JoeUser resembling High School

The cliques are forming

from JoeUser Forums
To all of you long time JU participants, am I the only one noticing the cliques that seem to be forming? I find it interesting that as soon as enough people were present long enough for others to get a feel for their views, groups formed. The same people tend to comment on the same authors' stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I find it entertaining. I also find it interesting. From my experience, no matter the size or diversity of the group, cliques always form. That is also why I think it is important to have a point system to keep any one clique from reigning supreme over the site. I think the current system keeps it pretty balanced. What do you think?
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3,672 views 19 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
n/m
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
yeah people share the same ideals...
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
The formation of groups seems to be a normal step once you reach a certain size of people. I tend to always watch the same people, but I always open a JU session by the new post page so you could surf along. It seem to me that you had know joe user when it was much smaller that now so you have see the think evolving. I quiet like the point system but it as flaw as jeremyG recently wrote. The point system doesn't show the best blog just the one that people visit most. It is different and to some extent it is matching but because the point are out of time, the top ten user will have more visit due to the better exposure, and so being in postion to keep the lead.

I think the point system is not perfect just the less worst system,
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Cliques are not formed here by the non-owners. An affinity to a point of view is not a clique, a effort to maintain an unfair advantage by association is, Try to get to number 2 on the point system and you'll see how the point system works. I saw a site get 1,700 points overnight, then 700 another to maintain the ranks. That was not me and a clique of users having an affinity to a point of view. But yes a clique does exist.

You want to see points? Go to number one and see the points. Seem like a number physically possible to achieve?
I once saw a kid steal a trophy form a trophy stand and run out the door with it. I thought it the strangest act I'd ever seen. What would he do with it? What made him earn it? It would sit on his shelf as a proof of his lack of self-worth and mock him till he threw it out. Such achievement has its own reward and I'd rather earn my trophy.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Gotta love conspiracy theories... I wouldn't call it cliques, I'd call it virtual friendships. Besides, is it all that important who's first, second...tenth and so on? Maybe I got the whole idea of blogs wrong, didn't realise it was about competition for ratings.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

Cliques? I dunno 'bout that....I agree with Mack, I'd call them more like friendships too. People are going to hang with those they feel an affinity with, those who have the same ideas and beliefs..whether it be in High School, online, wherever.

It's just human nature, I think.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
It happens any time you get a decent sized group in one place. It's just too hard to have one large, cohesive group. Differing ideas and politics make it impossible to keep everyone together. You'll see this happen in any community, period. You're drawn to those most like you and most in agreement with you, those are the ones you get along the best with. It's not exclusive to High School, I've seen the same behavior at College, and in places I've worked.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
I never said it was exclusive to High School. It just reminded me of high school. Some people instantly respond to the comments of some and totally ignore those of others. I just find it interesting to observe human nature. I must diagree that I am personally drawn to others most like me in this particular community at this point in my life. I think I learn more from those who differ in views. I am mature enough now to be open to that kind of learning experience. I do agree with you in general though.

Wahkonta, are suggesting that Brad just gave himself points? You are being terribly ignorant if that is the case. For one, he established the site and has contributed more than anyone else. Secondly, his articles more often than not are about subjects that are very often searched about on search engines. Think over the point system and you will see how his points have added up.

If you are here trying to be #1, I have one question, why? Why does it matter the rank? Sure, I enjoy being in the top 10 but I don't really care where I fall. If you aren't here for the information and recreation, why are you here?

Jepel, is there a perfect system for anything out there? Also, I know that the site is a work in progress and that Brad & team have been very open to making changes based off from good, well thought out suggestions.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
I do tend to read posts from the same people, but I will read other posts if they have a catchy title. What I do think resembles high school the most is all the name-calling, although sometimes that's a good thing.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
There is even a yearbook committee on imajinit's page.

:D
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
lol yearbook committee?

I myself try not to get caught up in only reading one person's blog, so what I do is look at the newly posted articles, and go for the ones that sound interesting. No clique, just interest :)
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
I look at the newly posted articles as well, and usually browse the other articles that person has written. Those of us who have been here a while, though, know what "sells" on the article titles, and I think that might may it seem more "cliquish."

~Dan
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
I read all the recent articles on the list, though I admit that I tend not to look at those that drop off the most recently posted list unless they're by people I consider my friends or are of particular interest to me. Alas in my defence, I only have so much time I can devote to JU, especially since I write my own stuff.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

My only concern is that I don't want to see the site overwhelmed by any particular interest group/clique/whatever you want to call it.


There's definitely an extreme left wing group here (one largely reliant on just reposting "excerpts" from other left wing sites).  Similarly, there are a handful of extreme right wing people too but they're not nearly as pervasive.


There's no way I'd allow this site to end up as some sort of lunatic bin ala Democraticunderground.com. Anymore than I'd allow this site to end up as some sort of placard of right wing nuts. So I do have some concerns but nothing too significant yet.


I am finding it easier to ignore some of the rubbish posted though than at first. When I see a post full of statistics of which half of them come from left-wing special interest groups I resist the temptation to go through and walk them through the backgrounds of those groups. It's just not worth the time.


 

Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
On a side note, isn't it funny how most everyone in High School was conscientious and liberal, and when you get back together only the wealthy ones are? That's how it works for me, anyway.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

What sucks is when 3 people have a conversation in the comments area of a blog and rack up points for having a personal conversation in a public forum.


Both the users and the blog post get huge amount of points for silly message-board stuff as opposed to good blogging.

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
JeremyG, another similarity to High School. Popularity wins supreme. Class officers didn't get appointed because of their merit on leadership and responsibility. They got voted in by popularity. It is a hard system to work around.
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Here is another resemblance of High School (and I'm not saying it's a bad thing) ala Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed, etc :

GemCityJoe's 1st Annual JoeUser Awards Link
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
What really stinks is that I have to go to JoeUser detention for a week for smoking a cigarette in the bathroom.