"Why I don't Want To Join Your Clan" Response Form

[Lonjon]

Lately I've received many requests to join up with some PSO clans. Each time I turn down one of these offers I am asked why I chose not to accept the invitation. This usually takes time to explain - time that could be better spent hunting rag rappies for fun and profit. To speed up this process, I have written a small form letter that should help explain my decision. Perhaps this letter could also be of use to my friends here at PSOW!


-------------------------
Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for inviting me to join your online gaming clan. While I appreciate the offer of membership in your clan, I am afraid I must decline the invitation. To streamline the refusal process for both of us I have attached this handy checklist containing the most common reasons for declining an invitation to join an online gaming clan. I have placed a checkmark next to the reasons that apply to this specific instance.


[ ] Your clan has a supa/kewlio name. Clans that have supa/kewlio names usually give off the impression that they are compensating, childish, pretentious, or uncreative. I don't want my online friends to see me wandering around with that kind of clan name tagged next to my own name. To help you understand what I am talking about, I have provided a list of some common words that I think should be avoided in clan names:
Dark, Killer, Slayer, Silent, Ultra
Force, Specialist, Ultimate, Super, Deadly
Chosen, Extreme, Lethal, Force, Vengeance
Doom, Superior, Destroyer, Mega, Master
If your clan name features AlTeRnAtInG CaPs or l33tness of any kind please don't even bother asking me to join.


[ ] Your clan has a poor reputation. Whether the reputation is due to cheating, shady dealing, or poor sportsmanship is irrelevant. I just don't want to be associated with that kind of behavior.


[ ] Your clan leader doesn't type very well. Everyone makes mistakes, but I can't help but be a little embarrassed when my leader always and frequently has trouble with basic spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Some common problems:
Misuse of there/their/they're and your/you're
Overuse of typing in all lowercase or all uppercase
Using multiple punctuation marks at the end of a sentence
Incorrectly using apostrophes to make all plural words possessive
Of course, nobody types perfectly under pressure or when rushed. Nobody can reasonably expect flawless typing while playing a game. Being able to type reasonably really matters most when your leader posts in a public forum. Extra double negative points for clan web pages littered with mistakes of this kind.


[ ] Your clan is a little too rabid about forcing its beliefs onto others outside of the clan. I understand that some structure is necessary for a clan to form around, but climbing too high your soapbox will only put off people that would otherwise be happy to be your friend. I don't really want to be associated with that kind of behavior.


[ ] Your clan seems hell-bent on recruiting members without knowing anything about the members it is recruiting. I don't think that the best clans are the ones with the most members. The best clans are the ones with the best members.


Although I have chosen to decline, I thank you for your generous offer of clan membership.

Sincerely,



Lonjon
-------------------------
[list]



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Lonjon on 2003-06-08 13:08 ]</font>

[RavenTW]

Hmmm...interesting. I've never been invited to a clan, so I can't really tell you how it is in that sense, but the idea is great, and your letter is very thorough.

[Vyon-Eht-Nioj]

Wanna join my clan?

Just kidding, I don't believe in clans... and I agree entirely with your post.

[Reenee]

I would think "Silent Gas" would be a good name. =3

[Mizu]

I only like helpful clans. like everytime i invite a member to a game, they will come and help me lvl, and stuff like that

[Ness]

I get random e-mails all the time with people asking for rares and wanting me to join thier clans. I just tell them that I don't join clans.

[RavenTW]

Clans will eventually break up the PSO population, limiting people to have to choose between one of the hundreds of them, and beridding people of the feeling of making new friends, until they'd rather try to get good rares offline than go back online.

EDIT: This, of course, is a best-case scenario.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RavenTW on 2003-06-08 21:18 ]</font>

[polishedweasel]

On 2003-06-08 13:11, RavenTW wrote:
Hmmm...interesting. I've never been invited to a clan, so I can't really tell you how it is in that sense, but the idea is great, and your letter is very thorough.



It's because you still like Pokemon! Nah, but clans are a bit overrated. How did they get the name 'clan' anyway? And the reasons for joining a clan bewilder me anyway. Is it just like joining a gang? Who knows, I've never been part of a clan. I just meet people and play. And I don't exactly know any member of a clan that's over the age of 14 anyway. I guess I'm too old. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

[Shimarisu]

On 2003-06-08 13:05, Lonjon wrote:
Lately I've received many requests to join up with some PSO clans. Each time I turn down one of these offers I am asked why I chose not to accept the invitation. This usually takes time to explain - time that could be better spent hunting rag rappies for fun and profit. To speed up this process, I have written a small form letter that should help explain my decision. Perhaps this letter could also be of use to my friends here at PSOW!


*snip*

May I have your guild card?

- Shimarisu

[dude3282]

Here's something I found under the Rants section at Wumarkus, courtesy of Hooray4PunkRock:
"You aren't very creative. Your name is Cloud/Sephiroth/Aeris/DBZ***/etc. You need to expand your horizons and find a name that is uncommon. This will help you to stand out. This will also distinguish you as a thoughtful PSO player. You also might want to shy away from naming your character some clever spelling of a bad word. Sure, you had to think a bit to get around the censor. But do you really want to name your character that? Can't you come up with something a little better? Spend like, maybe, 30 seconds on it. Who knows what you will come up with?

You are in a clan. You feel that by joining this clan, you will gain status and acceptance. People join another clan for this reason, but they spell that clan's name with a 'k.' People also join fraternities for this reason. A clan? Are you serious? Are you that insecure? Is it so bad to just have friends that you play online with?"

I love that.

[Lonjon]

Sure thing, Shimarisu. I'm usually on Antares 8 evenings as Spleen, a Fiesty FOmar with a Worthless Weapon. Just look around and I'm sure you'll eventually find me in game in the middle of a huddle of monsters being Rodney Kinged. In fact, I'm heading there as soon as I finish checking out the PSOW forums.

Awesome find there, Dude3282! Its nice to know there are others out there who are a little tired of the sad names out there... and this coming from someone who named his character "Spleen"! I was, however, thinking of being kinda unoriginal and making a fat FOmarl in white and naming her after that fattie from the Waterfall of Weightloss quest. Guess I won't be so original then, will I? Oh well.

[dude3282]

Spleen doesn't sound that bad, it's seeing the twentieth Sephiroth or Trunks that gets on my nerves. Don't feel bad for naming a character after an existing character. Besides, the most important part of that post was this:

"A clan? Are you serious? Are you that insecure? Is it so bad to just have friends that you play online with?"

[Reenee]

Who said anything about insecurity?

[RavenTW]

"A clan? Are you serious? Are you that insecure? Is it so bad to just have friends that you play online with?"


EXACTLY how I feel.

[Dangerous55]

On 2003-06-08 18:11, Ness wrote:
I get random e-mails all the time with people asking for rares and wanting me to join thier clans. I just tell them that I don't join clans.




Ness is liar. He doesnt even have an email address. Ban him.

[Vanango]

for all the clan bashers:

The Definition of "Clan":

Definition provided by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Clan:

Noun
1. A traditional social unit in the Scottish Highlands, consisting of a number of families claiming a common ancestor and following the same hereditary chieftain. 2. A division of a tribe tracing descent from a common ancestor. 3. A large group of relatives, friends, or associates.
Etymology
Middle English, from Scottish Gaelic clann, family, from Old Irish cland, offspring, from Latin planta, plant, sprout; see plat- in Indo-European roots.

Guess what? If you are a member of PSOW, you are in a clan. What does that make you? A typical American! hypocrite! We're all here together for a common purpose, or, supposedly. A clan is about a community of people being able to help one another and for finding friends with similar interests. Unfortunately the majority of clans that I've seen match the problems you have in your letter.

[Lonjon]

Don't get me wrong now... I'm not actually against the idea of gaming clans. I've actually been part of a couple ones - just not any PSO ones. I think that online gaming clans are a great idea for a group of like minded gaming buddies that enjoy each other's company and gaming style.

I just suffer allergic reactions to the clan types that I listed at the top of this thread. Unfortunately, the clan types that I've listed above epitomize the current state of PSO clans. Hell, you can even find the clan types that I was referring to posting and recruiting on the PSOW forums. Just look around and you are bound to find a six pack of them.

[Vanango]

On 2003-06-14 10:19, Lonjon wrote:
Don't get me wrong now... I'm not actually against the idea of gaming clans. I've actually been part of a couple ones - just not any PSO ones. I think that online gaming clans are a great idea for a group of like minded gaming buddies that enjoy each other's company and gaming style.

I just suffer allergic reactions to the clan types that I listed at the top of this thread. Unfortunately, the clan types that I've listed above epitomize the current state of PSO clans. Hell, you can even find the clan types that I was referring to posting and recruiting on the PSOW forums. Just look around and you are bound to find a six pack of them.




I understand completely. I was never in a clan and I thought it would be fun to join one. So I did. It was a horrible idea, everything you listed above was the same problem I had. The people were nice and had good intentions but the ultimate outcome was disappointing.

The crap I wrote before wasn't directed soley at you anyways. It was just the blatent "CLANS ARE TEH SUX" flaw I was pointing out.