Hub Types Handbook
by Kassadee Marie, HSM team writer
Introduction
Occasionally I go to the Hub to visit with a friend who is there already and I really want to catch up with them. I also find it’s a fairly good place to view new clothing items, dances, locomotions and so forth. I may spend more than a few minutes in this space, but it’s not one of my favorite places to hang out on Home at all. Over time, since Home was remodeled and the new core spaces were added, these minutes have added up to many hours in total, I’m sure. While there, I’ve noticed that I run into and read the remarks of a lot of the same unsavory character types over and over. I’ve learned to identify them fairly quickly, report those that need to be reported, and put them all (or most of them) on ignore. If you spend much time in the Hub you’ll be seeing these personalities there also.
Chapter 1: The Spammer
These people take pleasure (somehow) in repeating words or phrases over and over, ad naseum. I’m assuming they think they are funny or witty, but they actually aren’t either. They have no problem filling up the community chat log and basically interrupting every other conversation in their vicinity. The L1 default phrases are some of their favorites, since they don’t even have to type them out. This gives the (probably correct) impression that they are lazy, as well as un-funny and not witty. Perhaps they don’t know how to spell long words like “keyboard” or “headset”. Often these spammers come in pairs, which makes them twice as annoying, of course.
Chapter 2: The Tagger/recruiter
Why do they have to use those “special” letters and symbols when their messages are so mundane? Basically, they are all claiming to be the best family on Home and that all other families need to fear them. My only fear is that I won’t get them on ignore quickly enough. When a tagger is also a spammer, it’s twice as horrid. When asked if I want to join a “fam” I remain polite and I recommend that you do also. A lot of these recruiters are newcomers to Home who recently joined a family and were sent out to recruit as part of their family role and as a way to obtain “promotions” within the family. I simply tell them that I don’t join “fams” and if they ask why I say that I believe that “fams” promote drama.
Chapter 3: The Newcomer
These people will have questions and a lot of them. Sometimes they can become a pest if you answer any of their questions. If you’re patient you may want to answer these queries or some of them at least. I often tell them to think of Home as an RPG and that they should go explore on their own to discover how things work. By the way, beware of the fake newcomer who is trying to get your time and attention by pretending they are recent arrivals. They will usually announce that they are new to Home with a remark such as, “This is my first day on Home.” or “I’ve only been here twice.” Appearing helpless or needy makes them appealing to some people, who will spend a lot of time and effort on these fakes, who are just seeking attention or having a laugh at others’ seeming naïveté. Just the nature of their questions should make you realize they are more familiar with their surroundings than they are claiming.
Chapter 4: The Troll
It should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the Internet that there are people who take pleasure from making others uncomfortable or unhappy, and since they feel anonymous on Home, they have no problem admitting or showing their trollism. The standard ways of trolling are interrupting conversations, standing or crouching too close to another avatar (front or back), dancing on others, standing or dancing in the center of a circle of friends or making rude comments in local chat or by private message, especially to female avatars. Guys are not immune to being trolled, however.
Chapter 5: The Romantic Couple
I use that term loosely, by the way, and the less said about them, the better. It’s seems that these people want the whole world to know they’re in love (or lust) because, after all, they could be in a private space, but they choose to be in the Hub, instead. I know people meet, date, fall in love, etc. on line but why am I required to witness their activities in public? And why am I required to have their intimacies shared with me without my consent? Have they never heard of private messages or good taste? It’s sad that if you say anything to them, they tell you to mind your own business. How is a public conversation that appears on my chat log, not my business? Didn’t they just make it my business by typing in local chat?
Chapter 6: The Male Pickup Artist
These seem to come in three types. The first one is the guy who is not much of an artist at all and goes from female avatar to female avatar saying “Hi” and when he doesn’t receive the response he wants from one, he moves onto the next. Does he think we don’t notice? The second kind has worked out how to get your attention is a pleasant manner, such as a compliment of your avatar’s clothing, or with a humorous and non-offending remark. This type can be enjoyable until the questions start becoming too personal and lead up to the familiar “Are you single?” line or the even more direct “Wanna go out?” line. The third type is the fake female. These guys want to become your friend, get to know you, and at some point reveal that they are actually male, with the idea that you will forgive their “little” lie and want to remain friends or become more than friends, at that point. I fail to see how this could ever work because who would want to remain friends with someone who initiated a friendship this way?
Chapter 7: The Showoff
There are several types of show-offs. There are those who show off their “bling”, those who show off their “intellect” and those who show off their feelings of superiority for what “fam” they are with. The first type often comment about how much something cost them and they are prone to make fun of anyone dressed in default clothing. If they only knew that I think of their clothes as the “more money than brains” outfits, they might have second thoughts about making comments to me. The second type share their knowledge, often unasked, with as many words as possible and in local chat. If anyone disagrees with their opinions they are usually quick to make fun of these others by disparaging their typing skills, spelling or grammar. The type that shows off for being in a “fam” not only tags, but often starts fights with members of other “fams”, disrupting the entire space and again, filling up other’s chat logs with remarks they are really unsuitable, unnecessary and sometimes painful to read.
A final thought
Although females can be almost any of these described types, you’re more likely to run into males simply because there are a lot more of them on Home. You’ll probably meet some of these types in other places in Home besides the Hub, but they aren’t likely to be as prevalent. They are found especially at all of the “core” spaces – the Hub, Adventure District, Action District, Sportswalk and Pier Park. They’re least likely to be found at game spaces, with a few exceptions such as the Bowling Alley. And, of course, you’ll find them in the real world too. Don’t you wish we had an ignore button for there?
May 16th, 2013 by Kassadee Marie | 7 comments
Home is endlessly entertaining to this California girl. Kassadee has been in Home for about four years, and loves almost everything about it (with a few notable exceptions). She spends way too much money there, and perhaps too much time... Someday she will travel the world and write about the people she meets and the places she sees.
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LOL, spot on! Usually I just move to a different area (in the same space) when I run into any of these people, but if I can’t/don’t want to, I certainly make use of the Ignore button or Report if necessary. These people can often also be found at (the spaces I frequent) Aurora, Casino, Southern Hideaway, Peakvox Labs, and the Midways. I’ve never thought of “fake newcomers” though. I’ll have to look out for this, thank you!
Oh, and yea all I ever saw at the Bowling Alley was FAMs, Drama, and more FAMs — sooo annoying. And just sad that they think they’re so tough behind keyboards and tv screens.
Very funny and sadly true article Kass. I rarely go to public areas anymore unless I want to run orbs or play at the casino and then I tend to ignore the PM’s and such from people unless I think they are new and don’t know better, then I tell them not to do that unless they know a person.
I like to help new people as much as I can, I usually tel them about Alphazone4 and direct them somewhere to get free stuff. I want their impression of Home to be a good one at first, then if they run into others who aren’t so nice, they can see that there are also nice people in Home as well and might stick around, which is good for everyone in the long run.
Nice article as always.
Good write Kass, this is so true. I tend to just stroll by nowadays. In the past, I was a little more ‘engaging’ but that was screaming at a pig, my voice got hoarse and the pig didn’t change. Of the groups you outlined, I am most offended by the fake gangstas that promote the fams with their virtual graffiti. I live in southern California and have seen the blight of graffiti all my life, and to see ‘fancy’ letters virtually sprayed on my screen is just so annoying. Thanks Kass, now I’m mad…LOL. Good one Kass.
Of all these I find the fake newcomer being the most subversive. The other ones, if annoying, can easely be avoided/ignored. You can only guess the fake noob after the 14th questions…And then he already acheived his goal. I ran into a couple of these. That won’t stop me from helping people but I am now more cautious and somewath less patient.
Wow< I really hadn't noticed this much on Home's Hub space (mainly because it's not the space i hang out mostly at) I do regard the Acorn park as the 'New' hangout spot for the home citizen. So far it seems far more pleasant there, from my first experiences of being there and far less threatening.
Some of the Newcomers i will try my best to help, because i do go about the saying 'Can you remember a time when YOU were new?'
Gang cultures will appear on ANY virtual world or major chatroom, and unfortunately almost impossible to escape from.
Great read!
LOL love the type-casting it is sooo true! Yet, what does it say about me that part of the enjoyment is picking these types out when I pop on. I think the only type I DO NOT like to encounter is the perverted troll type [the one who is always “taking pictures” while going around the a space].