Participating in the online doll community?

I find the information on this site really does help with my enjoyment of the hobby. Pictures and ideas that members have posted have opened my eyes to the amount of customization with these dolls. Like many have said, it has also opened my eyes to doll manufacturers that I would have otherwise overlooked. No one else around me is interested in these dolls, so this is a good place for me to hear the latest in the doll world.

 

It depends on everyone's expectation to see if it is necessary.

If people who want to know and meet more doll friends through online community, then it should be a necessity for them.
If people like me who never go doll meetings, then I would think it's not a must for me to be part of it.
Because I like the idea of "You can always leave if you see anything you don't like, with respect to others".

However I think the trends in the hobby has large influence on many of the owners for how they "should" handle their dolls.
Well, conformity always exists in human society, even it's online one.

 

I think it is essential to me- would any of us be here if we didn't feel it partially necessary?

It provides friends, contacts, customisers, goods to buy, a place to ask questions, find out about meets, share photos and stories...

I would be lost without this place and the other two UK forums I am on, it is lovely to share this hobby with others, for some people there will be no one to talk to. I have 'recruited' at least 3 people via my livejournal- another internet outlet- this hobby would die without forums. Certainly would we know much about it? would it reach the wide audience it does? no.

it is nice to share the hobby, other nutters who understand you LOL!

xx

 

While I don't see participation in an online community as a neccesity, I do see it as being an important part of the hobby. Where else can you get as much information & news about these dolls? Where else can you see such a huge variety of sculpts? And where else can you find so many people who share a similar interest?

Even though there are numerous doll clubs around my area, I only know of 2 other people in them who have a fascination for BJDs. It's great fun to introduce others to them but when I simply want to discuss the dolls my local options are quite limited. Also, if it weren't for online communities, I would never know about opportunities for meet-ups in my area.

Can I enjoy my dolls without online communities? Definitely. I've collected dolls for 20 years & never even had internet service until about 5 years ago. I enjoyed my dolls by playing with them & displaying them in places where I could see them everyday & continue to do so with my BJDs. But being able to share my experiences every day with people from all over the world is an added bonus.

As for trends, while I don't think they should affect the hobby, the simple fact is that they do. With the current popularity of these dolls, more & more companies are jumping into the market. Also people share their latest dolls & that arouses interest in a certain sculpt. There's alway the latest "gotta have" doll & many people's buying choices are influenced by this. I know a lot people who are buying the little Narae because of so much exposure & peer preasure to have her. And there's the limited editions who some people feel they must have simply because they need to own an exclusive doll.

Personally, I tend to ignore trends & simply buy what I love, though often even those choices are influenced by what I'm exposed too. However, if a doll becomes too popular I no longer feel the desire to own her/him simply because I can get my fill of that doll online.

 

*Enjoying* my doll is something I do all by myself. But in terms of starting up, I found the community helpful for all those silly newbie questions about face-ups and stringing and things that I'm sure my one BJD-owning friend didn't want to be pestered about every five minutes.

I'm really not that much of an online community sort of person overall; too many smilies and netspeak bother me. And honestly, I haven't been reading news threads or anything that might tell me what was "in" since I'm much more interested in creating my own vision. So while I'll probably look through other people's gallery posts from time to time, and certainly post my own (because, I mean, pictures of pretty doll! what could be better?) I could be perfectly happy as a doll-owner without the online community, too. Although probably my friends on LJ would get spammed with more doll pictures that way...

 

I came to this community to see what the fuss was all about. While here I learned and still learn. I don't care if there are cliques or not. I'm old enough at 53 to not give a rats buns. However, coming here, I've met some pretty nice folks, seen some fantastic dolls and, ultimately, fell in love with a doll and got my own (with one in saving mode as I type this).
Has this been a good thing? ... erm, ask my pocketbook. But yes, I think so.
As for belonging in this community because one has a doll - well I didn't when I came here. Thought you were all a bit touched imho. haha whatever it is, it's contageous! thank goodness XD

 

I don't think that belonging to the on-line community is a necessity, but for me, it is important. One of the fun things about this hobby is that it can be very social. The on-line community also helps hobbyists find other hobbyists near them, so they can have face to face interactions. When you're new to dolls it's nice to be able to post questions and find threads relating to things like restrining and faceups. There's so much I've learned from being on this forum.

However, I think it's also important to not take things in the community too seriously. I buy these dolls to make me happy and I play with them in ways that make me happy--not what pleases other people. Besides, trends come and go, and it's important to know that once a particular trend is over, that you'll still be happy with the dolls you have.

 

I came to DoA as soon as I found out about BJDs, I started lurking and learning about them, and then I started posting til I got my dollies XD

I'm really glad there's an online community, as I didn't know anyone in real life who was into BJDs, and my real life friends or family don't know anything about them. So I'm glad I can talk to people about dolls online and show pictures of them and all

Of course I also hope I can have the chance to meet with someone into dolls XD

 

A preamble: I have not read the thread; I'm just putting in my two cents.

As someone relatively new to the BJD world, I find places like DoA positively essential for finding information and resources regarding this hobby. It's a very specialized, relatively rare interest. I find the community to be a smorgasbord of opinion and personal experiences and like-minded individuals. I would have been like a fish out of water when it came to purchasing my doll. I think that the online community - namely, DoA - is a fantastic resource and great community that sparked many of our interests in BJDs, and helps further that interest. Hobbies grow sour when you don't have anyone to share them with.

However, as with all communities, there come trends: a certain set of standards - what doll you can own, how you can present them aesthetically, and other sorts of criteria - that are required to participate in the online community. I'm not singling out DoA in any way; most online communities have similar rules - but I will use it for the purposes of my example.

That being said, I think the status quo on this particular board - it is the largest and it is the most well known, so it bears speaking about - can and does push newer members into trying to be "trendy" or to "fit in". I do not think 'trends' in the doll community are superfluous; in reality, they form the basis of some of the criteria of on-topicishness here at DoA - that is to say the general aesthetic trend of sculptors. But that's not what this is about, although it may be part of the reason why the following observation of mine exists:

I have generally found that anything that breaks the mould (haha, no pun intended) on what the BJD 'trend' has been gets frowned upon rather quickly. Regardless of whether or not a doll is ontopic or not, if he/she is an unpopular sculpt they will not be received quite as readily as more popular varieties, and an owner will quickly find themselves ostracized, or at least perceive that such ostracization is going on. So to that end, trends within the doll hobby most definitely can have an effect on what people choose to do with their dolls. It depends on the person.

Take me: People I've shown Sal to love her - they think the work I've done is marvelous and I appreciate it, and I love pic-spamming my doll blog with shots of her. But I'm terrified that she's not glam or pretty enough to even be shown here on DoA, because she doesn't seem to fit. This is probably in light of a trend, and of tales of prior experience of flaming, etc., etc., etc. I'm just a scared little n00blet.

Does it bother me that I can't pluck up the courage to just STFU and post a pic already in light of what I feel is "in" at this forum right now? In a way, yes. Is it affecting my participation in this hobby? Not particularly. I like reading and commenting here when there's a subject that interests me, and I have no qualms about doing so. I love Sal, and despite the hole she put in my line of credit, I have no regrets purchasing her. And yes, I really should just STFU and post a pic already!

But for some (this holds true for all communities, not just the BJD one) - there will always be an overwhelming need to belong and they might find themselves carried along in the doll-trend currents. To them, being a part of the online community and finding acceptance there will be ridiculously important, and they just might abandon what they want and enjoy simply to fit in.

EDIT: I did STFU and post some pics, but it was still a tad harrowing.

 

I think the online community puts a "human" element to the hobby....I think I'd collect dolls no matter what, but it's great to be able to meet people who share the same interest, have someone that I can actually talk at length with about dolls (my family aren't the best dollie conversationalists!), and get to meet other dolls I might never have seen unless I bought them. So to me, the community makes it all worthwhile!!

 

I think *part* of getting "full enjoyment" of any hobby is being able to share it with others. The online doll community certainly covers that.

It's *especially* nice for people like me who don't get to go to club meetings or meet-ups because we're so far removed from other collectors and/or don' have the time/money/energy to travel to such meetings.

And don't forget BUYING. Except for some basic craft supplies most of my doll-related purchases are online.

For instance; right now I'm a stay-at-home-mom with three kids and a husband who works 60+ hrs/wk for a start-up company - we're only going to the BJDCon in Austin this August because he is in desperate need of a little vacation time and if I didn't say "I'd like to go to this event and have you come with me" it would be years before he'd allow himself a break No woe-is-me there, just that's the stage of life/career we're in and so far that Con is the only doll event I'm going to this year. No local meet-ups, no doll shows next state over, just one Con and that's ok.

I think there are some that let the online doll community take over their social lives (I was nearly there), and I also think there are some that follow the trends a little too closely (saw that more in the fashion doll side), but overall I think there are a lot of positives to the online world for hobbyists, such as ability to learn about & share new techniques and sources

I do think that if it was not for the influence (read: enabling!) that the online forums have had, my doll hobby wouldn't be collecting dolls and sewing clothes, but making dolls (more of the varied material art doll variety) and while being home with the children I'd have dropped it entirely for a while - mainly because of boredom with materials I could find readily.

 

I like having a place online to talk about BJDs, because I don't know anyone in the "real world" who knows much about them. I was babbling about them to my friends and got mostly blank looks. There's also no cons or anything that I know of aside from the meetup at the local anime con. Plus, I like being able to see pictures of them while slowly saving up for my own!

 

Do you feel it is important for one to be a part of the online doll community to get full enjoyment out of one's doll?

I feel that it helps in some ways and detracts in others. For example, there is more drama within this community than I've ever experienced, and it's downright aggravating to be a part of the online communities that revolve around BJDs sometimes because of how touchy some people are about how special their doll is, and how downright mean some others can be about how special said doll is not.

That said, it's also nice to post your pictures and get comments. But so much of this community is a popularity contest that most of the time you're overlooked unless you've already got "fans" for some reason.

Though I can have a ball of an afternoon out with my girlfriend taking pictures of our dolls, regardless of whether or not they get posted in the end. And I have real-life BJD-owning friends close by, too.


Should trends in the hobby influence and affect how owners enjoy and play their dolls, or are they entirely superfluous to the hobby?

I think that the "should" is irrelevant here. I mean, they shouldn't in my opinion, but..they always will. For me, they don't. I don't need to be "trendy" and dress my dolls in some awesome brand of clothing to be happy with them. I don't need a certain doll just because it's popular, either. In fact, if too many people have a certain mould, I'm much less likely to get one, I think, because sometimes people do things with dolls that I just DON'T like, and seeing one doll with an off faceup might put me off of the mould forever.

I dunno. Random two cents.

 

I don't think being involved in the online community helps you get the full experience from your dolls.

This question sort of takes me back to my Barbie days, back when I had no knowledge of any online community. I played with them for hours a day. I gave them names and personalities. I made things for them. I created a whole world for them all on my own.
To me, my play with Barbies was the full experiance.

Don't get me wrong, the online comminity is wonderfull. It gives you a chance to bond with real people who share your intrest.
But I've found myself bonding more with the online community than my doll. I see photos of other dolls and read the stories of other dolls lives. I spend so much time doing this, I haven't been able to get close to that connection I had with my Barbie dolls when I was young.

 

I also believe that, though a community is not necessary, it expands your resources whether it's knowledge or material. I learned so much about these dolls and found so many places to obtain them and stuff for them, where as before I had a real hard time finding them. I also get to enjoy and be inspired by other's whom already have dolls and love to see life breathed into them.
I first found bjds, on a famous manga artist's website, she had this doll that looked realistic and had this certain look about her, it was a gorgeous doll and I hadn't had interests in any dolls since i was a kid, but this brought an obsession to find out about it. Of course I cringed at the price when i did find dolls like that lol X.x but I also learned why they are pricey too.
But again, not necessary, but certainly a enriching experience

 

Depends on what you mean by "participating".

I'm not interested in a great many of the topics and threads posted on this and other forums. So, in that sense, I don't participate.

However, one needs to keep abreast of what's happening in the world of BJDs and it's hard to see how one could do it without reference to online communities. So, in that sense, I do participate.


I have a serious issue with online communities in general, in that they do tend to become exclusive and cliquey, and to some extent actually deter new members. The fulsome praise that is lavished on "the chosen ones", whilst other, more innovative newbies get ignored. It can appear like rejection to those who aren't familiar with the ways of the internet. Off-putting and elitist, some communities may end up doing more harm than good. And of course, in the end, all these communities are in the hands of individuals who may be using the forums for their own ends, rather than for the good of the community. (This paragraph is in no way aimed at DoA, but is my views on all forums in general.)

In conclusion, I would say that I "use" communities rather than participate. I recognise the importance of an online community to bring people together in an otherwise isolated world. But, seeing the good and bad sides, I prefer to keep my distance.

 

While the information is great...I will probably keep my pictures on my livejournal and not post too many here....unless their is some request to see a certain doll I own with a certain wig...yeah there was a time when all I heard was Volks and only Volks SD, SD13 or MSD...any other company not Japanese was looked down on at first, but time has changed and my dolls are all Korean BJD's...

 

Do you feel it is important for one to be a part of the online doll community to get full enjoyment out of one's doll?

It’s fun to find a group of people who like the same things that you like. That makes the on line community a pleasant way to spend time. You can see dolls from all of the manufacturers, see clothing, learn about painting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, even shoe making. I enjoy the community a lot.

That said, it isn’t necessary. People managed to collect dolls for years before there was an internet. I’m sure that we can all find information about dolls from other sources.

Should trends in the hobby influence and affect how owners enjoy and play their dolls, or are they entirely superfluous to the hobby?

I can’t think of a reason why trends would make a difference in my enjoyment of my dolls. My dolls are beautiful to me and I want to keep them that way. If the internet went away tomorrow, I’d still love my dolls.

 

The same counts for me, I´ve been on too many forums were you had something like an exclusive club ignoring newbies or treating them like idiots (This includes forums in general not just those about BJDs). So, I stopped being a member of most of the online-communities.
It´s is nice to find customizers, tutorials and talk to others e.t.c but theres also a huge amount of opinions and emotions which can influence you and how you should feel about the hobby, so I fully understand people who enjoy it off-line.
At least that´s how I feel abut it.

 

I'd go so far as to say this also applies to real-life in-person communities. They usually seem to start out with a small group of people who know each other somehow and get along fairly well, but then if the popularity of the community grows a great deal, it seems inevitable that this type of exclusion occurs because people just naturally tend to group up with their friends, people they knew before, etc. It seems to be an inevitable consequence of community growth. I probably would have enjoyed DoA a lot more if I'd gotten into the dolls earlier before this place got so huge. It's really more like a small city to me than a real "community".