For about a month now, I've been posting articles here on comicbookmovie.com. As a fan, I've always had an opinion and I've always looked for outlets for those opinions. At first I started a blog for my movie reviews and comic book rants, I only had about four readers, most of which were friends. I started coming to comicbookmovie.com because it specialized in two of my favorite things (comics and movies). It seemed like a site that was just my type of thing. It was through pure chance that I accidentally clicked on the "contribute" button and noticed that not only could my opinions get a more mainstream outlet, I could also earn revenue by doing so.
When I first started posting my articles, I made being on the front page one of my goals. I relied mostly on editorials because users of this site seem to have an almost supernatural ability to snatch up comic book movie news. So far, two of my articles have had the privilege of making it to the main page, and I hope many more do. These past few days I've been perusing the editorial section and I've seen a great many dedicated to bashing the editors and users of this website. Common complaints are that only the select few users make it to the main page, and many articles have been put up covering the constant bickering and complaining that goes on amongst users.
Just through perusing this website, it does seem like the same users (editors) do make the main page. Look at what they're contributing: the news. The users who make the main page know where to find the news and know to post it immediately. My hat is off to them for beating the rest of us to it. I tried to submit news when I snapped a quick picture of the split second we saw of the Red Skull in the Captain America Super Bowl spot. After uploading my news story, I saw that two other users had beaten me to it. Naturally I received an e-mail telling me that my post had been taken down. Was I angry? Not at all. Better men had won, and either way the news got out. If the editors of this site weren't taking down articles, then we would have loads of repeat articles cluttering up this site.
Users have also been complaining that their editorials haven't been reaching the main page, and... well, this is not going to be nice, look at the quality. Editorials that make the main page are well written, well thought out arguments. Many times I'll go to read an editorial and it will be a single paragraph rant filled with bad spelling and poor grammar (we're all guilty of it). They don't make their arguments clearly enough, and instead hope that swearing will get their point across. To put it simply, if you want your stuff to make the main page, then make it something that stands out. It goes back to high school English class, you have to have the introduction, body, concluding arguments, etc. It's really snooty to say it, but it's the truth.
As for the infighting and complaining among users, well I agree with this one. Many times I have posted an article and I've been attacked simply for stating my opinion. It seems like most fans just feel it's their job to complain, which is all well and good. We’re all entitled to our opinions. We are allowed to disagree with each other, but I've seen some people that just take it way too far. That's the price of the internet. The internet gives people the ability to say whatever they want without any chance of reprisals thanks to the facelessness of it all. I think it's safe to say that if we were talking to each other face-to-face, then most of this trash talking wouldn't occur. The ability to hide behind an online avatar makes little people feel big. Sadly, I don't think there's much we can do to stop that. Once again, we're all entitled to our opinion and this website gives us an open forum to post them, and we won't stop posting.
I guess the point of this article is that maybe we should go a little easier on each other. This website has given us the rare privilege of being able to voice our concerns and opinions, and, better yet, give us an audience. Not everyone can make it to the main page. At least our stuff is being read. Fans may bicker and fight but that's the price of the internet giving everyone a voice... and I wouldn't have it any other way.