The balkanization of I Love Everything

this is totally a good thing btw

London has all those "Rolling London wanking" threads, what are you talking about?? And Groke.

Its nice to know our attempt at politely trying to NOT bore people like alba has only served to get us insulted instead, cheers MATE.

If it would bring us all together then FINE. We're living in a global SOCIETY, people!

Fixed that for ya, jay.

I dont get it. So AIM chats were good or rubbish?

(i have lived in this flat since 1990) (oh and i found out more about the skinned bears!

cz this guy emailed me via freaky trigger!!

Not that it matters in the end anyway, tho. I just ramble shit on here and hope I piss people off - seems to work.

clapton is big alba

start a thread about it!

It's the only thing that gives us pleasure anymore.

Without having clicked on most of these threads, here's a rundown of the way I see the latest crop of New Answers. This isn't supposed to be a 'you bastards - ILE has gone to shit, it used to be so great' rant. It's just to show how things are from one longtime poster's perspective, to illustrate what I was trying to say above.

Punching women in the face. (53 new answers, 53+ unread)

Fine - potentially interesting. Clearly worded.

O Boy! It's the Democratic National Convention! (627 new answers, 627+ unread)

Of some interest to me, though the number of posts suggests a level of detail that's perhaps offputting.

This is a thread for listing every word in English (368 new answers, 83 unread)

Err- whatever.

Longtime ILXors - how has this board changed over time? (78 new answers)

Meta-shit. Invevitable, I suppose, and can't remember there being one quite on this subject without it being aggressively started, so OK.

Weird Animals (15 new answers)

Filler. OK.

warning warning DO NOT SEE 'THE VILLAGE' IT IS A PIECE OF SHIT warning warning (182 new answers, 182+ unread)

Don't know what the Village is. Don't like the way the title is worded or capitalized.

ANAL OGIES (9 new answers, 9+ unread)

For God's sake.

"I'd rather not talk about that because it's something negative" (18 new answers)

Interesting topic. Great thread.

Big Brother (UK 2004) - Chain of fools: thread 8 (102 new answers)

Great for me and other UK BB fans. Good talk, though if you're not from the UK very dull, I imagine, though Dan seems to love it. So, selfishly, great.

HPENCIL (4 new answers, 4+ unread)

Waste of time. Presume it refers to hstencil in some way. Don't like threads about people.

This Is the Thread Where I Say part 17: Intelligence Is The Best Revenge (352 new answers, 352+ unread)

Just not for me. I've got no interest in ILE being a general 'how you doing?' chat board, but it's not like this subculture takes over, so I can't really complain.

whaddaya look like now then? (42 new answers, 42 unread)

I don't like the word 'whaddaya', but this succession of photo threads is OK, I suppose. I occasionally have a look to see what people look like, though once I've seen them once I don't really want to see more pictures (unless they are v.hott, obv.).

Assholes in South Africa shooting wildlife (50 new answers, 50+ unread)

A Calum thread, I believe. I dunno - for various reasons, his animal rights threads never end up being very interesting, and its not all his fault.

The Thinking Man's Sex Kitten (123 new answers, 2 unread)

Just a kind of list and photo thread, I think, which doesn't really float my boat. Seeed to be about lots of Americans I'd never heard of for a while, then broadened out a bit. Questioning the assumptions behind the concept of the thinking man's crumpet might be interesting, I guess.

you happy now? you are? why's that? (22 new answers, 22+ unread)

Pass.

digital camera advice, please (9 new answers)

I don't know much about cameras but it's a useful thread to enough people and maybe me if I ever buy another one.

What are you listening to in the NU-ILX ERA????? (78 new answers, 78 unread)

Never really saw the appeal of these threads. If people say something inspiring about something I haven't heard then maybe, but they just tend to be lists, I think. Maybe I'm wrong - hardly ever click on them.

Fruit - C or D? (15 new answers)

Ah, good old fruit.

Bush: "Maybe Iran had a hand in 9/11 instead...." (4 new answers, 4 unread)

I'm all 9/11'ed out, but I appreciate these threads being there.

Ilxor Impressions (be nice!) (199 new answers, 11 unread)

NOOO!!!

this is the thread where we talk breathlessly about the best TV show on North American television: THE AMAZING RACE! (8 new answers, 8 unread)

I like that it makes it clear it's North American. I'm not fond of the cutesy 'this is the thread where we' thing, but I and others have said that before.

Can you ride a bike? (73 new answers, 73+ unread)

I don't really care whether people can ride a bike or not, but I suppose something interesting might just come out of it.

NU-EXCELSIOR (184 new answers)

My worst ILX vice. I find 90% of what's on there unfunny, mainly because it's out of context (even when several posts are pasted), and because it's labelled 'this is funny'. But I can't stop clicking on it to see if someone has put something of mine on there, and then I hate myself. Also, I really don't like the whole 'EXCELSIOR' thing but I guess it's hear to stay. My attitude to it softened a bit when I learned that it was a reference to comic book speak. I thought it was just a 'hey! crazy old-fashioned word!' thing.

Ebay: Cash Cow or Evil Bitch? (6 new answers)

I generally don't like too many 'bitches' etc. in titles, but otherwise yeah - this thread's OK.

This is the thread where we all post as the young stars of Hollywood (44 new answers, 44+ unread)

Again with the 'this is the thread where we'. I'm rarely that impressed with these 'do a pastiche' threads, everyone trying hard to be clever with their turns.

Trig Brother 2004 Saturday 31 July (83 new answers, 83 unread)

Social event organizing. You have to be there.

jaymc is in a band! (28 new answers, 28 unread)

Goodo!

What do you hate? (123 new answers, 123 unread)

Bit too general a question to provoke interesting responses, I think. Also, generally in life I've had enough of people getting angry and annoyed with trivial things. Room 101 was always crap ha ha (British TV show - sorry!)

Famous crime scenes (39 new answers, 39+ unread)

Hmm... don't think I'd click on it, but if you're into crime, yeah.

Lindsay Lohan: "Hot, Ready, and Legal!" (359 new answers, 15 unread)

I don't know why I read that the other night and chipped in with my boring observations. Hollywood starlets coming of age. Err yeah - whatever. Lots of C on Ts.

Predict Trends Of 2005 (98 new answers, 4 unread)

A folorn request, I think. If you could do this for real, you'd make a lot of money. So mainly just lots of one-line joke responses, including me recycling one I made on ILE in predictions for 2002 or something, as a vague joke to myself.

General movie anticipation thread (82 new answers, 82+ unread)

I'm prefer a bit of focus.

Social Network Sites Showcasing the Mentalists of our Age (3 new answers, 1 unread)

Some shit.

Sysadmin Follies (2 new answers, 2 unread)

Some IT worker thing.

favorite sexual position???????? (9 new answers)

There are already loads of threads about this. They wouldn't have been hard to find.

West Indies Vs England 2004 (1 new answer, 1 unread)

For cricket fans.

I'm all about freeze-dried bananas right now (23 new answers)

Filler, but good humoured, witty filler.

thee "L0BSTER L|BERATI0N FR0NT" wtf?? (15 new answers, 15+ unread)

wtf indeed. Too much wtf. And funny letters.

Do You Know What I Mean? (40 new answers, 2 unread)

A bit of scraping the barrel from an otherwise thoughtful question setter.

OBIT: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Jackson Beck! (1 new answer, 1+ unread)

Don't know who that is, but some effort in the thread titling. RIP, I guess?

Who on this bitch is from THE SUBURBS¿ (92 new answers, 6 unread)

More 'bitch'. There have been a lot of threads about suburbia. I think I prefer questions that go beyond 'lets share experiences of x'.

What star sign are you... (190 new answers, 190 unread)

For astrologists. There are a lot of astrology threads. I like the ones where people argue about it with Vic, a bit. Maybe this is one of them.

THREAD CONNECTIONS and a mule

Was 'Thread Connections' ever funny? And I do hate the whole thing of coming up with new twists on old title names that are then impenetrable to anyone coming to ILX for the first time.

What Video Games Are You Wasting Your Life Away on Now? (Vol 2.) (42 new answers, 42 unread)

I don't know why I lost interest in my Playstation.

OLYMPICS 2004 (19 new answers, 19+ unread)

As ever, I'll get into it once it starts.

Edinburgh Military Tattoo - classic or dud? (10 new answers, 4 unread)

Yeah, why not?

Berlin (8 new answers, 8 unread)

Ah, Berlin. Threads about foreign places are often quite good.

Katrina Vanden Heuvel = ROWR (28 new answers, 28+ unread)

Don't know her, but I'll take your word for it!

Club Freaky Trigger THURSDAY 29th July (134 new answers, 134 unread)

More London indie club hijinx. Next.

"HI KIDS WE'RE HOME EARLY" (27 new answers, 27+ unread)

Is this about times you've been rumbled by your parents? Actually, I don't care.

MANPRIs (21 new answers, 21+ unread)

What?

MODERATOR ANNOUNCEMENT: ILE to accept posts from registered users only (465 new answers, 1 unread)

More meta-shit. Essential meta-shit, sadly. There was fighting on it, yes?

"Manhunt" withdrawn from Dixons stores (110 new answers)

A good going over of an old but new topic.

DON'T THINK: What's making you laugh the most these days. (54 new answers, 54+ unread)

I like thinking.

death and how to live through it (10 new answers, 10 unread)

Don't like this title much. Somehow, even a capital D would have helped. I've looked at it now and I see people have put a lot of time into their posts. Good stuff, though not for me, just now. Actually, I've never really seen ILE has a place to talk about stuff like that, but that's just me.

Big Brother (US) - DNA

It's a shame Big Brother is such a flop in America.

-- Alba (alb...) (webmail), July 30th, 2004 4:04 PM. (Alba) (link)

jaymc is in a band! (28 new answers, 28 unread)

Goodo!

I agree with Alba, kinda.

-- Trayce (spamspanke...), March 1st, 2006 10:28 AM. (later)

Let's flood ILX with...

'86 Tram vs. 96 Tram fite!'
'T/S Sydney vs. Melbourne'
'whaddya reckon of the new divvy vans built around the Crewman ute'
'Favourite freeway: Monash, Eastern, Westgate etc?
'Best souvlaki North of the Yarra'

etc.

One thread for two countries seems fair enough.

2) it createst a more "safe" environment where you know that you can talk about stupid stuff or meaningful stuff or emotional stuff or whatever without some random teenager stumbling in and going OHMIGOD, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MENSTRATION, EEEWWW EEEEWWWW OH NOES!!!

3) Certain things, such as going to gigs or going to clubs or going on rambles simply ARE extremely localised. I'm sure people in Glasgow or NYC or Australia just don't care about who's playing at the Luminaire or what river in Kent we're going to walk along.

1 and 2 aren't really that localised, that's why it's the UK Watercooler - because it was for people who were online during our time zone. But 3 very definitely requires very localised knowledge. Though please feel free to come down to Kent if you want to go on a walk next week, Alba.

Alba is always starting threads specificaly and exclusively about Goa.

nick d. should really have his own board, i think.

this is my nu-motto

(ans = alba i think regrets the self-loathing assumptions behind the self-balkanisation) (= they are all "do not read the this if you hate us" except no longer so much of an i-dare-you gag)

(but the regret focuses as much on the is-the-world-come-to-this sadness-of-necessity as any snarky judgement abt those who are making the threads) (before everyone twitchily jumps in)

Self loathing? that's a curious choice of words. Perhaps self protection, but is it entirely unjustified?

anyway this has been my "insight" into what's eatin alba pro and con

my projection onto alba = me swinging between these two poles i think

Haha so did I! Naughty tiger!

And LJ, in fairness. It's only natural that London itself is a bit Balkanized.

;_;

jon williams, today

What, now.

I went through a period, partly during the time when technical issues led us to use the Watercooler, where I had a fair bit of inspiration for threads and started a fair few. I got a fair bit of stick for doing this, chiefly from RJG and Enrique. I think Dom may have joined in too, tho I might be misrepresenting him. I did wonder whether the balkanisation process had progressed to the stage where hardly anyone wanted to voice their opinions on topics, issues (call em what you will) but just wanted to talk in their little groups on what they were up to. This, I felt, was a sad state of affairs.

I do read the Watercooler quite a bit and post to it occasionally. This is coz there are ppl I know and like on there. Is it hypocritical to do this and bemoan the balkanisation simultaneously? I am unsure.

I am surprised that there is a dedicated Hastings thread. After all, Hastings is quite a small town (population 84,600 according to Wikipedia) so I find it astonishing that there are sufficient ilxors there to make a thread viable. But then, there are a lot of surprising things in life.

by Watercooler I meant Sandbox, in my first sentence, above. My thoughts were racing ahead of what I was typing. This may be a form of metathesis.

I hate those threads! get out of the university computer clusters you losers!

I like the way the balkanization contains certain people. That said, it is a bit sad that everything happens in balkanized groups. Still, it allows proper dialogue etc which is a great thing during a dull day.

You got stick because you started so many silly threads iirc.

one person's silly is another's original and thoughtful.

I don't recall starting any parody threads; which is one form of silly which gets ppl's backs up.

Mark I think the issue was less that people didn't want to talk about stuff and more they don't really want to see twelve threads all started by the same person on the same day.

I don't really have any interest in posting on any of the Balkanised threads but it's inevitable at this stage in ILE's life that people want to have chattier conversations, so I'm glad there are threads entirely devoted to it.

one person's silly is another's original and thoughtful.

Maybe silly was the wrong word. Vapid might be a better word (my opinion only, I accept that I might be alone).

"This is the thread where I say" had loads of children, and then died. Like Charlotte in Charlotte's web, I guess.

fair point: it is difficult, if you are the kind of person whose inspiration comes in fits and starts, to save up your threads for future occasions and submit them at intervals tho. Weeks go by when I can't think of any, in contrast.

nuke glasgow thread pls

i think the balance is okay.

I enjoyed both grandpoint genie's threads and the humour that arose from them.

everything is balkanisation, really. a thread about football or a political issue you don't care about or a television show you don't watch.

what's wrong w/ glasgow DG?

they don't really want to see twelve threads all started by the same person on the same day.

this has never been rationally explained. what difference does it make who starts the threads? if they were all judged to be really good topics for discussion would people still complain? probably, but that's dumb.

if they were all judged to be really good topics for discussion

ILX tends to react quite badly to 'dumb' questions/threads that are actually earnest but light-hearted rather than 'jokey'.

B-but you said you enjoyed the humour that arose!

some people on it, RJG, sometimes collateral damage cant be helped

as for teh balkanisation perhaps we need some sort of Tito figure to bring us all happily together again?

I like the way the balkanization contains certain people.

ha ha OTM

just nuke the top gear guy thread

it's easy