Survey for SDA Forum members

2012-12-03 01:13:07 am

SDA Apprentice -- (3-1)

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I keep missing it every time.

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name: How do you do. I'm MAS8705, Mike Sol.

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
My role on the forums is active member, verifier, motivator, and on occasion, runner.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
Ha! Good one... I know I'm not that important in the majority of those roles, but I will say though that we need all the verifiers we can get to help with verifications. As such, I can at least see myself as an important member in that respect.

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
When G4 used to be techtv I believe, I was watching this one show that had the 16 star run on the bottom left of the screen. I was in such awe about it, I did some research to see where I could watch it and then stumbled over SDA. The rest pretty much fell into place. As for Speed runs, I had no idea what they were before that time.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
Naw. I'm just that guy: I haven't done anything special, and yet a few people on the site will know who I am.

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
If by Criticisms you mean rejected runs: Plenty. Basically it was a lack of planning and poor execution that I still need to work on.

Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
If you are joining this site, the best advice I can give is to not be a prick. More specifically, do not come in thinking you are the greatest in the world, since you can give yourself a bad first impression. Be generous and thoughtful, and most importantly respectful: Until you submit a run to the site, you are the newbie compared to the masters. (I myself am still an apprentice.)

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that? Don't be afraid to post to the forums. Granted you shouldn't be trying to sell yourself either, but have simple generic talks like, "Did you guys see that game coming soon?" or "What about that guy's run. That was amazing!" You could also go as far as going to the forum thread of a game you are interested in running and start to talk to people there as to how a run would be executed: You can ask for help and socialize at the same time.

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?
Nicknames are hell to come across. Easiest way is to find something you enjoy and play with the words until you get something you like. Granted we don't have the most creative names here: MikeUyama, Flip, etc. This isn't a bad thing, but if you'll find something that identifies you.

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
Nope. Haven't seen any patterns outside of how there are a few people that do what I do and combine words with numbers (or in my case my initials with numbers). Other than that, you can see video game & cartoon references in people's names.

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
As soon as you figure it out, be sure to tell me. Other than that, you can pick it up pretty easy by being active on the site. In my case because I verify runs, I get the jargon of verification talk: Percentages, 100%, low%, 0%, accept, reject, and other small words that are pretty self-saying.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
Freddy ripping his shirt off during a stream and "Serious Time"

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I keep missing it every time.

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]  How do you do.  I'm MAS8705, Mike Sol.

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
My role on the forums is active member, verifier, motivator, and on occasion, runner.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
Ha! Good one... I know I'm not that important in the majority of those roles, but I will say though that we need all the verifiers we can get to help with verifications.  As such, I can at least see myself as an important member in that respect.

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum? [/b]
When G4 used to be techtv I believe, I was watching this one show that had the 16 star run on the bottom left of the screen.  I was in such awe about it, I did some research to see where I could watch it and then stumbled over SDA.  The rest pretty much fell into place.  As for Speed runs, I had no idea what they were before that time.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
Naw.  I'm just that guy: I haven't done anything special, and yet a few people on the site will know who I am.

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
If by Criticisms you mean rejected runs: Plenty.  Basically it was a lack of planning and poor execution that I still need to work on.

[b]Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old? [/b]
If you are joining this site, the best advice I can give is to not be a prick.  More specifically, do not come in thinking you are the greatest in the world, since you can give yourself a bad first impression.  Be generous and thoughtful, and most importantly respectful: Until you submit a run to the site, you are the newbie compared to the masters. (I myself am still an apprentice.)

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]  Don't be afraid to post to the forums.  Granted you shouldn't be trying to sell yourself either, but have simple generic talks like, "Did you guys see that game coming soon?"  or "What about that guy's run.  That was amazing!"  You could also go as far as going to the forum thread of a game you are interested in running and start to talk to people there as to how a run would be executed: You can ask for help and socialize at the same time.

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum? [/b]
Nicknames are hell to come across.  Easiest way is to find something you enjoy and play with the words until you get something you like.  Granted we don't have the most creative names here: MikeUyama, Flip, etc.  This isn't a bad thing, but if you'll find something that identifies you.

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
Nope.  Haven't seen any patterns outside of how there are a few people that do what I do and combine words with numbers (or in my case my initials with numbers).  Other than that, you can see video game & cartoon references in people's names.

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
As soon as you figure it out, be sure to tell me.  Other than that, you can pick it up pretty easy by being active on the site.  In my case because I verify runs, I get the jargon of verification talk: Percentages, 100%, low%, 0%, accept, reject, and other small words that are pretty self-saying.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
Freddy ripping his shirt off during a stream and "Serious Time"

Karls_Friend

2012-12-03 10:27:42 am

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:
John Phillips, aka LD aka Karls_Friend

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
super hardcore lurker. I only post in threads for games i'm interested in running or playing around with, or some sda general threads.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
idk not important at all?

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
i've known about SDA and have been watching speedruns since 2005, but i only really felt like part of the community since i started to watch live speedrun streams in november 2010.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
i said <name removed> was getting too mad in his stream, didn't go on the computer for a month, and then came back as the great LD and started the road to internet fame and wrs.

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
some goofs didn't like the name of the great LD saying it was inappropriate, but haters gonna hate you know what i'm saying?

Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
act your age and dont get mad irl i guess.

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?
streamchats and the irc channel are good to start with imo, then skype or mumble to get 1st rate m8s

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?
you should probably call yourself GodGamer42069

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
no

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
ask questions in an appropriate setting. if you ask all of those to a person who knows the answers, they'll tell you but probably think you're a needy annoying person. just go bit by bit.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
i like #bonemom and FrankerZ

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]
John Phillips, aka LD aka Karls_Friend

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
super hardcore lurker. I only post in threads for games i'm interested in running or playing around with, or some sda general threads.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
idk not important at all?

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum? [/b]
i've known about SDA and have been watching speedruns since 2005, but i only really felt like part of the community since i started to watch live speedrun streams in november 2010.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
i said <name removed> was getting too mad in his stream, didn't go on the computer for a month, and then came back as the great LD and started the road to internet fame and wrs.

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
some goofs didn't like the name of the great LD saying it was inappropriate, but haters gonna hate you know what i'm saying?

[b]Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old? [/b]
act your age and dont get mad irl i guess.

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]
streamchats and the irc channel are good to start with imo, then skype or mumble to get 1st rate m8s

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum? [/b]
you should probably call yourself GodGamer42069

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
no

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
ask questions in an appropriate setting. if you ask all of those to a person who knows the answers, they'll tell you but probably think you're a needy annoying person. just go bit by bit.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
i like #bonemom and FrankerZ

Omnigamer

2012-12-03 11:19:44 am

All the things

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:
Eric Koziel, I go by Omnigamer on SDA and many other internet communities.

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
I am an active player/poster. I don't have any special responsibilities with regards to the forum.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
In the view of the entire forum, my impact is pretty small. I work on games with very small audiences. I have some valuable skillsets and insights for a number of games, but my own knowledge pool is limited in the scope of the entire site. Otherwise, I try to offer my services whenever possible (verifications, requests for code investigation, etc).

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
I became involved with SDA in January this year after AGDQ'12. I had known about it for a long time, going back to probably 2005/2006, but I did not participate until getting some motivation from watching the marathon.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
AGDQ'12 was the catalyst to get me started. Nothing in particular brought about my participation, I just really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of all the players. Since then I've realized that the general speedrunning mentality closely relates to my own for video games.

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
I did everything perfectly. ..at least nobody told me otherwise. I received plenty of collaborative help with my first few projects, but I can't think of any times when I was criticized with the exception of minor run optimizations.

If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
The best advice I can give is to contribute. There are a lot of things that people can do even if they aren't runners, and SDA in general has areas for all types of gamers to hang out. Jumping into threads with new perspectives, insight, or support can be a great way to blend in with the community. Also, follow the rules and posting trends of other members.

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?
Rather than pick a few people, I'd say to just watch streams and find out who you enjoy watching and interacting with that way. Becoming an regular viewer for the players that interest you is a great way for them to get to know you as well. From there it's easy to branch out.

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?
Just pick something you can easily identify with. I chose my screenname more than 10 years ago because I wanted something unique and memorable that also gave some hint about what I'm interested in. Tastes can certainly change over time, but it's easiest to just pick something you like and gives you a memorable identity.

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
I can't say there's any real pattern on SDA; the names run the gamut. Numbers in screen names are commonly omitted, so it may be good to shoot for unique identifiers that don't have numbers at the end.

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
A lot of jargon is game-specific. The ones mentioned above are generic and will show up all over, but many games have their own unique terminology and it can be a lot to grasp if you're not a runner for that game. For example, terms like RBA and ISG are used in the 64 Zeldas, while there's another different RBA for Banjo-Kazooie. Damage boosts and zips are also good generic terms to know. Damage boosts involve taking damage to speed your character up while zips are glitches that force your character through solid walls/objects at great speeds.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
"Reset" is very common. Also, "this is the run" and its variants (such as "teh urn").

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]
Eric Koziel, I go by Omnigamer on SDA and many other internet communities.

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
I am an active player/poster. I don't have any special responsibilities with regards to the forum.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
In the view of the entire forum, my impact is pretty small. I work on games with very small audiences. I have some valuable skillsets and insights for a number of games, but my own knowledge pool is limited in the scope of the entire site. Otherwise, I try to offer my services whenever possible (verifications, requests for code investigation, etc).

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?[/b]
I became involved with SDA in January this year after AGDQ'12. I had known about it for a long time, going back to probably 2005/2006, but I did not participate until getting some motivation from watching the marathon.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
AGDQ'12 was the catalyst to get me started. Nothing in particular brought about my participation, I just really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of all the players. Since then I've realized that the general speedrunning mentality closely relates to my own for video games.

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
I did everything perfectly.  ..at least nobody told me otherwise. I received plenty of collaborative help with my first few projects, but I can't think of any times when I was criticized with the exception of minor run optimizations.

[b]If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?[/b]
The best advice I can give is to contribute. There are a lot of things that people can do even if they aren't runners, and SDA in general has areas for all types of gamers to hang out. Jumping into threads with new perspectives, insight, or support can be a great way to blend in with the community. Also, follow the rules and posting trends of other members.

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]
Rather than pick a few people, I'd say to just watch streams and find out who you enjoy watching and interacting with that way. Becoming an regular viewer for the players that interest you is a great way for them to get to know you as well. From there it's easy to branch out.

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum? [/b]
Just pick something you can easily identify with. I chose my screenname more than 10 years ago because I wanted something unique and memorable that also gave some hint about what I'm interested in. Tastes can certainly change over time, but it's easiest to just pick something you like and gives you a memorable identity.

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
I can't say there's any real pattern on SDA; the names run the gamut. Numbers in screen names are commonly omitted, so it may be good to shoot for unique identifiers that don't have numbers at the end.

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
A lot of jargon is game-specific. The ones mentioned above are generic and will show up all over, but many games have their own unique terminology and it can be a lot to grasp if you're not a runner for that game. For example, terms like RBA and ISG are used in the 64 Zeldas, while there's another different RBA for Banjo-Kazooie. Damage boosts and zips are also good generic terms to know. Damage boosts involve taking damage to speed your character up while zips are glitches that force your character through solid walls/objects at great speeds.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
"Reset" is very common. Also, "this is the run" and its variants (such as "teh urn").

zastbat

Edit history:

zastbat: 2018-08-07 07:06:21 pm

2012-12-03 02:39:55 pm

Lord Of The Beards

removed

Sonikkustar

2012-12-03 08:06:14 pm

The Great Farming Empire

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:
Hello! I'm Nelson 'Sonikkustar' Martinez.

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
I'm mostly a runner for various games, but lately I have been trying to tackle the Verification Thread and cut it down in size.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
Not very. But I will be playing at AGDQ2013, so I guess that is a bit important.

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
When I saw Joe Stanski's run of Sonic 1. I thought it was a godly piece of work and instantly tried speed running starting with Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It wasn't hardcore speed running, but it was speed running none the less.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
Link

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
Not really. But then again I didn't get much response in anything anyway.

Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
Make sure you say something intelligent. Contrary to belief, there are actual smart people on the internet so don't assume that you can just blurt out random stuff out of nowhere.

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?
Just get involved! If you ever do anything to help the community, then you will surely make friends.

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
Try to avoid putting a lot of numbers in your name like Red_3950 or 196Gamer196.

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
All of that info should be up on the SDA Knowledge Database, so look there.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
Fist Whales
FrankerZ
This is the urn
Mick Williams

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]
Hello! I'm Nelson 'Sonikkustar' Martinez.

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
I'm mostly a runner for various games, but lately I have been trying to tackle the Verification Thread and cut it down in size.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
Not very. But I will be playing at AGDQ2013, so I guess that is a bit important.

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum? [/b]
When I saw Joe Stanski's run of Sonic 1. I thought it was a godly piece of work and instantly tried speed running starting with Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It wasn't hardcore speed running, but it was speed running none the less.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
[url=http://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/how_did_you_start_speedrunning_share_your_story_49.html]Link[/url]

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
Not really. But then again I didn't get much response in anything anyway.

[b]Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old? [/b]
Make sure you say something intelligent. Contrary to belief, there are actual smart people on the internet so don't assume that you can just blurt out random stuff out of nowhere.

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]
Just get involved! If you ever do anything to help the community, then you will surely make friends.

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum? [/b]

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
Try to avoid putting a lot of numbers in your name like Red_3950 or 196Gamer196.

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
All of that info should be up on the [url=http://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/Main_Page]SDA Knowledge Database[/url], so look there.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
Fist Whales
FrankerZ
This is the urn
Mick Williams

AlecK47

Edit history:

AlecK47: 2012-12-03 09:10:24 pm

AlecK47: 2012-12-03 09:10:19 pm

AlecK47: 2012-12-03 09:10:18 pm

2012-12-03 09:07:16 pm

Oh yeah, I meant to do this, didn't I... Whoops.

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:
AlecK47, aka Alec Kuenn (pronounced "keen"), metalhead and gamer. I'm related to former MLB player Harvey Kuenn (my grandpa and he were cousins) on my father's side, and Prussian nobility on my mother's side (through an ancestor who was disowned for marrying a servant).

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
Fairly active poster, nascent runner. I didn't actually become active until a few months Mass Effect 3 sapped my desire to get a good Mass Effect run, and I decided to run a different game instead.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
Just another brick in the wall, really, but at least it's a damn fine wall. Smiley

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
I first found out about SDA back in '06 or so after I investigated some youtube runs and TASes for old-school Mario and Sonic games, and I'm pretty sure I at least looked at some of the threads back then. As far as truly identifying with the community though, seeing that the people in the community were cool at the marathons and destroying my friends in Mario Kart Wii (a confidence boost, in other words) helped a lot.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
This is a bit long, so I'll hide it.

Donating for the first AGDQ. After I cracked up the whole room by making a pun on the word "race" in regards to a KH1 vs. KH2 race bidding war, I was feeling a bit impish. The next day, IIRC, I noticed a bidding war over whether a piece of chicken between slices of bread or in a bun should be called a "Chicken Burger" or "Chicken Patty." I decided to make a one-off joke in the hopes of causing a chuckle or two, but whoever was taking donations at the time (Breakdown?) decided to include my "chikin sammich" as part of the donation war, which it subsequently won. I already aspired to run Mass Effect, so I said that I would sign up and run it if did, and I kept part of that promise. I still intend to run the game 100%, but that's a bit down the road, and I'll probably have to get the PC version to make the run what it should be.

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
Most of it relates to my currently-on-hold Pokemon XD run, and part of it I may not be aware of. Other than basic discussion about the run I'm doing now there is another (shorter) story. After imbibing a rather impressive amount of alcohol one time, I apparently failed at the search function and started a redundant thread (about Mass Effect IIRC), because in my stupor I thought the game's thread had been deleted. When I checked back a couple days later, my thread was gone, and I was again able to locate the actual thread(s) for the game. No doubt some things were said there, but I neither saw them nor needed to see them.

Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
This question tempts me to make a troll answer. Just resist temptations like that, and show some restraint and maturity. Not hard if you don't have deep-seated issues of some sort.

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?
Post, participate, be yourself and be mature. Follow your interests. Just like you would normally, just on the internet this time (although I would discourage a Facebook/Twitter style approach).

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?
Something you wouldn't mind being called, and that doesn't try too hard to attract attention because that's just lame. AlecK47 grew out of my initials and a certain Russian automatic while playing Goldeneye with friends. Then it made its way to my email, gamertags, etc.

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
If you think a l33t 12 year old might pick your name, you may want to reconsider. Overusing numbers is also a bad idea. Exercise an internet-appropriate amount of moderation, and don't swear (or fake-swear)

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
You learn them quickly if you're interested. Audio commentaries, streams and archived marathon runs are often good places to learn about how to run a game and understand its parlance.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
All the ones I know about have been mentioned. Chikin sammich has even morphed into other things, like "bacon sammich" or "chikin bacon sammich," although I would go with "bekkin sammich" myself. Tongue

Oh wait! Tom Votava!

Oh yeah, I meant to do this, didn't I...  Whoops.

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]
AlecK47, aka Alec Kuenn (pronounced "keen"), metalhead and gamer.  I'm related to former MLB player Harvey Kuenn (my grandpa and he were cousins) on my father's side, and Prussian nobility on my mother's side (through an ancestor who was disowned for marrying a servant).

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
Fairly active poster, nascent runner.  I didn't actually become active until a few months Mass Effect 3 sapped my desire to get a good Mass Effect run, and I decided to run a different game instead.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
Just another brick in the wall, really, but at least it's a damn fine wall. :)

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?[/b]
I first found out about SDA back in '06 or so after I investigated some youtube runs and TASes for old-school Mario and Sonic games, and I'm pretty sure I at least looked at some of the threads back then.  As far as [i]truly[/i] identifying with the community though, seeing that the people in the community were cool at the marathons and destroying my friends in Mario Kart Wii (a confidence boost, in other words) helped a lot.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
This is a bit long, so I'll hide it.
[hidden]Donating for the first AGDQ.  After I cracked up the whole room by making a pun on the word "race" in regards to a KH1 vs. KH2 race bidding war, I was feeling a bit impish.  The next day, IIRC, I noticed a bidding war over whether a piece of chicken between slices of bread or in a bun should be called a "Chicken Burger" or "Chicken Patty."  I decided to make a one-off joke in the hopes of causing a chuckle or two, but whoever was taking donations at the time (Breakdown?) decided to include my "chikin sammich" as part of the donation war, which it subsequently won.  I already aspired to run Mass Effect, so I said that I would sign up and run it if did, and I kept part of that promise.  I still intend to run the game 100%, but that's a bit down the road, and I'll probably have to get the PC version to make the run what it should be.[/hidden]

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
Most of it relates to my currently-on-hold Pokemon XD run, and part of it I may not be aware of.  Other than basic discussion about the run I'm doing now there is another (shorter) story.  After imbibing a rather impressive amount of alcohol one time, I apparently failed at the search function and started a redundant thread (about Mass Effect IIRC), because in my stupor I thought the game's thread had been deleted.  When I checked back a couple days later, my thread was gone, and I was again able to locate the actual thread(s) for the game.  No doubt some things were said there, but I neither saw them nor needed to see them.

[b]Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?[/b]
This question tempts me to make a troll answer.  Just resist temptations like that, and show some restraint and maturity.  Not hard if you don't have deep-seated issues of some sort.

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]
Post, participate, be yourself and be mature.  Follow your interests.  Just like you would normally, just on the internet this time (although I would discourage a Facebook/Twitter style approach).

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?[/b]
Something you wouldn't mind being called, and that doesn't try too hard to attract attention because that's just lame.  AlecK47 grew out of my initials and a certain Russian automatic while playing Goldeneye with friends.  Then it made its way to my email, gamertags, etc.

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
If you think a l33t 12 year old might pick your name, you may want to reconsider.  Overusing numbers is also a bad idea.  Exercise an internet-appropriate amount of moderation, and don't swear (or fake-swear)

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
You learn them quickly if you're interested.  Audio commentaries, streams and archived marathon runs are often good places to learn about how to run a game and understand its parlance.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any meme's (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
All the ones I know about have been mentioned.  Chikin sammich has even morphed into other things, like "bacon sammich" or "chikin bacon sammich," although I would go with "bekkin sammich" myself. :P

Oh wait!  Tom Votava!

Brossentia

2012-12-03 11:16:45 pm

No pain, no gain

Justin sent me back here saying that he is completely shocked at how many responses he has gotten. He has plenty of helpful information from this, so it's a great help. Others can still respond and he would use it, but so far he definitely has enough material to use. He sends his thanks Smiley

AlecK47

2012-12-03 11:29:43 pm

Quote from Brossentia:

Justin sent me back here saying that he is completely shocked at how many responses he has gotten.

He offered food. Quite a few of us probably want to go to SGDQ sooner or later. 'Nuff said. Wink

Heidrage

2012-12-04 11:23:19 pm

Willing to teach you the impossible

Quote from AlecK47:

Quote from Brossentia:

Justin sent me back here saying that he is completely shocked at how many responses he has gotten.

He offered food. Quite a few of us probably want to go to SGDQ sooner or later. 'Nuff said. Wink

Tiberius

Edit history:

Tiberius: 2012-12-05 02:44:30 am

2012-12-05 02:44:10 am

Make it so.

First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:
Hey, I'm James Hartley, known as Tiberius or JamesTiberius on irc.

What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?
Primarily a lurker/poster although I do also get very involved in the verification process and am also currently in charge of the feedback thread for the trading post.

How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?
Relatively minor although a community is nothing without each individual member so I would say that no-one is unnimportant here.

When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?
I found SDA relatively late compared with a lot of people here, back in '09 I discovered a few runs on youtube that all mentioned this site and found it from there. It wasn't until around the time of the first SGDQ that I actually signed up to the forums, although I had been lurking them for around a year previous to that.

Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?
Not particularly, although I may have become better known by attempting to give something back to the community in this thread where I did a few remixes for people.

In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)
Not at all, everyone in the forums and on stream chats, even marathon chats, has always come across to me as being very nice and helpful. Some of the first people I came across on SDA have been some of the best with regards to that so I want to throw my thanks out to them for being incredibly welcoming and helpful, you know who you are.

Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?
Stay mature. It's fine to throw a few jokes around but if you start taking the mick out of runner, however jokingly, or spamming topics with unrelated things it's not going to look great. Also it's great to join the irc channel, I'm not even on there that much but it's always friendly and a nice way to have a chat with members.

Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?
Like I said, everyone here is very friendly and welcoming so I would just say make a post or two in some game topics you know a lot about and friends will quickly begin to coalesce around you. Similarly, irc and stream chats are a great way to get to know people better/

I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?
It's not the be all and end all, but this list, made by Werster, is a great little note of things that people can do wrong when naming themselves.

Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?
See above, lots of numbers or weird spellings or unnecessary Xs etc.

How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?
You'll pick everything up very quickly, almost nothing is required to at least make yourself understood and you can always ask if someone posts something you don't quite understand.

Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any memes (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.
I can't think of any that haven't already been mentioned. The most iconic SDA one in my opinion would be Serious Time.

On an almost entirely unrelated note: I actually have an issue with people using the word meme to mean funny picture, or internet concept etc. Or rather to mean that only. It is a real word with a real and interesting meaning, basically a meme is a self replicating thought/idea. An idea Gene. The way of replication can be anything from it being funny to it having psychological significance to it being a catchy tune. For instance, while Serious Time is most certainly a meme, so are the music from Nyan cat, the speech given by MLK and the idea of religious celibacy. The word was invented by Richard Dawkins, I believe in his book The Extended Phenotype although he uses the word in later versions of The Selfish Gene, it may have been from there originally. Just a thought for you all.

[b]First off, I would like to get to know you a little. What is your name? SDA/screen name and/or real name:[/b]
Hey, I'm James Hartley, known as Tiberius or JamesTiberius on irc.

[b]What is your role in the forums? Are you a lurker, active posting member, moderator, admin, etc?[/b]
Primarily a lurker/poster although I do also get very involved in the verification process and am also currently in charge of the feedback thread for the trading post.

[b]How important (in your own opinion) is your role in the forums?[/b]
Relatively minor although a community is nothing without each individual member so I would say that no-one is unnimportant here.

[b]When did you first identify with the forum's community? Was there any time before this point that you knew about or were on the forum?[/b]
I found SDA relatively late compared with a lot of people here, back in '09 I discovered a few runs on youtube that all mentioned this site and found it from there. It wasn't until around the time of the first SGDQ that I actually signed up to the forums, although I had been lurking them for around a year previous to that.

[b]Is there a story or event that sticks out to you that caused you to become a part of the community?[/b]
Not particularly, although I may have become better known by attempting to give something back to the community in [url=http://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/videogame_music_remixes_taking_requests.html]this thread[/url] where I did a few remixes for people.

[b]In the early days of your experiences with SDA, do you remember any criticism you received on the way you post, stream, or run? (Or even criticism on your posts, streams, and runs themselves.)[/b]
Not at all, everyone in the forums and on stream chats, even marathon chats, has always come across to me as being very nice and helpful. Some of the first people I came across on SDA have been some of the best with regards to that so I want to throw my thanks out to them for being incredibly welcoming and helpful, you know who you are.

[b]Next, I have a few questions about the community. Hopefully you can help me understand a few things.
If I were to be joining the forums and entering the community, is there anything I can do to more easily fit in? What should I do to avoid sticking out and looking like a 12 year old?[/b] 
Stay mature. It's fine to throw a few jokes around but if you start taking the mick out of runner, however jokingly, or spamming topics with unrelated things it's not going to look great. Also it's great to join the irc channel, I'm not even on there that much but it's always friendly and a nice way to have a chat with members.

[b]Because forums are very social places, I'll need to make some friends. Do you have any suggestions on who to get in with, and the best way to do that?[/b]
Like I said, everyone here is very friendly and welcoming so I would just say make a post or two in some game topics you know a lot about and friends will quickly begin to coalesce around you. Similarly, irc and stream chats are a great way to get to know people better/

[b]I do know Brossentia, who got his name from his sister, Essentia. Brossentia being a play off of Essentia's name. And Essentia's husband often gets called Essentia's Wife. How should I pick my own screen name on the forum?[/b] 
It's not the be all and end all, but [url=http://pastebin.com/86f8yXFY]this[/url] list, made by Werster, is a great little note of things that people can do wrong when naming themselves.

[b]Since we're on screen names, is there any pattern you're aware of that makes certain screen names more or less popular?[/b]
See above, lots of numbers or weird spellings or unnecessary Xs etc.

[b]How about the handy acronyms and jargon I'll need to know? I've seen stuff like TAS, Split, percents, AGDQ/SGDQ, segmented runs, verifications. How does I speaking SDA language?[/b]
You'll pick everything up very quickly, almost nothing is required to at least make yourself understood and you can always ask if someone posts something you don't quite understand.

[b]Now to finish off on a humorous note, are there any memes (of any format, not solely image macros) that are specific to the  SDA community? Like Bananas in Ears, or Casting Float.[/b]
I can't think of any that haven't already been mentioned. The most iconic SDA one in my opinion would be Serious Time.

[hidden]On an almost entirely unrelated note: I actually have an issue with people using the word meme to mean funny picture, or internet concept etc. Or rather to mean that only. It is a real word with a real and interesting meaning, basically a meme is a self replicating thought/idea. An idea Gene. The way of replication can be anything from it being funny to it having psychological significance to it being a catchy tune. For instance, while Serious Time is most certainly a meme, so are the music from Nyan cat, the speech given by MLK and the idea of religious celibacy. The word was invented by Richard Dawkins, I believe in his book The Extended Phenotype although he uses the word in later versions of The Selfish Gene, it may have been from there originally. Just a thought for you all.[/hidden]

AlecK47

2012-12-14 10:22:15 pm

This isn't really that important, but I feel kinda stupid about it so I'm going to correct myself. The pun I mentioned earlier was indeed in SGDQ 2011, but the Chikin Sammich thing was in the next marathon (AGDQ 2012). I had made a couple jokes that fell flat earlier in the marathon (AGDQ), so I was hesitant, but that one ended up being a hit. In my defense, I am an insomniac, and was fairly sleep-deprived when I made my big "survey response" post. Even if this is too late for class work, I feel I should at least not spread misinformation. Still feel stupid though... Sad