In all actuality, this thread is a response to WillHayes response (which he also made in his own thread) to my little bit of satire I tossed at the streets sometime yesterday. But as I formulated my reply in my head, about 75% of it was OOC, as I feel like profiles are almost entirely OOC these days. So I decided to just make an OOC thread, to save me the humiliation and embarrassment of having my reply deleted and/or moved.

I'd like to elaborate a bit on why I "insulted 75% of you."

I'd really say it's more like 20-30% of you, but whatever - tomato, tomahto. 

The game already has several hard coded features to let people know who is in a "position of power." The first and most obvious is a person's appearance on the 60 seconds list. Leaders are bold, hands are slanty, or "Italic" for those of us learned in the ways of the pen. Right Hand Men have a fancy spot on their Crewleaders' profiles as well, which in my experience is the most glorious part of being a right hand man. 

Next is a relatively recent addition, I want to say within the last couple years. The little crew tag that is at the top of every profile. Leaders get a little "Leader of" above the tag, and hands get something similar, that displays to the world who and what they are. 

For hands, there is also a tag in parentheses (like this, I know it's a large word) that states whether they are (RHM) or (LHM).

Now all of these things are hard coded - they happen automatically when you become a crewleader or hand. They make it very clear to everyone your name, position, and family. So, my question is, why do we feel it's necessary to reiterate that 2-3 more times in our profile? People have it plastered onto their profile picture. People have it in bold lettering at the top of their Quote. (That's the area of your profile you can edit with text.) Many people have both.

I'm honestly wanting some feedback here, from the people who I'm poking fun at. Why do you feel it's necessary to be redundant about it? Is it pride? I mean I guess I can see the logic behind that. You do, undoubtedly, like your family. I'm sure you are proud to be at the forefront of it, and like a majority of the people in it. There is nothing wrong with that. That might be the only half legitimate reason I could see for it.

If it's not pride and/or love, it has to be a confidence issue. Maybe you're afraid people won't respect you unless you're very bold and clear about your position. That way they know who you are and not to cross you. But chances are, they don't know who you are, although they probably already know what position you are, as the game so kindly already makes that clear.

Maybe you just like to be a glory whore? I know I am certainly guilty of this. I'll rarely even play if I'm not a hand. Maybe you just like to read it to yourself late at night when you're feeling down about missing that last RIA. Or when a thug gets the best of you in the streets. 

Perhaps it's just the cool thing to do right now, like having a profile pic made by makaveli or posting youtube links to shitty rap songs in your quote. The game has certainly seen it's share of profile fads in it's long history on the web. Years back you weren't cool unless you made someone scream for the police like a little girl. Even further back, you weren't in the "it" crowd unless you had a funny personals message sent to you by an admin. Remember when having numbers in your name was cool and didn't make you look idiotic? 

I have noticed a divide in the players that I'm actually seeing do this. The majority of the people I see redundantly stating their position are newer bloodlines. There are a couple exceptions to this trend, but from what I'm seeing it's mostly (relatively) new people. I don't really know what affect that might have as far as why people do it? Maybe it came from another game? Maybe newer players are just sick of being called new and want to show the world that they've made the big time at last. I remember my first hand job - I was proud as all hell. I told anyone who would listen that I was LHM to Toaly's Dawn of Glory. Perhaps that's it, they just want to be accepted.

Honestly, I don't really know why I'm so annoyed by this. It's just one of those things that irks me, like bad hygiene or the misuse of your/you're. And I'm certainly not the only one, I'm just the one up here parading on about it. But I felt it was necessary to elaborate. I've never had a problem saying what I feel, regardless of the taste it may leave in somebody's mouth afterwards. That and I like to hear myself talk in the little voice in my head i use when I write.

I'm really not all that important, you see. I'm just a slow ranking moderately active right hand in a mostly inactive crew. I'm certainly no more important than any other right hand out there. I don't actually think I'm better than you. (I might, depending on who you are.) Don't confuse my dry humor for an egotistical power display. I just really want to know why it's necessary to be so redundant. And now I'm starting to become redundant by talking so much about other people being redundant. So I think I'll wrap this up by simply saying, "We get it, you're important."

Finally, someone fucking notices that I'm important. 

I have been waiting MONTHS. 

Ps. Offers still open to be even more important than you are now. 

(And no I dont have anything to add to this. I just have to work on my post count since my mail counts broke and I have nothing to live for) 

For the same reasons we still put crew tags in our profile. To put it simply when your crewleader dies people will still know where you belonged and what your 'importance' was.

Tick, that's fine for the associates ad what not, but for the crew leader and hands, they're gonna die in a takedown/war, so what's the point in them having it there? I think that's what Shogun was getting at, rather than the rest of the crew being tagged.

I don't personally know why it happens. I think it's just habit from years of it not being plastered around a profile in hard code. People got used to putting it in their profiles, and the habit has just continued on after it isn't really needed.

It's a good point, and one I'd never actually thought about.

I can't ever remember adding it to my profile Sammy, ever. I've been hand more times than i've ate breakfast. It's simply a new fad. I've saw some folk doing it to poke fun at those that have it. No doubt, because of that, others continue to do it and think its a necessity. Thus we have it spiraling out of control.

  "I'll rarely even play if I'm not a hand."

That's some deep shit. This mentality speaks volumes and a few measure right up to your standards of what motivates them to play. Yet some of your comrades in rank are barely seen.  Do you have a clue who is important?

I've been a hand a few times now and I've never felt the need to put it in my profile for all the reasons Shogun listed. It's already clearly marked. Adding your crew is different, as evidenced by the recent LV takedown. There were so many untagged members from that crew and they all died because of it. Once your CL dies, your crew is gone, so without a tag you're not covered by any of the protection orders. 

Suits are a different story, imo. I always thought it was odd people added their name to their suits because it's clearly displayed as well, but people do that. Same with their crew. But that's done too. I had never added my crew before but I liked the way it rounded out the picture so I kept it. Now people are adding their position. Seems like a natural progression. 

Maybe newer players are just sick of being called new and want to show the world that they've made the big time at last.

I do think you hit upon something there. One of my frustrations since joining this game is that it's clear the same group(s) of people rotate in and out of power consistently. People that have been playing this game 5 or 10 years or longer. Now, there's nothing stopping a newer person working their way up, impressing the right people and getting a hand position. That new person takes pride in being a hand because it's new and shiny and they haven't realized yet how the game really works. And they really think if they make people know who they are and how important they are, they'll make it higher and be in charge themselves, even though they never will. Or at least, not until they've been around 5 or 10 or 15 years.

And those people that have been around that long, have been hands and cls and gfs so often that they forget what it's like the first few times you're given the chance to be a hand. So they roll their eyes and get judgmental and look down at others. That's life. If you're taking it personally that Shogun is making fun of you, grow a pair and get over it. There will always be people in life that don't like you. 

Why do people continue to put their pick pocket status in their profile?

Why do people continue to make the same threads?

Why do the same shitty players keep getting families?

Why do ugly girls continue to get attention on this game? 

Please investigate these ponders for me too Shogun. I can probably answer one of them, the last one, groce. 

Gladly, Henry.

Because they are whiny cunts who don't truly understand the idea of being a criminal.

Because the game is cyclical in nearly every way, old topics will always be revisited, sometimes for better, others for worse.

Because people like to auth their friends.

Because ugly guys who can't get any in real life give them attention so that they may feel better about themselves and their shite lives.

I hope that clears things up, at least a bit. I could of course dive deeper into each topic, but I feel like I would be pissing off one too many people for the day.

SammyGarcini, i can only assume people want to leave their mark via "historic character archive" without relying on streets etc. It adds to the immersion if you can trace back some events through characters just by searching for them. Who wouldn't want that really.

Only problem there Tick, once the character dies it only remains viewable for a period of time before disappearing.

I didn't know this was even a thing. 

If we're going to be joyless cunts about things, why not start with why people put "~*Proud Owner of Stevedave's 1817310th Mob Mail!!!!!*~" in their profile.

At least "RHM of the Stevedaves" might serve a purpose to someone who's itallically challenged.

Or "Success! Stevedave was set free." Who the fuck cares.

It's their profile. Do whatever stupid shit makes you happy. If you want to make it glittery and sparkly and post everyone's mobmail numbers with some emo lyrics, have at it.

I, for one, will look at someone who does that and choose another family. But that's my choice.

Thanks for the tip Shogun. I have adjusted my profile accordingly.

Tyrion what? Historic Character Archive goes back several years.

"I remember my first hand job - I was proud as all hell." - Shogun

Not sure if that was intended but it made me laugh, so kudos.

Anyway, I think there is probably a certain amount of truth to the 'pride' argument. This is my second character here for more than 10 years and my first ever handjob, in this game at least. I am quite proud of it, but the suit is enough for me.

Alternatively, and this could just be me being a filthy ageist, but I often wonder if it's not related to age. I see sparkly profiles full of <3<3<3, shitty lyrics and 'proud owner or who-cares' 1000th mobmail' and I can't help picturing a pimply teenager. I'm probably an ageist.

My biggest pet-peeve is the grammar though. If you don't know the differences between there, they're & there; your & you're; too & to or you say loose when you mean lose....get the fuck off of my screen you cretin, I never wanna read your horrible shite again. That goes double if you're a crew leader. Unfair maybe but I can't help it. Spellcheck your posts. Punctuate your sentences. It really isn't that hard.

Rant over.

Ohhhh! Another thing! Why do people feel the need to link their previous exploits in their profiles? Like lists of their previous kills? It's like "We get it. You're important!" ;)

<3<3

Fuck! So I did.  Well that's let the air outta my tires somewhat, hasn't it?

I'll be sure to let you know, should it ever happen. I actually found your list quite interesting, just couldn't pass up the comparison :P