I've seen dork used positively.

I'm the newbie. by Seychelles on 2014-02-21 05:13:00 UTC Reply

Hi I'm called Seychelles. I think of myself as a bookish otaku looking for more friends. I have been a longtime fan of anime and manga and have just started reading Lord of the Rings. My favorite series is a manga called Arata the Ledgend that I feel is really underrated. I have a tendency to ship anything as long as its well written and not squicky. I hope to get to
Know you all as a member of the PPC.

Hello! by son_of_heaven176 on 2014-02-24 19:35:00 UTC Reply

Oddly enough, you're the second person that I've ever run across called "Seychelles" (though the other person was IRL, so maybe you're one and the same? Do you live in the East Coast, by any chance?)

Either way, welcome to the PPC! How did you run across the PPC? And have you read the Constitution and the Original Series?

As for your newbie gift, have a Gallade!
Hi! by Autumn_68 on 2014-02-22 03:23:00 UTC Reply

Welcome! I'm Autumn. Here, have a bar of Bleepolate and a torch that shines ultra-urple light. Enjoy the PPC!

~Autumn
Hello Newbie! by Sevenswans on 2014-02-22 02:49:00 UTC Reply

You may have a space pen (you need it in order to write in the symbols that separate your words!) a pair of knitting needles, and a pair of extra socks! Also, you can have a bag of potato chips. :D
First plover! (nm) by Tawaki on 2014-02-21 16:35:00 UTC Reply
Re: I'm the newbie. by Antigone68104 on 2014-02-21 12:11:00 UTC Reply

Hi, have some fudge!
Hiya! by RinaAndRanda (Rina) on 2014-02-21 12:04:00 UTC Reply

I'm not a big fan of manga/anime (translation: I hardly ever watch/read it), but it's still awesome to see a new member! Hi, hello, wassup, etc. I'm Rina, nice to meet you, also etc.

I saw this being given as a welcome present earlier, and it seemed like a good idea. Have a fluffy velociraptor! Just don't get too near its teeth or claws.

Welcome to the PPC!

Thanks by Seychelles on 2014-02-21 16:19:00 UTC Reply

The dinosaur ( cannot spell his name) has been very well behaved. I haved named him Mr Snuggles. It's okay if you haven't seen/read any anime or manga. But I will still recommend you check out Arata, and Tiger&Bunny, because they are awesome.

*waves* by Ailavyn Siniyash on 2014-02-21 07:13:00 UTC Reply

Hello and greetings!

I give to you now a lined Infinite Notebook, complete with urple covers and wilver binding. Avery your eyes!

-Aila
I presume you like Hetalia, then? by Lily Winterwood on 2014-02-21 06:16:00 UTC Reply

Given that you mentioned shipping Switzerland/Vietnam down on the ship thread (that was the pairing, right?) and your username is Seychelles.

Personally, I'm not particularly fond of the usage of 'otaku', as it has negative connotations in the Japanese language, but that's just my opinion and you're free to call yourself whatever you see fit.

Hi, I'm Lily, I write OFUs and PPC missions, and have some lemming repellent!

Yes I am. by Seychelles on 2014-02-21 16:09:00 UTC Reply

Please to mat you Lily. Yes I am a big fan of Hetalia. It helped me make a ton of friends back in middle school. I'm sorry I bothered you with my use of the word otaku. I have herd it used lots both in school and the Internet. I didn't think of it that why.

Hate to yank my own chain, but... by Lily Winterwood on 2014-02-21 16:12:00 UTC Reply

did you by any chance read the International Academy of Hetalia Fanfiction?

I'm curious, is all.

And it's fine; sometimes a little research into the things you want to label yourself is a good thing. I've seen it being appropriated by people who just have no idea of the real meaning (connotation and all) behind the word and it's kinda irritating. Like, are you sure you want to be called the Japanese equivalent of a basement dweller with no life? Because that's what the word essentially means.

From what I've seen, by Outhra on 2014-02-24 16:59:00 UTC Reply

The word you're thinking of is actually hikikomori. An otaku is someone who is incredibly obsessed with one particular topic. In Japan, there can be a sports otaku, a model train otaku, etcetera etcetera. Outside of Japan, the use of the word usually means that said obsession is linked to Japanese works, such as manga or anime, because other languages will have their own words for super-obsessed fans. It does have some derogatory context, true, especially since some obsessions can be seen as mentally unhealthy, but only moderately more than words like "nerd" do in the English-speaking world.

Ah. Right. That. by Lily Winterwood on 2014-02-24 17:11:00 UTC Reply

I might just have had a very bad experience in the Hetalia fandom dealing with insensitive weaboos who styled themselves as otakus, which might have influenced my views on the word now.

That being said, "nerd" is losing its derogatory context. I'm not sure what the situation is in Japan with "otaku", but being a nerd isn't half as anathema as it was before. I used to be ostracised to some degree for obsessing over Harry Potter and LotR, but nowadays stores are selling merch for those franchises. Walk into a bookstore, and you're likely to be inundated with fandom things (especially Doctor Who things).

Being a nerd is in style, which means there's new people in the fandoms, which is a good thing -- and yet I feel awful for wishing it had been in style when I was younger, so that I didn't feel so alone.

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Re: Ah. Right. That. by Outhra on 2014-02-24 18:28:00 UTC Reply

Hmm, you're right. Perhaps I should have used "dork". That word used to be a synonym for "nerd" and "geek", but now that both of the latter terms have broken out into higher cultural acceptance, it's more alone than ever.
Also, according to a brief Google search, "otaku" has also become more culturally accepted than it was in previous years, albeit not nearly to the extent that "nerd" and "geek" are here.

And with the decline in hatred for the word "nerd", the terms "nerd" and "geek" have begun fighting for supremacy, each term trying to figure out exactly what its precise definition is to further distinguish itself as different from the other. It's actually pretty entertaining watching the debates and seeing people come up with headcanons for portions of a language, because there are easily around six or seven different ideas of what distinguishes a nerd from a geek and several of them are mutually exclusive.

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I've seen dork used positively. by Lily Winterwood on 2014-02-25 05:42:00 UTC Reply

As in, "you're a huge dork" when describing someone quirky and a bit weird but in a good way. So no, I think all three are still a trio of terms for quirky people with obsessions.

My friend Kat's logic is that "nerd" falls more towards the academic side, and "geek" towards the 'able to name exactly what model of starship is seen at what time in what scene in what episode of what show' side. This means, for her, there are people who can be encyclopaedias of information on Latin, feminist theory, and starship classes in Star Trek.

Dangit, I thought I was above HTML coding failures. by Lily Winterwood on 2014-02-25 05:43:00 UTC Reply

/repeatedly smacks self with laptop

Re: Hate to yank my own chain, but... by Seychelles on 2014-02-22 01:33:00 UTC Reply

Whoops
And no I haven't. I might check it out though. I have read some really goodfic like George Devaler though.