There are 3 main stages of life on DDO, and just about everybody goes through them at one point or another, some do it faster than others, others jump back and forth between two stages, sometimes people are stuck in between. This is my philosophy about the life roles people play on DDO
Stage 1: The debater
99% of people come to this site by coming across debates, or googling debate, or something else and when we get here, most of us immediately dive into debating. DDO when you first get here is such a neat site because you can test your knowledge and opinions against other people. Its fun for new people, to be able to test your knowledge, or see an angle you havent seen before to an argument, or to simply make your point and have it be heard by others. It is quite a drug, but it is just a phase.
After a while though, say 2-4 months, maybe longer, people arent as enthusiastic about debating anymore. Why does this happen? When people first come here, they are always up to the challenge to put their ideas and opinions on the line and test their knowledge, but as debaters become more seasoned people are less inclined to start debates, because they have already formed a concrete opinion about most of their cherished opinions and stances on issues. These seasoned debaters will debate new members who have opposing view points, but there comes a time when debaters become less open minded and do not make debates as much as they used to. This is the closure of the first stage and the point where many noob debaters leave DDO, however the smart ones and the seasoned ones who are hungry for knowledge do not leave, instead they transition to the next stage.
Stage 2: The forum poster
After people grow out of their debater phase, they transition into a forum poster, where people spend more time on the forums giving input in threads here and there rather then try to start debates or participate in them. Being a forum poster though can last much longer then being a debater, and the biggest reason is summarized by one word, mafia.
Seasoned debaters over time become well acquainted with other debaters as time passes, and they soon spend more time chatting with them rather then racking up wins in debates ir putting their own beliefs up for a challenge. At this point people most people fall into a mafia addiction to feed their new desire to socialize with people they know here on DDO, others become forum posters to defend their views outside of a debate setting or just provide input into discussions. This is more addictive because people transition from testing their knowledge in a battle arena like a gladiator, to feeling like a member of an intelligent gathering of people questioning all aspects of society, much like a Socratic society. Being part of something greater than yourself and providing valuable input into such a thing is a far more addicting drug then the gladiator in a ring fighting for what you believe in scenario.
Over time though people soon distance themselves from the forums. Topics become repetitive, outdated, and previous information in other arguments are lost as new generations start discussing the same issues. Suddenly the drug of being part of something bigger becomes teaching a class that wont listen as you restate information you have already mentioned before, but have to do it over and over due to the repetitive cycle of topics to discuss. The addictivenes now becomes a depressant, and people who lived off of forums now have grown out of this phase. At this point a few go back to debating and start the cycle again, but most of them enter the final phase.
Stage 3: the legend
Those who are seasoned debaters or forum posters who tire from both by this point are very well known and probably respected by others. But people who are legends often have moved long past their debating phase and are less and less seen in the forums, or anywhere online for that matter. At this point the person has become a legend through their personality, opinions, history, or some combination of the three. But fame isnt enough for people to stay on this site forever, and soon people begin to take longer and longer breaks from DDO. Then they simply are never heard from again. Some people announce retirement, others simply leave the site and are never heard from again.
Those are the three phases on life on DDO, and although some people never go through them all, and others that do never take the same path as anyone else, they are still the three phases that people go through. You cant plan out how to go through them, but you can still control how people remember you at least.
Thanks for reading :D
- Imabench
First Ima Revolution = 4/28/11
Second Ima Revolution = 10/31/11
Avatar week pick = 11/14/11
WARNING: Do not take anything I say seriously, I am insane unless proven otherwise just like everyone else on DDO. If though you use this quote in my sig to try to discredit my arguments over something, then im probably right and youre probably an idiot
The Godfather of the DDO mafia that controls the site, but done tell anyone ;D
Second Ima Revolution = 10/31/11
Avatar week pick = 11/14/11
WARNING: Do not take anything I say seriously, I am insane unless proven otherwise just like everyone else on DDO. If though you use this quote in my sig to try to discredit my arguments over something, then im probably right and youre probably an idiot
The Godfather of the DDO mafia that controls the site, but done tell anyone ;D
