bonesiii

I agree with that with one exception -- the question of whether an opinion can be wrong -- which is why I made this blog entry: Can Opinions Be Wrong? (Basically it depends on what you mean by "opinion" -- one kind can't be wrong, actually, but one kind can.) To me at least, if I actually do have an opinion that's wrong, I want people to show me why, so I can change it -- to me -- to me that's helpful to me. (I think you get why I repeated to me -- and hopefully anybody can accept that too.) But, that's not as important as your point -- that even if we disagree, we can and should still be able to be friends. So thanks for saying that! I'm planning another entry soon called "Friends can Disagree" on this subject, which is a pretty self-explanatory title I think. So basically what I would say is intelligent discussion where two friends try to calmly figure out what the truth is ("truth-seeking debate") is fine. But yelling at each other and hating on each other just because we disagree is not fine at all. And if any of us feels that we can't keep our tempers under control even if we are trying just to use "truth-seeking debate", it's better not to post. Also, I appreciate your other comments, especially about respecting staff. Yes, partly because I'm staff, lol -- but it's just a healthier way to live. I should probably dig up my approval banner, but some might think it would nullify what you said about not being a modhugger. (If you would like it though, by all means I'll post it!) And BTW kudos to Wrinkledlion for linking here.

Good point about the Nuva 2003 (or 2002, however you wanna slice it) not representing them very well. I've been trying to say basically that for a few days without figuring out how to word it. However, I do think the 2001 forms represented them pretty well, and so I would have wanted more similarity to those forms. But even though I can see the logic behind the decision, the fact remains that who will like it is purely taste-related, not logical, probably including a bit whether each person thinks they match personalities or not. And actually I do have good reason to think most fans will like the Mistika (and we know the Phantoka are selling like crazy already, Greg said). So probably no actual problem. About the hot-headed thing though -- actually, one interesting point here is that the Nuva's personalities have matured and thus changed a bit. Tahu isn't controlled by his temper anymore; he's learned that lesson. I'm sure it will be a story element still, but I suppose this is another good argument for the reasoning behind the change.

Nor are they usually used to channel elemental powers. But maybe it's just me cuz in my other stories I have characters able to spin a sword to do that. Maybe only I would think of it. Although, actually, some star wars light-saber characters do... Well... sorta. But then, almost every mask has that.

This is true, and this might mean it will do well. Personally it doesn't make me like it. But of the three, I do like Tahu best because he seems to be the most coherent of the three. Why didn't I think of that lol? But if the blades spin, it would work sorta like Keetongu's shield thingy, wouldn't it? I'd assumed it had a triple purpose -- 1) buzzsaw, 2) shield, 3) extra propulsion (kinda like Pohatu Newva). Ah, good old RPGmaker fire. Many times have I used that anim. Alright, but I think the argument is more that this mask doesn't resemble the Hau's other forms, except that it does have serrations. So it's more about the mask, at least to me, than the element of the weilder. Still, those are good points. I hadn't thought of some of them.

Today the Bones Blog brings you a topic that is essential for any member of any online fan forum to understand -- the equality of varying personal preferences/tastes, and how not recognizing this can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, or worse. Bold is for important points, not emotionalism. This will be very to-the-point so it's easier to read -- if you wanna know more, please ask! Please realize my goal is to show an easy way to help us all avoid flaming each other, even if we disagree on things. Quality is in the Eye of the Beholder Bionicle is a toyline, a franchise with a storyline inspired by its toys. Toys are for kids to have fun, although some adults (like me) enjoy toylines as well. To have fun, kids must be pleased by the toy and the experience that comes with it, or by the storyline, etc. How you please each person depends on their personal tastes, also called preference. Tastes vary from person to person, and are largely wired into us from birth, not something we choose or can control. Tastes do change and develop with age and life experiences, and there may some small element of choice with them. But for the most part, taste is just like race, gender, hair color, eye color, facial features, etc. -- it's built into us. And thus, to put down someone else just because they dislike different things, or to insult the things they like, is a form of discrimination, and is wrong. Now, it's perhaps not as bad as racism, because it's easy to see that skin color or other racial features are not chosen by the person, but preference is invisible. However, at heart it is just as bad, and the hate directed at the "different" can hurt just as much. Or to put it how I often do -- People are like snowflakes. No two are the same. This means that "quality", at least in toys, is subjective, and depends on the person. Nobody can claim that their own tastes automatically equal quality. The only thing close is the majority taste, since that determines what will sell well. The Mistake However, the above facts are often misunderstood or not even known by people, especially when young. People often assume that what they like, everybody else must like too. When they dislike something, they assume it must be "bad" and that everybody else will agree. When people like this encounter others, it is confusing. They often react negatively to the different person (making a mistake I call "Instant Rejection Fallacy" which I will have a blog entry in the future), assuming they are making a wrong choice, or are somehow "damaged" or immature or less intelligent, etc. When they encounter things they dislike, they assume there must be something wrong with those who designed it. Many who do know that others like different things mistakenly think that those others are "lesser." In their confusion, people often try to "defend" their tastes by trying to sound logical about what is "good" and "bad" -- two problems being that they just use fallacies, which aren't logical, and that they didn't need to defend their tastes at all because it's okay to have them. It's an easy mistake to make -- but it's easily fixed if we simply realize that taste is wired into us, and not related to intelligence or anything like that -- if we realize that all individual tastes are equal. Seeing someone who's different isn't cause for alarm -- relax yall! Bionicle's Responsibility Bionicle has a responsibility to remain financially healthy in order to continue, and to support the LEGO company. In order to do this, it must please enough fans that it turns a profit (in the face of pressures such as the cost of plastic, the cost of steel molds, both of which have been rising, or the salaries of employees, or the costs to transport and package, etc. etc. etc.). This means Bionicle has a responsibility to please "most fans," or the "majority preference." Since each individual taste is equal, each one works like a vote. That's only approximate as some might spend more money than others, but you get the idea. With votes, majorities win. While it can give minority fans small treats here and there, vast majority of time the issue is this: "Does this please most fans?" Also, BZP is NOT most fans. We are only a tiny percentage of the fanbase, and even the active posts are often unequally weighted towards the displeased than the pleased -- because the pleased would usually rather just play with toys than go post somewhere. The Risk of Entrenched Hatred I strongly recommend reading my past blog entry "Am I Against Free Speech?," especially the "Forums Gone Bad" section, because on forums where lack of understanding of this basic concept runs rampant, many people tell themselves for years that they are superior to everybody else, and this wrong opinion becomes so entrenched that it is hard to teach them the truth. Just trying to do makes you "the enemy" in their eyes a lot of times. So whenever you see a topic or post doing this, I recommend linking here. We all must be vigilant and see to it that we don't let anyone fall into this dangerous trap, including ourselves. Just one post while you're in a bad mood can come across as TDF, and spark flame. It can drag down any forum, even BZPower, and it really only takes a month or even less time for such discrimination to become entrenched if there's something big to disagree about (like new set images). It doesn't always just plain die down. In the past few months, I've seen a lot more extreme taste discrimination in the form of some extreme, even hateful topics. These are beginning to risk us needing to start closing complaint topics, and if you read that other entry, you know I'm trying my best to prevent that. But I'm a busy guy and I can't do it all myself. Obviously, these usually come from newer members (though often longtime fans) who aren't as familiar with our rules against flaming, and almost definately have never seen any of my posts or similar posts. The Fallacy, 3 Main Forms 1) Insulting someone with a different taste is the most extreme form of "taste discrimination." This is NOT to say "there's no such thing as morals." People CAN certainly make immoral choices, but morals are inside the realm of logic. Logic states that "I like" statements are considered to be outside the realm of logic, thus it is illogical to try to attach moral or universal standards to personal tastes. 2) A lesser version is when you don't insult the people directly, but insult what they like. Even if you say that you don't want to offend anybody, doing that IS an insult to the person who likes it, because it implies they shouldn't like it. 3) And a much lesser version is when you simply assume that everybody, or most people, shares your own tastes. You might not hate those who don't share your tastes, but you assume that entertainment is supposed to be targeted at you, thus you can tell people what is 'good' and 'bad' about entertainment purely by saying what you liked or disliked. Problem is, you might actually be in the minority on some things. World doesn't revolve around just you. This is a form of "Hasty generalization" fallacy. It also often comes in the form of "Chronological Snobbery" fallacy -- assuming that the new/old is good/bad just because it's new or old. Both of those terms are official logicianspeak, not my own terms. All of these are versions of a logical fallacy because, essentially, they look at something that is true inside one person (taste) and use it to say what reality must be, universally, about something outside that person (in this case, Bionicle). The argument "I dislike this, therefore Bionicle shouldn't do it" sums up the fallacy. "Taste Discrimination Fallacy" is my own term, to be clear. And don't confuse it with "He has discriminating tastes" -- that's just a fancy way of saying someone's picky. Again, What I'm NOT Saying I'm NOT saying that Bionicle doesn't make mistakes. If it appeals less to most fans than it should, that's a mistake, and needs fixed -- complaining about these is good and is the main reason I work so hard to keep complaint topics flame-free and thus open. I'm NOT saying logic is irrelevant to Bionicle. But it's usually more in the storyline realm than the set one -- plot holes and the like are a logical issue. With sets, almost everything is a matter of preference. Also, LEGO must use logic in order to determine what will appeal to most fans. Obviously it is capable of not hitting that nail on the head every time, but it's been getting much, much better at it. I'm NOT saying the majority taste is "better" than the minority. Individually each is equal, and a "tyranny of the majority" would be just as bad with this as with racism or any other form of discrimination. However, Bionicle has no choice but to try to appeal to the majority, and this is not wrong. Small treats for minority fans are cool and I encourage them, but we must be careful not to be ungrateful when this happens as LEGO has no obligation to do it -- we should not have a "more more more" attitude towards such treats. I'm NOT saying everything is about taste. There are some people who try to justify immoral behavior as taste -- this is wrong because issues of morals do exist inside the realm of logic. So for example murder is wrong universally -- a murderer can't justify it by saying he likes to do it. What else am I not saying... *thinks* I'm NOT saying that taste is as simple as "two sides." That's what entrenched flamers usually say, and it's waaay oversimplistic. However, there are two approximate sides on a lot of things. Watch for an entry coming soon on what they are. I'm NOT saying there's an "older fan" taste and a "younger fan" taste. While that might have changed slightly for the majority since new kids constantly get born, grow a little older, and join the fanbase, a lot of the original styles were unpopular even in 2001 (Rahi sold poorly, collectibles sold poorly, gears were unpopular, the most-complained-about year, etc.). I am a perfect example of a 2001 fan who disliked those things and loves the newer style a lot more. In reality, it was that in 2001 LEGO misjudged who would mostly like Bionicle, and since then, has changed to move more in line with the majority. The minority, which is often online and BZP members, dislikes this obviously. But they sometimes forget that LEGO can't please everybody -- so there will always be someone who dislikes whatever they do. And I'm not saying anything else bad. Bones = nice. I'm saying Beeeeee Gooooooood. Capisce? Examples of Taste Discrimination Some of these are near-quotes from recent topics, others are from past topics, most are paraphrased. "LEGO has killed Bionicle because I don't like a new set!" "This set is stupid." "Epic fail." (Sorry ) "LEGO's selling out!" "Bionicle is cheaping out!" "Alright, no." "Dumbest set." "Golden Age of 2001." "Bionicle is for [insert random insult]s." "LEGO is milking the cash cow." (If something sells, means it pleases kids.) "I hate this set." (Hate is too far; if you hate a toy, you have problems.") "The Umbra Mistake" "Toa Mistake-a" (I know it's punny and all, but it's TDF.) "LEGO doesn't care about the fans, just money." (If it sells, means pleases most fans.) "You're a fanboy." (Probably the dumbest insult considering most Bionicle fans are boys and are also, well, fans...) "You're not a true fan." (Just because someone doesn't like part of a franchise doesn't make 'em any less a fan.) And there are hundreds of other similar statements that reveal a taste-discrimination fallacy. I've probably forgotten a lot of biggies -- I might add more. A Better Way! If we all simply understand that taste vary, and are equal, we can learn to get along with others much more, and avoid problems like flame. When you see something you don't like, be more like "Eh, not my cup of proverbial tea... not that I drink tea..." We are all different, and that's okay. Say things more like "What set do you like least?" or "Favorite set?" or "I didn't like that at all." etc. Usually things like "Worst set" are OK as long as they aren't flamey too. It's simple, really, even if it takes a few words to say the whole thing (), and when you have figured this out, life is much easier and more pleasant. That is all.

Niiiice! Excellent news, about both years. And good to hear about Walmart.

Nobody likes it, but fact is plastic and steel mold prices have increased, so eventually LEGO had to give into that pressure -- simple market forces. So if anyone is saying "They should have kept prices the same" -- question is are you willing to have less sets, less new pieces, or smaller sets or things like this in order to do that? If you are, that's good, but if not, that's unrealistic.

Kyuubi -- the problem is that to do so, things would have to be cut back. Like less new peices, less pieces in a set, smaller sets, etc. These sets as they are really can't stay cheap forever. Maybe LEGO could have held off for 2008 on the grounds that they did for the spring -- but by 2009 I don't think that would be viable.

Krika? Looking female? Er... okay? Didn't know Gorast was a female though. She does look somewhat feminine. I wonder if Gali is male? I can't really see how there's anything remotely fem about Krika -- he's a radcool masculine undead skeleton alien. Interesting view. I agree about the armor and masks of the Newva Mistika. Especially Gali's -- that's Krekka! >_< Of course I much prefer the richer darker red and blue though to the more cheesy red of 01 Tahu (didn't mind 01 blue though; either would work, which might be related to the fact that most people have more trouble distinguishing blue diffs than other colors so maybe I have that too lol). I don't think the red and green for Onua look very proper, personally. (Of course "proper" is the wrong word since it's subjective, but those colors just seem to clash.) I still say he should be purple and black to be more eye-catching. XD! He's my fave of the group, in both vehicle and rider, lol. Taste is funny like that, innit?

My thoughts and reactions about the Toy Fair summer set images. Note a lot of this is my own personal taste, along with some predictions on what most fans will like thus will sell well. (Entry on Taste Discrimination coming in just a few days this week.) Before I begin, lemme point out that how I am defining "cool" IMT in this entry is shown in the Ruthless Elegance blog entry (see the linklist content block). It's what I personally like in Bionicle sets, but also what generally seems to be what most fans also like, so my reactions to some of this might be helpful in that way. I'm going to note some places where I differ too. Nynrah Ghost Blasters Awesome concept. I love anything involving ghosts. I don't even have a clue what it means and I love it already. This weapon is much cooler IMT than the style of the Cordak or the rear half of the Midak -- it's not quite up to Zamor or Kanoka launcher levels of coolness but it's an improvement. Biggest thing is that there's at least something "cool" about the whole thing. The ammo itself is somewhat stylized in the front, and the accordion part is cool with its serrations in the back. The shape and side-swiping pieces is coherent (unlike the Cordak), and looks pretty good. Plus it's yet another method of launching, one that reminds me of old-fashioned machinery and thus gets automatic kudos -- very innovative for a Bionicle weapon, yet bringing back a concept from past LEGO lines. Some worry LEGO will run out of ways to fire Bionicle weapons (I'm still hoping for bow and arrow weapons!), and maybe so, but we're definately not there yet! And the "red" part on the Cordak seems to only be red with a set with red -- so we have color coordination back. Only thing is it still could use a little more styling like Toa swords or the like get, including the ammo -- we really have yet to see truly styled ammo except for the rubber Squids which had other problems). But overall, bravo! Makuta Mistika For a fan of "ruthless elegance", these are sheer perfection. I am frankly shocked at just how awesome Krika is -- the only problem is I won't even be able to coolify him at all. THAT is exactly the kind of thing I've been saying for a while I love and want more of. I don't even mind that he's white and red which aren't usually my favorite color combos. Second fave is lime Gorast -- great mask (seems kinda Doomahlike, and also a lot like the MOL Kraakhan or however it's spelled lol), six limbs , great claws. The wings are pretty good too, though I could coolify 'em. They look like they could double as interesting Toa swords. Bitil's body design and limb arrangement is still unclear to me so reserving total judgement. The weapons are some of the coolest I've seen in the whole three-year arc though. And that mask is awesome. BTW, is it just me or might there be a Hordika neck in those heads? Or something similar? Because those are the good old Bohrok eyes. Also, yellow and black works well for him. Vehicles Haaaaaaaa-HWOOOT! Wow. I'm very impressed. Toa Ignika was a hint that Bionicle vehicles were getting more "ruthlessly elegant" but I didn't expect this. One possible concern is that Bionicle fans traditionally look at bigger sets as "Too 'Technic', not 'Bionicle' enough", and I see a lot of Technic design elements in this. This is a risky move that hopefully the minority fans on here will like, but we'll have to see how it plays with most fans. Personally I love Jetrax's and Vultraz's vehicles best. Rockoh's is pretty cool too. Axalara's is a little blander and more "technicy", although I like the boldness of how freakin huge the front is with the tri-wing design behind it. It does resemble some spaceships I've designed before, lol. But the silvery, knifelike designs on Jetrax's, with those awesome engines are the height of cool in vehicle design. With the figures themselves, I did think the color schemes could have matched the vehicles much better. I'm really tired of red and green being combined, ever since one of the Vahki if memory serves. IMT it's really not a cool combo. It's Christmasy, I'll give you, but that isn't usually related to how it's used. Red figure with blue vehicle is unfortunate too. I never was that huge a fan of the old "Takua" coloring. Seems too "American wearing jeans" rather than Bionicle, if you will. Orange with green is okay though, but again better combos could be picked. I'd personally put red with red on Axalara, orange with blue (okay, it's my blog colors so sue me), and green with green. Also, I'd keep Vultraz red but use less of it. Overall, I hope this sells well, cuz it roxorz! Takanuva HANDZZZZZZ! For many years past, Binkmeister would do a review of a Toa and he'd say something to the effect that he just didn't get the "Toa shoulder" pieces being used as hands. We've sortof gotten used to them since 2001 which did have some hands, but really, they're a copout IMT. In recent years with titans Bionicle has been steadily improving some hand designs, such as Axonn and Hydraxon (Ironicles!). But we've yet to see one in a Toa. True, Takanuva is now a titan, but he's really not that much bigger than canister sets. I'd like to see hands like that be migrated somehow to canister sets in the future. Takanuva as a whole is rad cool, definately up to par and improved upon 2003. The shadow/light dichotomy is portrayed well in set form. He's got tons of ruthless elegance, especially the hands and mask. And he's really almost identical in the most visible features to his 2003 form so he's easily recognizeable, at least if you heard about the Shadow leech attack, heh. THAT is what I would want in Toa, albeit sized down slightly and put in canisters. Toa Mistika Sigh. Yeah, that's pretty much the chorus out there, I know, but... I dunno, I just keep wanting more out of the Toa Newva. If you'll pardon me, I'm going to begin with a huge con for once. The masks. And yes I know it's possible they're prototypes but I saw nothing on that either way, so it's wishful thinking at this point. I defended the Nuva Phantoka's masks because in addition to looking "ruthlessly elegant", they bore a lot of resemblance to the 2001 and/or 2003 forms of the masks. The Kakama is the same basic shape, and even resembles the also-similar Vahi. The Miru looks very much like the Miru Nuva fused to a modified Miru Mata. The Akaku is admittedly weak and looks a little more like Toa Metru Nuju's mask, but the characteristic visor is of course similar. But these? The closest similarity I found is the serrations on Tahu's knight-helmet-mask. His is also my favorite of these three, but really, it's Knight's quest more than something I would want on a Toa (that's me). And the facial expression of it looks... I dunno, timid, fearful? I could imagine plenty of similar but much more heroic designs. On the plus side, I do have a fundamental difference with most fans here -- with the Hordika, I wanted more beast-like heroes, but they wanted more heroic looking ones. I think it's why I've begun to like the villain designs slightly better than the hero designs in recent years. And you gotta admit, a knight's mask, even with the facial expression, is the very symbol of heroism. Onua's mask is fairly cool looking. I did want more resemblance to the Pakari Mata as that is one of the most "ruthlessly elegant" masks ever IMT and it was the one that got me looking at Bionicle in the first place, but I can buy this. There IS a sliiiight resemblance to the Pakari Nuva. I still say Onua should have purple in his color scheme though to be more eye-catching. And Gali's mask. This frankly looks like a prototype more than a Kanohi you would actually buy. I can only hope. It's the most dissapointing, especially on a female. I didn't mind Hahli Inika's moustache, because the mask still looked feminine, but this is Krekka's face. Only reeeeeally simplified, minus anything "cool" as that means to me, and really not even that coherent. Plus side is the "fins" on the sides of the mask. Those are pretty cool. The "jet" things -- Eh, reasonable. I had been hoping for something unique to each one like the Phantoka though. They're nice quaint little pieces that I think I will love for System/Bionicle Fusion MOCs. I especially like how the fin things attach to them in Tahu. Choice of red for Onua is confusing and conflicts his green eyes (there that pesky combo is again). The "claw-decorations" like on Tahu's back of legs are cool. This especially brings "adaptive armor" to mind. This is spikes sticking off -- this is what I describe often as an essential to ruthless elegance. Much like the Piraka. Gali's shoulder armor is excellence in silver plastic form. Coherent, bold spikes. Not sure if it's feminine but hey. I could have picked "cooler" limb armor for Tahu, frankly -- the Metru blocky ones are kind bleah. Onua's is my favorite one though, and I see Gali has that too. Feet -- I like Gali's Metru foot, and Onua has my absolute favorite foot ever (as I say every time I see it lol). That foot is ruthless elegance incarnate. Tahu's foot is that awkward Hahli Inika foot though that I keep hoping will die. It's not that cool. Tools. The only one I can make out for sure (aside from the blaster) is Tahu's. This is basically a simpler version of an old prototype shape seen in a titan prototype from 2005 that I've been desperately hoping would finally be used in set form for years. (That was a prototype Rhotuka apparently.) Bravo! The thing on Gali's back -- I can't quite make it out, but it looks cool enough. Onua -- I'm not sure if he's holding a tool??? There's something but the pose in the pics is too awkward. Armor -- Okay, I know sets come before story, but if the Nuva have adaptive armor, why do we still have no body armor? I fail to see how lack of body armor makes them look more heroic. Maybe it's just me though. Poses BTW, why is it that LEGO poses the sets so awkwardly every single year? At toyfair is not the exception -- it's the rule even in the main marketing images for the most part. In 2001, the poses were awesome, though they were deceptive -- since the sets can do that now, why not pose them in cool ways too? I think the pose is a huge part of successful marketing. I know some of this is just the angles those photos happened to be taken in, but still. Some of those poses are just weird, mainly Gali and Onua, and Krika too. A heroic pose could help too couldn't it? Tahu's pose is pretty good though, and admittedly the characters on the vehicles are pretty much forced into those poses. Plastic's Higher Cost The biggest risk to these sets, and even to Bionicle's future, is possibly going to be the increased prices that have been forced on LEGO due to rising petroleum costs, and recently rising steel prices. The newly higher cost of a Makuta Mistika was put off for a few years, and for that LEGo deserves gratitude, but it's getting unrealistic to continue that. At some point you have to try to keep making a profit or at least breaking even, or it's not worth it. As said in the last blog entry, this might be related to the problem in Canada with Walmart -- now you can see the problem is in the US as well, and probably everywhere else. This pretty much confirms that this is a huge part of the whole Canada Walmart fiasco, though there hasn't been an official explanation I've seen. Let's all be careful not to take this out on LEGO unreasonably -- remember the hold-off. That said, if this is a trend (and it might not be), LEGO may eventually have to abandon plastic altogether, just as it originally did not use plastic. But for now, we're probably a long ways off from that decision. Prediction Time These villains should explode the shelves, let alone fly off them. Krika might be very hard to find, heh. I expect these to sell like Piraka and Barraki, and possibly much better. Takanuva is very, very "Bionicle" and heroic even despite the dichotomy of light and shadow, and should sell well for a titan. The results for him interest me especially. The mixed hero and villain release schedule should work well as predicted for spring sets, because most fans are roleplayers and this allows instant roleplaying. This alone could make sales shoot through the roof. The vehicles will definately sell better than the 2001 Rahi as they are still very Bionicle, but whether they'll sell like 2003 Ussanui and Takanuva considering that they're so huge (some anyways) remains to be seen. It's a big risk. I'm not confident enough to predict anything except that the smaller and well-color-comboed Vultraz should sell well. The Toa are heroic (with possible exceptions in Tahu's expression and Gali's mask) and should sell well. That said, there's still room for more "coolifying" and I still think that this can be done in a heroic way that could improve their sales even more (like Takanuva 2008!!!). I predict they will sell sell, but possibly slightly less than the Nuva Phantoka prediction. Comparing to the Inika/Mahri, they will either sell slightly worse, or better, depending on how much the fans see the "heroic" question and the coolness. I do not expect them to be either rocking successes or dismal failures. A big problem for Bionicle recently has simply been that it needs to be marketed better to get the word out -- this hurt 2007 in some ways. Assuming these get marketed well, Bionicle 2008 should prove to be a strong year, probably around what it was in 2006, maybe even surpassing it!

Well... I guess maybe I'm not seeing your point. I mean true, if there were no consumers, we wouldn't have LEGO or Walmart or really anything (we'd probably all just be dead. ) Perhaps you meant that consumers like low prices -- but I don't see how that could be a bad thing when most of us have more pressing needs to spend money on than toys (talking about parents mainly, not kids or adult fans per se). If that's what you meant.

Yes, this is why I have been warning for a while that the biggest risk to Bionicle's future isn't going to come from what is usually discussed in complaint/debate topics (set design, marketing, continuing innovation, etc.) -- but from plastic becoming a huge problem for the toy market. If this gets out of hand, LEGO may have to make the second major shift in its core concept -- the first being the move to plastic. They might have to move away from it if price gets too high to make a decent profit. Thankfully, for now we're probably a long way off from that.

Thanks, added.

Never thought I'd blog about this, since it risks getting into politics, lol. But with the news about Walmart's boycotting of LEGO, going through the talkback and other places where yall are discussing it, I see there's some things that need said. So rather than bury a post in the talkback, here we go. NO POLITICAL COMMENTS, PLEASE. Bold is for important points, not emotionalism. First of all, xccj summed up the situation better than I could, albeit in large paragraphs I'll split up for easy reading. Like xccj, I'm not going to claim to know for sure what's going on here. I'm a logician -- I don't form opinions without enough data. But there's some things I do see that many are ignoring. Too many posts were this: "Walmart is Evil!" Guys, I know it's a popular slam, especially in America (where I live) for various political reasons and just to jump on the bandwagon, but that kind of unthinking flame isn't going to help matters any. Walmart is not the only place to shop. They like low prices -- consumers like low prices. To call that evil is nonsensical. The political argument I hesitate to bring up is that they have lower wages for employees -- this argument falls flat on its face. If employees wanted higher wages they would work somewhere else. No employees would mean no Walmart. But if you like higher prices (perhaps because you want to support those who want higher wages, which is admirable), you are free to shop elsewhere. This is not just about Walmart or LEGO, it's about Canada too. From what I have read, prices of most things are higher in Canada. I'd love to make political comments as to the obvious reasons, lol, but that one would cross the political rule line, IMO, so I won't. It's also possibly about rising prices of plastic due to rising oil prices (and steel molds, I heard recently), about Mega Bloks competing with LEGO (which is NOT evil, although I'll grant you the original legal stealing MB did of LEGO's idea was immoral), or the tougher toy market of today. How much LEGO can balance the pressure to raise prices with Walmart's pressure to lower prices is a huge question. Let's not pretend LEGO isn't under the pressure to raise the prices, and is even holding the line right now against raising them as much as they'd like. There might not be a solution except for Walmart Canada simply to never sell LEGO again, as much as we might wish otherwise. Don't forget that different businesses cater to different preferences (which can include pricing), and that's okay. Sure, this is one issue that probably isn't just about taste, but this is the toy aisle we're talking about, which is inherently tied to it. Point is, this is a more complex issue than can be summed up in a one-liner insult. Finally, I gotta say, as much as I defend LEGO all the time, a lot of you are going overboard by just dismissing that any blame could lie with LEGO here. The original linked news story in our news article seemed to show that other companies are doing alright by lowering their prices as Walmart demands (MB especially). In fairness, that could be a risky but strategic move to compete with a higher quality product, but then... maybe not. In logicianspeak, the mistake some of you are making is the logical fallacy known as Personal Incredulity. It's a very rampant fallacy that assumes that because you find something hard to believe, usually because of a bias you have, it must not be true. It's a mistake a lot of Bionicle complainers make, but it goes both ways, guys. Of course, obviously I'm not saying LEGO is evil either, so don't misunderstand. But could LEGO lower their Canada prices? Maybe, maybe not, but at least consider it! ------------------------------------------------------------------ In other news: I know I promised an entry about taste discrimination, and I have outlines and drafts of it, but this needed said. Next week. Hopefully. (Also, that's an entry I want to be very careful about and not just rush, since it could easily be misconstrued if worded confusingly.)

Valenti -- I think I know what you're talking about; sounds like a place my brother goes to if I recall right (which is admittedly doubtful). GB -- yeah, I'm a nostalgic too on a lot of things. MNOG and McToran come to mind, heh. Of course, since MNOG is downloadable (huzzah!) no problemo there personally, was just playing it, but would be nice to see more games like that, and more "ubercool" sets like the Mctoran. DV -- Lol. KoT -- Thanks. ^__^ StH -- Actually yeah, I think what I do is already more what you suggested than anything else -- I try as often as I can to remind people that their tastes are OK for them. As you said -- that's "as I would say." But I appreciate the comments anyways. Saya -- You reminded me of another point I kinda sorta forgot to make in the entry, lol. Yeah, one easy response to the accusation is "If I was against free speech, why would I be exercising it myself, rather than just convincing my fellow staff members to close your topic?" Or, in other words, "I have free speech too," lol. And yes, I am in America. Technically, I'm here because I was born here, but it's not like I'm rushing to get out or anything, heh. Lukos: Yes, that's really all I am usually saying -- that we shouldn't expect everybody to be just like us. Absolutely correct -- but one of the reasons I make it clear that "opinion" can mean two things is, when it's NOT about taste, and it's about "theories about what reality is", then there is good reason for us to consider that maybe we should change our minds about something. Like if we think LEGO's doing something "wrong", but we find out they had good reasons, etc. Okay... interesting point. Reading on -- because the point of defining how I'm using terms is to clear things up, something that everybody should remember to do in debates. I agree, actually. Maybe you misunderstood something I've said if you think I disagree with that. When I usually post my "taste spiel" is when someone's saying something like "I hate this! LEGO's out of touch, lazy, horrible!" or some other extreme reaction. 'Cuz that's what leads to fights and flame. On the other hand, learning how to express ourselves even more clearly even in the less extreme cases can help avoid misunderstandings -- which often also lead to fights too. So for example while I won't jump on every member who posts "The Piraka rock", heh, I also try to avoid saying things like that myself, so that I can't be misunderstood, instead wording it to be clear I mean it subjectively -- "I love the Piraka!" And I don't see that it can hurt for others to do that too, if they so choose. You kinda lost me on this one -- I'm not sure quite what you mean by "proof" there? For example, the fact that gears are (mostly, see Icarax) gone is an objective fact -- it "proves" nothing except that gears are gone mostly. Doesn't prove that this is good or bad objectively. So again, if I saw someone saying "I miss gears!" I wouldn't object at all to that, and in fact have encouraged it many times before. But if they said "Gears are gone! LEGO's out of touch!", I'm going to point out their mistake. If I don't, it could become an "entrenched" view that could split BZP like the forums I mentioned. Depends on what you mean -- what do you mean by "neutral", by "immediate", or by "evidence"? There are ways to be more objective about things -- mainly by avoiding logical fallacies -- and I don't remember ever saying anything had to be "immediate." Zyglakky -- Point is basically that by keeping flame down, I'm helping to keep complaint topics open. And thus allowed. Meaning I'm for free speech, not against. jimmybob -- I have never used the term as if it was an official title (it's a lowercase l) -- a logician is simply someone who chooses to use sound, valid logic, study logic, etc. Unfortunately, many schools don't even teach it as a required class, so no degrees, sorry (I would love to rant about conspiratorial-sounding reasons as to why, but it would get political -- suffice to say, I agree with the Professor in Narnia on the issue). Most colleges do offer classes on it, though, in a Liberal Arts concentration, or just as an elective in various degrees. As far as careers go, logic will help you in just about any career, but professional debate teams are probably the kind of thing you're thinking of (which personally doesn't interest me, but a lot of people enjoy that). My sense from my own college experience has been that logicians tend to be in the English department, especially in creative writing, because that requires intensely strict logical abilities if you wanna produce coherent works. You could also go into teaching logic, heh.

You'd think that would work, but it's better just to lay off the accelerator and slowly slow down so they pass in cases like that, almost always. Not to preach or anything. And not to defend the cop there.

Lol, good answer. No, not an evil principal at this point in life.

Lol, I guess. But the same members were joining the "new" forum which was produced by the same guys, so I'll go a little more modest and just say they deleted my topics in a clever, loopholey way. jimmy: Well, again, I don't wanna seem to be claiming credit for more than I really caused -- I was not by any stretch of imagination the only factor. All of us on the staff agree that providing that right is important. And I have to give Greg the vast majority of the credit because without him here, I would have no material with which to do what I do. That's fine -- I'm not expecting or necessarily wanting everybody to do that. I'm probably wrong on a lot of things -- or I'm willing to consider that I am. Someone once said that in a lot of disagreements, the truth is often somewhere in the middle. And that's been the case with me a lot. That's the conversation Wrinkle and I are having right now in that "Nostalgia" VB poll. [Edit: And I see you saw that -- okay, now read point #s 2 and 3 below before judging here. ] How I see what I do is using clear definitions to more clearly explain how I see the heart of the matter. Obviously to some people, it comes across the opposite way, and if that's because I'm obsessing over something, then that's my fault and I need to improve. 1) Yes, this happens. 2) But two, I think you're attributing perhaps more telepathic power to me than I have (which is none lol). In those cases it's more that I had no clue that they knew (or wasn't sure). So again, yes, that would possibly be my fault, but not for pretending they're simpletons or anything, just for really me being the simpleton in that case and not catching a nuance they included (or being in a hurry and rushing things). Believe me, you never can assume, and plenty of times what one person knows and is insulted that I said it, another didn't know and thanks me for telling them. Each person is different. So a lot of times it's also not my fault, it's just that I couldn't be sure at the time. (Of course, I could try more often to just ask, which is after all my own advice, lol.) 3) Also, you have to remember that nothing I write on the forums (or anywhere other than PMs/IMs) is written just for one person. I always have to keep everybody reading in mind, and a lot of them don't know the things I and the other person know, and in my experience, if I just leave it unsaid, it just makes things worse because these readers misunderstand me, and post things like "I agree with bones, you shouldn't complain!" So it's one of those frustrating issues where I can't please everybody, unfortunately. Believe me, many, many, many do not, especially some of our younger members. And I've known plenty of adults who don't know them too, here, on other forums like the ones I mentioned, and real life. The Ignorance Peeve is alive and well out there, my friend. I am interested in this stuff, definately. Don't let me responding to it and critiquing/discussing it make you think I don't want to hear it. I do. Yarr, I know... *tortures ego again* Lol -- I think we've had this conversation before. Maybe I could choose when and where to use them more tactically, but honestly I feel it's more genuine if I don't. I have this nutso theory that if I simply express emotion where I actually do feel it, I'll seem more real, precisely because I'll be more real. Will never work for the people that choose to assume this: Which is the opposite of what I do. Actually, when I am replying to someone like you who I know has expressed dislike of emoticons before is the only time I thinking about where is the smarter place to put them. So no offense but I think you create some of that impression yourself by being uptight about emoticons in the first place. Look, here I would have used a wink emote, but I'm not gonna because I can't be sure if you'll take it for what it means, or as a "tactic." Again, no offense, and not that I don't appreciate you telling me this. But if you see me using a silly emote, which I admittedly do a lot, it's because I'm a silly guy. I mean, I'm not writing comedies for tactical reasons, yaknow? Yes, a logician can be silly too... Honestly, I've begun to think that choosing not to use emoticons around those like you is actually worse, because of what I just above. I think it actually makes me seem less genuine, which equals bad. I'll take a hint from Wrinkle and not nitpick on that one. See, I appreciate your advice, and I'll admit it's tempting, but the thing is, the idea of trying to "fake" the way I express myself is just repulsive to me. I just can't do it, and I honestly don't think it would get me anywhere anyways. In my experience, people who fake themselves to goals might achieve them by fooling a bunch of easily-swayed people, but only by sacrificing something that means a lot more to me -- the trust of those who whom being genuine is vital. I think where I fail is when I actually let the negative emotions take me over and I do sit there thinking "this guy's a [insert insult here] and I'm smarter than him." That's wrong, and I need to stop it. I think that's the solution. (Sorry for the emote. ) So while "Kill them with kindness" is a principle I believe in, I believe in the genuine version of it, where I really don't hold grudge, I really do look at them in kindness no matter what they've done to me (which isn't to say I don't mete out punishments when it's my job to, but you know what I mean). I think you're confusing that with people who "misuse" the principle as a mere tactic, who are fake about it. If you know nothing else about me, know this -- I am never fake. [Edit: Oh, BTW -- I don't dislike anybody. Right there is probably a big part of your problem. I don't have that problem, because I am never talking to anyone I dislike. ] But it's fun! When I type things like this, my fingers move in such a blur that the keyboard feels like clay rather than plastic! (I'm serious! Okay, I'm joking too. But it does -- feels weird.)

Today the Bones Blog brings you my own history related to complaint topics, and a major aspect of what I do that most complainers do not realize off the bat. This is being posted because of a recent misunderstanding, but I've needed to say it for a long time. It's also proof that I can be a windbag, so apologies. Okay, anybody who knows me knows that I post in complaint topics a lot. I am usually disagreeing with complainers (when they post illogical points), and they often wish I hadn't done so. I've been called a "debating monster", I've been called distinguished and well-spoken, and I've been called an inhuman robot. What I do is admittedly often above the level that maybe a lot of people here want to think about, or sometimes even need to think about. I'm very wordy but often misunderstood, and even some of the people I respect most have been rubbed the wrong way by what I do. So why do I do it? The Misunderstanding Complainers often assume I am trying to stifle their right to complain. The number one response I get is "this is my opinion, I have a right to it, why are you trying to stop complaints about Bionicle?' Saying this is not evil -- it's perfectly understandable. But from my point of view, it's kinda funny and ironic, because what they do not realize is, I am actually doing the exact opposite. Before I started doing this, complaint topics were automatically closed for potential or actual flame, and I do claim credit for a huge portion of why today we can almost always keep them flame-free and thus open. So I'd really appreciate more gratitude from complainers. :-P But it's understandable, because that's not super simple a concept to grasp, and not obvious to someone who's newer to BZPower debates. So let's review the history. Importance of Complaints In 2004, when I was a new staff member, I mostly left complaint/debate topics alone. I don't like fighting -- I just want to get along with people. But I'm also a logician, and I'm also a big fan of Bionicle. That means I have a vested interest in Bionicle doing well. But what happens if there's a problem, and Bionicle isn't doing so hot? If its designers become out of touch with the majority of fans, and sales decline too far, how can it keep going? LEGO would have to cancel Bionicle and move on to something else. If LEGO itself faces this problem overall, it could go out of business. Equals bad. So say there's a problem. How do we fix it? By complaining. Constructive criticism, suggestions, whatever word you want to use, the fact is that on-target complaints are vital. We have helped Bionicle in this way before -- we helped show them why clone sets were a problem, and it was because of our complaints about that, combined with sales data that showed that we were right, that made LEGO decide to introduce more variety in teams. Flame is the Enemy of Free Speech But at the time, complaint topics had been getting more and more flamey as time went on and the original fans aged so much that they could no longer relate much to the new Bionicle. 2002 to 2003 had huge problems, but since it was still trying to hang onto appealing mostly to the minority preferences we see on here a lot, the main complaints were more of yawns in the form of posts than flame. But in 2004, Bionicle went more towards the majority tastes, and BZP's "nostalgics" (if you will) got upset, sometimes angry. GregF was in these topics, trying his best to provide a more objective point of view. He deserves even more credit than me for helping out in this way. But what I saw all too often was the idea that "Well, he just works for LEGO, he's making this stuff up" or the like. He was giving complainers important info they didn't have previously, and it helped a lot, but many didn't want to hear it and refused to believe it just because the source worked with LEGO. Things just kept on getting out of hand. Now, our job as staff is clear. We're here to be a family friendly forum. We cannot tolerate flame. We will not. The admins made that crystal clear from the get-go, long before I ever even knew BZPower existed. I support that call, and obviously most online fans and their parents do too, or we wouldn't be as big as we are. We have to do our best to promote respect and kindness among members, even as they disagree with each other. So what else could we do? We had no choice but to close these complaint topics when they got out of hand. By late 2004, complaint topics were almost always closed automatically because they'd become about as controversial as religion or politics discussions. What do you think that does to free speech, guys? At the time, a big complaint lodged towards us was that we were stifling free speech when it comes to Bionicle complaints. This despite the fact that many of us were on the front lines posting complaints, including admins! I refuse to pretend that somehow what we did back then was stifling free speech. The ones stifling free speech were the flamers. Enter Me But, I felt there was something else we could do. Or at least, that I could do. For many years now, I've considered myself a logician. What that means to me is I approach debate not as mudslinging, going around in circles, speechifying to defend whatever I happen to have said to protect my own selfish pride and ego -- that was when I was a kid. I was lucky enough to be taught logic growing up, and it fascinated me. I learned more and more about it, and I used it. I started to realize I had been a fool as a kid to argue by my ego. I became a logician -- which to me means I approach debate as a search among friends for the truth -- the real, actual truth, that is, not anyone's idea of it. I learned a lot about how avoiding logical fallacies and analyzing argument structures could help understand what was really going on in discussion, and better communicate what I wanted to get across. I don't claim any credit for this at all -- as I said, I was lucky. I came to believe logic was the key, as well as an open mind and in-depth, all-inclusive research, to finding the truth. Posting on here, I realized I had a talent for steering debates away from flame and "defensive debate" and towards respect and "truth-seeking debate." When I did this, flame in topics was reduced dramatically. And since I don't work for LEGO, nobody can use that tactic on me, and I'm able to back Greg up on a lot of things that might otherwise be brushed aside. Dosn't hurt that I can zap your proto if you flame me either. :-P So I decided to go into as many complaint topics as I could, and "moderate" both as a job and like a debate moderator, to try to avoid flame and thus keep the topics open. The job was too big for just me, so as I went, I tried to encourage as many of our older members to learn some of the things I learned and help me in the same way. Again, Greg's input, beyond even just the storyline, since he has access to facts like sales or focus group results that we don't have, helped a ton. Without that, I doubt the following would have been possible: Complaint Topics Stayed Open I still remember the first complaint topic I managed to keep open. Okay, so I don't remember what the subject was, lol, but it was in early 2005 or late 2004, don' remember which (crazy memory), and I did my best to stem the slightest hint of flame. I had been debating in complaint topics for a while now, but they were still getting out of hand. I had discussions with some of the admins about this, especially Ninjo, and everybody agreed trying to keep them calm/open was best. I was talking a lot about the goal of keeping the topics open because at the time, that was the biggest problem. And in this topic, the topic starter and I were able to have an intelligent discussion, and those that came in with more harsh tones and the like I critiqued and some of them responded intelligently. There was only minimal flame that was also spam, which we could warn or delete. And the topic died of natural causes after a while. I watched it like a hawk after the discussion waned, and I saw the exact time it happened. I still remember proudly telling Ninjo it had stayed open, and he was quite pleased. So I kept at this. Some more had to be closed, some getting quite out of hand, but things were clearly improving. By 2006, complaint topic closure was a distant memory. Debate Guide, etc. The Dreaded Real Life started really getting in my way around 2006, and I began having trouble keeping up with complaint topics. So I posted things like the BZP Debate Terms Guide (which is still the orange link in my sig, and free for all to read and learn from), or blog entries like Can Opinions be Wrong? or Why I Do What I Do. Though there were and always will be misunderstandings along the way, there's a whole generation of BZPers now who does a great job of helping do the same thing. Let's also not forget that I'm the guy who hosts the Complaint Topic Archive (though it still needs work and you can help! Go there!). So to suggest I'm somehow against them, given that if nothing else, is as absurd as saying Elvis was against rock music. Also, I've posted plenty of my own complaints, often right in the very posts that people respond to when they accuse me of being against complaints! I've posted both things that personally I find displeasing, and things that as someone concerned for Bionicle's health I think are real problems too. But It Can't Stop at Just Staying Open Okay, so cool, I've backed up the right to complain, usually despite the lack of gratitude. But why did I do it in the first place? Because I think on-target complaints can help improve Bionicle. So naturally, that means to be consistent, I also have to be trying to get you guys to think about this: What we need to focus on is asking ourselves this about every complaint: You find that out by the three things I mentioned -- I call them the Three Pillars of Truth: 1) Logic -- not fallacies, not flame, not mudslinging. 2) Open Mind -- not falling back on what you find easier to believe, not sticking to it due to pride/ego, etc. 3) Research -- not "assumptions" -- facts, hints, evidence, and not disregarding or ignoring any evidence or such. I am doing my best to provide #1. Greg, news articles about sales, and many other things are sources of #3. But only you can provide #2 for yourself. That's the one thing I can't control about debates. Do you have an open mind? Would you admit it if you were wrong? And of course, let's not forget that individual taste, majority taste, emotions, and business decisions are all mixed up into this, as I explain in this blog entry: Can Opinions Be Wrong? I don't wanna rehash all that -- if you haven't read it, please do -- but the basic idea is we each have different preferences for entertainment, and individually these "tastes" are outside logic. We should not be arguing against each others' individual tastes, or saying our own are superior, etc -- we need to focus on figuring out what the majority wants, and maybe on reasonable ways to give the minority some treats too -- in other words, on what will actually help the financial health of Bionicle. (Yes, financial. :-P) That's the biggest area where things get confusing, though. People sometimes think when I say "opinion" I mean "taste" and thus I'm attacking them, lol. Which is the opposite of what I'm doing. ("Opinion" can actually mean both, so that's why it's confusing. Which is why I hate that word. :-P Communication needs to be clear -- that's the whole point of it. But that's why defining words is also very important for everybody to do.) My Bad Now, all that said, I am not Spock, I am not an angel, I am a human being like the rest of us. I do have a temper (it's in there somewhere), I do make mistakes, I do make dumb decisions, I can be just as unhelpful as helpful. One of the curses of being a logician is that I see so much that others cannot see, so easily, it gets incredibly frustrating when they don't see it and need me to repeat it over and over and over again. So I come across as condescending sometimes -- and this is wrong as just as foolish as when I was that little kid because the other people aren't telepathic. Who am I to demand they know everything I know? Why I Continue Believe me, with life how it is more me now, it's really tempting to just quit. Assume, hey, I've fixed the closure problem, nobody remembers that now, I'd rather be writing, drawing, coding RPGs, and being known only for being a friendly albeit-oddly-spooky face on the forums who gives people free stuff. Do any of you think I wouldn't love that? Before I staked my reputation on this, that's who I was seen as, and I almost never got any flak. (Not personally, anyways, just as a generic member of the eeeeevil staff, lol.) I remember well the days when the universal response I got from my argumentative posts, which were limited just to storyline discussion for fun, was "Wow, bones is always right!" Now it's usually "Bones, why can't you leave us alone?" You think I like that? I think you're getting me mixed up with guys like whoever was behind the MiB stuff. :-P But I still love Bionicle, and I still love BZPower, and I still know what complainers might not know -- that I can and do have a positive influence on both. I want Bionicle to continue, and I want BZPower to continue to be a friendly, respected fansite. Forums Gone Bad (Now none of this is going to be related to other Bionicle forums, to make that clear off the bat. Most of those are also well moderated, albeit much smaller than us. :-P And please remember mentioning other forums or linking is against our rules, so nothing like that in comments, please.) I've witnessed with my own eyes, -- and jumped right into the thick of it posting and having conversations -- what happens when there is nobody like me on a fan forum that has gotten "very old". Remember what I said about how flame warfare getting worse simply as a natural side effect of Bionicle getting older? Well, that's not a uniquely Bionicle phenomenon. Actually, the truth is we are far, far better off than a lot of other forums out there. The vast majority of other franchise fan forums are in a constant state of open war -- not just "flame war" like tempers flaring in a topic as we think of it, but like the whole forum in chaos with organized "sides" making a life for themselves out of insulting the other side as cleverly as they can imagine, just for being different, 12 hours a day, seven days a week (okay, that number is fictional, but you get the idea). I've seen this get so bad, it has helped rip apart the franchise itself. Any major fan of scifi will know to what I'm referring to. In that case, I joined the forum in question, and I tried to discuss about what the problem was -- before the franchise collapsed, mind you -- and it quite simply failed utterly because both sides were so entrenched it was clear it was too late. Note that "franchise" is the word I'm using for lack of a better word without giving away what forum this is. I faced professional insulters, mudslingers, those to whom complaining was an attention-drawing art, and all manner of things many BZPers who have never gone on these other forums haven't even imagined. I had to give up on that one to preserve my time to have a life, my sanity, and eventually the fact that the franchise was finished and nothing else would help anyways. Mainly it happened because the franchise got old enough to have "nostalgic" fans who, without anybody objective to guide discussion, convinced themselves more and more for years that they were superior to the extreme to everybody else (which I'm not just guessing -- they proudly declared it). And let's note that the franchise managers' lack of input and involvement with fans made figuring out the truth about what the problem was rather difficult, and I'm not pretending I totally understand it or don't place blame on them too. That was on a forum where there was virtually no moderation and no franchise employee input, BTW, so it's worth mentioning that those were big factors too. But those alone are not enough. There's another "franchise" (again, the word is just the best match I can give without basically giving you guys links to non-kid-friendly forums), this time in the fantasy realm, that has a well-moderated forum, and the person at the top of this "franchise" has been very open about what goes into making what the forum is centered on. Note that it's nowhere near as involved as Greg is, so it's still not ideal, I'll grant you. But the point is, that the staff of this forum do a great job of stopping flame. Complaint topics, like on BZP 2004, are almost always closed, though not always. So you'd think the problem had been solved. Think again. Complainers got more and more vehement, and more and more angry when their complaints just kept getting closed. You saw all of the things as in the first example, all the bad choices made by individuals, all the addiction to negativity. And again, with nobody to act as an objective voice between sides on this, the complainers formed a "side" against the "fanboys". And they formed their own website with its own forum to provide a place for those voices, in the name of "free speech." When I came across this website, I was frankly shocked at the nonsensical arguments they had showcased in in-depth guides to why, literally, the producer of this entertainment "franchise" was stupid, inferior, even downright evil. It was an admin-supported, admin created sometimes, comprehensive museum of flame. Some legitimate complaints were featured, but they were buried inside ridiculous ones. Incredibly transparent tactics were used to twist the facts to make it sound as if an actual crime had been committed by the producer -- I'm not exaggerating -- worthy of court action. If there was a truth in speech law, the producer in question would easily be able to sue them for harrassment. To make matters worse, the forum side of this featured a highly elitist system of rules that defended the right to flame above almost all (second only to the rule that if you have even the slightest typo, you can be punished -- again, I'm not exaggerating). To their credit, their rules allowed for "free speech" where those who disagreed could come in and post their arguments too. But the vast majority of posts were simply making a game out of flaming the producer in new and innovative ways. It really does sound like the Brotherhood of Makuta or something, seeing it written like this, I know. :-P But it is what it is. Anyways, so I decided to give it a shot at helping in this case. I analyzed their major sections in the "museum" as I called it, and in a few seperate topics I provided the objective view of it. I made it clear I expected disagreement and encouraged debate, but I was hoping it could remain intelligent and flame-free since I agreed with their goal of free speech. To make a long story short, I got through to a couple people and I did do some good, and I'm glad I did it. And there was some intelligent discussion. Almost all of it, though, was just bringing in the flame game to my topics, flaming me, accusing me of being a troll, putting my name through the old flame animation generators, etc, or just using defensive, mudslinging, sarcastic, trolling, and other harmful tactics. By the time it was clear I had "won" the debates and most of the entrenched were making themselves look foolish, the forum administrators suddenly decided to take their entire forum offline, replace it with a new one that tried to seem more objective, and conveniently erase past member accounts and the vast majority of past topics, including, surprise, mine. I didn't bother to re-join. Obviously, "free speech" was just a slogan. There really wasn't much of it. There's one other example, this one in the TV Mystery genre (okay, even that is saying possibly too much :-P), that in my observation has a reasonable amount of moderation, and has a lot of logical people in it trying to keep things civil. It's still full of flame, but it hasn't gotten anywhere near as bad as the previous two examples. I never bothered joining this one, as things seemed under enough control as is, and this was around the time when ole' Dreaded Real Life attacked me, heh. So why do I keep doing this? Because I am for free speech. LOLZ! Whoa, that went long. All that is a rewording of what I said a couple hours ago in reply in a topic. :-P I wonder if the fact that beating a fossilized horse shatters it fits with the fact that flame shatters free speech? Maybe, but I'm too tired to think about it right now. Coming Soon! So as I thought I was going to say sooner, you can all look forward to (or dread, depending :-P) a series of several blog entries coming soon that expand on some more important aspects of Bionicle, complaints, the history of all this, life, the universe, and everything. But don't worry, there won't be 42 of them.... Also, progress on the RPG is continuing now, and you can expect yet another Survurlode interview coming soon (but I'm not sure who I'll interview yet). Oh, and I know, I know, I have been neglecting Bo Ring. Workin on it, workin on it. So don't worry, the Bones Blog isn't going to be pure logician/serious anymore than it ever has been. :-P

Amen -- man everybody's earning these things left and right lately: And everybody's vulnerable to the mistake you mentioned, including, if not especially, me. There's been plenty of times where I've written up a whole reply to someone who just really, really annoyed me, and promptly didn't post any of it at all. Or take only the bits and pieces of it that are constructive, etc.

Definately -- and another problem is that the word "opinion" means two nearly-opposite things a lot of times -- it can mean "personal taste" or it can mean "theory about reality". As I make clear in this blog entry: Can Opinions Be Wrong? So I'm a little tired of hearing the phrase "that's just your opinion" too, although for slightly different reasons. And with no further ado:

It really isn't that hard once you learn how, but the problem is, being happy is a learned skill. Trick is basically to focus on "joy", which is a conscious choice that doesn't depend on circumstances, rather than "happiness" which is more fleeting and dependant on circumstances. Most of us automatically hope for happiness. Learning how to instead go for joy is hard. Which is why I try to teach how as often as I have time for. That's possible too, as I've thankfully found many times over the years here. Depends on the person though. And that one's definately anything but easy. Edit: Lol, I forgot this:

Everything I've heard about the movie sounds positive too, improving on some things from the other movies, so there's that too.

Because you're supposed to park in the garage and drive in the park. To keep out burglars, silly!