The Velvet Rope Date Friday, April 19, 2024 - 02:02 PM PST Topic Cult Not to step upon the delightful toes of Janet Jackson, but there is an effect that I like to call the Velvet Rope, a tendency of normal people to constrain themselves to what they perceive to be their own predestined level of prestige, or achievement, or access. Where in this scale do you consider yourself to be? Are you on the A-list? The B-list? Are you Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell trying desperately and unsuccessfully to get into the Roxbury? Gather round chillens. Listen to the words of Sanctus Germanus. There are a number of members on this site, let's call this number x. There are a number of elite members on this site, let's call this number y. Now, x/y is a number which approaches 1, which indicates that the elite are statistically insignificant compared to the rest of the non-elite. One or more of the elites are administrators, so by their very function they are more functionally significant, so the formula improves to be x/(y-admins). Still statistically zero. So what is the point of all of this? The Count will tell you. Have you ever been to an amusement park, or a theatre, that had a velvet rope? Did you obey the implicit command of that velvet rope? Did you walk like cattle through a switchback seven rows deep just to get to a line in which you were first anyway? Did you ever obey the orders of the Wal-Mart security guard simply because he wore a blue shirt and had a plastic badge? If so, you limited yourself within your own mind, you didn't explore all that was possible in your own real life. Back to the original point...the elites. When I say the names of Meranda or Rogue or Feral or Schizo or Bettie_x or Kira or pAris or Devin or MRD or Callei or Shade, what comes to mind? Do you shiver as would a serf in the presence of their land-lord? If so, why? What is it about you that makes you less significant than other people who joined a site the same as you, but perhaps earlier than you? Is their opinion more important than yours? Are their contributions more important than yours? Why does an article that you submit end up getting posted to the main page after weeks, when you are sure that others are getting their things posted immediately? Why do you tolerate this? Why do you want to be less significant than others that you do not know but *seem* to have some advantage over you? If you care at all about the site, it is your responsibility, your duty, to post as often as you find time to do so. Submitting articles, or simply posting on articles or forums, all of these things Count. In short, ignore what you may think about your worth, implicit or explicit, and contribute to the site. Only this will make you and your opinions valued. I leave you with the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: "We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate." It is the same here on this site. This article comes from Shmeng http://www.shmeng.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.shmeng.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=847