How do you think the AH perceives you?

[AwkwardlySet]

polarizing.

Honesty usually is.

 

[NuclearFairy]

I'm pretty sure for most people I'm seen as that weird acquaintance who's into everything, except that.

Honestly though, I'm not sure how most people see me, nor do I think about it all that often. Cause that path leads to madness. Ah crap, now I have the time warp running through my head.

 

[AG31]

Do you think you're one who fits in, who gets along with most people, or do you believe you are the odd one?

Whatever group I'm in, I feel a little like the odd one out. I don't really understand small talk, although I can be engaging if I have some sort of group responsibility. My daughter asked me if I thought I was "on the spectrum." Dunno. Possibly.

But revisiting your question, I should have explained that I started out in Literotica expecting to find lots of stories to my tastes and lots of enthusiastic readers. Thanks to the analytical folks in AH I've finally settled on the understanding that my erotic tastes are not shared by many. I think it may be the MM activity involving a straight man, but I'm not totally sure.

And I expected more responsiveness than I've gotten when I report my (unique is not overstating it) physical erotic experience of four years ago. I don't know if people are just puzzled beyond having an opinioin, or repulsed, or what. I believe only one person has asked more about it. More mysteries.

 

[Britva415]

The inspiration for this topic came from @iwatchus 's thread.

What is your idea of how the AH sees you? Do you think you're one who fits in, who gets along with most people, or do you believe you are the odd one?

Do you think you bring positive or negative energy to the forum?

Finally, does it matter to you how the AH sees you? Does it bother you?


The topic is meant to be a tiny bit provocative, but it's mostly about matching our views of individual AH-ers with their idea of how they are perceived here. So, who wants to play?

You know the expression "don't be that guy?"

It's me

 

[Erozetta]

I'm seen as a bit of a troll.

I don't think I fit in with the majority here, just the ones who also roll their eyes at the ones desperate to be popular

I bring both, I do what I can to help others, especially if they're newish. But I also call BS and don't entertain their delusions of grandeur

No, if people like me, fine, if not, also fine. The way I am here is how I am in real life. If I amuse myself, that's enough.

Funny timing for this thread because the other day someone here hit the nail on the head as far as how I'm perceived here when they told someone "There is no social cost to attacking LC" as in I'm not part of a group that will come running in to attack anyone ragging on me.

You're honest with an abrasiveness in the forum that isn't present when speaking to you privately. I think that colors how a lot of people see and interact with you.

You were one of the first people who answered a question I had without snark or ridicule and that kept me coming around. But, I've also seen how you interact behind the scenes, so my interactions with you are skewed away from how you are on the forums publicly.

You're capable of great kindness and patience, I've seen it, but you also present your opinions as hard facts at times, even when you know that's not the case. I think you just find it easier to think you're not leaving any room for debate, when you absolutely know there's a gray space where lines blur and even your opinions can be swayed by a different experience.

You're one of the people I trust here enough to give you my real name and one of the people my husband would reach out to if something happened to me, not because I think we're buddies, but because I've mentioned that you were kind to me and made me feel welcomed when it felt like most looked down on me because I was new and not an overly skilled writer, and he knows that.

I disagree with a lot of your opinions on things and I know you disagree with a lot of mine, but ultimately, you are a good person with good intentions and an abrasive nature that's more bark than bite.

 

[Dodola]

I'd probably pull 3.75-4.00 stars, depending on how many 1 bombs I got lately.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

'See wut I mean, Verne?'

 

[lovecraft68]

Pretty realistic, but somewhat incomplete. I think it's mostly the forcefulness and sometimes the abrasiveness with which you express your opinions that bothers some people here, rather than the opinion itself. I'd also wager that no one here thinks of you as anything less than honest.

You're right and I'm like that in person which is why I often don't say much unless I need to and I'm the person people learned to not say "What do you think" to. I'm the not funny version of Jim Carrey in Liar Liar.

To your other point, honest is seen as abrasive in many cases these days. People want to hear what they want to hear, not the reality of some situations.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

'See wut I mean, Verne?'

Nope, I don't. I know you can express yourself very eloquently when you want to. Don't hide behind puzzling one-liners.

 

[caleb35]

Oh, I like to think that the AH sees me as erudite, sophisticated, handsome, and well-endowed, not at all like the delusional and deluded person I actually am

 

[Erozetta]

The word I usually use is polarizing. Assessments vary.

My interactions with you are also pretty sparse, but the ones I've had have been meaningful.

The review you and Omen did of my story was not glowing; it wasn't heavy with praise, but it was helpful in a way I didn't expect. The things the two of you pointed out gave me confidence to trust my instincts when writing, and I've started doing that more and more since that review.

That's such a strong thing that people don't give you enough credit for. I've become a better writer because I stopped listening to every single suggestion put forth by people reading and editing for me and stuck to my guns with my initial story, unless that change made sense. (Okay, I listen to like 90% of suggestions Alt gives me, but those are mostly where to put commas and pointing out repeated words.) You make us think and consider why we write something as much as how we write it. That's important.

You can be blunt in a similar way to LC, oddly enough. Even though you are both very different people with different ideals and senses of justice. You aren't entirely dissimilar, either. And that might piss you off, lol. But what I mean is that your views are voiced in a very matter-of-fact way even when you know there is gray to work in. Where you differ is that you freely admit to that gray space and have no issue considering things within that space publicly, not just privately.

You aren't as abrasive, but you also don't sugarcoat anything. Refreshingly honest with an actual goal of seeing writers improve their craft for themselves first, not to your taste, even though your taste is the only metric you really have to judge things on.

You're a boon to the community in so many ways beyond the reviews, though.

Anyone who can't see that is missing out.

 

[Erozetta]

For what it's worth, if I don't respond to your post directly, I either have you on ignore, or I simply haven't interacted with you enough to have formed an opinion of you and I won't form an opinion on the opinion others seem to have of you. Another reason I may not respond: I don't think the version of you on the forum is genuine to you and I won't form an opinion on it because it feels like an act when I see your posts. I want to see people for who they are, not who they want people to see them as.

(And the urge not to respond to StillStunned and post this instead was quite strong.)

 

[Baztrachian]

I assume a large portion of the population have me on Ignore.

We're in good company!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Oh, I like to think that the AH sees me as erudite, sophisticated, handsome, and well-endowed, not at all like the delusional and deluded person I actually am

Nailed it! I was going to describe you in the exact same way!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

We're in good company!

All the cool kids are!

 

[onehitwanda]

The crazy old lady yammering on the top of Mount Batshit.

 

[Baztrachian]

The word I usually use is polarizing. Assessments vary.

I personally find you more of a bipolarizing individual.

 

[cw5523729]

You make fluffy duck eggs?

I'm told that duck eggs make everything much fluffier when you bake with them. I swear I'm not making that up.

You make ducks tell jokes?

The tell the jokes themselves and then laugh afterward "QUACK Quack quack!"

Above is part of my answer. I'm sure I'm perceived as a mediocre-to-bad writer who tells lots of jokes. (No, not fishing for compliments.)

--Annie

Are we talking about ducks or fish?

 

[NuclearFairy]

The crazy old lady yammering on the top of Mount Batshit.

The difference is, you're sane enough to get in out of the weather when the storms come rolling in.

 

[lovecraft68]

You're honest with an abrasiveness in the forum that isn't present when speaking to you privately. I think that colors how a lot of people see and interact with you.

You were one of the first people who answered a question I had without snark or ridicule and that kept me coming around. But, I've also seen how you interact behind the scenes, so my interactions with you are skewed away from how you are on the forums publicly.

You're capable of great kindness and patience, I've seen it, but you also present your opinions as hard facts at times, even when you know that's not the case. I think you just find it easier to think you're not leaving any room for debate, when you absolutely know there's a gray space where lines blur and even your opinions can be swayed by a different experience.

You're one of the people I trust here enough to give you my real name and one of the people my husband would reach out to if something happened to me, not because I think we're buddies, but because I've mentioned that you were kind to me and made me feel welcomed when it felt like most looked down on me because I was new and not an overly skilled writer, and he knows that.

I disagree with a lot of your opinions on things and I know you disagree with a lot of mine, but ultimately, you are a good person with good intentions and an abrasive nature that's more bark than bite.

Stop, you're making me blush.

You're a horror hound, a Literotica Final Girl, how could I not take you under the crow's wing?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

It's a challenging question, because the reality is the AH isn't one monolithic block. Which is a good thing.

I'm reminded of something Terry Pratchett wrote:

William: "I'm sure we can all pull together, sir." Vetinari: "Oh, I do hope not. Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions."

 

[Erozetta]

The crazy old lady yammering on the top of Mount Batshit.

You'll be the easiest to sum up my thoughts on:

Kind, funny, and embracing.

 

[Britva415]

I'm told that duck eggs make everything much fluffier when you bake with them. I swear I'm not making that up.

Could it be just because they're bigger than regular chicken eggs? So it'd be like putting in 50-80% more eggs, if you put in the same count

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

What is your idea of how the AH sees you?

I've had a really hard time with this. I have been having trouble teasing apart how I hope people would see me and how I think people probably actually see me. I'm certain those two things do not align perfectly.

I suspect at least a little (and hopefully less now, I am trying, I swear) that when people saw my name they wondered if they were about to get a big dorky post on the psychology of ______. I'm trying to dork out a little less.

I also just think people see me as one who talks to much. This...has been a problem of mine my whole life.

Do you think you're one who fits in, who gets along with most people, or do you believe you are the odd one?

I try to get along with most people. I'm sure there are those who don't like me, but I do try, just like I try to admit when I'm wrong or have made a mistake even though I'm sure I've made mistakes I didn't notice and therefore couldn't own up to. But, I also haven't interacted with most people, I don't think, so that somewhat also makes me an odd one out? Like, I think most people if you asked them to think about the population of the AH forums would not bring my name to mind.

Do you think you bring positive or negative energy to the forum?

I try to bring a positive energy wherever I go, so I really do hope that includes the AH forum. It's actually part of why I've stopped dorking out. Discussions can start to feel and look like arguments online very quickly and I think it was not contributing positively to the community and wasn't really helping anyone be a better author, either. I was just a distraction that was being more negative than positive, and I think that people saw that.

Finally, does it matter to you how the AH sees you? Does it bother you?

Yea - you can probably read in the above it does. So many people say "who cares what they think of you," but it turns out it's simply human to care. The worst punishment the ancient greeks had (beyond making you drink Hemlock) was banishment - being kicked out of the group. Am I okay with people who go entirely against my value system disliking me because I stick to my guns? No. But anyone else? Yea, I care.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Interesting how many people perceive themselves as the brave yet humble outsider, when everyone ought to know that's what I am.