matt, the secret boards are still up and running.

Yeah, but does anybody use them?

Either way, I don't really care. These boards are fine by me.

With my fellow antipodeans around here I help bring the aussie/kiwi 'at worlds end' flavour to the boards to balance out what most of you think of Rusty Crowe.

For those that remember me (and who have been around for that long) you'll know that I contributed what I could to the forums, particularly in the television and the non-movie related threads.

A couple of months ago I turned off my cable television and internet in order to save some cash and to focus on renovating my house. Months before that I had stopped reading the boards all together. I simply didn't have time for it. I've been through here a couple of times since then but it just doesn't feel the same, to be honest.

As much as I feel that I didn't contribute a lot of substance to most threads, I would like to think that I was accepted here and that I entertained you guys on occasion. I like to keep my posts short and sweet and send kudos when I can. That's just my style. I know it bothered some but for the most part I feel like it kept some threads going.

As you can see here, I'm trying to get back into the game but I wouldn't expect much. A lot of you are my "friends" on Facebook and can see I'm just as random (if not moreso) there as I am on here.

What were we talking about, again?