I just thought I would comment on TC's request that we stop telling people about T-Mag. It kind of threw me for a loop when I first read it because one of the first things I read when I joined up was a request from TC the each person tell 2 other people about T-mag.
So I have been thinking about this, and I came to t he conclusion that, basically, we here in the T-Nation are being asked to be elitists.
Not that that’s a bad thing.
IMHO being an elitist causes good things to happen, you suddenly don’t surround yourself with people who bring you down, the attitude around you becomes one of success and power. Anything is possible.
Sure there will be arguements, but they will spawn thought, not animosity.
I, in retrospect, have been an elitest for quite some time. It’s not that I am more intelligent that other people, because I am not, nor is it that I posess the perfect physique, because I don’t.
But dammit I try, sometimes I fail, actually often times I will fail, but I keep going. I read to better my intellect, and I lift to increase my strength, and so does everyone in the T-Nation.
I think that gives us the right to be elite, it obviously doesn’t give us the right to hate, but it does give us the right to be selective, the last thing we need is for people to come in and pull us down, to stop us from striving to better ourselves in every aspect.
-Dave
by the way… if you say “T-Mag” and somebody overhears… they may think you said “T-bag”, think about it.
I think he wants it to be elitest in a lowbrow way. Kind of like your favorite bar might be a shit-hole, but you don’t want everyone and their brother going there. You don’t want your sister telling you about how cool this bar she just went to is. Not saying t-nation is a shit-hole, but TC wants to be able to keep it ruff and fun.
In a business sense, when a small company grows and more people get involved the culture changes.
In a less formal sense, if a million new people sign up tomorrow, they may drive out or at least tire out the long term participants with endless repeated newbie questions that have already been answered many times before.
Obviously, it is great to bring in new people and grow the community, but if it grows too fast you can lose the community feeling entirely.
On that note, I’ve wondered if it might make sense to increase the number of recent articles listed. With the high level of traffic it is very easy for a thread to drop off the top five list these days and never get a response…
Yeah, that article kinda threw me for a loop. It seemed a little contradictory to the whole Testosterone mindset of spreading useful information to the masses. However, it’s most likely the mag’s attempt to prevent a change for the worse. More members and more viewers means more opinions on how things should work (i.e. “it should be more like muscle and fitness”). Nobody who’s a true T-man (or woman) wants that to happen to this site.
Minor thread highjack: There was another article that threw me as well. This whole Cattle Call thing seems a bit off the T-mag norm.
I just got this idea, maybe it would work. In regards to seeing tons of newbie posts, which would happen if a lot of new people joined up, there could be a TEST when a newbie signs up a screen name. Seeing how T-Nation has been going under a HUGE overhaul, which I beleive has made it more of a community, perhaps the addition that I would like to present may hold some merit.
At first I thought that there should be some mandatory readings out of the FAQ about diet and training, but then I thought that there will probably be too many new people who skip this. So in order for them to be allowed to post in the forums, they should need to pass a test. This test could cover the basic concepts out of the most popular of T-Nation articles.
This way, the forums would not be loaded with new people asking why they cannot grow when they do 3 hour training sessions of every body part one day a week and only eat salad and fruit, but since they beleive that they are already genetically peaked, maybe 'roids is there last resort.
Intelligence and a basic understanding of the underlying principles that the vast majority of T-Nation follows would then be understood by anyone who wanted MEMBERSHIP, and this way, the forums would be able to avoid most of these newbie questions, thus allowing a greater degree of advancement for everyone whom is already a part of T-Nation.
I think I know why he did it. It’s a mind game. whenever anyone is told not to do somthing, the first thing they do is that one thing. it’s a technique used by many great people, for example Jesus. he told the man possessed by the leigion of demons not to tell anyone about it. everybody knew in an hour.
I understand where TC was going with that, though. My way of thinking has become so that if I have to explain, then I’m sure you won’t understand.
I also think that it has a reverse effect - alienating potential client base may entice them further, although Biotest seems to be pretty staightforward so that might not be the case.
I’m getting tired of trying to explain my lifestyle (T-Man) and trying to bang away at people’s doors like a Jehovah’s Witness (metaphorical doors; no slam at JW’s - good people).
If they are on the path then they will find us here. We never were waiting for them because they arrived right on time. All we do is jokingly ask, “What the hell took you so long?”
We are not elitists because elitists would never help anyone. They nail thier feet to the soapbox and and use sarcasm as a barbed wire fence around them telling others to fuck off, thier not worthy of our divine wisdom (and if they were worthy they would feel threatened).
Help is the reason why this place exists. From supps to sometimes painfully true advice, you get answers… if you don’t waste a brotha’s time.
Wow. “The first rule about fight club is you don’t talk about fight club”
Wakey wakey guys. I thought you were much more clued in. Some of you are taking yourselves way to seriously. TC has done a fantastic job of making T Members feel part of something. No mean feat these days. By promoting exclusivity the members have a sense of being part of something special. And special it is.
But If you are wearing your lifestyle as a badge of honour you are going to get pigeonholed, charicatured. There is no-one to convert, no-one to impress.
One things for sure, if you consider yourself elite, even for one moment, it is probably the biggest indication that you are not.
Just one trip to your average gym will show you what it REALLY takes to be a T-Man or T-Vixen. Most of the people I see don’t have the drive, discipline or the grey matter to even comprehend what goes on at T-Nation. I have no problem with TC’s request. 99.9% of the people I’ve tried to “enlighten” just don’t get it—on any level. My wife and I have given up trying to “spread the word.” If you want to be enlightened—you’ll find your way here all by yourself.
It’s basically the classic branding strategy for an “exclusive” product – you have to guard the brand against dilution to maintain the quality of the product and have people associate the brand with a certain image and idea.
I think that’s the branding they’ve been going for here all along: This is a hardcore site not meant for just anybody. Now, “hardcore” has expanded from not just hardcore bodybuilding but also powerlifting and even athletic-focused programs, but it’s still hard-core and marketed toward those willing to invest enough time/energy to become well informed. I think what they’re really worried about is flooding the site with uninformed newbies, which will then turn off the hardcore crowd, which will migrate or at least check in/contribute less often, and thus destroy the brand.
Still, you have to balance that with the need to grow the market – it’s just that they want a sustainable growth without diluting the core of the site/brand.