You know why I’m not one of those people who looks down on “noobs” with ridicule or distaste? Part of it’s because I try to be nice to everyone, regardless of who they are. But that can only take a guy so far, and when someone’s being really annoying, egotistic, and/or incomprehensible, well, that’s where perspective kicks in.

One’s perspective on things changes as they grow older and accumulate experience. My attitude toward Bionicle is much different than when it started. My interactions with girls are generally more refined than when I was, say, eight, and primarily concerned with sticking ice cubes down their shirts. Armpit farts, once the epitome of my existence, have now become merely tricks to amuse my little brothers with.

I am at a different point in the time stream relative to where I was six years ago. Much of what seemed incredibly awesome, funny, and/or witty to my past self now seems stupid, embarrassing, and naïve. I have never dissed noobs precisely because I recognize aspects of my own past behavior in them. I once fit the definition of a noob, and so did /do all of you. In fact, the term “noob” should not apply to new BZPers as much as it should to all males from about 9-14. BOCTAOE, like the people who never mature beyond that point.

And I really have no idea if this is something other people my age have realized and assumed to be common knowledge. But keeping this in mind has helped when confronted with the sometimes inexplicable behavior of people on the internet, so I reckoned I’d pontificate upon it for a while.

And actually, this whole “perspective” thing is one of the main reasons I haven’t been driven insane by my little sisters, and it is they, not noobs, that caused me to write this (You’ll see if you replace the word “noob” with “younger sibling” that it works just as well). But I think it applies to noobs too.