Green Room - Week 8 - Day 5

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Just when you thought "it's almost time for Second Chance Idol sign ups to be completed" something happens!

The deadline for sign up is now Saturday Jan 8th at 5pm EST - that's right, an hour *after* the main competition's deadline!!

What does this mean?? *shrug* I don't know. I just work here!

All I know is that it Phase 2 is shaping up to be a whole lot of fun!

***

I was asked by a couple different people over the past 24 hours to clarify my position on "usage of alt journals".
http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/409711.html?thread=41345647#t41345647 is where you can find the original remarks on the subject. Or at least the ones from this season. :)

There were a few things that I wanted to make sure that I said in public.

1. I know who the Alts are. It's policy. If for some reason I *don't* know that you are operating an account other than your "main" one and participating in Idol - well, that's just leave at "I need to know this information if you want to participate".
Because I know who they are, I also have a pretty good idea why all of them are using alternate accounts. And most of them fall under that Turtletaub example I used before.
Good people, just taking a break from what they might "normally" do, or wanting to talk about things they might not normally discuss.

2. If you are going to friend people, you should probably have mentioned somewhere that you are an "alt" account/writing journal/whatever.
It's NOT policy because I really don't have much say in how you treat your friends.

I just think not telling people that you have something else out there - that they may have interacted with, and formed opinions about, heck, maybe posted a drunken rant about how much you suck two years ago when they met you at a party - from a personal standpoint, I wouldn't do it. Not saying "reveal yourself!!" but I am saying that a bit of a disclaimer, somewhere, might not be the worst idea.

If for some reason you can't do that and "keep character" or for a host of other reasons that are as long as my arm (and it's a decent length for an arm), like I said - that's your business. It's your journal and your life!!

3. My noted and disclosed *personal* "severe dislike" for alts comes in two forms. Because there are as many different "kinds of alts" as there are people using them. But they are:

- The idea of people using multiple alts, if it gets to the point of more of them than there are "actual people". I have no interest in running a competition for 5 people writing 20 accounts each. :)

I don't think any sensible person would, and although I'm not sensible, I happen to agree with that point.

One of the things that I love about the competition is getting to meet new people and seeing them grow as writers through the process. Seeing people play with alt accounts to explore other aspects - that's cool too.

But much like "The Great Fiction Debate" of season's past - I said that I never wanted to see it get to the point where it was more fiction than people talking about their lives and sharing their stories.

I like all of it - from the fiction to the personal essay aspects - mostly I think "the mix" is important.

This is one more element that is being thrown in. But much like with fiction, I want to see a healthy dose of people being who they are. If that can only be done in an alt account, for various reasons, OK. Not my preference, but hey, I'm sure it's not their preference for the state of their life either!

- One of the things that keeps Idol healthy, and interesting, is that people are constantly finding it through their friends. They read an entry and realize that it was written for this Idol thing, and go check it out. Or someone asks them to go vote - and they do a couple times without thinking too much about it, but then they have a couple extra minutes and start reading some of the other entries too. . . and realize that this is something that interests them. Heck, maybe they see a rec post and go "That entry by so and so sounds nifty keen! This is all neato!" (Because that's how your friends all talk. Admit it!)

Alts, operating in a friends list vacuum, aren't really adding to that current (or future) mix. So, too many of them and that group of new readers who come in and get excited to read *your* work, might not be there. Which is what makes it such a tricky balance, of providing and encouraging people to explore new outlets in their writing, and making sure that new readers are still being encouraged to find the that work!

Those are it. The two reasons that I, from a personal standpoint, am not a fan of alts as a general rule. It's more of a "from a practical side, it'skind of counterproductive from a macro view".

BUT - and here's the kicker, I think that they have their place and that there are folks doing some really cool stuff with their alts. It all depends on what they do with it, and how they manage to find that personal balance that still manages to not go into "alt overkill" and continue to bring in new readers for everybody!!

I'm sure there is more that I'm missing that people asked me about, but there's what I could remember! ;) Anything else people want me to clarify? :)

***

So, um... how is that coffee? Or, how will it be - or whatever you say when you are trying to transition to "Hey, how are you doing?" basics to get people talking. :)


***

The Topic for main competition is http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/409009.html
The Second Chance Idol sign ups are http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/408328.html

Just in case you've forgotten.
Because, after all, that's where the important stuff is happening!!

Go take a peek and read some entries - then come back and let other people know who they should be checking out! So easy even an "alt" can do it! :P

Comments

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Can I join second chance Idol at the same time as normal idol? :D

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

I am the only one that still says neato.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

First?

Ack, nowhere close! I thought I had a shot too!

Now onto the topic at hand. I think this is a perfectly good discussion, and it appears that SCI is really bringing out the alts? Or is that just my imagination? All I know is that I'm easily confused, and you could pretty much use the same username and I'd still be shocked to find out that you are one and the same.

I'm just glad to be able to post in a GR....and it appears fairly slow and I really need to be in bed. Extra early day tomorrow. Crap.

Yet I'm still here and I'm using run-on sentences on purpose. Someone put me out of my misery already...

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

You're really burning the midnight oil this week!!

All this talk about participation and alts and whatnot is giving me a headache. I think that Idol has taken on a life of its own, and that the game evolves based on the shifting membership and focus of its social community. And I have no doubt that that's a giant pain in the ass for the Guy Who Runs Things, and everyone else who is attached to their expectations for a given season, but maybe that's just how it is.

Yeah, nobody wants to think they've made a new friend when in fact they're interacting with an alt, and nobody wants to read or write in a game where there are a hundred entries and only five unique writers. But as much as Idol culture extols the virtue of "real" journals, and personal essays and "real life" sharing, I would argue that the stories we tell and the personae we don when portraying a character are just as valid and worthwhile and interesting as all the "real" stuff.

Besides, I hate being told what to do.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I just had a thought about this. If someone with an alt account, eg theafaye with a_cheese_fan, reveals themselves... if a person has been following them with the alt account, but not the main account, it might also generate interest in their other stuff. I don't know. What do other people think?

I think it makes sense to have an alt to try stuff you wouldn't normally do in your main account, but then reveal yourself later. I guess I can understand some circumstances of not wanting to reveal yourself, if you're talking about personal stuff and don't want to be personally identified with it.

---

In other news, I am working on my music video today, for the first time in about a month, and really enjoying it. I'm playing with transitions for some stuff I want to put into it, which is also cool.

---

Also, Gary, you realise that by extending the sign ups, you're possibly paving the way for more people current contestants to sign up to SCI under alt accounts, right? :P

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Only with an alt ;)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Well, they could just join an online RPG if that's what interested them ;)

But I think it's easy to check for alt journals and be less open to friending them if you check a) the number of posts they have and/or b) the journal creation date. Oh! And their flist.

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

I just object to the idea that Idol is less fun or good somehow if all the contestants aren't "real" - an extremely relative term, particularly on the internet. And I especially hate the idea that if you come into Idol as an alt without friends, you are somehow failing to carry your weight in terms of exposing new people to Idol. I don't like feeling pressured to wear a virtual sandwich board all over LJ.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

What if I'M an alt???

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

And the fact that their first post says they are an alt?

*grin*

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I know of at least one alt account last season that was directing her real account friends to Idol anyway.

What I think can happen for those who enter under and alt to start with, not planning to tell their main account friends about it, is that they enjoy it so much and change their mind and decide to tell their friends anyway.

On the other hand, it also depends what the person wants to get out of the experience, you know? Maybe they want to make new friends, maybe they just want to experiment with their writing. I don't think one reason is less valid than another.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, if it happens to. I don't think all alt accounts do that, though!

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY. I don't think one reason is less valid than another, either. But one seems less socially acceptable than another in this community, and that frustrates me.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I thought that was your main account now? My point was basically that if you want to, you can't use the same account as you're using in the main competition.

Not that I'm official Gary or anything, but I know of people doing it.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I think it depends who's judging it, to be honest. So far I haven't really seen people complaining about alt accounts, except, well, what Gary has said, but I don't see him as complaining so much as stating his position.

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

Gary stating his personal opinion alongside his position carries a lot of weight, however. I'm not saying Gary should always have to be Switzerland or something. But it's a little bit like being a kid and hearing another parent loudly tell their child that they won't let them do what *you* happen to be doing at the time.

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I agree, not all do... in fact, I suspect that several, most do not.

But it is easier to trust the ones who do, and especially the ones who answer the simple questions when asked.

[queen-pepita.livejournal.com]

Look! It is a baby who is dressed like a penguin! That is like an alt!

I like penguins because they can't fly, too. Look at those cute little stubby wings. There are really hands in there!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I suppose so. I already know one person who has said they won't alt because of what Gary has said. That kind of made me sad because I was interested in what they might come up with, you know? But anyway, it's not my place to convince them otherwise!

I do see Gary's point about what it might become if there are too many alts though. But then the fun could be trying to work out who's behind the alts ;)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Simple questions like, "Are you an alt for someone already in the competition?" :D

[yako.livejournal.com]

I am an alt and I am writing about penguins :D

I might write about other things, but primarily I want to write about penguins.

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

*laughing*

Yeah, like that.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I think honesty will go a long way with questions like that, but I can understand people not wanting to reveal themselves for various reasons, too. I suppose they could answer, "I'm an alt but I may or may not be a current competitor."

[queen-pepita.livejournal.com]

That is a very noble cause and I commend you!

[black-aspect.livejournal.com]

I'm a fictional character. Which is like an alt, because it implies that someone, somewhere, must have created me. But as part of the purpose of my existence is to confirm where, exactly, fiction ends and a "real world" (if any) starts, it could be turtles all the way down for all I know.