I've hung around PimpRig for a day or two now, and I've seen many transformations of our site. Each transformation brings a new set of members, some good, some bad.

Myself, I joined as the most hated and flamed dude ever to hit PimpRig at that point, and somehow proved myself where I was eventually asked to be a reviewer and ultimately an Administrator for our site. I was stubborn and refused to be chased away, and never asked for any staff jobs. For some reason, GlitterKill seemed to think that I had some potential and allowed me to grow as the site grew.

I got introspective lately and started wondering, what makes one a PimpRig member? Is it knowledge? Is it attitude? Is it experience?

After consulting a 12 pack of Boulevard Pale Ale, I came to the conclusion that knowledge, attitude, nor experience were important...it's willingness that is important.

Willingness to help other members, willingness to understand that other members may not share your opinion, willingness to accept advice from others, willingness to look past the obvious, especially when it comes to forum posts.

I would bet that 90% or more of the troublemakers who hit our site have had bad experiences on other sites and expect the same here. We know that isn't true, but they don't. As we grow we will see more and more of these n00bs challenging us. I say Hooah to that.

Which one of these new forum surfers will become PimpRig members? Well, that's totally up to you guys. If the dude (or dudette) comes in spamming, they are dead from the start. If they come in Flaming, that person will probably not hang around too long. If they come in intelligent with an opinon that counters ours, but they present their case well, I would respect that new member.

I don't look at skill as a prerequisite to be a member. We have a staff member (who's name I won't state) who didn't have a lot of computer knowledge that built a direct die cooling solution. That little project ended up being one of the largest draws that PimpRig ever enjoyed. Since then, the dude has way surpassed me in cooling.

Anyway, what do you folks think makes a PimpRig member? Not a forum surfer, but an actual member.

someone who knows people, and doesn't take opinions as all of a person's value. People are more than what they believe in.

Well you've said it, BA. Willingness. Willingness to accept criticism.
PimpRig is a place where I can be all-out honest, and share my opinions on what I have to say about other people's ideas, mods, etc. Take Kayin's Mobo-colored-silver mod. Despite other people's reactions, I didn't think it's the prettiest thing around. I stated my opinion. Why? Because I know a guy like him, whom is a big part of this site, has the guts to accept and listen to my criticism, no matter if it's good or bad. If this was any other forum, people would go crazy and flame me like crazy. I think that is what separates a PimpRig member from a forum surfer.

Good point, Erad. I think honesty is a big part of our site.

I'm curious if any other members know of sites that are like PR.

I think a good part of it are people who enjoy a sense of community. This site goes well beyond just reading post about computers. I feel I have friends here, even if I havenÂ’t met most of them. BTW, I was never a member of a forum before PR, and I have been here on a daily basis for over a year and a half.

I was giving it thought today and I realized that the attitude around PR, is a near miracle in being as good as it is. As a community, we try to be supportive and nice to everyone. We have to be self-aware, responsible, and self-critical. Yeah, we screw around with other members, but it's all in good humor.

This is hard enough to maintain in reality. However, this is the internet, where you're shielded from x miles away from people you don't know. You can say anything you damn well please and it won't stick with you. And whereas in real life you have your own group of friends and don't need to include people you don't like, here we listen everybody, different people coming from everywhere. It's a risk, because some people are douchebags, but without this mix PR wouldn't have a lot of its magic.

Personally, I'm here because I find the subject matter interesting. I rarely do any modding myself but I've learned a lot and the social aspect makes it hard to leave.

A PimpRig Member is...

...someone who either knows their stuff, or has plenty of questions that need answering

...someone who can take criticism, positive or negative, and bounce back like it was (and it is) nothing

...someone who can give criticism, positive or negative, of other's work

...someone who can take as much crap as they can dish out, if not more

...someone who can express themselves clearly

...someone who has a noticeable personality and is not just a nameless face in the crowd of surfers

...someone with a dream, be it of modding, cooling, upgrading, or whatever else

...someone who is either willing to teach, or willing to learn

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I find it kinda funny that I don't fit the description I came up with... Oh well

And yeah, BA pretty much hit it on the head... You have to be willing... driven, perhaps... because there's a limit to hand-holding before we wonder just who's rig that really is...


-shutting up now, lest the 02:13 brain-fog makes me babble on any more

Helping people out, that why im here. I figure I might as well use my knowledge for good.

Well i wouldnt know much about the "other forums" on the internet because this is the 1st and only one iv been to. However the main reason i like about this forum is....sure its great fun, but its honest.

Im really not sure how many forums the members are comfortable with talking about personal problems, politics, lifestyles. Im not sure how many other forums organize a trip (las vegas), go to each others houses to share a "pale ale", or get there moms to join their forums.

I love our forum right now, even in the time iv been here its changed alot, im not an old fart, but i have learned alot from this site im glad to see new faces all the time. When i first came i was trouble shooting a 2400+ that was dead. Now i find myself alot more knowlegable then when i first came here.

I cant help out that much cause im still learning, when i can help i do, when i cant i listen. and hope to pass on the knowledge i get to others.

Well..........I think we were all on the "bubble" at one time or another here (I know I was when I first joined and was looked at by BA for stiring up trouble). But, I think that it's like what "TheOutcast" stated above that says it all..........but all the support that you give and get when the "chips" are down when crappy things are going on in one's life...........and the members here that go out of their way to help. I remember when my car burned to the ground in Kentucky back in March as I was moving from Michigan to Georgia for my new job and all the support I got from some of the members here in the forums when that was going on. Hell, I had some members offering to come and get me, my fiance and my belongings to Georgia. Now that's community there. Maybe I haven't built an uber rig yet, but I try to help when I think I can. I've gotten to know alot of the members here at PR and have enjoyed reading the posts and participating in the forums...........

id say that to be a member you have to have over 400 posts, and treat anyoen who is new, or has different opinions leik ****. seems to be hwo it gose around here

Quote: Originally Posted by Iateronmly Sorry for this off-topic folks My father once gave me some good advise I figure I should share - don't shoot yourself with your own bullets. You have unloaded a few banana clips (get it? Banana Boy.. ohh I crack myself up @ 1:20AM) into yourself within the last 24 hours. Quite frankly your "ohh poor me I'm getting picked on" antics are wary and tiring since you've always held the ability to make it stop. It's always been your world, your decisions. Respect isn't given freely, it's earned, and you are in debt to your eyeballs.

I think that says it all...... RESPECT..............

You can only be a member once you have earned the respect of others.

to be a member, don't you have to legitimately use the term "asshat" in a post?

I'd like to put in my 0.02 cents worth in this thread if no one minds
here is what i think makes a good and great PR member
1. He/She joins PR with the hope of obtaining knowledge that they did not know before.
2. They wish to EARN the respect of others.
3. They don't go around acting like an @sshat in front of other members as that gives a bad impression(thank god for mods)
4. They stick around long enough and show what they are made of and stick their chin out and recieve feedback and don't go whining to their mommy and daddy whenever they get flamed
5. (the last) They stick around long to learn the ropes and learn from their mistakes and develop a sense of worth

Being able to spell worth a damn is a plus.

I think it is someone who has stuck around through flammings and spammings and even if they dont know squat still stick around because of the community. Personally it was the community that has kept me around, and peoples knowledage of all things computer. I have grown in my computer knowledge in leaps and bounds because of this site.

Now I never look at a computer the same, I have done things people (manily family) never thought of doing before. No one (in my family) ever thought of cooling your comptuer with water (and thought I was crazy for thinking this), but with the help from this site I was able to accomplish this.

No where else can you get this wealth of knowledge and closeness.

Well, just about everything I would have said has been already with just a few exceptions.

Must not EVER bring up the subject (although feel free to shoot it down as fast as possible) of a game called karongaR.
Grammar skills
Willingness to actually give thought to another's opinion that you don't agree with (if they have presented it intelligently)

Other than that, I can't think of many so I gotta through a comment in there (that seems to be almost expected anymore)

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita Myself, I joined as the most hated and flamed dude ever to hit PimpRig at that point......

I find that hard to believe BA, I mean how can anyone hate someone as opinionated as you.
(just fooling around....I am just as opinionated)

Who or What is a PimpRig Member? Me, the rest of you are posers. lmao, j/k...

Yeah, you are a "member" alright. *touché*