Serious Business, This Internetz

[exhilaration]

Ok so I was looking for a good SPN comm to join, now that the series is going again. So, I typed in "Supernatural" and didn't come up with much (I have since remedied that, but this is still bothering me) but I found this interesting comm called the_hor_house. HORS stands for House of the Rising Son. It's a "Queer as Folk" reference. The comm looked like it was very active, but it was entirely members-only. Usually comms like that are some type of disturbingly kinky, and they're locked like that so they don't end up getting shut down.

The more I explored, the more it seemed that it wasn't some extremely kinky-themed SPN comm, but it was just a very selective multiple show discussion comm, which appealed to me. You could only join if you were definitely going to participate - fine, I always participate in my comms! That's why I joined LJ in the first place! I was like, score! All my shows in one place, mature discussions following episodes, mature fic to read if I so choose... but then the deeper I looked the more I decided maybe it wasn't for me after all.

I think if I applied for membership I would probably get denied - for stupid reasons, because like I said, I always participate in my comms, I look for episode discussions, and the comm has a gay cinema and entertainment theme - great!

Here are the comm rules. Ok. Highlights are, you have to be over 18. You have to participate. You have to be ok with gay and lesbian themes. No child porn allowed. Then it gives a list of weekly scheduled discussion posts! Great! I meet all that criteria, and I like structure, and I like discussion!

Here we have a detailed list of the criteria used to determine who is allowed to join. Some of this makes sense - do you post in the communities you're already a part of? How many comments have you made, total, compared to how long you've had your journal? Do you update your journal? Do you have friends listed? Do you have your interests filled out? This makes sense, right? They want people who are active and participate to join. That's fine.

Then it gets weird. Here are some examples of why membership might be denied.

2: Do you have an LJ layout and little or nothing else on your profile page? Again, that is an indication you aren’t joining the community to share or comment, but rather to lurk and take.

So... having a blank profile page is an indication that the person won't comment. Ok...

3: Are you predominantly a member of file sharing communities yet your comment/post count is low? Again, this would indicate you joined to take and do not regularly share or comment.

Again, being a member of file sharing comms is an indication that the person won't participate. Right.

Well, whatever, right? My profile page isn't blank, and I don't use LJ for file sharing. So what's the problem? I comment, I have an active journal, I wouldn't get denied, and I'd probably really like this comm.

It then basically says that if you don't participate enough, your membership will be revoked. Well, that's a little hard core, but again - I DO participate. So it wouldn't effect me.

But then I got to reading people's comments asking why their membership got denied, and the mod's responses.

So, my membership just got declined. I can't think of any other reason for this other than I did it wrong? I went to the questionaire page, but then it said to join first then email, so I did but then I couldn't find an email address on the profile page (unless it was the yahoo one?). I'm lost. :(

My comment ratio is good, I'm pretty sure cuz I got into the iheart communities. But maybe that's it?

The response was When your profile page was viewed I was concerned because your interests, while similar, aren't exact. The House is about Arts & Entertainment. We do follow the television programs that are listed on our profile page and featured in the side film strips. We also discuss film, literature and theatre. However, we also offer LGBT cinema and explicit adult content. Your profile page didn't indicate an interest in either and that was definitely a concern for me. Please feel free to send an email for the questionnaire.

So, this person follows all the same shows and has a high comment ratio, but does not have LGBT cinema listed as one of their interests, so their membership was declined. Huh?

Then we have: I was declined a membership and I'm curious to know what the reasoning was for that. My journal is more personal and I prefer to lock that for my friends but I am actively involved in the QAF community and run two communities myself, on dealing with the QAF fandom and one for book talks.
bookboutiquette
queensoftarts
I am over 18 and made sure that is listed in my profile, just curious.


The response: Your Interests, friends and communities were almost all QaF related. We are not a Queer As Folk Community. We are not a QaF fic community. Therefore, your request was denied as we obviously wouldn't have anything of interest for you here. However, we thank you for you interest in The House.

OK then. Someone who is highly into the QaF community and runs a book talk comm OBVIOUSLY wouldn't be interested in such a comm, where GLBT cinema and several related TV shows are discussed. Stupid of them to try to join without realizing what the comm was, really.

GUESS WHO IS NO LONGER INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMM?

I mean, I don't have GLBT cinema listed as one of my interests (although maybe I should, because it is, but I shouldn't have to add it just to be allowed into the comm)

Besides that, I guess I would get denied because of my "comment ratio." Hey, I started my LJ in 2006 when my diaryland site got all whacked. I didn't have internet where I was living so I only updated once a month or so, and then even less than that, until I got my own internet again. I guess that is a clear indication that I would not participate in this comm

Whatever, I found some good SPN comms anyway.

Comments

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Some of the LJ comms out there need to get over themselves. Seriously.

[lara-everlong.livejournal.com]

I know, right? It's JUST the INTERNETZ - why does it have to be such SERIOUS BUSINESS?

[foolishcalling.livejournal.com]

Hn, LJ ate my comment.

Man, that just seems ridiculous. Its kind of amazing they actually have any members. I mean, I generally understand the reason for rules like that, but they seem to be taking it a bit too far.

Haha, I moved here from diaryland too! Wow, I haven't thought about that site in ages. XD

[lara-everlong.livejournal.com]

I know, I've been finding LJ far more community-based, which is what I really like about it! Yeah, my diaryland journal is ANCIENT, though!