Member Insight

[Mitsuki]

This topic came up recently in a discussion, so I thought I'd explore it a bit with you guys.

As a new or old member in FFF, do you guys get easily intimidated/shy with the active members or topics, or are you a social butterfly and can easily initiate a conversation with someone?

How long do you usually wait before speaking to a member privately to chat about anything in general? Do you prefer to lurk instead - or what's the reasoning for lurking? Is it shyness, interest not piqued enough, or something else? Do you wait until you know a thing or two about some of the active posters before delving into conversations?

This is really interesting for me because I'm an active lurker here, and I've read a ton of topics. I can come out knowing a thing or two about a few members, people I've never actually interacted with out of uncertainty (would they feel bothered, are they interested in conversations, etc.)... so it made wonder how you guys feel about this. I guess you can look at your sense of approachability too... because sometimes we may think we're approachable, when someone else is intimidated but want to speak to you - except they don't know how to. Has this ever occurred to anyone?

How do you draw that line between being shy/intimidated and mustering up the courage to reach out to someone? Is it through reading topics and discovering little common interests with that member? This is 100% the case for me, but that doesn't mean it's easy for me to just go up to someone and introduce myself. Okay, maybe it has gotten easier over the years, but my point is that I do take the time to get to know the members here even if we may not have met yet.

Stalker alert!

But seriously, I see you guys... and I appreciate the members who continue to stick around. =]

So let us in a bit - what usually goes in your mind as a new or old member of this community looking to connect with people? Feel free to share some stories with us. Many deep friendships have started here (some are engaged/married) so I'd love to hear some insight on this!

 

[Miko]

As a new member I’ll take initiative to reply from my end.

You guys only chat on Discord! ಠ_ಠ The last thing I read was about one of you pooping while chatting! How am I supposed to introduce myself in the middle of that?!

I’m just kidding! But seriously, I’m a chronic lurker and seldom initiate direct conversation. I think it’s a little easier on forums but I mostly lurk, especially when it comes to chatting. I almost never initiate a conversation unless I need assistance or have something very specific I want to talk about. It’s something I really want to work on!

I’ve tried to revive a few threads in hopes that either it’d inspire some more posting and/or updates. I hate reviving old ones, especially from over 10 years, but a lot changes over time! I’m easily intimidated by you lot. From the outside you guys seem like you’ve already established firm relationships and already know each other, so it makes it a little scary

It’s hard to initiate a lot of direct conversation through the forums too, most of the older posts are from users that haven’t been active in years. I only have a vague general idea of who is active, who is lurking and who is just gone or strictly on Discord.

Hopefully I come across as approachable. From the few active members I’ve seen it seems like a good lot of you are friendly!



As long time members, do you guys wish there were more new faces here? Or does it not personally bother you?

 

[Dionysos]

As long time members, do you guys wish there were more new faces here? Or does it not personally bother you?

I love to see new faces!

I like the old faces too, especially returning faces after long absences, but I am always happy to find newer members register and take an interest in the forums. Particularly when they become active members of our community (be it by posting, or joining us in creative projects, or just communicating with us and have fun).

I can understand what you say about feeling nervous about jumping into conversations when people know each other already. It's like joining a group of people at a pub but everyone else knows one another and you do not. It can be daunting.

But you are very welcome here. The conversations aren't usually (or certainly not always) like the conversation you witnessed! Many people have different tastes and we discuss all sorts of things.

 

[charmy]

Even though I have been around for a bit now, I still sometimes feel relatively new ^^; I know a lot of members have been here for quite a long time.

From my end, I am naturally a shy person, so it can be tricky to get to know other members or reach out for a chat. I'm not the best at approaching people in general, so I guess that kind of transfers a bit here too ^^; It's kind of like what DaggerTribal said about people already knowing each other - for me, I just don't want to feel like I'm butting in on other people's conversations and things like that.

With the forums, I like to contribute if I can. Sometimes you guys have great discussions and maybe I don't really have much I can add to it so I won't post anything. But I still like to read about other people's thoughts and opinions.

That being said, I think everyone here is super nice and friendly If I'm a bit quiet sometimes, it's mainly just because I am a quiet person, but not because I don't feel welcome or anything like that.

 

[Espurr]

As a new member I’ll take initiative to reply from my end.


As long time members, do you guys wish there were more new faces here? Or does it not personally bother you?

I always enjoy a new face. It makes the experience on the forum(and Discord) more enjoyable since it adds a new face and it keeps things interesting learning about said newbie. Dionysos pretty much summed up what I was going to say though. We're all friendly enough that you shouldn't have to feel intimidated by anyone. Least of all by me. Not to toot my own horn here but I like to think I'm one of the nicer and easy to approach members around here. Even if our topics can be... random at times feel free to join us on Discord though since that's where you can find us chatting actively and I know it can be quiet here at times. I just don't want everyone to think that no one is here. Same thing is directed at you too, @charmy .

In my case I lurk the forums still pretty actively. I may not always post but I usually check the forums at least once per day. As for when I was a newbie I can say that I used to be intimidated as well. It was for that reason it took me a couple of months before I joined the SB. But eventually I fought it and I just started posting more often and it may have taken a bit but I eventually fit in with the rest of these weirdos.

 

[Vivi-Gamer]

I've dabbled here an' there over the years with this Forum, I will say IMO that I feel the biggest offender here Is Discord. I feel that the majority of Members just enter the Discord Chat rather than engaging on the Forum itself - which is an issue. I remember a year or so ago before Discord and the same activity was held on the General Café Chat Box on the forums homepage and I would engage with that on occasions.

I just feel with Discord, as I have to sign up to a completely different service, I'm less involved - But as many have mentioned I also put that upon myself, I'm a relatively private person and don't really talk about personal issues online. But I feel that is the case for Social Media in general, I don't use Fb and I feel that as people often express themselves over that medium, it can limit my bond with that individual as I feel many people on these services nurture their bonds through these services. So often I feel like I cannot maintain bonds with people due to this as I am reluctant to join such services due to privacy concerns. I understand why the FF Forum has Discord, as it is convenient for many users, but it does make Users a little lazy and less willing to get involved as they discuss such topics in a Live Chat format rather than in Posts no the Forum.

That's my take on it, I know it may conflict with many peoples opinions as I know my opinions on Social Media are very stern and I accept that. I'm always up for a chat on FF, which this community has always offered and is why I always linger abouts.

EDIT: Sorry if that was TOO negative I do have a few ideas spinning around to get involved, I'm considering Re-playing Final Fantasy VII prior to the Remakes release, to have one last perspective of the original in it's purest form. I've never had a very stable PC but I recently got a PS Classic, which I've made VII look much better than the PS4 version (I can't stand letterboxed games, but that a whole topics ), I have a capture card too, so maybe that's something I can do to be more social - I did one on Shemnue which wasn't too bad, though my friend was getting bored of it

 

[Mitsuki]

As a new member I’ll take initiative to reply from my end.

You guys only chat on Discord! ಠ_ಠ The last thing I read was about one of you pooping while chatting! How am I supposed to introduce myself in the middle of that?!

I’m just kidding! But seriously, I’m a chronic lurker and seldom initiate direct conversation. I think it’s a little easier on forums but I mostly lurk, especially when it comes to chatting. I almost never initiate a conversation unless I need assistance or have something very specific I want to talk about. It’s something I really want to work on!

I’ve tried to revive a few threads in hopes that either it’d inspire some more posting and/or updates. I hate reviving old ones, especially from over 10 years, but a lot changes over time! I’m easily intimidated by you lot. From the outside you guys seem like you’ve already established firm relationships and already know each other, so it makes it a little scary

It’s hard to initiate a lot of direct conversation through the forums too, most of the older posts are from users that haven’t been active in years. I only have a vague general idea of who is active, who is lurking and who is just gone or strictly on Discord.

Hopefully I come across as approachable. From the few active members I’ve seen it seems like a good lot of you are friendly!


As long time members, do you guys wish there were more new faces here? Or does it not personally bother you?

Lol! It could've been an interesting entrance, for sure! I understand where you're coming from though. I'd feel the same way and possibly even awkward just forcing myself to get in there and chat for the hell of it. Even now, I still feel slightly awkward just popping in to be random just to be random, but I also want to say hello. In fact, let me pull that quote... ah, found it!

May 1st, 2019:
"I was going to say something, then forgot, then felt obligated to say something but then that’s just awkward because I started typing... but I’m gonna go ahead and say hello. Hi guys!"

This is what I mean. But then you just have to roll with it (in this case, roll with the tumbleweed) and laugh it off. Hahahah-ahaha-ahem.

So moving on...

I do wish there were more new faces here, but I also wish our active chatters on Discord would visit to post once in awhile. I think it would be a healthy balance since I would like to see both new and old mingle together. With new members, unfortunately they tend to leave after a short while, so it's hard to find a way to keep members around. We try though... we've tried many different methods, but at the end of the day it's up to the individual and whether they're feeling the community or not.

Even though I have been around for a bit now, I still sometimes feel relatively new ^^; I know a lot of members have been here for quite a long time.


From my end, I am naturally a shy person, so it can be tricky to get to know other members or reach out for a chat. I'm not the best at approaching people in general, so I guess that kind of transfers a bit here too ^^; It's kind of like what DaggerTribal said about people already knowing each other - for me, I just don't want to feel like I'm butting in on other people's conversations and things like that.

With the forums, I like to contribute if I can. Sometimes you guys have great discussions and maybe I don't really have much I can add to it so I won't post anything. But I still like to read about other people's thoughts and opinions.

That being said, I think everyone here is super nice and friendly If I'm a bit quiet sometimes, it's mainly just because I am a quiet person, but not because I don't feel welcome or anything like that.

Ah, believe it or not, I'm also very shy even though it's probably not as noticeable here in the forums or a chat atmosphere. I think I overthink a situation too much, and I usually have to work up the courage to reach out to someone. Often times I find that I tend do that a lot - reach out to someone in hopes that we could hit it off. Life can get lonely sometimes! Lol.

Good to know that you do feel welcome here! Sometimes I wonder how members are generally doing so it's great to hear your take on this.

I've dabbled here an' there over the years with this Forum, I will say IMO that I feel the biggest offender here Is Discord. I feel that the majority of Members just enter the Discord Chat rather than engaging on the Forum itself - which is an issue. I remember a year or so ago before Discord and the same activity was held on the General Café Chat Box on the forums homepage and I would engage with that on occasions.

I just feel with Discord, as I have to sign up to a completely different service, I'm less involved - But as many have mentioned I also put that upon myself, I'm a relatively private person and don't really talk about personal issues online. But I feel that is the case for Social Media in general, I don't use Fb and I feel that as people often express themselves over that medium, it can limit my bond with that individual as I feel many people on these services nurture their bonds through these services. So often I feel like I cannot maintain bonds with people due to this as I am reluctant to join such services due to privacy concerns. I understand why the FF Forum has Discord, as it is convenient for many users, but it does make Users a little lazy and less willing to get involved as they discuss such topics in a Live Chat format rather than in Posts no the Forum.

That's my take on it, I know it may conflict with many peoples opinions as I know my opinions on Social Media are very stern and I accept that. I'm always up for a chat on FF, which this community has always offered and is why I always linger abouts.

Oh you're fine, this isn't negative at all. If anything, you're only stating the obvious reality here and that yes, Discord has affected the forum's activity too. I'm not entirely sure it is the main culprit, because I think it's still up to people to still make that effort, and if they really wanted to post, they would post... but the convenience of Discord does make it more challenging for the site. You're not the only one who feels this way, so I'm glad that you're expressing your honest opinion about it and more importantly, you're comfortable enough to do so. Discord isn't meant to be obligatory, never will be, so I'm just personally happy to know you're around still kicking it here. =]

I suppose I am technically an 'old member', but I took a loooong break so I feel like a newbie.


IRL I am a shy person, but not so much online. What I like about forums is that every member of a particular forum has something in common (in this case Final Fantasy, obvs) so it feels like we all have a connection by default. I also like the relative anonymity of forums when compared to other online spaces.

I will post in threads if I feel I have something to add; otherwise I am more of a lurker. I would not PM someone unless it was for a specific reason (or they PM me first). But I think this forum seems friendly and welcoming - and I hope I do too!

This is very similar to me. I do not use FB either, for the same reasons. I have never tried Discord, so I cannot comment on it (either generally or the FFF server), but I think I would always prefer the format of a forum. It allows time to think about what you want to say and meaningful discussions can happen over weeks and months, rather than a chatroom-style experience where everything moves faster and is forgotten about.

I definitely prefer the format of a forum when it comes to variety of topics as well, but I also feel that meaningful discussions can also happen anywhere, whether it's forum/PM/chat/SB/discord (even FFXIV chat!)... I think that's mainly down to people to make it happen. But I get what you're trying to say that we have a good platform here to think about what we want to say carefully, and I think this should be used more often too.

I kind of get lost in a group chat setting, especially if it's really busy, so I'm not one to stick around for very long either. My brain can only handle so much. I'm more of a private conversation type of person - I like personal interaction one-on-one, and a lot of times I'm the one to initiate these conversations, usually not the other way around, I've noticed...which, I wish it was more the other way around, personally. =P It's a good feeling to know that people want to talk to me as well. But I don't mind reaching out.

 

[Dionysos]

The internet forum idea has really been replaced by social media for many people. We're doing well to still be going after 13 years since most people carry out their conversations about fandoms on social media now.

That said, there are many benefits to forum message boards. There are certain conversations which would be difficult to have anywhere else. We can have deeper discussions about Final Fantasy and they'll be saved, searchable, and easier to locate than a sea of short statements on social media platforms.
It is also a lot easier to carry out contests and competitions on boards like these. As a hub, the forum itself is very, very important.

The only thing which is easier elsewhere is just 'chatting' casually, which is what has happened with Discord taking over the role of our ShoutBox / General Cafe as the primary place to have casual conversations.

What we endeavour to do soon is to encourage people in our Discord to log on to the forum more often. We'll try and link to new threads and posts frequently. If there are things can afford not to do on Discord, we'll do them on the forum and only link to them on Discord. It's true that people have become lazy due to the convenience of Discord and having an app on their phones to access it. That's not a fault of their own, but just the general state of humanity at the moment. At least they are contactable on there and can be recalled and pointed back to here, so it isn't all bad.

Also sometimes members are checking the forums while appearing as guests, so there are more people viewing than it seems at times.

I've noticed a lot of new members who are sticking around more recently, so that's a positive trend I'd like to see continue.


Myself, I have to apologise if at times I've let the forum itself go a bit with threads and posts. I do check it daily but most of my time doing FFF duties is spent on the magazine project, corresponding with people on and offsite to arrange our projects, and competitions, social media promotion, etc.

I try to make an effort to welcome new members and reply to members who have introduced their own works to the forum (I'm always on the lookout for new things to encourage), but sometimes things do slip by me unseen for a while if there have been a good number of posts. When I get a moment I'll check I've not missed anything, and I invite anyone to search the boards for topics they may have missed too, if they fancy it.

I'm also in the mood to revive some of the discussions I've really enjoyed on this forum when I get time, so anybody can go ahead and revive anything that takes their fancy too. New people notice new things, so I'm always one to encourage that here.

 

[Miko]

Been loving reading everyone's responses on this!

I don't want to downplay the Discord thing, I never used it until recently so I don't know much about it yet. I think with instant messaging being a bit outdated Discord is a nice replacement, but I think maybe that would be a potential drawback from having newer members join & stay on the forums. Also wouldn't you say that less content here is preventing more traffic from coming in?

I agree that social media has replaced forums and forums themselves are a bit outdated, but I think it's easier for newer people who don't know anyone to really come in contact with others with similar interests when the discussion is a bit more open. You're not jumping into a live chat this way.


I know I keep repeating this, but I hate reviving old threads. As veteran members do you guys think that reviving threads is more inviting to participate in, being able to relive some older memories? Or would it be more incentive to reply if I, or someone else, created a brand new thread on an older topic that has already been posted about?

For example, I'm about to post in one of the sticky'd survey threads dated back to 2010. Would you be more inclined to read your old post & make an update in that same thread? Or would you find that more cringy to look back at yourself from 10 years ago? 2010 is a long time ago, would it be silly to revive a post that old? I suppose on the other hand that it is sticky'd for a reason. Is it possible some things are due for an update?

 

[Espurr]

If you want to revive old threads then feel free. Nothing wrong with that at all. It could potentially attract newbies who weren't there at the time to the topic and at the same time provide the older members with a bit of nostalgia.

As for Discord it has it's benefits and it's disadvantages. On the bright side it's an easy way for everyone to stay connected to each other since everyone is right there in the channel. The downside is that it takes away attention from the forum itself as you can see. I like to think of the Discord channel as an extension of FFF overall though so it's not like the whole name itself is dead.

Regardless of how you feel about it though it is still the best way to get the most out of your time on the site though so it's not something that you can just ignore. You won't be able to attract everyone to the forums itself but you can still get enjoyment out of interacting with the members themselves. I know I'm not a common poster but I do lurk a lot so it's not like I don't pay attention to what goes on around here at least.

 

[Dionysos]

I know I keep repeating this, but I hate reviving old threads. As veteran members do you guys think that reviving threads is more inviting to participate in, being able to relive some older memories? Or would it be more incentive to reply if I, or someone else, created a brand new thread on an older topic that has already been posted about?

For example, I'm about to post in one of the sticky'd survey threads dated back to 2010. Would you be more inclined to read your old post & make an update in that same thread? Or would you find that more cringy to look back at yourself from 10 years ago? 2010 is a long time ago, would it be silly to revive a post that old? I suppose on the other hand that it is sticky'd for a reason. Is it possible some things are due for an update?

We honestly don't mind reviving old threads here and sometimes the cringe makes us laugh. Though things like surveys can get outdated very quickly.

However, if you feel uncomfortable reviving old threads but have something to say about a topic, I’d say it would be better to post a new thread than not at all. We aren't going to be too hard on people for that, especially if you approach it from a slightly different angle and don't just copy the same thread exactly.

There are also some FF topics in FF General, Legacy Installments, FFIX, World of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts sections in particular which are often overlooked, I've noticed. We very much welcome posts there.

 

[greenyxi]

Ok, I'll join in .

Do I find it easy to talk to others on here? Absolutely. As I've been here for many centuries, I can talk to anyone here pretty easily. I've always just said whatever crap my mind comes up with though and it usually ends up as blabbering. As this post will probably end up as .

Do I think Discord takes away from the shoutbox? Of course it does. As I said when the Discord channel was being discussed: people will use the more popular medium and the shoutbox will be left behind like a ghostbox. Does that make the forum less likely to be visited: yes, because people aren't coming here to talk in the SB and will just use the Discord app. To me, Discord would be good for events and staff meetings and that's it. It's not even necessary for those.

 

[Mitsuki]

Also wouldn't you say that less content here is preventing more traffic from coming in?

I know I keep repeating this, but I hate reviving old threads. As veteran members do you guys think that reviving threads is more inviting to participate in, being able to relive some older memories? Or would it be more incentive to reply if I, or someone else, created a brand new thread on an older topic that has already been posted about?

For example, I'm about to post in one of the sticky'd survey threads dated back to 2010. Would you be more inclined to read your old post & make an update in that same thread? Or would you find that more cringy to look back at yourself from 10 years ago? 2010 is a long time ago, would it be silly to revive a post that old? I suppose on the other hand that it is sticky'd for a reason. Is it possible some things are due for an update?

It's possible that less content is preventing more traffic, yeah. People like to see activity, but at the same time a lot of our topics, particularly the Final Fantasy ones, have gained a lot of traffic on google searches. That's how I discovered this place back in 2006. So, it's a mixture of things, I'm sure.

We don't really have a hard and fast rule when it comes to reviving old threads. If you see a topic you'd like to post in, feel free. I know some forums are strict about that, but we're not. If you'd rather not search if the topic already exist (because admittedly it does take awhile to hunt down topics), feel free to create a new topic as well. =] Personally, I get a good chuckle at my older posts as well as some of the older members' posts. It's a nice reminder that we've all changed or remained the same over time. It's always fun to look back, really.

 

[Daenoxiis]

I'm perhaps a bit paranoid at first, and there are certain things I try to dodge giving too much information about myself publicly for. The reason for this is because I was once robbed at gunpoint by a group of people I met online, and I don't mean like with a handgun like it was a spontaneous moment on their behalf, I mean 3 foreigners robbed me and my friends in a hotel with M16 assault rifles for a couple thousand dollars during what was supposed to be a two week business trip for all of us. It was a very traumatizing experience. They pooled personal information on us and threatened our families etc. So even though it's been 6 or 7 years, I still keep my head low. I no longer exist on any conventional social media, but forums and whatnot are Google-able so again, I have to be careful because I'm not sure about privacy and public/private viewing.