What creates a community?

from WinCustomize Forums
I hang out in lots of different places that have very different feels and attract different kinds of people.

Some places I hang out have people who have reached the consensus that "Warezing" is normal and fine whereas other places (like here) it's considered stealing plain and simple.

What creates such communities? I know the people who run sites that have people who seem to have no morals and they themselves are very moral, ethical people yet their sites are full of petty criminals.

What creates a net society of upstanding people? What creats a net society of people who are generally the same age despite having never met or usually devulged their ages?
10,248 views 28 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As I said on a previous thread, I check out the message boards to see if I would join that site. You can tell how mature the people are and how carring they are towards each other. Some people sacrifice integrity for the sake of succeding. Where as the people incharge here will exile someone for not meeting the moral or ethical standards that this site has.

I would say that most of the people on this site are my age, so they have been around the block a few times. They have matured and have no need to partake in such garbage. Most people here are friendly and try share what they know for the betterment of others.

If I read a message board and there if a lot of profanity and belittling each other I know that site is not for me. Everyone here tries to police the message board. That helps keep it clean. Of coarse you do get the occasional bad apple but he is talked to real quick. As in everything, it starts a the top. Everone takes their que from the leaders.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I believe that the reason that sites like WinCustomize.org are against piracy is because it is filled with artists who create much original work and therefore understand the value of the work of others. In my experience, sites that simply consist of imitations and rips, such as skinning sites for another operating system, tend to support piracy since they lack the creativity and ability to create original high quality work.
TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bleh, it's just peer pressure, that's all. It usually starts with the leaders of a group, and people follow. In the case of a web site, it usually starts with the admins. Is ripping tolerable? Is warez acceptable? If the admins of this site say it's not, and threaten to ban people who talk about it, you can be sure that people are going to be quiet about it. I'm pretty sure there are as many warez adepts here than in other message boards, they just keep quiet. Which is fine, as long as this site isn't used as a warez facilitor.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WAREZ?!?!? WHERE?!?!?

/me wildly grabs at CD's without labels and stuffs them deeeep inside a file cabinet.

I don't know what your talking about.

My OD subscription is up to date though, really.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Common interests and common opinions will be an attractive force....just like a sporting club, and as with these clubs, rules of conduct are created or agreed upon by its leaders and/or members.
If you like, you stay, if you don't, you leave and find one you like.

"I'd never want to join a club that would have me as a member"....[Marx...[not Karl]]...
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Listen to paxx and Jafo. But with the addition that a difference of opinion can do miracles. I wouldn't want to see all noses pointing in the same direction: variety is the spice of life.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I agree. But there must a...a thing that submliminally makes birds of a feather flock. Like I've said before, I bet if we did a demographic study, the people here are "older" (i.e. non-teens) than found on other technology sites.

Also, I know other sites that do ban people from asking for warez yet people still talk about warez as if it's the standard way of getting software. It is an interesting phenomenon, how does one help build a society that they want to be part of?
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
how does one help build a society that they want to be part of?
by Scribe Frogboy - 4/22/2002 3:05:55 PM

I don't think anyone can actually "Build a society" cuz it kinda builds itself you can help "Shape a society" by being a gentle influence maybe, like when someone trys to post warez first kindly telling them "not here buddy" but I don't think it is good to necessarily chase them away cuz who is to say they are bad ppl (thou shall not judge ppl by their post)

something like that... hehe

anyways, a good mix of ppl makes a good society/community if you have just one age group or mind set, then it would be a boring society/community me thinks...

well that's my two cents and I really need that two cents right now cuz I splurdged at the mall yesterday on stuff I didn't need =/
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think "all age groups" and different mind sets bring something interesting to the table...
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Women!
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Warez = getting "sumthin" for "nuthin". Not too many have $ to spend on software, let alone clothes for the kids, vacations, etc, etc. This "community" is rare in that many seem to have money to burn on self-satisfying hobbies. It all boils down to "the haves" and "the wants."

Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well, it's a matter of priorities. The same guys who warez software somehow manage to afford the latest Geforce cards and a cable modem connection.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The Geforce cards fall off the back of a truck, and it's mum's cable modem...

I'm guilty of downloading No-CD 'cracks' for various games....because I hate having to keep loading the original CD into the drive, especially when I have the games as 'full-installs' on the hard-drive.
This, of course, is a matter of 'convenience' rather than a question of 'warez' and 'copyright'....and with GrandPrix 3, I tend to hunt down third-party patches for alternate tracks, etc...and these would not necessarily be endorsed by Microprose.....but do 'extend' the game, but not 'denying fees to the copyright holder' as I have already purchased the game as commercially released.
[After spending 11 years working at the F1 track in Adelaide, South Aus, it was great to patch GP3 to run the old track, and not just the Melbourne one]...
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Cable access is the same price as modem access, so why wouldn't I? And the cable company sold me the modem for $100 ($55 US) if I subscribed for one year.

And I do have the top of the line video card, from 3 years ago. hehe!

No, seriously, warez is extremely wide spread. I don't know anybody, I mean anybody (in real life) that hasn't copied a software, a game or an MP3 from a friend.
I cannot believe that the people here are so different from the rest of the world. Although the leaders of this site don't do warez, I'm absolutely certain that most people do and don't talk about it. If they don't do it for software, I'm sure they do it with music (MP3), wich is the same thing.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
there's warez users and then there's WAREZ users. some people act like stealing software is not just not wrong but a good thing. the net is full of people who think that capitalism is evil and that warez is a way to fight the power.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Let's put it this way: there are two legit payware applications on my machine. One is Painter Classic (came with the tablet) and the other is HoverDesk (got a free registration). All other stuff (even the OS) is illegal (warez).

But I don't need to come here and ask for warez, because I (and everyone I know) know where to get it. Friend X says "hey, I've got app Y. Want a copy?" "Sure", I say.

Besides, it's rather stupid to come and ask for warez on the developers own turf.


But er, what does "warez" have to do with community forming and "society building"?
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So you are saying you use cracked Stardock products...

It has to do with the idea that people with similar ethical values will congregate.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hehe ethical?
yeah maybe they don't approve warez but might be committing tax fraud...
no body is perfect and to keep the warez away all you gotta do is give a warning not a public hanging to solve that...
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Back to the community thing. The first thing I feel you need to get a community going is information sharing. There needs to be a reason for people to come and gather. Information sharing is usually a good place to start. Here at Wincustomize our information we share are the skins.

You then set the tone of what type of people will come stay to the community by the people you have run the site.

I feel that the personality of WinCustomize has so much to do with the people that run it.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The thing about warez and communities is that somehow some places people who think warez are a virtue seem to congregate even when the site owners are publicly against it while in other places they don't.

I have no tolerance for people who advertise their desire to obtain warez on legitimate sites. It is stealing and while most people do warez some things, it's not something I want to hear about on a skin site or a political site or whatever any more than I want to hear about someone cheating on their taxes or whatever.

The above is one example of how people of the same views can seem to come together. I suspect other people here feel the same way. Maybe they do use some warez, but they aren't going to sit around asking for it on a skin site or whatever. Yet in other places, right in the middle of a discussion board that is totally unrelated to warez some guy will ask for a cracked copy of Photoshop or WindowBlinds.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I used to live in a community where one of my best friends was the police department's chief investigator. Being a 'detective' with some political aspirations and being an incredibly cool guy with great taste in music, a gourmet kitchen and an awesome house out in 'the valley' he had many epic parties. My friend had a rule about his parties, he didn't care what you did as long as if it was illegal, you were kind (smart) enough to not do it in front of him. He'd say, "really, I don't want to know what you do, it's your own business, just don't do it in front of me because it compromises me and that's not only unfair, it's downright stupid."

It was unbelievable how many times some idiot would offer him a toke out on the deck. My friend would shake his head and say "you do know what I do for a living don't you?". Such lame behavior would usually result in not being invited back to his next party.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey...I didn't know he was a cop! really!
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
humans tend to want company of other humans.

give them a place to gather and a reason to come, and a comunity is the expected result

beyond that, if you share enough common interests and values with the bulk of the others already there then it will be a nice place to stay.

as for crae, as memory serves (for things he has said) he doesnt run many (or any) stardock apps.
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I lurk on a lot of sites. Betanews. Neowin. Deskmod. Deviantart. I only post here and betanews and rarely on betanews. Wanna know why? Because too many people on other sites behave terribly. Only deviantart rivals this site for not having any talk turned into a mindless pit of flames.
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hehe feline you been following my dutchy around?
and I think you're right I don't think he uses too many stardock apps either, but I happen to know of atleast (1) stardock app he may or maynot be using?
and I seriously doubt he paid for it
bad boy crae! bad bad! hehe

most the apps I have are from Devs that have asked me to help in GUI design or beta testing (why me I dunno I suck at this stuff big time) but anyways, they usually give me a free copy

however on my pocket pc I've only helped 2 devs so all the rest of my programs I've had to actually pay for (though ppc apps are much cheaper it still gets expensive 8 bucks here 11 there and so on)

I paid for my object desktop too, (I love it)
that's about it though I think hmmm
/me gots so much stuff on her machines I don't even know half the stuff I got!