Are we Enthusiasts or Complainers?
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I've learned to ignore so many people it's not even funny.
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"Quite simply, our goal was to create the single most frightening thrill ride on the planet" -Arrow Dynamics on X.
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"Quite simply, our goal was to create the single most frightening thrill ride on the planet" -Arrow Dynamics on X.
This whole enthusiasts/complainers issue is one that I have been just thinking about. I'll take my home park SFWoA for example. Now I always try to bring out the positive points whenever this park is brought up. Mainly because it is my home park and I want a good park to buy a pass to every year that is near by. But many people here bash this park a lot (it has gone down recently) and all I want to say is that while you state complaints why not state what could be done to improve this or any other particular park that is at the front of your problems. I mean we are enthusiasts right, and don't we want parks to be better and more enjoyable? If all you do is complain what purpose does that serve? The more parks that are fun the better for us
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Guess what I heard SFWoA &CedarPoint are going to merge together and create a super park that will take up all of Northeastern Ohio. Really...
True, but this IS a discussion board Ohiocoasters1, and people can express what they want about the industry.
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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang
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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang
You have to take this major fact into account...
People are only going to discuss a topic if they feel strongly about it! How often have you seen a topic that goes like..."I went on a ride today, it was ok"???
People only type about something if it was really really good, or really really bad.
The problem is that we are all too good at picking fault.
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"'cos you know, it's strange! You stand in a library and go "AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH" and everyone just kinda stares at you, but if you do the same thing on a aeroplane everyone joins in!"
People are only going to discuss a topic if they feel strongly about it! How often have you seen a topic that goes like..."I went on a ride today, it was ok"???
People only type about something if it was really really good, or really really bad.
The problem is that we are all too good at picking fault.
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"'cos you know, it's strange! You stand in a library and go "AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH" and everyone just kinda stares at you, but if you do the same thing on a aeroplane everyone joins in!"
Okay, I do my fair share of complaining, I will admit. However, the thing that I complain about is the fact that a lot of people complain too much!
I've done a few trip reports and submitted a few park reviews. I believe that I have been positive in them. Occasionally I have may have mentioned something "negative" but I don't think I complained about it.
However, there are some who feel that in order to build up their favorite park or their favorite ride, they must tear down another park or another ride. I don't know what it is that causes it. Loyalty to their park or favorite coaster? A bit of insecurity? A bit of ego? A bit of immaturity (either from some of the 15 year olds and from some of the 45 year olds)? A bit of the "SBS" (Spoiled Brat Syndrome)? A bit of coaster / park snobbery? Who knows.
A few things that I have notices…
1. A seemingly unending need to "compare". SFMM vs CP. Magnum vs MF. S:ROS vs S:ROS vs S:ROS. Etc etc etc. Ironically, when looking at the "info" for some of the people who do these comparisons, I have seen that sometimes they do not include both coasters that they are comparing in their track record. Either they have only ridden one (in which case it is senseless to compare) or they are too bias to include the one that they do not like.
2. A case of general "snobbery" toward the general public: The GP makes up the vast majority of the population of park goers… not us wackos who seek out coasters in every out of the way place and plan our vacations around them. Even being a person who likes coasters, I get sick and tired of standing in lines with an "enthusiast" who is only content to show his vast knowledge of coasters by quoting how many tons of steel went into Steel Dragon 2000, or how many board feet of lumber went into SOB, or how many G's Goliath pulls, or how many bolts were used in Shivering Timbers. To make matters worse, either to impress others or to make themselves feel superior, they will constantly ramble on and on and on about their track record. And then to turn around and laugh at or blast a person who does know certain things (such as how much steel went into Steel Dragon 2000, how many board feet of lumber in SOB, etc etc etc). They are only impressing themselves… and making themselves look like some type of geeky "bolt counters" to others… even other coaster fans!
3. Black and White… no Grey: They take a love / hate attitude toward things. They think "Six Flags is the most brilliant company on the fact of the planet, Cedar Fair is run by a bunch of morons" or "Cedar Fair is the most brilliant company on the face of the planet, Six Flags is run by a bunch of morons"… etc etc etc. If you like Batman: The Ride, you must hate all other inverts. Etc etc etc.
4. Short span of attention: This is the "I now HATE Magnum because MF is bigger!" They are only satisfied by world records. What was good last year is not good this year if something is bigger, faster, longer, steeper etc.
5. They expect to much and are never satisfied with anything: "This would be the greatest coaster, except for the fact that…" or "My home park has built a coaster every year for the past 5… but next year we are not getting any… this is so unfair!" I can remember the days when we said "Wow… we got two coasters in 5 years!" It used to be "I can't believe we got one so soon" now it is "When will we get another!?!?!?" Again, this may be the Short Span of Attention showing through. Also, heaven forbid that a park put in a family ride and not a coaster! After all… "To heck with the GP… the parks are here for US!!!!!!!" Even the recent Discovery special on CP was blasted for now showing the "blueprints" and because they gave no preview or hint of next year. I for one liked the special… it showed really what goes into making a park tick. Its more than just ride ops and riders (and I found the laundry service segment actually interesting too!)… but not good enough for some. After all, it's a special about CP… and we "enthusiasts" could care less about anything in a park but coasters coasters coasters… we want 40 minutes of nothing but POV footage!
6. Elitism: Some have blasted the discovery specials because they put the title "Coaster Enthusiast" under the names of people they have "reviewing" coasters. Oh the horror… they picked someone from the GP… a mere peasant, a member of the great unwashed… to review a coaster! They actually said how much fun the coaster is instead of giving a technical break down of every element, of every twist, of every turn. They actually showed a family riding Raptor and giving a "play by play". How could they???? These are not card carrying "enthusiasts"… these are not people who are have made a "career" out of riding inverted coasters and comparing every little fact about them. These are people who are simply concerned that Raptor or what ever coaster they are riding is FUN! Someone even said in one post on this board, after seeing one special and the title "Coaster Enthusiast" under a person's name, how the person didn't really know what they were talking about and that they bet they were not even an ACE member. So, to some you have to be a member of American Coaster ENTHUSUASTS in order to be considered an "enthusiast"?
Anyway… enough about my complaining about people complaining. I just figured that this was the thread to do it in.
(And sorry Jeff for taking up so much of your band width with this one)
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I never met a coaster I didn't like *** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/18/2001. ***
I've done a few trip reports and submitted a few park reviews. I believe that I have been positive in them. Occasionally I have may have mentioned something "negative" but I don't think I complained about it.
However, there are some who feel that in order to build up their favorite park or their favorite ride, they must tear down another park or another ride. I don't know what it is that causes it. Loyalty to their park or favorite coaster? A bit of insecurity? A bit of ego? A bit of immaturity (either from some of the 15 year olds and from some of the 45 year olds)? A bit of the "SBS" (Spoiled Brat Syndrome)? A bit of coaster / park snobbery? Who knows.
A few things that I have notices…
1. A seemingly unending need to "compare". SFMM vs CP. Magnum vs MF. S:ROS vs S:ROS vs S:ROS. Etc etc etc. Ironically, when looking at the "info" for some of the people who do these comparisons, I have seen that sometimes they do not include both coasters that they are comparing in their track record. Either they have only ridden one (in which case it is senseless to compare) or they are too bias to include the one that they do not like.
2. A case of general "snobbery" toward the general public: The GP makes up the vast majority of the population of park goers… not us wackos who seek out coasters in every out of the way place and plan our vacations around them. Even being a person who likes coasters, I get sick and tired of standing in lines with an "enthusiast" who is only content to show his vast knowledge of coasters by quoting how many tons of steel went into Steel Dragon 2000, or how many board feet of lumber went into SOB, or how many G's Goliath pulls, or how many bolts were used in Shivering Timbers. To make matters worse, either to impress others or to make themselves feel superior, they will constantly ramble on and on and on about their track record. And then to turn around and laugh at or blast a person who does know certain things (such as how much steel went into Steel Dragon 2000, how many board feet of lumber in SOB, etc etc etc). They are only impressing themselves… and making themselves look like some type of geeky "bolt counters" to others… even other coaster fans!
3. Black and White… no Grey: They take a love / hate attitude toward things. They think "Six Flags is the most brilliant company on the fact of the planet, Cedar Fair is run by a bunch of morons" or "Cedar Fair is the most brilliant company on the face of the planet, Six Flags is run by a bunch of morons"… etc etc etc. If you like Batman: The Ride, you must hate all other inverts. Etc etc etc.
4. Short span of attention: This is the "I now HATE Magnum because MF is bigger!" They are only satisfied by world records. What was good last year is not good this year if something is bigger, faster, longer, steeper etc.
5. They expect to much and are never satisfied with anything: "This would be the greatest coaster, except for the fact that…" or "My home park has built a coaster every year for the past 5… but next year we are not getting any… this is so unfair!" I can remember the days when we said "Wow… we got two coasters in 5 years!" It used to be "I can't believe we got one so soon" now it is "When will we get another!?!?!?" Again, this may be the Short Span of Attention showing through. Also, heaven forbid that a park put in a family ride and not a coaster! After all… "To heck with the GP… the parks are here for US!!!!!!!" Even the recent Discovery special on CP was blasted for now showing the "blueprints" and because they gave no preview or hint of next year. I for one liked the special… it showed really what goes into making a park tick. Its more than just ride ops and riders (and I found the laundry service segment actually interesting too!)… but not good enough for some. After all, it's a special about CP… and we "enthusiasts" could care less about anything in a park but coasters coasters coasters… we want 40 minutes of nothing but POV footage!
6. Elitism: Some have blasted the discovery specials because they put the title "Coaster Enthusiast" under the names of people they have "reviewing" coasters. Oh the horror… they picked someone from the GP… a mere peasant, a member of the great unwashed… to review a coaster! They actually said how much fun the coaster is instead of giving a technical break down of every element, of every twist, of every turn. They actually showed a family riding Raptor and giving a "play by play". How could they???? These are not card carrying "enthusiasts"… these are not people who are have made a "career" out of riding inverted coasters and comparing every little fact about them. These are people who are simply concerned that Raptor or what ever coaster they are riding is FUN! Someone even said in one post on this board, after seeing one special and the title "Coaster Enthusiast" under a person's name, how the person didn't really know what they were talking about and that they bet they were not even an ACE member. So, to some you have to be a member of American Coaster ENTHUSUASTS in order to be considered an "enthusiast"?
Anyway… enough about my complaining about people complaining. I just figured that this was the thread to do it in.
(And sorry Jeff for taking up so much of your band width with this one)
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I never met a coaster I didn't like *** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/18/2001. ***
I theorize too that many of the complainers are people who just don't get out to the parks enough. I keep going back to the Ohio parks over and over again, and even though they're all familiar rides that I've been on dozens (or hundreds) of times, I still enjoy them and I'm glad they're so close to me.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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