Why do people think we are "elite"?

[Qwannah]

I have been wondering this for the longest time, why do people think we are elite? Is it because someone comes into the AT once and gets rated badly by random people, or because we do not include the random people in our conversations? D=!

So some of the things to discuss:
-Why do people think that us ATers are elite?
-How can we prevent this stereotype from expanding?  

[Cognizance]

I'd think any gaians that stick to a forum may be thought of as elite.

i personally try not to hold negative connotation to it. Perhaps talking to those who think of ATers as elite and finding out why? Might be interesting to hear their opinions. ^^  

[Qwannah]

Cognizance

I'd think any gaians that stick to a forum may be thought of as elite.

i personally try not to hold negative connotation to it. Perhaps talking to those who think of ATers as elite and finding out why? Might be interesting to hear their opinions. ^^

Yes it would, but usually it is the ATers that I hear stating that other people think that we are elite... xD Otherwise, I would have actually gone into the Chatterbox and asked around what they think of the Avatar Talk Forum. <3  

[Cognizance]

JADE_Q

Yes it would, but usually it is the ATers that I hear stating that other people think that we are elite... xD Otherwise, I would have actually gone into the Chatterbox and asked around what they think of the Avatar Talk Forum. <3

Ah, so where you are curious is just our own personal opinion of why we think they think we are?

Maybe it's cuz we look so damn hot?

I think also it may be because of how some of the other Gaians who wander in word their posts. They word it in such ways that make us sound so elite. Guess they look at ATers as the be all know all of avatar creations?

I may just be elite cuz I don't really hang in any other forum. I have a shop in the commerce area... but that's it. lol  

[Qwannah]

I just love that "Because we look so damn hott" xD.

Forum wise I hang out in the AT, WG, R&C, Exc, and ED.

Yes, the personal opinion of the AT is why I am so curious <3; and re reading that I got confused... xD  

[LadyArya]

Throw a stranger...

A lot of people think that because they come into the AT with a random jumble/two cheap items on, and expect a 10/10 rate. We're considered the mean, cruel forum because we rate something that takes a lot of skill and time to work on, and most people don't understand that. Or, they come to the AT for compliments and don't get them.

Of course, the people in the AT are some of the nicest I've met on Gaia, so it's clearly a huge misrepresentation.

...an unexpected smile.

 

[candycrack]

ATers = lots of items
lots of items = rich
rich = elite.

How the majority think.
At least that is my only logic behind it. xd  

[[`hooker-boots]]

candycrack

ATers = lots of items
lots of items = rich
rich = elite.

How the majority think.
At least that is my only logic behind it. xd

: o I agree. That's probably the thought process behind 95% of Gaia.  

[[Carly]]

Cognizance

I'd think any gaians that stick to a forum may be thought of as elite.

i personally try not to hold negative connotation to it. Perhaps talking to those who think of ATers as elite and finding out why? Might be interesting to hear their opinions. ^^

I agree.
I'd rather be called a "regular" though.  

[Breneko]

[`hooker-boots]

candycrack

ATers = lots of items
lots of items = rich
rich = elite.

How the majority think.
At least that is my only logic behind it. xd

: o I agree. That's probably the thought process behind 95% of Gaia.

That is highly likely. Also, in AT those who are not ATers generally don't get much more than negative commentary on their avatars.

I don't really agree with the "sticking to one forum" part, however...

I know quite a few ATers that very definitely do not.  

[`Monox!de]

My opinion on the matter is that the AT is actually full of nice people, but in the shadows of the AT are Evil McNasty lurkers. Dx And they like to put people down. Seriously. Have you noticed that half of the people getting crappy, mean ratings are getting rated by people you've never seen before in your life? o_o; Then the people leave, and they think the lurkers are the entire AT population, and that's what they base their judgement on. -nodnod-

I'm so smart. surprised

 

[Perverse]

Personally, I think that ATers get the rep of being "elite" because we do actually have high standards, and when people don't meet them they get frustrated and latch onto the easiest explanation.

 

[Saffrin]

Jade Q

or because we do not include the random people in our conversations? D=!

When you combine that with the "my items look more expensive on me"stuff, then, yeah. I think a lot of random, especially newbie and... thick... people, take the avvies as 'richness', and then if they're not included straight away, then it's rich people pretending to be good and exclusing people because they're 'poor'.

...MAn, do I love flame shirts and shoes. :'D  

[zeo_moshimoshi]

BS! I mean really a load of BS. No one is elite I mean no one. Level out the playing field. So everyone can fit in.  

[~congeestar]

This is what I think, but I haven't been around in a while and times have changed so it might be a little different now:
You know how in the AT, avatars are rated and critiqued by certain standards? I find that we're really picky, and specific about what we find to be a good avatar. Like how we rate on originality, colour, flow, theme, etc... But this is just because our whole forum is devoted to the art of creating an AVATAR.

In other subforums, the avatar isn't really held in as high regard as in the AT. For example, in the musician's subforum, one might not even look at a person's avatar, but instead go to their myspace or purevolume page to listen to their music and talk to them about that. So no one's really as concerned about their avatar.

But then when they THINK they have a cool avatar, because they don't know the AT standards, or whatever you want to call them, they go to the Chatterbox, or the GD and make a thread like "YO, MY AVATAR'S SO HOT." (most of the time because they just want compliments...) and they're moved to the AT. In the AT, people pick them apart in practically another language, talking about composition and flow. So they feel stupid and begin to hate the AT and everyone in it. xD