Ranking of online Tolkien sites

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

And then the forum will look like this:

Sad but true, I fear. And in my experience, with popularity comes a reduction of civility. Cliques form, fights break out more often, and... Well, that's one of the biggest reasons I left TOR.n. When you're "the place to be," everybody comes, and it tends to make for a bigger, noiser, messier, less friendly place. You get noticed, but at what cost? Something to consider, I think.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Ah, but you're both forgetting one thing - this forum has moderators! We may be dealing mostly with spambots for now, but we will be ready to keep things tidy when the rush comes. Just because the skwerlz aren't needed at this time doesn't mean they're no longer existent...

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Ah, but you're both forgetting one thing - this forum has moderators!

Oh, no, I'm not forgetting, but I was one of the moderators for TORn. It got ugly, I got appalled, and... Well, a long story, and I'm not here to air the dirty laundry of another site. Suffice it to say that over the years, I've seen too much of the seamy underbelly of fame, seen too many things that started well end badly because of a desire to become noticed and popular. I guess I just don't want to see it happen again. I may not be the most active member of the Downs, but I've come to appreciate the fact that it's a site where people can actually disagree and be civil about it. Not perfect, of course, but during my time here, the heated arguments I've watched have generally ended with at least an agreement to disagree, and then let go. It's harder for that to happen in a big crowd.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

Oh, no, I'm not forgetting . . . . I guess I just don't want to see it happen again. I may not be the most active member of the Downs, but I've come to appreciate the fact that it's a site where people can actually disagree and be civil about it. Not perfect, of course, but during my time here, the heated arguments I've watched have generally ended with at least an agreement to disagree, and then let go. It's harder for that to happen in a big crowd.

No matter how large the crowd was back in the day, the Mods and Admins were always on top of things, long before there was the Reputations system to consider. And the chat room became the natural outlet for humorous ridicule.

Of course, Downers themselves often "policed" matters and strenuously proclaimed the quality of the conversation here. That could well happen again. Consider this chestnut: Rimbaud's (sp?): The Phantom Menace. It is quite amazing what a well-aimed trout and a little humour can do.

[Mister Underhill]

Actually this thread takes me back to the pre-movie days, when we used to compete for the top spot on the Tolkien-ranking site 25hobbits.com with (the now defunct, I think) Minas Tirith. Then one day the Spanish language site El Senor de los Anillos rose up through the rankings and whipped everyone by a wide margin. There were accusations of voting irregularities; it got a little ugly.

After the movie rush (we fared better than some sites, at least in part, I think, as Snowdog mentions, because of our book-oriented theme) we were less eager to seek out extra attention.

The movies will probably bring an influx of new members which could make things bumpy for a time, but if last time around was any indication, after the wave recedes many treasures will have washed up on our shores. The new films might also reactivate some long dormant members (fingers crossed).

[Morthoron]

The Barrow Downs, antecedent and cognomen of a subterranean Wraithish hold, is a 'found' treasure. One doesn't merely walk into the Barrow Downs lightly based on a frivolous whim or, worse yet, due to some silly poll. One takes one's time and becomes acclimated to the dim surroundings and eccentric twists and turns the discussions wend upon. This place is not for the faint of heart.

Even I eased into these famed fora. Why, it took me nearly a week of getting my bearings before I got into an argument with davem!

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

The movies will probably bring an influx of new members which could make things bumpy for a time, but if last time around was any indication, after the wave recedes many treasures will have washed up on our shores. The new films might also reactivate some long dormant members (fingers crossed).

Look, don't take me too seriously, okay?

I have to tell you, though, I was actually inspired by my search for Questionable Thread Titles– those early threads are a goldmine.

[Mister Underhill]

Yes, treasures all in that thread. In my experience there's nothing like a swooning Legolas-lover to inspire creativity. The Scandalous Incident of the My Pretty Pony RPG may serve as an illustrative example.

I doubt that the wave inspired by The Hobbit will have quite the same quality, however. It hardly seems likely, for example, that Thorin Oakenshield will inspire legions of fangurls.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Look, don't take me too seriously, okay?

I have to tell you, though, I was actually inspired by my search for Questionable Thread Titles– those early threads are a goldmine.

I think it's probably quite applicable, Nerwen, to think of the ages of the Barrow Downs in terms of Tolkien's own First Age, Second Age, Third Age, etc.

Some of those goldmines belong to a very primitive age while others clearly show the consequences of bad oaths and desperate searching after gems. But the eldar have faded and so now we have the Age of . . . Werewolves.

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

Yes, treasures all in that thread. In my experience there's nothing like a swooning Legolas-lover to inspire creativity. The Scandalous Incident of the My Pretty Pony RPG may serve as an illustrative example.

Or what Zones for Ops inspired!

EDIT: My Pretty Pony led directly to REB, did it not?

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

Actually this thread takes me back to the pre-movie days, when we used to compete for the top spot on the Tolkien-ranking site 25hobbits.com with (the now defunct, I think) Minas Tirith. Then one day the Spanish language site El Senor de los Anillos rose up through the rankings and whipped everyone by a wide margin. There were accusations of voting irregularities; it got a little ugly.

After the movie rush (we fared better than some sites, at least in part, I think, as Snowdog mentions, because of our book-oriented theme) we were less eager to seek out extra attention.

The movies will probably bring an influx of new members which could make things bumpy for a time, but if last time around was any indication, after the wave recedes many treasures will have washed up on our shores. The new films might also reactivate some long dormant members (fingers crossed).

Well said Mister Underhill. I see by your join date that you too go back to the EZ Board Barrow. I was there too but never got my date changed when the new Barrow was dug out. I remember 25 Hobbits too, and think I voted for both this site and Minas Tirith.com, being I've been a member of both roughly the same amount of time. (They're still around BTW but you're more likely to get into a flame war over Obama or Wikileaks than talk Tolkien these days). This place has been steady, and though I find it hard to try and conform to the stringent rules and regulations of RP here, there has been some well-constructed collaborative writing here over the years.

Yes, with the new movie there will be a wave of interest washing over Tolkien cyberworld, though not as big as the tsunami of 2001-2003. After the mayhem and destruction, gems will remain when the rest washes back out. One thing this coming new wave of 13 year olds will do will be to show the twenty-somethings how annoying they were back in the day with the rabid fandom ... that is if they have an actor as popular as Orlando was then. In the end, it's all good. It could be interesting to see what would happen should this place get on board the popularity poll, and again, maybe not.