With E3 2013 come and gone, it is now over a year since Aung and I joined the team with the hope of keeping an ever growing community active, vibrant and strong. Two more sets of eyes to help ensure anyone could participate without having to concern themselves with receiving a vulgar, vile rant in reply to their thought-out and well-argued posts.
I think for the most part, we have achieved at least that part of our goals. Now I reach another, being able to share a bit about myself. This introduction is very belated as it was first discussed soon after I came on, and was again promised to Ishaan for the start of the new year. A few weeks after the start of the northern hemisphere Summer will have to do.
In Ishaan’s community post last year, I was referred to as one of Siliconera’s “oldest” community members. He wasn’t just remarking on how long I had been part of our community. I was born in 1970, and have been fortunate to keep up with and enjoy the interests and hobbies of my youth. Yes I actually had Pong, a 2600 and can speak first hand about the horrors that was Pac-Man on that system. I even had an ET cart before all those ended up in the landfill. Many teenaged nights were spent in actual living and breathing video arcades. There was an amazing amount of camaraderie in those dark noisy places, and it brings a smile to not so old eyes when I see that companionship manifest itself on our message board and news threads.
From the friends I have made here, I see the passion for this hobby remains strong in so many. I want to only build more upon what you all have created. Open knowledgeable discussions on a wide range of gaming and media topics, with members willing to share what they know freely, rather than using that information to bludgeon folks into submission. But as our community grows, so too does its needs. Three sets of eyes were not always enough, so we found two more whom I hope everyone has has the honor to come across. Say hi to our newest moderators.
Puchinri – She also quite qualifies as a long-time poster, who always started great conversations throughout the site and kept them going with a voice of reason. One of Siliconera’s first ‘fan girls’ during a time the rest of us were sure that everyone on the internet was indeed male. The rest of us were wrong about that then, but not about Puchinri being the type of poster who would make a great moderator.
Solomon Kano – Our latest find, plucked straight from the garden of friends and ideas which our Open Thread has become. Solomon shows that active posting can be done without trolling or making angry comments. The type of poster who only strengthens a community through his involvement, and will continue to do so in his new duties.
Now that the fun stuff is done, it is also my duty to announce a new rule which will be going into effect across all of Siliconera’s posts and discussions from this point forward. The banning of posted GIFs and other moving memes. The drain these are putting on folks being able to properly access the site (especially on the mobile side) has become too great for us to ignore. We also want to encourage folks to share their own ideas and thoughts, not just link to some overused video clip. Posts with senseless GIFs and memes will deleted, with reminders to repost their written thoughts if so desired. Continued ignoring of the rule will be dealt with as any other repeated violation would.
Still pictures and links will still be allowed, but I will ask posters consider (think before posting) if the picture is needed for making their point. The moderators will also be taking closer note of both pictures and links for existing NSFW concerns.
We aren’t changing much, just again looking to remove as many barriers as possible for experiencing and enjoying our community. I hope you will welcome your latest mods if you have not already done so and feel free to say hello to this ‘old man’ in the future. Again, thank you all for making the Siliconera community was it is and will become.
