Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Wed Nov 13, 2024 12:30 am
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Meta » General META Discussion
Help! I'm a Newbie! : An Essay
Moderators: imbri, ndemeter
View previous topicView next topic
Page 1 of 4 [52 Posts]   Goto page: 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
Author Message
Saevitia
Unfettered


Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 688
Location: Rochester, NY

 		Help! I'm a Newbie! : An Essay
Help! I'm a Newbie!
An Essay

Once upon a time good King TINAG waved his magic wand, and the first ARGers sprang forth fully formed from the ether. Wait a minute, that's not right! Or is it? As a relative n00b to the genre of ARG it comforts me when I sleep at night to believe everyone was new once. It's a very frightening thought to believe that someone was just born knowing to rot what you find and always check the source.

So lets imagine for a moment, that we've all been there. The webpage.

It doesn't matter how you got there, whether it was from a fan message board, a commercial for a soft drink, an email that might or might not be spam. Even, gasp! An unsolicited IM that isn't about cybersex!

Let's imagine we're there right now.

On the surface everything looks fine and dandy, whether its someone's blog, or a company homepage, or a website about harboring no animosity towards insects. But that's on the surface. Read a little further and you realize something's not quite right. Maybe its just a word, like 'dimension', or an idea that sounds just like something that's completely different from Zen Buddhism. Or maybe it's the string on numbers that catches your eye as the .swf file flashes before your eyes.

Most people would get bored, or creeped out, and leave. But not you. Well, maybe you're a little creeped out, but that won't stop you from figuring out 'what the deal is'. So you dig a little deeper. You google the word. You rewind and pause the flash. But what happens after that?

If you're like typical ARGers (watch your step on that oxymoron) you google your brains out until somehow, through luck, or murphy's law, or clicking your heels together three times, you wind up at Unfiction.

A whole new world is suddenly opened up to you. A big, scary, exciting world of puzzles and conspiracies. And everyone seems to know what they're doing. Everyone but you. Maybe you feel more lost now than when you had the cryptic message, after all, the numbers only laughed at you in your head. These are people. The mystical FBI ninja power ranger wizards of the internet. Admit it, you're intimidated. So you lurk, and you look.The problem is, there's so much to look AT.

But you'll stick around, won't you? Useful bits of information will begin to pop out at you. You'll start exploring pages on your own. One day, while browsing the forums the word 'trout' will come unbidden to your mind, and it won't mean fish.

Most people would get lost under the sheer weight of convoluted, confliction information, arguments, spec, false leads. And that's just learning how to PLAY an ARG. Most n00bs would leave, and find an online quiz, or an archive of perverted photography. But you're not most n00bs. You're an ARG n00b. Someday, webmillenia from now, n00bs will look up in awe, and wonder if you too sprang fully formed from the ether knowing to rot what you find and always check the source.

Axkt adcv pcs ejooat
_________________
Now Playing:

Marble Hornets
EverymanHYBRID: Rabbit #24

WHOM UNMERCIFUL DISASTER FOLLOWED FAST AND FOLLOWED FASTER

PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:40 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
addlepated
Unfictologist


Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 1885
Location: Austin, Texas

 		The force is strong in this one. Wink

PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 2:54 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
weephun
Entrenched


Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 908
Location: Fuquay Varina, NC

 		Just exactly the kind of "newbie" that I think we would want to stick around.
_________________
- Sean Stewart: "generally people like seeing their names on TV, although probably no one has had a more mixed experience with that then weephun, God bless him.
- Currently assisting Epic Games in their quest for world domination

PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:18 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Saevitia
Unfettered


Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 688
Location: Rochester, NY

 		I feel honored to be quoted in your sig, Weephun. Smile
_________________
Now Playing:

Marble Hornets
EverymanHYBRID: Rabbit #24

WHOM UNMERCIFUL DISASTER FOLLOWED FAST AND FOLLOWED FASTER

PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:16 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		newbies
Quote:
Just exactly the kind of "newbie" that I think we would want to stick around.


along with all the other "kinds" of new players.

Nice work Saevitia
_________________
I love this site for being free, in every sense of the word~Spacebass

Mankind was my business, the common good was my business.~ Dickens

PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:25 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
The Watcher
Unfettered


Joined: 29 Jul 2004
Posts: 493

 		Well written- I can really relate, since my newbie days were not at all long ago.

Actually, any newbie who dares venture towards the bottom of the forum- into the Meta section is doing great already!

PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:47 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
weephun
Entrenched


Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 908
Location: Fuquay Varina, NC

 		Ha, yah when I first joined it took me a week to find out that there was anything else on this site besides the "Axon Coordination" section of the "Haunted Apiary". And then I don't think I ventured out of the "Haunted Apiary" until ILB was nearly over. Now I wish I had much more time to get into the amazing amount of stuph here.
_________________
- Sean Stewart: "generally people like seeing their names on TV, although probably no one has had a more mixed experience with that then weephun, God bless him.
- Currently assisting Epic Games in their quest for world domination

PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:15 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
buff
Veteran


Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 106

 		I must have been that strange kind of newbie...

I found Meta, I loved Meta. Didn't leave this forum for a couple of weeks before I ventured away from Cloudmakers and started looking at the rest of the Forum...

Anyway; great essay...captures the essence...
_________________
"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?"

"Do you really want to know what hides behind the kurtain?"

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:58 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
bagsbee
Unfettered


Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Posts: 417
Location: NYC

 		Great post, Saevitia.

It encapsulates the feeling of newbs to the genre, and it pretty much precisely describes my experience as a n00b.

Well done. Cool

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:47 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
Dorkmaster
Unfictologist


Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 1328
Location: The People's Republic of Dork

 		Sae, you are proving yourself to be quite the ARGer here... your Rookery Tower game was one of the best grassroots efforts I've seen in a while. Better than some corporate (high-budget) efforts, and your commentary on the genre is always insightful.

I am glad to have your cooperation in the community!

So, fellow ARGers, in other words, you suck. Saevetia rules. (Not really... well, I mean Sae does rule... you just don't suck... well, some of you do... but... um... HEY! LOOK OVER THERE! -ducks into an alley-)
_________________
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." -William Gibson
"Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." - PJ O'Rourke
"ACADEMY, n. A modern school where football is taught." - Ambrose Bierce

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:16 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
Phaedra
Lurker v2.0


Joined: 21 Sep 2004
Posts: 4033
Location: Here, obviously
Dorkmaster wrote:
Sae, you are proving yourself to be quite the ARGer here... your Rookery Tower game was one of the best grassroots efforts I've seen in a while. Better than some corporate (high-budget) efforts, and your commentary on the genre is always insightful.

I am glad to have your cooperation in the community!

So, fellow ARGers, in other words, you suck. Saevetia rules. (Not really... well, I mean Sae does rule... you just don't suck... well, some of you do... but... um... HEY! LOOK OVER THERE! -ducks into an alley-)


Um, Dork, are you postwhoring?

Just asking.

'Cause, y'know, you're still not gonna beat me. Razz
_________________
Voted Most Likely to Thread-Jack and Most Patient Explainer in the ILoveBees Awards.

World Champion: Cruel 2B Kind

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:18 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
JoeOE18
Unfettered


Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Posts: 301
Location: UK

 		I very much enjoyed that, I think i'm getting to the tail end of my n00bness (hopefully).

I remember upon discovering unfiction that there seemed to be this whole really cool underground internet world going on that i didn't know about. Twas very exciting....Still is Smile
_________________
Hello_!wiiiiz

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 5:02 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Dorkmaster
Unfictologist


Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 1328
Location: The People's Republic of Dork

 		No post-whoring for me typically is just a cigarette and a wad of cash on the nightstand. But thanks for playing! Wink
_________________
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." -William Gibson
"Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." - PJ O'Rourke
"ACADEMY, n. A modern school where football is taught." - Ambrose Bierce

PostPosted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:46 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial
Phaedra wrote:
Dorkmaster wrote:
Sae, you are proving yourself to be quite the ARGer here... your Rookery Tower game was one of the best grassroots efforts I've seen in a while. Better than some corporate (high-budget) efforts, and your commentary on the genre is always insightful.

I am glad to have your cooperation in the community!

So, fellow ARGers, in other words, you suck. Saevetia rules. (Not really... well, I mean Sae does rule... you just don't suck... well, some of you do... but... um... HEY! LOOK OVER THERE! -ducks into an alley-)


Um, Dork, are you postwhoring?

Just asking.

'Cause, y'know, you're still not gonna beat me. Razz


ANd you both still have a bit to go to catch up with the one for who the title UNFICTOLOGIST was created...

Yes, I AM post whoring. I must reclaim my spot as the most verbose.
Muahahahahahaha
_________________
Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:39 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Phaedra
Lurker v2.0


Joined: 21 Sep 2004
Posts: 4033
Location: Here, obviously
Magesteff wrote:
Phaedra wrote:
Dorkmaster wrote:
Sae, you are proving yourself to be quite the ARGer here... your Rookery Tower game was one of the best grassroots efforts I've seen in a while. Better than some corporate (high-budget) efforts, and your commentary on the genre is always insightful.

I am glad to have your cooperation in the community!

So, fellow ARGers, in other words, you suck. Saevetia rules. (Not really... well, I mean Sae does rule... you just don't suck... well, some of you do... but... um... HEY! LOOK OVER THERE! -ducks into an alley-)


Um, Dork, are you postwhoring?

Just asking.

'Cause, y'know, you're still not gonna beat me. Razz


ANd you both still have a bit to go to catch up with the one for who the title UNFICTOLOGIST was created...

Yes, I AM post whoring. I must reclaim my spot as the most verbose.
Muahahahahahaha


Well, you may have the most posts but I'm pretty sure that as far as words go, I have everyone beat. Razz

Although, my posts have become gradually shorter and shorter...
_________________
Voted Most Likely to Thread-Jack and Most Patient Explainer in the ILoveBees Awards.

World Champion: Cruel 2B Kind

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:34 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website AIM Address
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 1 of 4 [52 Posts]   Goto page: 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Meta » General META Discussion
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group