How many of you guys have bought t shirts, comic prints, the game (ok so everyone bought the game) etc? It's not clear how said fans actually contribute to the revenue of the site.
I know it's a rhetorical question, but to date I've bought both Penny Arcade games, three t-shirts (Baby vs Rhino, I Roll 20's and Rogues Do It From Behind), and more importantly, make it my personal mission each year to plug Child's Play to all of my friends, and damned near everyone that will listen, on top of my own contribution. Hell, I even donated back when they were accepting general donations for the site, though that was many, many moons ago. Edit: ooops; forgot; all 4 books! Can't wait for the 5th.
Minimal profit margins that the shirts and games might have for them aside, I'm not sure how much more the average person can be reasonably expected to do, even for a service/community that I love.
Edit: and just to be clear, no, I don't feel I'm owed a damned thing. Between the comics I love, the news / games insight / blog posts (whatever) I enjoy and forums that help keep me sane at work, I feel I owe them (as people and a business) significantly more. I merely have limited means available after rent, bills and other expenses per month. If I could afford to buy a print of every comic that made me laugh, I could wallpaper my apartment with them, but I don't have a couple grand to spend on such a thing.
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
My parents would let me sit in my room with all my stuff, but wouldn't let me use any of it. This, admittedly, relies on the fact that you have a stay at home mom like I did.
In some ways it is worse being able to stare at your computer and almost touch it but not be able to use it at all. Still, an effective punishment.
Edit: As for contributions to the site, I've bought both games, every single PA book, one of their wallpapers, 5 or so of their shirts (some designs I bought more than once when the original got too tattered to wear) and I contribute to child's play every year.
My parents would let me sit in my room with all my stuff, but wouldn't let me use any of it. This, admittedly, relies on the fact that you have a stay at home mom like I did.
In some ways it is worse being able to stare at your computer and almost touch it but not be able to use it at all. Still, an effective punishment.
Edit: As for contributions to the site, I've bought both games, every single PA book, one of their wallpapers, 5 or so of their shirts (some designs I bought more than once when the original got too tattered to wear) and I contribute to child's play every year.
I can attest to that. Nothing more irritating than having a working computer, working modem but the internet is inaccessible anyway.
I speak on behalf of PENNY ARCADE MEGACORPORATION when I say we don't feel like you guys owe us anything. The forums, as many of you know, I personally take a great deal of pride in - not because I have anything to do with your growth, but more because I really feel you represent a really amazing slice of the PA and overall game community. (and yes, i know SE++ is the butt of many jokes, but that's because we love them)
You guys don't owe us anything, we don't owe you anything. We have a good relationship going - a good deal of you buy our products and read our comic... investing in a place for you to gather and talk doesn't seem like such a big deal. We're just glad it's here you're choosing to do so.
EDIT: Just gonna add that I think most of us agree regardless of how we feel about Kurtz's actions, Khoo. As chemically dependent most of us are on the forums, I doubt many would take it personal if PA decided to shut them down.
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Zen VulgarityWhat a lovely day for teaSecret British ThreadRegistered Userregular
I speak on behalf of PENNY ARCADE MEGACORPORATION when I say we don't feel like you guys owe us anything. The forums, as many of you know, I personally take a great deal of pride in - not because I have anything to do with your growth, but more because I really feel you represent a really amazing slice of the PA and overall game community. (and yes, i know SE++ is the butt of many jokes, but that's because we love them)
You guys don't owe us anything, we don't owe you anything. We have a good relationship going - a good deal of you buy our products and read our comic... investing in a place for you to gather and talk doesn't seem like such a big deal. We're just glad it's here you're choosing to do so.
Can someone please explain to me why the Penny Arcade forums got shut down years ago, and then brought back up?
I'm a bit curious.
Allow me to tell you the actual definitive version, because much like the bungie affair there are many stories that go around.
There used to be a forum called The Pit Of Hate. Someone made a thread that insulted Gabe's wife, and so the forum was deleted. Six months or so later, someone discovered a bug in the forum code that allowed you to post with no post timer. Someone used this to spam goatse threads and completely wreck the forum. Since the forums were, at the time, very badly run (I'm sorry to the guy who was running them who I love dearly but it's true) none of the moderators of the time had the capacity to ban the user and the forums were literally ruined. Someone emailed Gabe, who had had enough, and he shut the forums down. The community moved to ezboards.
Ramius, who at this time was just the guy who had coded the search (the original search. the one that worked) function for comics, offered (or was asked, I think offered) to take the forums on. He was told that the reigns had to be a lot tighter, which he agreed with. He upgraded the forum code, made sure it was all stable and then made the announcement at the ezboards. A lot of the community, having a sense of entitlement, decided that fuck that guy and went off an made their own site, which still exists and is fucking terrible to this very day.
There is lots more to the whole forum history story which is interesting depending on how interesting you find forum stories.
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Zen VulgarityWhat a lovely day for teaSecret British ThreadRegistered Userregular
Anyone who posts on this forum owes the fact that they do so to Ramius because without him they would certainly not be running in their current form and it's entirely possible wouldn't be here at all.
Can someone please explain to me why the Penny Arcade forums got shut down years ago, and then brought back up?
I'm a bit curious.
Allow me to tell you the actual definitive version, because much like the bungie affair there are many stories that go around.
There used to be a forum called The Pit Of Hate. Someone made a thread that insulted Gabe's wife, and so the forum was deleted. Six months or so later, someone discovered a bug in the forum code that allowed you to post with no post timer. Someone used this to spam goatse threads and completely wreck the forum. Since the forums were, at the time, very badly run (I'm sorry to the guy who was running them who I love dearly but it's true) none of the moderators of the time had the capacity to ban the user and the forums were literally ruined. Someone emailed Gabe, who had had enough, and he shut the forums down. The community moved to ezboards.
Ramius, who at this time was just the guy who had coded the search (the original search. the one that worked) function for comics, offered (or was asked, I think offered) to take the forums on. He was told that the reigns had to be a lot tighter, which he agreed with. He upgraded the forum code, made sure it was all stable and then made the announcement at the ezboards. A lot of the community, having a sense of entitlement, decided that fuck that guy and went off an made their own site, which still exists and is fucking terrible to this very day.
There is lots more to the whole forum history story which is interesting depending on how interesting you find forum stories.
Thanks for answering my question.
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Nova_CI have the needThe need for speedRegistered Userregular
Anyone who posts on this forum owes the fact that they do so to Ramius because without him they would certainly not be running in their current form and it's entirely possible wouldn't be here at all.
I guess that's true, so thanks Ramius!
I wanted to make this post relevant to the OP but couldn't do so without sounding like a pretentious dickhead, so I'll leave it at that.
So reading Tube's post. The time between Ramius taking over and Tube being promoted, is the Golden Ages. Then when Tube was promoted we've moved into the Dark Ages, we're currently in?
Kidding kidding kidding, please don't jail me Tube.
Seriously though I love this forum. The people are great, and the rules plus moderation, allow me to view it from work, and there for not lose my mind.
From reading the newspost, it seems like Kurtz was in a crappy position and had no choice in the matter. There's certainly no trace of "fuck you guys I'll do what I want" there, and he says it's temporary. Sometimes IRL shit happens and I'm guessing all the drama started with forum addicts with a sense of entitlement.
All I knows is, whoever moved the forums over from that shit requiring a separate login to the actual screen name is a fucking saint.
That shit at atleast four accounts of mine.
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SarksusATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered Userregular
edited November 2008
Man alphamonkey deserves credit too. People shit all over that guy, at least a year or two ago when things got really unstable (the forums were down for like two months), but he put a lot of work into this place.
There is lots more to the whole forum history story which is interesting depending on how interesting you find forum stories.
This is a thread made entirely about pedantic forum stories, so we all probably find them fascinating.
How about a Tube's Christmas Time Forum Stories thread?
I'm down with that.
EDIT: I wasn't around for most of the stuff that happened. Hell, my join date may say 2004 but I didn't even lurk much for a couple years after joining.
What is the story as to why people hate Kurtz? I haven't read his webcomic a lot because it isn't what I really like, but what is the story behind the guy?
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SarksusATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered Userregular
What is the story as to why people hate Kurtz? I haven't read his webcomic a lot because it isn't what I really like, but what is the story behind the guy?
People don't like the comic strip and they take it personally that Kurtz has found succcess in it.
Also people like making fun of people who are overweight.
What is the story as to why people hate Kurtz? I haven't read his webcomic a lot because it isn't what I really like, but what is the story behind the guy?
Because he gets to hang out with Tycho and Gabe for free and without binoculars.
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Zen VulgarityWhat a lovely day for teaSecret British ThreadRegistered Userregular
What is the story as to why people hate Kurtz? I haven't read his webcomic a lot because it isn't what I really like, but what is the story behind the guy?
He has opinions.
Sometimes people don't like these opinions.
My only problem with PVP is that it's less gamer nerd shit and more general story BS.
But hey...
No miscarriages.
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Zen VulgarityWhat a lovely day for teaSecret British ThreadRegistered Userregular
Man alphamonkey deserves credit too. People shit all over that guy, at least a year or two ago when things got really unstable (the forums were down for like two months), but he put a lot of work into this place.
Posts
I know it's a rhetorical question, but to date I've bought both Penny Arcade games, three t-shirts (Baby vs Rhino, I Roll 20's and Rogues Do It From Behind), and more importantly, make it my personal mission each year to plug Child's Play to all of my friends, and damned near everyone that will listen, on top of my own contribution. Hell, I even donated back when they were accepting general donations for the site, though that was many, many moons ago. Edit: ooops; forgot; all 4 books! Can't wait for the 5th.
Minimal profit margins that the shirts and games might have for them aside, I'm not sure how much more the average person can be reasonably expected to do, even for a service/community that I love.
Edit: and just to be clear, no, I don't feel I'm owed a damned thing. Between the comics I love, the news / games insight / blog posts (whatever) I enjoy and forums that help keep me sane at work, I feel I owe them (as people and a business) significantly more. I merely have limited means available after rent, bills and other expenses per month. If I could afford to buy a print of every comic that made me laugh, I could wallpaper my apartment with them, but I don't have a couple grand to spend on such a thing.
In some ways it is worse being able to stare at your computer and almost touch it but not be able to use it at all. Still, an effective punishment.
Edit: As for contributions to the site, I've bought both games, every single PA book, one of their wallpapers, 5 or so of their shirts (some designs I bought more than once when the original got too tattered to wear) and I contribute to child's play every year.
I'm a bit curious.
I can attest to that. Nothing more irritating than having a working computer, working modem but the internet is inaccessible anyway.
I don't think we're allowed to talk about that.
Or that might be Tube's anus.
I can't remember.
You guys don't owe us anything, we don't owe you anything. We have a good relationship going - a good deal of you buy our products and read our comic... investing in a place for you to gather and talk doesn't seem like such a big deal. We're just glad it's here you're choosing to do so.
K- that's all. Happy belated Thanksgiving!
fix'd.
EDIT: Just gonna add that I think most of us agree regardless of how we feel about Kurtz's actions, Khoo. As chemically dependent most of us are on the forums, I doubt many would take it personal if PA decided to shut them down.
Khool. You too.
Allow me to tell you the actual definitive version, because much like the bungie affair there are many stories that go around.
There used to be a forum called The Pit Of Hate. Someone made a thread that insulted Gabe's wife, and so the forum was deleted. Six months or so later, someone discovered a bug in the forum code that allowed you to post with no post timer. Someone used this to spam goatse threads and completely wreck the forum. Since the forums were, at the time, very badly run (I'm sorry to the guy who was running them who I love dearly but it's true) none of the moderators of the time had the capacity to ban the user and the forums were literally ruined. Someone emailed Gabe, who had had enough, and he shut the forums down. The community moved to ezboards.
Ramius, who at this time was just the guy who had coded the search (the original search. the one that worked) function for comics, offered (or was asked, I think offered) to take the forums on. He was told that the reigns had to be a lot tighter, which he agreed with. He upgraded the forum code, made sure it was all stable and then made the announcement at the ezboards. A lot of the community, having a sense of entitlement, decided that fuck that guy and went off an made their own site, which still exists and is fucking terrible to this very day.
There is lots more to the whole forum history story which is interesting depending on how interesting you find forum stories.
I can die happy now
edit: and a top of page!
It's like Christmas came early!
But yes, I don't have any entitlement to Ramius. Fuck that guy.
...that trick I used earlier to summon you to the thread didn't actually work, did it?
like...
Dammit I can't think of a joke or punchline.
Alliteration all up ins.
This is exactly why I've never signed up for a secret santa. It's not because I'm cheap. It's because I'm afraid someone will send me anthrax.
Thanks for answering my question.
I guess that's true, so thanks Ramius!
I wanted to make this post relevant to the OP but couldn't do so without sounding like a pretentious dickhead, so I'll leave it at that.
Seriously though I love this forum. The people are great, and the rules plus moderation, allow me to view it from work, and there for not lose my mind.
This is a thread made entirely about pedantic forum stories, so we all probably find them fascinating.
That shit at atleast four accounts of mine.
How about a Tube's Christmas Time Forum Stories thread?
I'm down with that.
EDIT: I wasn't around for most of the stuff that happened. Hell, my join date may say 2004 but I didn't even lurk much for a couple years after joining.
People don't like the comic strip and they take it personally that Kurtz has found succcess in it.
Also people like making fun of people who are overweight.
Because he gets to hang out with Tycho and Gabe for free and without binoculars.
He has opinions.
Sometimes people don't like these opinions.
My only problem with PVP is that it's less gamer nerd shit and more general story BS.
But hey...
No miscarriages.
I ain't givin' Buckley shit for that.
That doesn't mean Gabe shouldn't keep at it though.
*insert appropriate smiley*
In fact I'm going to VATS it up.
95% chance of groin punching
hmm well
what's that over there...