Official PokéShippers - Reformation meeting

[Archaic]

For the past several years, the club has slept, waiting for the day when Misty would once again become part of the main characters, and when PokéShipping would once again florish. While Misty has not yet returned to us for good, it would seem the rebirth has happened without her. PokéShipping activity in the past year has soared...and with it, so, sadly, has the Gaki like attitudes which we fought so hard to stamp out.

One of the main goals of the OPS was always to increase the prominence and reputation of PokéShipping, a goal we achieved many years ago, with our codification of the PokéShipping hints list, one that could actually stand up to logical debate. But the long years of our slumber have chipped away at our achievements, and with the recent threats from AdvanceShipping and OrangeShipping, this only ever more apparent.

We, who once dominating the shipping scene on the major Pokémon forums, who were once both the respected role models and undisputed leaders of PokéShippers all over the internet, must once again make a stand. It is time that we resume our places as leaders and teachers, and bring back to PokéShipping the reputation for maturity, intelligence and strong reasoning and debating skills that we fought so long to give it. It is time for the rebirth of the OPS.

- Archaic
December 29th, 2005

Agenda:

• Absorbtion of the SPPf PokéShipping Club into the OPS as a local OPS branch
• Election of new executive
• Recodification of the hints list, including debate over the validity of possible hints post-Johto
• Restoration of the old OPS forums as a viewable archive
• Educate the new generation of PokéShippers on the rules of logic and debate

Active Member Roll:
If I've missed you, or you think you shouldn't be here, or if your preferred name has changed, tell me.
AJW73
Archaic (Founder, Acting President)
AshsBabyLapras
Barb
BenRG
Chibi
Crystal Mew
Fabulous Vinnyous
Himiko
John Ray
Jo-Jo
Kasumi-san
Misty
Misty Lover17
Murgatroyd
Pie
Razor Raven
red_dragon_05
Rocketshipper
RubyMoon
Sailor Paperfairy
Selphie Sanctuary
ShadowDino (Founding Member)
Swifty (SPPf Branch Director)
superjenjen
The Mysterious Blue Hiker (Founding Member)
XD375
Yami Ron
Yellow

 

[Kasumi]

I was talking last night to Mike about how much we wanted to get back the OPS forums. Seems you were reading our minds, Mamoru-kun. ^_~

 

[Barb]

Archaic, have I told you lately that I love you? =)

 

[Pie]

It's beyond a doubt my top Ash ship. What the heck, I'm in.

 

[Swifty]

Absorbtion of the SPPf PokéShipping Club into the OPS as a local OPS branch

...Can't... Breathe... :lol:

...Wait, this isn't a joke? Oh. Well count me in, considering I'm active both here and Serebii.

I'll help spearhead the effort at Sppf, but I dunno how much help I can be. :|

 

[Archaic]

Not a joke at all Swifty. I said as much in the SPPf PokéShipping thread a few days ago, didn't I? You have a lot of active members there...time we brought them into the fold, and gave them a crash course in debating and hint evaluation technique.

 

[Kasumi]

Archaic, have I told you lately that I love you? =)

Why did you make me think of Rod Stewart when I read that? =P

 

[Cybersai]

The way you worded your opening paragraph makes this sound like a cult.

Anyway add me. Pokeshipping is not exactly my favorite ship, but to be honest I don't mind it. I am intrigued.

 

[Barb]

Why did you make me think of Rod Stewart when I read that? =P

I don't know. Be thankful I didn't post lyrics to "Hot Legs" or "Tonight's the Night."

 

[Archaic]

The way you worded your opening paragraph makes this sound like a cult.

That was intentional. The behaviour of shippers and cult members isn't all that different afterall...

 

[Crystal Mew]

aww, yay. I miss the good ol' ops days :')

 

[BenRG]

Well, I'm not sure how much help that I can be. However, having the OPS take the lead in PokéShipping rather than leave it in the hands of the hopeless amateur Gakis has to be good. After all, we have to try and keep the Ship respectable, no matter how little Misty appears, Yes?

 

[Jo-Jo]

...um.

I don't mean to be a party-pooper, but this whole effort sounds a bit... well... elitist? What gives anyone the right to attempt to 'improve' the shippers on SPPF? Frankly, there's a strong vibe of 'educating the unwashed masses' there that I think is a terribly condescending way to talk about the non-OPS Pokeshippers. This isn't English class, after all. Why should we be required to understand the rules of debating and write long-winded essays in order to be accepted into the fold? What's wrong with simply saying "I love AAML, squeeee!"? It's a ship. It's not politics.

And the idea of us all storming the SPPF Pokeshipping thread and telling them, essentially, that they're all stupid and we know what's best for them is distasteful in the extreme. If you insist on going ahead with it, fine, but count me out.

 

[Archaic]

....and since when is there a problem with elitism? Seems to me that the world needs more elitists.

There's nothing wrong with "simply saying "I love AAML, squeeee!"?", as you said. There is a problem when people who would be better off doing that start getting involved in debates, and making statements about the evidence for the ship that simply can't stand up in an arguement, which makes things harder for those of us who do get serious about this. I'm not saying these guys are "unwashed masses" or anything, but with the debating climate in Shipping again now, us serious Shippers really need to set a bit of an example, and show the new guard how it's done. Not because we're necessarily "better" than them....but because we're the only ones here who have any experience in doing this. In fact...you could say we're simply "giving them the benefit of our experience". There, that's a better line than "show them how it's done", isn't it? Sounds less condecending, and has less negative connotations.

It's not like we'd be storming the thread either. The posts I've made thusfar have been greeted with open arms, and there was some interest in bringing the SPP PokéShippers Club into the OPS when I floated the idea to them.

EDIT: I notice in any case that you don't seem to be on the members list Jo-Jo. Should you have been?

 

[Jo-Jo]

Heh, if there's one fandom that doesn't need more elitism, it's this one.

There's still no getting around the fact that trying to school the Gakis in the art of good debating is at best a waste of time and at worst patronising in the extreme. For starters, most Pokeshippers that I've seen aren't even interested in debates; they're just in it for the squee. And the ones that are are unlikely to appreciate being told they're doing it wrong. I see no sign that anyone on SPPF is interested in receiving debating tips from the older members of the fandom. I can't speak for all of them, but if anyone showed up out of nowhere in one of the threads I visit and told me I was making my ship look stupid, but not to worry, they'd be happy to impart the benefit of their superior wisdom to lowly little me, I'd tell them to fuck off.

Groaning to yourself when a Gaki makes a stupid argument is fine. Grousing about it to fellow shipmates in private is fine. Trying to become more prominent in debate yourself so as to raise the standard of the arguments - fine. Telling certain people that they shouldn't post because you think they're a poor reflection on you and your side? Not fine.

 

[Kasumi]

And who's to say we're going to tell them not to post? It's by showing them with our posts how it's done the way to re-educate the gakis.

 

[BenRG]

Not Elitism

I don't think that it is right to say that the plan is to act as censors, Jo-Jo, determining who is allowed to say what. What we do want to do is help the newer fans (and isn't it nice to see that, even with Misty reduced to a recurring guest-star, there are still such things?) what the ship is actually about. We can give them hint lists, tell them what is and is not proof of the ship and, most importantly, warn them of the pitfalls.

So long as we don't act condesending and try to take over, I can't see that any of them can feel offended at receiving help from those with the battlescars of the Poké/Pallet debates of yore. :-D

 

[Nomekop Oen]

There's still no getting around the fact that trying to school the Gakis in the art of good debating is at best a waste of time

Er,what isn't a waste of time? We're all posting on Pokemon forums for God's sakes.We're not exaclty contributing to humanity are we? =/


At least the OPS are trying to get organized and have the specific goal of giving a better understanding of Pokeshipping.It's not like their going to PM every person who writes something stupid and shake their finger at them.Or I doubt they would call out certain members by name.I'm pretty sure they would lead by example,one thoughtful post at a time.I really don't see what the huge problem is here.



Anyway,I consider myself a longtime Pokeshipper but I've never been a part of the OPS and I don't plan on being one now.Cuz',y'know....groups or clubs aren't really my 'thing'. *flicks hair*



(maybe a Mewtwo club...)

 

[Herakurosu]

Jo-Jo, everyone has opinions, and they're perfectly entitled to them, but if one goes into a serious debate and proceeds to spout a load of trash, they will be told that they have poor debating skills (most likely in a less polite manner, but you get the drift). What also happens is that, fair or not, their trash negatively reflects whichever side of the debate that person was arguing.

Many times, I've seen some Gaki that's better left to squeeing over their ship (pokéshipping or otherwise) try to participate in an argument, only to make a fool of theirself. As I'm sure you're aware, such behavior has caused Pokéshippers in particular to gain a bad rep in recent years. In the very least, if someone still has no interest in debating properly and would rather continue to act n00bishly, it's nice to have an organization of intellectual shippers who can claim no official affiliation with that person.

 

[Jo-Jo]

*sigh* Whatever. I doubt any attempt to improve the minds of the Pokeshipping community is going to accomplish anything except a whole load of mockery from the opposing sides, but if you're determined, then there's nothing I can do. My objection still stands, though.