BallDon'tLie

TK-10036 requesting 501st access please http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=16082

Darth Aloha, Thank you for the explanation. Please understand, I wasn't calling you and Gazmosis in particular, elitist. That was a general reference to a lot of the behavior I've seen in many other threads. I also don't think that your posts in this thread automatically make you dicks, or that it in any way negates the good work you've done for the community. I was just trying to get the point across that mods and those who have achieved the highest levels of perfection in their builds are looked up to by those with less experience. So, when someone new comes on board, I think we owe it to them to make sure we're as helpful as possible if we want these people to stick around and become valued members of the community. For my part, I apologize for coming across so harshly toward you and Gazmosis. I guess I had some pent up frustration from a few other threads, and lashed out here, making you two seem like some horrible offenders that you're not. I'll take my own advice into consideration and try to choose my words more carefully in the future. P.S. Awesome pic, but you need to get the little one into a Princess Leia costume ASAP!

Ingrid, I do see where you're coming from, and I will say that many of the FISD members I've encountered have been very friendly and helpful in pointing me in the right direction for a successful costume build. However, from the perspective of a relative n00b in this subject matter, it's very frustrating to me when I see responses like the ones from Gazmosis and Darth Aloha. I'll take your word for it that they have a history of good-natured joking with each other. That type of thing is great, and is a cool aspect of the overall community. However, if a new guy comes in and asks a question, would it be too much to ask to get a straight answer before people hijack/kill the thread with their inside jokes? Stuff like that only serves to further segregate the new information seekers from the established, experienced builders, and makes it that much more intimidating for potential recruits. I've been lucky enough to hook up with some local 501st members and they've squared me away with everything I needed. However, I honestly feel like if I would have relied solely on the FISD community at large, there's a good chance I would have just scrapped the whole idea and found a different hobby. As I said, there are plenty of friendly, helpful posters here. I just wish you didn't have to weed through so much elitism to find them. Also, thank you for your offer to help out with my questions. If I come up with some new ones, I'll certainly take you up on it.

Daryl, thanks for providing Dizzle with a legitimate answer to his question. I'm in a similar position as Dizzle, contemplating putting together my first TK kit, and the amount of information found on these forums can be very overwhelming for a new guy. I've also found that the slightly elitist attitude of some members does nothing to encourage questions and learning from prospective recruits. I'm struggling to find the purpose behind the responses from gazmosis and Darth Aloha. I see that gazmosis has achieved Centurion status, so he/she clearly has a strong knowledge of what it takes to put together a great kit. However, instead of sharing any of that knowledge and helping Dizzle out, the response is some smartass nonsense. Great, people have bought the kit. Why even respond if you're just going to be a dick? Is this how we grow the ranks? Then Darth Aloha, he of "Detatchment Staff" fame, actually commends gazmosis for his response. Seriously? These experienced members are the people who should be setting the example for new members, and this is how they "help" people? Welcome back to middle school. Stay classy, FISD.