Legion World Forums LEGION WORLD Science Police Headquarters Legionworld - a Blight on Legion Fanism?

I don't know how many of you here even bother with Yahoo Groups anymore. Seems most of the Legion ones (with the exception of the LMBP and Legion 3004) are vast wastelands of nothing. Not that I have anything against them, I think Yahoo has come close to killing off the Groups. But I still subscribe to most digest wise.

One of the oldest ones that I'm aware of is Legion-List (established Oct. 1999). I really can't say that I've ever paticipated much except to maybe answer a question or two but I really don't think we've deserved the latest round of postings. Of course I could post counter-points to what I'll post here but I don't have the time nor do I feel like wasting what time I do have on this group any longer. Sort of the "let he who is without sin cast the first stone". Anyone who believes that their group doesn't go off on a tangent or start heated arguments is deluded. Anyway, here is there latest. True or not?

aliaslad is Andrew (CK) stirring up shit because he was kicked off LW for being a dick. What a jerk.

That's what I was thinking. But I don't even pretend to know everyone's ALTs.

You could almost say that any established site that you join can appear cliquish, simply because it's always tough to be the new kid in a group full of long-term friends. However, I think we go farther out of our way to make people feel welcome than most other places.

I think it's simply a matter of someone trying to stir up trouble.

I love how someone can think that one place (LW) is a big clique, so they go somewhere else, another clique (Legion List), and talk about them.

This is a total "WHATEVER" in my opinion.

I've been part of lots of different online fan forums and can say for sure that a person is responsible for their own level of enjoyment. There are always going to be a group of people who know each other better than others. They see a lot of new people come and go. The ones who fit in are the ones who want to fit in.

LegionWorlders, don't let stuff like this get you down!!! We do like our silly stuff and we do discuss actual published appearances. We are open and inviting. We are a great resource for any Legion fan. LLL!

I call bullshit! I just joined here a little over a month ago, and you guys went out of your way to make me feel welcome. Sure there are some "in-jokes" among the people who have been here from the beginning, but it's like that everywhere. LONG LIVE LEGION WORLD!!!

legionworld is the second online site i've ever felt comfortable to take an active part in (WEF was the 1st)

i mean, outside of sex sites of course

lol

is it cliquish? i don't know
i do know there are so many different kinds of people and interests on legionworld that i felt like i could join up and take part

also, so many posters made me think or laugh and that's usually a good sign that i want to join the party

on legionworld, i've geeked out, met some cool people, talked about everything from Legion to comics to HIV to my own grad school troubles and been promoted to adviser of the polls section (probably a direct result of the geek-out moments i mentioned) -- this is a place where many of my worlds meet, not just legion

I wouldn't pay much attention to it. Everyone who is outside a group looking in will feel it is cliquish unless they make an effort to get involved. No site can be the "be all and end all" for everyone out there. I think we are much more open and welcoming here than any other website I have ever visited and that's really all you can ask for.

aliaslad is Comet King (who has been recently dismissed due to insults and other rude behavior) and I see it as sour grapes.

wes posts here a lot. David Marshall is LSHJSA, member #159, who has yet to post. I think we spend a lot of time and energy discussing the issues themselves when they merit it or there is one. But I take it that some of the responders would prefer that no one post a topic about anything until then?!? Discuss what you want. Skip what you don't is my motto.

Nobody's putting a gun to anybody's head. (Shut up Pov! )

This place, particularly the Legion forum, is one of the most open and inviting anyone will ever find on the web. ‘Nuff said.

That's just Comet King being Comet King. Thankfully, he's not doing it here anymore

Bah! Legion World is Indie Rock!

I am a clique of one!

I am the clique consisting of all cliques that do not contain themselves as members.

(a li'l set theory in-joke there).

In my online life, I've participated in many different fan-forum message boards. I've posted on boards for bands, tv shows, movies, and comics. LegionWorld is the only board I check daily and have done so for more than a year now. I don't remember the last time I checked any of the myriad other boards I'm a member of. I consistently find that the level of debate, the maturity of the members, and the genuine love of the subject is higher here than any other board I've ever been on. Personal attacks generally don't happen and flame wars are (usually) extinguished before they can get going. This is such a welcoming atmosphere that we've welcomed several of the Legion's creators to this board for vigorous discussions about the series. There may be a lot of off-topic discussions, but more often, the silly posts are derived directly from our affection for the Legion (I'll admit I don't usually read those, but I recognize the spirit that spurs people to create them). As far as I can tell the only posters that have been asked to leave are those that can't treat everyone else here with respect, and in my experience that's only happened twice! That's gotta be some kind of record.

I usually don't connect strongly on a personal level with people that I "meet" online, but there are a lot of people on this board that I feel like I know. That has surprised, impressed, and pleased me in the last year or so.

Anyone who doesn't feel welcome here, probably isn't welcome here, not because we're cliquish, but because they didn't have the maturity to interact in an adult way with the other members of this board.

Wow, I just wrote a lot! I guess I feel more strongly about this than I'd realized!

Personally I don't know of anyway to make a message board be less cliquish than Legion World.

I think Comet King is hilarious! He's rude and offensive in most of his posts to us here, gets banned for it and then starts dissing us to anyone who'll listen!

He's like our arch-nemesis! A LSV of one! I wonder what nefarious scheme he'll be up to next?

Maybe we do talk too much about bell-bottoms. As an effort for outreach, we need some threads about straight-leg pants and leggings.

I'm confused... I thought CK said he liked PG's bell-bottoms?

Oh my god, that's the funniest post I've read in forever!

It must've taken CK a long time to compose that post. He nearly sounded lucid.

Clickety click. Whatever.

Ok nothing much to add here but a few questions and random comments.

First up, how many active members does legion list have, I know I stopped even getting the digests because I found the comments a bit, well staid I guess. Opposed to that how many active members does LW have? I’m guessing LW has more. If that’s the case how can a smaller, much more inward looking group who are not reaching out to new members every day (and just look at the number of welcome threads to get an idea of how many people join up here) be less of a clique than a large open friendly group?

How many creators join and participate at Legion List? If we are so inward looking and against strangers how come they get in?

This place is to me the Legion Outpost of the 21st century. It is an important place for legion fans to hang out, we are starting to get the interaction with creators and DC staff that Flynn and Broertjes, got with Outpost. It is quite possible to argue that the web based and visible love of a group of fans convinced DC to keep the Legion going when sales did not justify it and to give us a new version to sink our teeth into.

I don’t know Aliaslad but if he found the place too much of a clique for him then that’s his reaction to us, not ours to him (or her)

Like Groucho, I refuse to belong to any clique that would have me as a member.

Sometimes I like to turn the lights down and pull on a pair of thigh-high, neon pink legwarmers.

With my blonde wig and a good squint, I kinda look like Imra's chubby sister... with a goatee...

What happened? Oh don't bother, I missed it again.

Look... I'm about as polar opposite as can be to many posters around here... I don't get a feeling of clique-ishness at this place. If that's how CK feels, then this is a problem of his own making.

Does Legion World take away from other sites' "Legionocity"? Probably so, but I wouldn't want to see an internet without Legion World just so that other sites can feel better about their own Legionocity.

As for not discussing the book... that's just laughable. Sour Grapes indeed.

If this were a message board for logicians, you'd all realize how funny this is!

hysterical!! (loony maybe?)

(never thought those courses in advanced stats would ever come in handy)

Ya know... I just looked up why he was banned. Gotta say he deserved it.

This place is a BLIGHT??? Hah!

If you want a Blight, go look at the DC board Legion section. Nothing but a bunch of people who live in the past and cry about the reboots. That place is exactly the reason why LSH fans have such a negative stereotype with comicbook professionals (writers, pencillers, etc).

A lot of people here are excited about the new series and there's an overall feeling of positivity. Our new resident artist (Barry) has been active in the discussions and it's rumored that even the Wacky Editor guy (Wacker) recently activated an account here. Would DC professionals participate in an online forum where they were continually getting FFA'd (Free For All'ed) into the ground or would they be interested in reading about the good feedback that's been generated for their upcomming product? I'm betting it's the latter and not the former.

You should have seen the posts that have been deleted over the last few months. Andrew was given many, many chances to play nice.

i wondered what happened to Comet -- he used to be so active when i started and then he was gone (i tend to shy away from the member discussions & conflicts)

nice to see he's carrying on his tradition of bile somewhere else (and even better, away from my eyes!)

he was such a dunderhead to people on here

but we're hardly the Blight -- we had nothing to do with causing the stargate disasters and the d-storms and the legion lost and the birth of the progenitor

no no no
that's DNA

(oh my geekiness)

Blight? Me? I'm not that badly drawn!

Actually, this site *has* gone rather downhill lately.

I swear, If I have to look at ONE more Hate-Face or Leeta 87 topic..! Yeeesh!

So, I shouldn't start the "What if Hate-Face & Leeta 87 had married?" thread I was contemplating just this morning Lasher?

This is as fitting a place as any to acknowledge quite belatedly the really, really nice welcome threads you give new members. I only found mine today, since I am too lazy -- I mean, busy -- to have properly explored the immensity that is Legion World.

You guys run a fantastic operation here, and it is a privelege to participate in this forum.

EDE's logic, like T'Pring's, is flawless!

You wanna see a really cliquey website? Check out Pov's cheerleader sheep website, where I'm a moderator!

Poor Andrew, trolling is hard work.

12 hours later and I'm still trying to figure out the set theory joke.

Originally posted by Pov of Nine:
Sometimes I like to turn the lights down and pull on a pair of thigh-high, neon pink legwarmers.

With my blonde wig and a good squint, I kinda look like Imra's chubby sister... with a goatee...
Maybe you should get together with Brainiac 5 when he's wearing the Supergirl costume.

I don't mind if we're a clique - as long as we're the cool clique!

Like there's any doubts there Drake :rolleyes:

Yes you do Darden, he's Andrew as in Andrew from the Bristol convention (Paul's friend).

I don't know if we're a clique bu we're a big, accepting, friendly group. Should be good enough for any reasonably intelligent person.

thanks Bevis. I wasnt sure if that was just supposition but now I have re read the entire thread I see others confirming it.

shame. I cant see why andy should come across like this on the boards when face to face he is different.



Humans! I sometimes think I prefer my dogs

Well... this place has always been somewhere I can come to for a good laugh while at the same time reminisce about Legions gone by and wistfully speculate about legions to come. If that's perceived as being cliquish, then all I can say is ...

I'm glad to be back

And we are glad to have you back Bubble Wrap Boy

Russell\'s Paradox

EDE's joke made the left side of my brain hurt...

So your whole head aches, then???

Which means now the right side does too...need booze...

"Blight? Me? I'm not that badly drawn!"

I gotta echo the comments made by several of the other posters here.

I've relatively new on this site, but I love it. Sure, it CAN seem clique-ish, but any established community of close-knit folks is bound to seem that way to the new kid for a while. Compared to other sites and boards I've been on, this is by far the friendliest. I lurked here for just two days before posting for the first time, so I probably didn't get all the in-jokes and background filler I might have if I'd lurked for a couple of weeks or more. Still, when I did post I was completely embraced as if I'd been here for years. Thanks for that.

As for the number of "silly" topics around here,
that's just a side of message boards everywhere that's bound to crop up. If anything, it shows just how passionate people can be about even the most trivial of topics -- another great aspect of the "open community" feel of boards like this one.
I, for one, am of the view that if such topics seem trivial or offensive, then I simply don't read them! That being said, I have checked a nmuber of these posts, if only for the humor.

That's another great thing about the folks here -- we take the Legion mythos seriously, but not so seriously that we can't laugh at it or ourselves on occasion.

And, of course, there's the chance to interact, directly or otherwise, with creators like Barry Kitson et al. Barry's willingness to jump right in and discuss/banter/speculate along with us is refreshing in this era of "plagiarism fear" wherein most writers/creators deliberately choose to avoid exposing themselves to ideas from others which might find there way into that creator's work (and thus, potentially, set them up for a lawsuit). I'm not saying they're not justified in insulating themselves, from the legal standpoint. I just think that a number of writers have, unfortunately, taken to cutting themselves off so completely from the vast community of fans out there out of sheer fear or terror that something bad might happen. So when folks like Barry just seem to GET the connection between fans and creators, it really makes me glad there are sites like this one.

Anyway, just my 2 percent of a dollar.

As always -- "Long Live the Legion! Long live LEGION WORLD!"

Well said Knightsfyre!

Those denigrating comments from CK on Legion-List were obviously a fairly tasteless glass of whine, made from sour grapes, but they did have one value: They made us appreciate anew just what we all have over here. And how much of a community has been created.

I've never seen an online group that's more willing, as many have said, to bend over backwards to break the inevitable in-group tendencies and actually welcome newcomers, iconoclasts, and (like me) wordy curmudgeons!

Few venues have their members trying to keep matters open to alternate views, as this one does, even if a group consensus has been reached. Nobody's put down for challenging the "conventional wisdom" on a topic.

My only demurral about this thread is that Scott quoted CK's put-down in the thread title without using quote marks around it. Whether LW.net is a "blight" is really not worth considering, as it obviously is no such thing. What his comment says about him and that list -- that's what would have been highlighted by using quote marks.

I also gave up on Legion-List, after a long stretch of waiting for some substance and more civil tongues. Johanna Carlson made intelligent comments, but she and many others indulged in too much sniping over the long run. Some of the same participants are better behaved on the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.comics.dc.lsh, strangely enough.

(Not all Yahoo! Groups are fading away, though many have lagged in traffic and interest -- especially those sharing art -- since the message-attachment file archives were ended by Yahoo! 15 months ago. Including my own Group about winged-humanoid art, though we're working around that.)

As I've said before in similar issue-threads, when I first started last December, it was a bit intimidating that so many of you have known each other so long; I wondered if anyone new like me would ever truly fit in.

Other fellow newbies (IBby was also new last December) were an encouragement, and while I still sometimes feel anyone who doesn't remember the old-old-old DC boards is missing half a conversation, I again point out several things:

1. Any longstanding group of friends will naturally share a bond, and if that bond is something good, it will appeal to others. No one complains that they don't fit into groups that they have absolutely no interest in.

2. Any such group that people would actually want to belong to takes an effort on the part of new people to participate. You can't get to know the swimmers if you're not even willing to dip a toe in the water.

3. If a group has a solid identity that predates a new member, said person cannot expect that identity to reboot anound his/her wishes. Any group that does so becomes too unpredictable and wishy-washy for to be an appealing group, and probably has a high turnover rate.

4. People already in the group cannot be expected to become something they're not, just to be "acceptable" to others. It comes off asa group of phonies - rightfully so. Those forced to feign will lose interest and enthusiasm, and no one will except anyone else at face value.

5. Groups change and evolve, as its membership changes, and existing members both adjust to new members, and (hopefully) continue to grow as people. In a group of peers, no one will be or can be in control of this. It will happen naturally, and this, too, will inspire some to join and others to leave.

To sum up: We is who we is. If you fit in, great. If not, nothing's stopping you from shopping around for -or starting- another group.

Wahoooooo!!! I'm part of a clique, I'm part of a clique! My mom'll be so proud!

Seriously, this is the best Legion website on the Internet, bar none! And we have no one to thank but ourselves...
(and especially and for all their hard work!)

I agree completely with what Grey said. And see, if the very fact that Grey and I can exist on the same board, behave civilly and even agree on things from time to time isn't evidence of the inclusivity of these boards then I don't know what it. The idea that you might get shot down if you have opposing views is just rubbish. You might get shot down for *how* you express those views, but that doesn't preclude debate either. Hell, look at the threads about the Us election. Very heated debate, very diverse views and standpoints but still, for the most part, it didn't denegrate into a flame war which it so easily could have done. The same is true for pretty much every topic, be it Legion, sex, religion or the weather.

Also, I fully understand the trepidation that new members approach the forums sometimes. When you have people here such as myself, Lash, Beagz and so on who have known eac other even if only through the web) for going on four or five years then there's bound to be a certain sense of being left out a bit. *But* (and it's a very important but) you only have to look at the number of welcome thread we have, or the newer members who are now an important part of the group to understand that it's not an elite, it's not an exclusive group. We have people who only post occasionally but I would hope they feel just as welcome posting as those who spend the best part of their waking life here.

In fact the only place that I would see as being intimidating to new members might be the LMBP related stories in Bits. Even then the only reason for that would be the fact that there's so much history to those stories that it might be hard to jump in and get caught up sometimes. All *that* being said though, there are new members posting in those stories a hell of a lot and ones that only joined recently who tell as much of the story as the members who have been here since day one. Plus we have Cobie's history thread and the intro to LW thread as well which are great ways for people to get cuaght up and maybe understand where we (historically are coming from).

Exclusive, clique or blight? Nah, not in my book. There are definately groups of people who click more than others, there are groups of friends and in-jokes and on-going discussions but none of that means that someone new can't join in. which, when it comes down to it, is probably why I like it so much here.

Has anyone from here replied to Alias Lad at Legion List?

I do feel like someone should defend LegionWorld there...

I'm not really interested in doing so. I don't want to validate CK by responding. We stoked his ego enough here by first allowing him to bait us for so long and second by banning him. I don't think he was upset by the banning but rather pleased with himself.

Plus, there's a lot of people on Legion List that probably don't need to get dragged into the whole mess. By bringing up this board there in the first place CK's probably piqued a few of their members intrest in at least lurking around here. I hope anyone dropping in feels welcome to register and jump in.

I didn't even know CK was gone? Anyone want to give me the Cliffs Notes on what happened? Is it worth the time?

Some of us here have been posting since the DC boards five years ago. I've never been the most active poster, but I really appreciate the conversations and the ability to have someone to talk to that's at least as dorky about comics as me. Does that make us a clique of dorks? Even if I choose to not post messages concerning Tinya's sartorial choices...

There is now a thread specifically not about Phantom Girl's bell bottoms (but for some reason people keep talking about them)

BUT we've also branched out to include discussions of panty-lines, BGZTL fashion, Tinya's personality, Perez's warped vision of Tinya Wazzo, AND sailors

(funny enough, we don't mention CK at all)

Well said.

Let's not let jealousy ruin a good thing here. That's all it really is - trying to drag down something out of CK's reach.

Considering _everyone_ gets a welcome thread which encourages posting, I should think so. But cliques are inevitable. The longer you've known each other, the closer you are. That's just life. Sometimes I feel left out because I don't "get" a lot of the older in-jokes, but I've never felt that was personal. I just go ahead and post on whatever topics interest me.

There was apparently one that was directed right at me that I only saw post-edit. I got the feeling it was quite nasty.

I don't get it... I've only been a member for a month or so & have been treated like I belong from day 1.

Long live LegionWorld!!!

hey wait, everybody!

maybe we should take this warning to heart, and act like other online places --- WrItE iN aNnOyInG sTyLeZ, mock professionals & newbies alike with snide attitudes, and talk incessantly about video games and female anatomy (i swear, i ran across an Image messageboard devoted to She-Dragon's -ahem - privates ... i didn't even know there WAS a She-Dragon and i definitely felt out of place)

so who wants to start?

[whistling to the ghost town listserv, rec.arts. place]

um, i can't figure out video games past Mortal Kombat 2 on Nintendo and I like that Praying Mantis' bite the heads off their mates when they're done with the sex

does that count as unblighted conversation?

You know Andy S, as a newbie yourself, your opinion doesn't count

dOOd, i JuST BouGHT aN xbOx!!! iTS aWeSoMe!!!!!! i BeT THoSe LooSeR WRiTeRS DoNT HaVe oNe!!!!!!! aND THe BaBeS iN THe GaMeS aRe So HoT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(knocks head to stop channeling other message boards)

Before I joined LW I have started to visit regularly and read the many post. And, from what a read of CK i bet that he´s reading all of these. If that the case I thank you CK for inspiring the topic of NOT talking about PG bellbottons (hope you enjoy it!)

Besides, i think that not for nothing so many new people, like me, join LW every day.

Its true.

Not to mention, just visiting the DC board... all I read was a bunch of @$$-holes making snide comments to each other. At least when we make snide comments to each other, we're doing it with love.

I used to post occasionally on the DCMB, but quit when I started seeing more juvenile threads than insightful ones.

Personally, I miss the lettercols, even those that were slanted toward the positive and away from constructive criticism.

A lot of comics pros - Beau Smith is the first name that comes to mind - graduated from the lettercols. Roy Thomas too, if memory serves.

And does anyone else fondly remember The Mad Maple?

That said, I'm glad I found LegionWorld, and Geoff Johns' and Dan Jolley's sites.

I feel like I'm among fellow comics fans who are knowledgeable about the books and just want to discuss ideas and share feedback with other fans.

Long Live The Legion!

- Mike

Thank you Lobo. We try very hard to make LegionWorld friendly and open to anyone that wants to come here and join in the fun. It makes us feel pretty good that so many newcomers feel so very welcome right away.
I know that not everybody loves us but that's ok too.

...and you're welcome to say nice things about us any time you want to

OH THANK TUKANA ABOVE!

i hate the pressure of counting

Ohmygod! This very idea behind this like thread is like just so not right.