Popularity on WP: A question

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Same here.

I used to go into other forums on here but I have lost interest in them. It seems like it is just one big flirting fest or something. Just my opinion!

There are certain subforums I've gone into and then avoided simply because the popularity things rubbed me the wrong way. I come here to avoid that, and for the most part I do. I really don't see that much of it here. But I've been known to be oblivious about social things before.

Yeah, that was my thought. I mean, there are names that I recognize just by virtue of reading lots of posts, but the concept of popularity never popped into my mind.

I admired you for doing that (facing up to sexism).

However, PPR needs you! (Does the Uncle Sam pointing thing).

It depends on what people are calling "popularity". There certainly is a tendency on all message boards to see a few people post far more eloquently and more intelligently than others. They tend to become well respected and their opinions valued, perhaps too much so. IF this is what is being referred to, it is simply a reflection of the medium of communication. Skill in written language trumps all in forums, and those who express their opinions most eloquently and without name calling, whining, and "trolling" are going to get more respect and more replies than others. When we know nothing about a person other than what they write, we have no recourse but to judge by what is written and how. Within those who write well, those who post often are likely to be perceived as more popular as those who post less simply because of their increased visibility. Personally though, I often find I have a great deal of respect for those that post seldom, but with very well thought out replies.

As far as "popularity" as it generally applies in real life, I'm as clueless as you. I can probably identify who is popular with less accuracy than NTs, but how popularity is determined and why there is a need for such things as popularity and cliques is utterly beyond my grasp. Indeed, I have come to the point I don't really care to understand such things, as they serve no useful purpose that I can identify and attempting to replicate these aspects of NT behavior seems to be a very difficult task with little benefit.

Popularity is nothing but an NT hangup.

How not to be popular on WP: call everyone who disagrees with you a fascist.

Well played, sir.

As if being "popular" on an internet forum, one of hundreds of billion on the WWW means much anyway. Even in the "real" life the quest for popularity would have a point only if we were calves or shoes that are constantly being measured according to a degree to which we're able to sell our qualities, "charms", etc.

I can understand the need for friendship, but as some other posters said, any kind of popularity (contest) is really a NT thing, superficial, superfluous and demeaning to those less fortunate of having the ability express themselves charmingly enough.

That person was called "arrogant" before the "facist" accusations started flying.

Yes, one person called him arrogant, and the conclusion he drew from that and how several people disagreed with him was that there's a clique of "alpha" dominant bullies who targeted him, and that it was appropriate to describe these people as "fascists."

That is to say, it was a disproportionate response.

I mostly agree with you.

On the other hand, popularity contests as a test of one's skill at being charming can be useful, if one has an interest in socializing. I do believe it is possible to have AS and be interested in the mechanics of social behavior, if not the effects in and of themselves; one can become quite skilled, if not natural.

But that is just a matter of personal opinion.

And how does making a thread calling everyone fascists help that?

I have to say I am missing this whole "popularity" thing here. Who is to decide who is "popular", and how? Number of posts? While in real person my spoken vocabulary is, well..... I'm a redneck from West Texas so I spit, cuss, swear, and overly utilize slang as that is the environment I was raised. However, when I am typing my words I am capable of producing a FAR more "acceptable" flow and choice of intelligent word usage. Sure, I use intelligent language when speaking, but it usually relates to my ramblings on topics of interest and I tend to use vocabulary which leads people giving me that blank stare..... Though there are times I intentionally allow myself to excessively monologue as a retaliation act against the persistent belittlement I am usually subjected to. So-- if popularity is determined by volume of posts-- the veterans of the forums have the advantage and my ability to ramble on and on and on would make my potential of obtaining "popularity" rather easy. Is popularity determined by the volume of replies to a person's posts? With that, it is all too easy to post a thread on a controversial subject and watch the replies flood in. In life, I actually hate the though of being popular as that would mean too many people and too many stimuli at one time... Not a healthy situation for my one-track mind. I have a hard time keeping myself focused on typing on a subject when someone is talking to me! Multitasking is definitely not a strong point with me.
My biggest curiosity here, though, is how did this "popularity contest" concept even come up in the first place? My first impression of wrongplanet, when I found this site, was that it would be an unbiased forum dedicated to those of us on the spectrum and for those NT's who have someone on the spectrum in their lives and was absent of the social stigmas which proliferates our day-to-day lives. A place where we can actually BE OURSELVES without stressing over stereotypes or being judged. Obviously this Utopian assumption was a bit off. Not to be belittling wrongplanet-- of all the "Aspie forums" this one is the most comfortable to me. Thus far, wrongplanet is becoming my "safe place" to express my thoughts and ask questions I would otherwise never ask "normal" people as they not only DON'T understand the things I have issues with, they CAN'T understand. As I progress in my own self-identification I also hope to be able to start helping others who come seeking answers to the problems I myself am overcoming. An attempt at popularity? Not quite. Striving for an identity? Most definitely.
This may be be a little narrow sighted and selfish on my behalf, but my OPINION is that this "popularity contest" thread should be closed and/or deleted... It comes across to me as a competition attempt which could quite possibly result in many hurt feelings. Then again, I have a habit of taking things the wrong way, so who am I to judge another's intentions?

After quoting me and calling me a fascist bully, of course!