Rudeness on other sites

[harmony29]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I had to get this off my chest. I've been a coaster/amusement park fan since I was in my teens, but I rarely ever posted on forums until this year, always read them and lurked but that was the extent of it. This year with being so close to Kings Island I have gotten more active and wanting to ask questions, etc. Everyone on here has always been super nice and respectful and it's so refreshing. This past week I posted a few questions/comments on another theme park site (I won't say which one) and I swear every single item I commented on or asked a question, I felt like I was being attacked and being spoken to really rudely and all just because I asked what the dog kennels were like or my feelings on platinum passes. I thought these were supposed to be fun boards and I was really surprised. Now it has me wondering when I go to this other park at the end of the month, are the crowds going to be not as nice either or is this just an isolated thing where some people thing their head is bigger than it really is?

[thedevariouseffect]

I saw your posts on Pointbuzz. At times they can seem a bit rowdy trust me, however they are mainly nice people. There are a few bad eggs, but they are here as well. Will I say they were out of line on Pointbuzz, no, were they direct, yes. Do I see where you could get that perception, oh of course I do, I've been in your shoes myself.

The crowd there honestly will be mainly pleasant, however again, there can be bad eggs. Theres always that one guest thats just angry to be angry and you can't do anything to make happy. It happens for some odd reason.

Go up there and enjoy the park, you will have a blast I promise. Ride everything you can and make your own opinions!

[harmony29]

It's funny cause Cedar Point was until last year my home park, I just haven't been there since 2005 due to a serious auto accident injury. I have the best memories of growing up and my dad taking me there, in fact I remember him riding Corkscrew for the first time the year it opened and I just stood there in awe of it, now I giggle as it looks so small in comparison to Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster. I don't ever remember running into really rude people there, always just a clean and fun environment but like you said there are bad apples everywhere, I have just been lucky enough on this site not to encounter that. I'm a pretty sensitive person so I do take things quite to heart and I know I really shouldn't, but I have to say I like this board a heck of a lot better than others I have looked at.

[faeriewench]

There are a couple people here who do need to be rein in a bit at times (past and present).... but it does happen everywhere. I do prefer this one to most others though, in general people are a bit nicer.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

You'll find this is a very intelligent, well-moderated site filled with bright, well-spoken people who have a way of bringing even the rudest visitors around to the KIC way of friendly conversation! ~It's like magic! ~

[The Interpreter]

You could even say it's a trademark of the place!

[bkroz]

Get together a group of folks who know (or at least think they know) a whole lot about a specific topic and you'll get a lot of head-butting, one-upping, and competing viewpoints. It happens everywhere. I'm not really sure why things feel smoother here, but I think it's because it's a community where a lot of posters have been around for a long time and know each other in person, which is really cool!

When a new visitor arrives and goes against the grain, I know a few of us who are quick to message them and give them advice for how to relax. I've apparently been a member here for nine years (time flies) so I started at 14. I grew up here! Lots of us have. It's a different place. But, Kings Island is a different park! *insert dreamy Americana music*

[The Interpreter]

LeSourdsville music?

You remember THAT?

Impressed Terpster

[harmony29]

That's why I love this group so much, I would love to meet some of you in person, our next trip to KI is July 25 (our wedding day) and 26 and then we are heading to Cedar Point July 27 and 28, my fiancee has never been there, so I'm really looking forward to it!

[thekidd33]

Congrats on the wedding! I just got married this past weekend myself so I know it can be a stressful time.

I have found KIC to be the most respectful board by far among those I frequent. It feels much more like a community than just a random group of people.

[Magenta Lizard]

Congrats thekidd33 on your nuptials, and harmony29 on your upcoming nuptials.

When I first started on these boards (only a couple months ago), I was quite surprised when some of the regulars posted pictures of themselves and I discovered how young they were. The kids of KIC conduct themselves quite maturely. Usually the adults do as well

This is one of only two online communities I've ever felt this impressed with. It is a combination of the social influence of regulars' posting style, board rules, and efficient moderation that keep everything moving smoothly most of the time.

[BoddaH1994]

Much of the culture on KIC is derived from other message boards. Dane and I (and other other founding fathers) saw what not to do in a lot of instances. There was another Kings Island forum many moons ago that was much larger than us. It was poorly run, the mods were rude, and topics were closed at the drop of a hat. Needless to say, it was easy to attract users from them when we started.

The following are the things that (I think) makes KIC a strong community:

1. New members are ALWAYS welcomed. I think that means a lot to people. That's something YOU GUYS came up with, not me. It's much easier to shut a new person down, or downplay their question on their first post. That typically doesn't happen here.

2. You guys understand that young people are young people and should be respected as such. If someone's like 13 or 14 years old, I think many of you figure that out pretty quickly and don't try to make them feel stupid for getting some facts wrong, or not having the best grammar. GYK isn't the only person who's grown up on the site. Many came aboard and were annoying little kids and have stayed to be some of the most loyal and knowledgeable members.

3. Trash flows down river. We had a large number of people who were "holier than thou" about 5 or 6 years ago, and now they're "too good" to post on KIC. We're much better off now. The more you think you know, the less you really do know, as it seems. Take Terpy, for example. Clearly the guy knows a lot, but there's stuff he clearly can't say. There's a lot of stuff he doesn't know too. He does, however, know how to ask the right questions to get you thinking. We've learned a lot from him. I think what it comes down to is that education and experience lead to knowledge, perception, and educated guesses. How many coasters you've been on or how many parks you've been to leads to memories, excitement, and fun. Bother are good things, but not necessarily the same thing.

4. Your interactivity goes beyond the Internet. We had our first "KIC Day" in 2008. Honestly one of the greatest days of my life. Ever since I attended Beastbuzz in 2004 I SO BADLY wanted to have a KIC event. We were way too small at the time. Zip ahead nearly a half-decade and we had the opportunity to do so. I was so worried that no one would show up... and the darn thing sold out. I was so amazed! I think that's where we can trace back the origins of the regular KIC meet ups. I think that a lot of people realized that there were a lot of opportunities for fun in the real world - not sitting behind a computer. Eleven years later, we've had marriages spurred from the site, children born, life-long friendships fashioned, and much more. The fact that even with a community this size, many of you know each other in person really defuses potential arguments online. It's hard to discern a tone of voice or sarcasm in text when it's someone you don't know.

5. You (the KIC Universe) are interested in Kings Island, not just roller coasters. Part of the fun of KIC is that we can talk about all sorts of things about Kings Island... not just how many laps you've taken on Banshee. How much fun did we have with the (beloved) Big Noodle? How much fun did we have picking apart KI's relationship with Marvel because The Avengers are coming? How much fun did we have encouraging typical non-show goers to see Ed Alonzo, Cirque Imagine, etc? The list goes on and on! We are fortunate in the fact that Kings Island gives us a lot to talk about and every week is another exciting thing to see.

I'm sure I could come up with a list of 100 reasons why this community is both unique and great, but it all stems down from the great people that come to say hi.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

Reminds me of another thread a member made on here. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/28909-thank-you-kic/

KIC is a safe website for any and all! Their is a great variety of members, threads and topics to choose from! Heck half the topics I have started are gaming related and never ounce have I had a issue with any member! Lets say their is a member that comes here and is just bashing everyone and everything or they are talking about "graphic" inappropriate things, you can bet your bottom dollar that member will be gone in a few short hours! The mods/admin also won't put you down if you disagree with them. Sure sometimes things get out of hand and it happens.. This site isn't perfect but the people that run it and 99% of the members try their hardest to keep this site safe and stable, my hat off to them! their is only a couple things you should know and everything should go great!

1. If you have "leaked" info, for good reasons, don't be surprised if people don't believe you that well. Don't take offense to it, just it's hard to believe what's true and whats not anymore...

2. Keep swearing to a minimal or better yet none. Lots of younger people on here and you might upset the wrong person. Same thing with YouTube videos (or any videos for that matter) or images, make sure it is "PG". Examples: You see a song you like but contains lots of swear words, get the radio edit version. Pictures of haunted houses and stuff is kind of okay, but nothing to extreme.

3. It's okay to disagree/correct a member on here just don't, put them in the dog house... Bad example: Person A: "Son of Beast is the worlds longest wooden roller coaster". Person B: "OMG! Are you kidding me!? Everyone knows it is The Beast, for the worlds longest wooden coaster!" Better example: Person A: "Son of Beast is the worlds longest wooden roller coaster." Person B: Son of Beast was a long coaster but, The Beast has it beat by a couple hundred feet.

4. Have fun! Start a topic if you can't find one, to fit what you are wanting to say/do, just make sure it's in the right category. You will learn each member on here act/thinks and posts different than the other. I for one, try to help (like this) when I can.

P.S. I also have a tendency of spacing stuff out like this and adding P.S.'s and note(s). Which actually drives me insane! But when I don't do stuff this way, I drive myself even more insane so it's a catch 22 for me...

[thegajone]

Of all the message boards I've frequented, this board has by far the least amount of trolling/baiting/flaming/etc. It's not even close. I can only think of one of the regulars on here who comes off as a bit obnoxious, but I think he just gets excited and doesn't mean to be that way. Other than that this is far and away the most friendly message board in which I've ever participated.