NEW ERA

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All people do is bitch about new episodes anyway, which aren't terrible enough to get all worked up over. The show was the sole reason I came here, but the negativity in the Simpsons section makes me sick and drove me out of there for the most part because I don't want a bunch of pissed off fanboys ruining my perception of the show. If the most upbeat topic people can think of to discuss is "Things that aren't so bad about the new episodes," then just bomb the goddamn depression hole.
 
^Yeah, ironically I'd probably still be interested in watching it once in a while if there were still panda rapes and rhinos hatching out of eggs. Enraged by it, I'm sure. But more interested in it just to see how low it could possibly sink.

Obviously I can't speak for them but I think Eric and Co. have sort of a catch 22. I agree with Tomacco in that a general pop-culture forum isn't something many people would join randomly. If something keeps this place alive it'll probably be word of mouth and people telling their online friends to join, which is partly what's kept it alive and active in the first place I think. But tethering it to a series that might as well be dead by now would probably have a much worse effect. What is there to left to talk about with such an old, tired, boring show?
 
^Yeah, ironically I'd probably still be interested in watching it once in a while if there were still panda rapes and rhinos hatching out of eggs. Enraged by it, I'm sure. But more interested in it just to see how low it could possibly sink.

Obviously I can't speak for them but I think Eric and Co. have sort of a catch 22. I agree with Tomacco in that a general pop-culture forum isn't something many people would join randomly. If something keeps this place alive it'll probably be word of mouth and people telling their online friends to join, which is partly what's kept it alive and active in the first place I think. But tethering it to a series that might as well be dead by now would probably have a much worse effect. What is there to left to talk about with such an old, tired, boring show?

I kinda think that's a bit too broad a generalization. While the show might not be as popular and "hip" or whatever as it once was, it is legendary and timeless. Throughout the rest of time, there is no question there will always be SOME people looking to board about the show and discuss it, and trying to find the best spot to do so. The show transcends generations, despite it not being as popular now as it used to be. For example, this past year I had a Bongo Comics artist come to me asking to recruit Simpsons fans who can draw from this website. Staff members know this place as THE die-hard Simpsons headquarters, and they see both the highs and lows of the fanbase in regards to how they discuss the show. This place has always been the most critical, AND the most appreciative place to discuss the Simpsons and actually have real conversations about it, which can't be said for general TV websites really which are guaranteed to be chock full of "undeducated" or ball-washing postings about the show. This place is for the Simpsons nerd, essentially, and while that might (apparently) be an embarassing thing about this place, it's essentially what differentiates it to the rest of the world. And I honestly just don't see the point in shoving that to the background in any way just because one half of the board is currently more active than the intended purpose of the board. It just seems like the only reason to change this site's "brand" is a bit of a self-important one, to make the dedicated posters feel as though they're in the right place, even though I seriously think anyone who actually FINDS this place or goes looking for it are doing so because of its Simpsons notoriety.

I hope what I said makes sense. Again, all credit to Eric, I totally understand what's going on. I admire the effort to keep the board relevant and appropriate to its current users. It's more of a current community decision, but I'm just trying to think of it from a bigger picture, and from the perspective of what this site, I think, represents at its core and from its outset. It's just my personal opinion that this decision is a bit of a short-sighted one (granted, it can be reversed anytime or whatever, so again, it's not THAT big a deal). But my point is that this is the #1 Simpsons board and it is THE place for diehard Simpsons fans to go - past, present and future - and as long as the show's legacy lives on for ages (and it absolutely will) then this place will always carry a concrete purpose and an appeal that no other site has. Even if more members are currently here for other stuff. It sounds like I'm blowing this change out of proportion, but I just wanted to make my point. I think it was totally great before - when this site could still be the #1 hallmark of Simpsons fandom and serious discussion about this legendary show and phenomenon, while still having a strong community that's tightly-knit and here for a hundred and one reasons having nothing to do with the show.

By the way - I've seen this EXACT same thing happen at other old boards founded on the purpose of fandom of a specific thing. It starts as the best place to discuss the given topic, becomes the #1 place, then a lot of its members become sick of the given thing, but they like eachother and their other discussions, so they give the original topic a subforum. A couple years later, they drop the subforum altogether and it's essentially a general discussion board with a relatively "exclusive" community with homogonized tastes (pretty much like hipsters). Its purpose is then strictly underground and there's no greater importance to the site in the eyes of the general public. I'm not a big fan of that. And to be honest, while most people at NHC are totally nice and cool, I have noticed similar tendencies brewing. THE END IS NIGH! :D No, but really, this is all food for thought. Discussion, that's all.
 
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I kinda think that's a bit too broad a generalization. While the show might not be as popular and "hip" or whatever as it once was, it is legendary and timeless. Throughout the rest of time, there is no question there will always be SOME people looking to board about the show and discuss it, and trying to find the best spot to do so. The show transcends generations, despite it not being as popular now as it used to be.

I don't doubt that this is true. Trouble is, it's also true for MASH. And All in the Family. And I Love Lucy. And The Twilight Zone. To the best of my knowledge, none of these shows have really huge, dedicated forums (subforums at other appropriate websites, sure) for the simple reason that they don't have new material being put out. And while The Simpsons may still be in production, my gut feeling is that the market for a huge, dedicated forum for The Simpsons just isn't there anymore...or, at least, rapidly shrinking. And the show itself can only last so long.

No doubt for decades there will always be someone, somewhere wanting to discuss the show, but again, that's true of all those other shows too. I'm just not sure any of them could sustain a forum like the NHC's Simpsons section at its height at this point in time. Those looking for that sort of thing would (or could) find other avenues, anyway. And The Simpsons will soon enough enter that phase and the television graveyard, as with all shows.

I mean, there ARE big dedicated forums for standalone movies like Ghostbusters, so who knows. I could be wrong. That's just my suspicion.
 
I don't doubt that this is true. Trouble is, it's also true for MASH. And All in the Family. And I Love Lucy. And The Twilight Zone. To the best of my knowledge, none of these shows have really huge, dedicated forums (subforums at other appropriate websites, sure) for the simple reason that they don't have new material being put out. And while The Simpsons may still be in production, my gut feeling is that the market for a huge, dedicated forum for The Simpsons just isn't there anymore...or, at least, rapidly shrinking. And the show itself can only last so long.

No doubt for decades there will always be someone, somewhere wanting to discuss the show, but again, that's true of all those other shows too. I'm just not sure any of them could sustain a forum like the NHC's Simpsons section at its height at this point in time. Those looking for that sort of thing would (or could) find other avenues, anyway. And The Simpsons will soon enough enter that phase and the television graveyard, as with all shows.

I mean, there ARE big dedicated forums for standalone movies like Ghostbusters, so who knows. I could be wrong. That's just my suspicion.

While I do think you have a point, I think there is a generational gap there that can't necessarily be ignored. MASH, I Love Lucy, ect.. these shows never ever had an internet following. In my opinion, having a hardcore internet following is something unrelatable to older generations. The Simpsons was one of the first TV shows to garner an obsessive internet fanbase, despite not even being a notoriously nerdy sci-fi show. It's a comedy cartoon, but people treat it seriously. And again, call it nerdy or pathetic or whatever, but I've seen and experienced the Simpsons Community, and it's a fascinating thing. Those older shows you mentioned never had a fanbase that was given this sort of outlet to engage in such in-depth discussion about the show. Even to this very day it impresses me that this board, no matter what the Simpsons staff says about its negative nature, managed to attract DIRECT attention from Al Jean, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Lauren Macmullan, and many many other Simpsons staffers. Lauren even gave this place a visual nod in an actual Simpsons episode, showing her appreciation of the dedication here. If you're "over" The Simpsons, this stuff may not seem like much, but trust me - to the public at large, this is far more impressive than discussing who the most attractive female member of the Dirty Projectors is. Think about it. The people who started this website and its initial members were here because of The Simpsons. Their dedication and involvement with the show was so meaningful that it attracted Simpsons staff (the majority of Simpsons staff who have visited and participated in discussions here came here without any provocation), got a nod on the show, as well as numerous nods in the commentaries on the DVDs. When you consider the basis behind this board's creation, this is an achievement. Probably more an accomplishment than initially expected. And I think that's pretty damn cool, even if the show isn't so much anymore. We've created a connection with the show and its runners, despite the fact that everyone on this board has openly bashed the crap out of some aspect of work the staff has done. There really is no need for any Simpsons staffer to associate with this place at all, especially since so much trash has been talked about the show here since this board began. Yet, they clearly do care what we have to say, even if they don't like it sometimes. There is a level of respect there, certainly. I don't think the MASH message boards have managed to earn the respect of the showrunners while frequently criticizing the show to the crazy extent we do. I see NHC as a sort of pioneer in uniting die-hard fans with timeless untouchable work and the staff that creates it. This sort of relationship was unheard of before the internet, and more or less, NHC was created during the big upstarting years of internet culture.

The more lessez-faire attitude I see here about this, the more disappointed I find myself. Why are people so quick to ignore the history of OFF and its fanbase? That's the only reason any of us are even on this great site right now.

Again, I know this discussion is occurring because of a relatively harmless administration decision that isn't really changing the content, just the focus. But nonetheless, the general "who cares anymore?" vibe towards the whole Simpsons/fanbase thing around here now is bringing out the side of me that wants people to remember what was so special about all of this to begin with, since everyone is here because of it.
 
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While I do think you have a point, I think there is a generational gap there that can't necessarily be ignored. MASH, I Love Lucy, ect.. these shows never ever had an internet following. In my opinion, having a hardcore internet following is something unrelatable to older generations. The Simpsons was one of the first TV shows to garner an obsessive internet fanbase, despite not even being a notoriously nerdy sci-fi show. It's a comedy cartoon, but people treat it seriously.

But wasn't part of the point that The Simpsons is cross-generational and timeless, and its appeal will outlast its run of new episodes? I mean, this is true of those other shows too, and why I mentioned them (and why I didn't mention generation-specific nostalgic trash, like I dunno, Family Matters). Hell, I have the entire series of The Twilight Zone on my DVD shelf. Our generation is still interested in these shows.

But ALL shows will eventually succumb to some amount of burnout, and won't sustain really huge, dedicated forums unless otherwise kept alive through franchising (Star Trek, Law and Order). Even at the NHC's height, I never had any doubt that if nothing else The Simpsons would eventually go off the air, and this site would be forced to either shut down or evolve away from it. Even at that height, most of the discussion was about new episodes - something that one day, inevitably, The Simpsons will lack. This is true of any pop-culture entity with an eventual endpoint, and it doesn't destroy the cultural impact of that entity, but it does put webmasters in a difficult spot once there just isn't anything new to discuss anymore. Factor in the dropping ratings and the general lack of interest in the actual new Simpsons shows, and you have a problem for the websites.
 
But wasn't part of the point that The Simpsons is cross-generational and timeless, and its appeal will outlast its run of new episodes? I mean, this is true of those other shows too, and why I mentioned them (and why I didn't mention generation-specific nostalgic trash, like I dunno, Family Matters). Hell, I have the entire series of The Twilight Zone on my DVD shelf. Our generation is still interested in these shows.

But ALL shows will eventually succumb to some amount of burnout, and won't sustain really huge, dedicated forums unless otherwise kept alive through franchising (Star Trek, Law and Order). Even at the NHC's height, I never had any doubt that if nothing else The Simpsons would eventually go off the air, and this site would be forced to either shut down or evolve away from it. Even at that height, most of the discussion was about new episodes - something that one day, inevitably, The Simpsons will lack. This is true of any pop-culture entity with an eventual endpoint, and it doesn't destroy the cultural impact of that entity, but it does put webmasters in a difficult spot once there just isn't anything new to discuss anymore. Factor in the dropping ratings and the general lack of interest in the actual new Simpsons shows, and you have a problem for the websites.

Hmm.. yeah I agree with that. But you may have hit the nail on the head when you said The Simpsons will eventually lack new episodes. That time has not come yet. We have at least two years of new episodes left. I guess, despite the "quality" of the new episodes, I just think it's premature to, as the saying goes, bury The Simpsons before it's dead. I mean, NHC was launched during a period of the show that I think most people still consider the worst years of the show. Yet, even now, people DO still review the new episodes here. They are still making new episodes. Many of the people who worked on classic era episodes are still working on new episodes today. The show is not over yet. I think part of the problem here is that the current fan input is being stacked up against the fan input in the show's heyday, as well as the other content on this board. No, the show is not as popular as it was when the board started. But why does that have to be the deciding factor in if the Simpsons emphasis of the board goes on? There are still contributors and reviewers, just not as many as in season 12 when this began. It's still a good chunk though. Every new episode gets 3+ pages of reviews. That can't be said about any other show's new episodes on this board. South Park is more "hip" than OFF at this point, but new episodes don't get discussed as much. The Simpsons still is the vital consistent discussion topic here, even if it's only half of what it was when this board began. This further proves that, among all topics, people come here to discuss The Simpsons.

I think you're right that the show will eventually have a similar fate as those other shows in terms of being left with nothing to discuss in the wake of having no new material...years from now, but there are still new episodes of The Simpsons, and as long as this is happening, I feel like NHC owes it to itself to stick out its emphasis on OFF as the #1 Simpsons board of all time. That's really it.
 
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i just saw mr. burns dry humping santa's little helper

do we really need to debate the disassociation anymore
 
i stand by my statement. i take pride in this place as a community dedicated to the simpsons. eight pages later i am clearly not alone.

take more potshots though, i'm not too worried about it.
 
heeey can there be SOMETHING next to the url? i don't really care about homer being there, but it makes me think there's something wrong with the page when there's no image
un-aesthetically pleasing
 
zeus is pissing me off today, but the dedicated server age of the nhc is coming soon.

heeey can there be SOMETHING next to the url? i don't really care about homer being there, but it makes me think there's something wrong with the page when there's no image
un-aesthetically pleasing

not sure what you're talking about, but i can't squeeze anything more into the header or it would be messed up on 1024 pixel wide browser screens. and i'd rather not ditch the ad.
 
today our most active section, off topic, has been brought to the top of the page & has been combined with nhc city hall to form an awesome SUPER forum.

the animation forums will be in the middle of the page for the time being, since we're still attracting a lot of new members to discuss those topics.

i'd apologize for all the changes lately but i'm zeus and i fucking don't care what you think.
 
wirt's going on

...to do great things (+ those other guys and maybe a gal i dunno)

still really miss the old style but i guess it'd look different with the new vbulletin, rebranding or not

zeus you're still being a real demigod about things

can't even dignify you with a full gee oh dee
 
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so, are we just nohomers, no community or club just nohomers?
 
no community

tumblr_lbr2vdlnwV1qc2flmo1_400.gif
 
maybe you could take suggestions from members to come up with a new slogan instead of just "your daily dose of discussion"

perhaps something like:

nhc
the cure for the common message board
 
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