The Death of Marathon

[M1a]

The death of the Marathon Community is tied, in my opinion, to the sickening arrogance of its key/leading members and supporters.

Many of the principal individuals in the Marathon Community have been, historically, superb map-makers and highly skilled technicians. However, almost all of these key/leading figures are plagued with extreme egotism, and severely lack self-awareness and the art of diplomacy; they treat others as peasants being addressed from a delusional throne of superiority, and alienate a very high percentage of people who come and go from the Marathon Community in turn.

Likely, these same people have issues in the real world, as well, and wonder daily why many people strongly dislike them, and why they often find themselves alone, in front of a computer screen, even when they do not wish to be.

Though one hopes that's not the case.

For the younger ones guilty of these charges, there is at least some excuse: When young (and especially when possessed of an accelerated mind), we tend to become impatient with those we consider inferior. Hopefully, we lose this as we get along in the world, for it is a quite disgusting and completely intolerable personality trait.

If you doubt this, please note the general reaction of the public (and your peers) to displays of arrogance and "know-it-all" condescension.

And if you're more often only ever waiting to have your say in a conversation, rather than listening to the person you're speaking with, you're probably having ego issues.

For the older Marathon guys still guilty of thinking themselves a God, I daresay there's little hope: If you've gotten that far in the passage of years without ever having attained a level of self-understanding that would allow for the dismissal of your stunted and anti-social behavior...well, what can be done?

In either case, a little humility goes a long way, chaps. Making people feel at home is an art and a science, whether applying this concept literally or figuratively or elliptically. I submit to you that being a master of humility and diplomacy is more important than any university degree or computer certification you will ever have in hand, for the quality of your life will remain shallow and poor unless you finally decide to stop being a preposterous, arrogant punk and become a human being.

Understand that being extremely gifted academically is indeed a wonderful thing. Being a phenomenal programmer is cool too. Having a complex, witty, and architecturally superior mind is something to celebrate, for sure.

But like any great power, it must be tempered with responsibility and reason.

And, as I say, humility.

Obviously, the more arrogant and socially isolated of you will dismiss all of what I've just written as babbling, and so on. But your type is, of course, painfully immersed in an inflated, poisoned sense of self, and think yourself always right at the expense of another person's perspective.

Well, my friend, there is but one final courtroom in what I'm saying, and that is THE REAL WORLD: If you're that guy people laugh at for being an unlikable ass, perhaps it's time for a change; if you're the guy no one wants to be around, or who's never included in a group, or who's generally socially shunned, perhaps it's time to stop beholding yourself as being some kind of gift to the intellectual DNA and start looking more closely in the mirror at your multitudinous socio-personal flaws.

And if you're the guy that everyone looks to for your spectacular talents, but find you useless as a human being, your sun-festered ego may be the problem.

Note: Is it any mistake that some of the greatest, most powerful minds in history are also the most humble...?

Please, for the sake of your futures, learn to defuse your arrogant and condescending personalities. Learn to think of others not just as assholes needing a beat-down, or inferior beings requiring your God-like corrective disciplines. You will find that you will immediately start winning more than losing, and in the only place that counts:

Reality.

[treellama]

Physician, heal thyself.

[Wrkncacnter]

You are clearly inferior, so why would anyone listen to you?

[thermoplyae]

good job, you figured out that we are a bunch of highly elaborate trolls. what you've observed is necessary, actually; in an average community, you have to be extra stupid to troll and harass properly, whereas here the ambient environment is so awful that we have to be extra intelligent to troll. it is an immediate consequence that we end up "on top," so to speak. you just oust us with some content of your own and we'll be on our way; the CLIQUE's grip is so weak as to be nonexistent, but so far no one's dared try to shake it off


we also all have successful personal lives, so don't worry about that


edited to add:
(03:41:46 PM) Gregory Smith: "the CLIQUE's grip is so weak as to be nonexistent, but so far no one's dared try to shake it off" is so true, it's eerie
(03:41:57 PM) Gregory Smith: perhaps hopper will make his move
(03:42:43 PM) Eric Peterson: it's really awful that in fact the opposite is happening
(03:43:01 PM) Eric Peterson: lh'owon is developing clique stockholm syndrome

[VikingBoyBilly]

How dare you insult my self-absorbed egotism!
You think I major in Software Engineering to get a job? No, it's so I can SHOVE IT IN EVERYONE'S FACES! Now go away while I praise myself in this dark corner.

[L'howon]

(03:43:01 PM) Eric Peterson: lh'owon is developing clique stockholm syndrome

In retrospect, that whole conversation (Like myself) was ridiculous. I keep forgetting that the CLIQUE and all related nonsense is really just a big joke anyways.

[Shadowbreaker]

This thread might have had relevance when Ryoko was around, but now no one can truly punish people for misbehaving, and those of us who can actually do a good job of making something have much of the influence around here.

[Kurinn]

Please, for the sake of your futures, learn to defuse your arrogant and condescending personalities. Learn to think of others not just as assholes needing a beat-down, or inferior beings requiring your God-like corrective disciplines. You will find that you will immediately start winning more than losing, and in the only place that counts:

Reality.

Thank god somebody is thinking about our futures, and is truly concerned with the quality of the lives of every mouth-breathing computer addict on this board instead of being butt-hurt over careless internet misconduct!

I am glad that my sense of reality has been repaired by this thoughtful speech on manners, diplomacy, and humility.

OldSkool, obviously life in the "Real World" has not beaten the optimism and expectations of a small child out of you yet. I suggest you go demand humility from someone who doesn't think you are a total fucking tool, or stop lecturing people altogether until you realize why you shouldn't have had to say what you did if it was true.

[Phortiphy]

Jesus Christ, this again. Here's the situation as I see it: we're part of a ever-shrinking circle of die hards who take part in this community. As long as two people are still interested they'll stick around here and jerk each other off, until one of them leaves, and then the remaining dude is lonely, at which point I advise him/her to find a new god place on the internet. As long as two people are interested, content will be made and people will be happy. If people don't want to play or be part of the community, they leave. Granted, the so-called "old guard" can be annoying, but as irons pointed out in one JFO post, they are some of the most productive people here. As for the Old Guard harming the community, well. Their trolling has lost its momentum, and nobody really cares about said comments (I risk saying this at the cost of my neck). We're not doing bad, but we're shrinking, which is to be expected with a community based upon subject matter such as a ~15 year old game.

[RyokoTK]

This thread might have had relevance when Ryoko was around, but now no one can truly punish people for misbehaving, and those of us who can actually do a good job of making something have much of the influence around here.

Well you don't have much of an influence on anything, so...

[Kurinn]

I'd like to revisit some of the things I said previously.


To suggest that the problem is with the "community" is disingenuous at best. I would strongly suspect that this long-winded chiding is brought about by an overinflated sense of self-worth which has been bruised in some way by some comment or such that was contrary to the intentions of OldSkool to express him or herself on the Pfhorums.

First, I take issue with the presupposition that the Pfhorums would constitute the entire "Marathon Community", being that there are people whose intentions in regards to the game and it's related aspects do not interact within this particular place. It is a community, but certainly not the only one. The people on this board constitute a particular community in the confines of this board and many interact outside of it as well, but to extrapolate what goes on here to some universal concept of a "Marathon Community" is grossly inaccurate.

Second, it would seem that these charges aren't even pointed towards the entire community, but select members of such who are well known for being assholes. Of course, OldSkool doesn't just come out and name these assholes, but even if he did, it wouldn't be anything new. People have been complaining so long it's turned into a worn-out joke, what with the whole CLIQUE thing. I suspect that the author may have issues in dealing with humor which relies on synthetic concepts rather than self-contradictory ironies.

Third, something about the tone and repetition which is ingrained in this whole spiel makes me wonder how much the author is talking about him or herself rather than the people whom the finger is being pointed at. Something makes me think that the author is of the opinion that the author is "extremely gifted academically", but has self-worth issues tied into being unable to deal with social ostracism.

Looking at it from all of these angles, I would suspect that this isn't so much an accusation directed towards others so much as a cry for help. Luckily for OldSkool, I am a very helpful and caring person when I am not amusing myself by belittling others as a crutch to disguise my own crippling personality flaws.

A quick look on Google found another forum which I think will help OldSkool with the issues he or she is dealing with. I am sure everyone there will be very understanding and will listen to what he or she has to say and offer advice and consolation which would exceed what this place is geared for. Go here, there are friends waiting for you I am sure.

Just go and take your time in a nice friendly environment, so the rest of us can get back to our degrading existence as a dying community.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out, okay buddy?

[goran]

Oldskool, even though I agree with your core message "with power comes great responsibility" you come across as overly judgemental in your post. For someone who speaks about being humble you're not very humble yourself.

I think there's a phase of egotism (teenager years), which later fades out when an individual matures in his age. There's also something positive with egotism since it drives an individual to outskill previous talented people.

Now, lets go back four years to a time when the clique didn't even exist.
Here are some 4 year old quotes:

QUOTE(JohannesGunnar)i'm a regular there... heck, recently i was made into a global mod there without even asking about it. hehe. But yes, there is one admin there that likes to troll the pfhorums and the pfhorums are full of crap. and so is the aleph one chat channel. i don't know why i hang out at the pfhorums. Guess it's bunch of new faces and there are some (few tho) nice guys there but well yeah... the PFhorums are nothing compared to this place and hl.forerunners.org

QUOTE(Treellama)I saw that coming when it opened. I haven't been in "Aleph One" lately much either, because I kept getting so annoyed there. Even though I really should be, to answer questions. I'm looking forward to when the metaserver release comes out, and all the sane people can have their own channel [/quote]

[megabyte]

@ OldSkool: The only reason Marathon would be dying is because of topics like these now stop complaining and start contributing. I have several scripts in the works right now and other people have good projects going and there is a tournament and everything so quit yo cryin'.

[thermoplyae]

Now, lets go back four years to a time when the clique didn't even exist. Here are some 4 year old quotes:

this is a fantastic post, thank you so much

[Meta]

You obviously don't see the point of all the negativity on this board. It is there not because the higher classes of the board have their egos bloated to the point of figurative obesity but as a system to weed out the useless, idiotic members from those who can stand up to the affore-mentioned negativity with content to lend them high status of their own and to ensure the position of this community as a constructive organism continuing to create new content for Marathon and not the useless social board it was before the CLIQUE came into power. Obviously the members here draw some schadenfro satisfaction from driving the "invalids" into the ground but this is to be expected and does not take away from the righteous morality this system is afforded because of the service it does this community and the Marathon community as a whole..



@Thermopylae: Perhaps the pretty commitee will take power from the CLIQUE?

[eliasj]

I always thought this place was for the laughs. Seriously, this shit is cracking me up!

[Pfhorrest]

I always thought this place was for the laughs. Seriously, this shit is cracking me up!

Why does this thread keep popping up on VNP when there haven't been any NPs to V in days?

[Wrkncacnter]

Maybe it's trying to remind you that Mararthon is dead.

[total_carnage]

LOL I see where you're coming from old school. I say stop playing marathon on a regular basis and stop focusing on what people say in the meta chat room, this is supposedly why you posted this through and probably lose with most games weather you're hosting or just playing in general... I really think you should get a life if you're posting this bullshit about others

BLU

[acks45]

Leave Pfhorums Alone!

[Windbreaker]

Leave Pfhorums Alone!

Goddamnit acks45, now my recommended video section on Youtube is gonna be filled with Chris Crocker videos.

[Meta]

It's like a stupid, ugly version of Bridget. I don't like it. It looks kind of like the thing that hides under my stairs at night.

[SynthNinja]

"Thank god it's you!" *runs at OP and explodes* (input suggestion: create an emoticon for that)