Why I'm Grateful for TVTropes (and tropers)

Seemed fitting on this Thanksgiving holiday to do some Gushing About Stuff We Like.

Namely TV Tropes, one of the most awesome fiction-topic sites I've ever seen. The super informative and well-organized fiction devices, the clever entries, the encyclopedic list of examples.

And then there are the things like the tropers themselves. I mean, okay, maybe we don't all agree on stuff, but I know I speak for many of us when I say I genuinely look forward to "hanging out" with them.

And lastly, the Mods and site Admins. There's no way a site this complex is easy to run. And sometimes, curbing the tropers isn't a fun thing to do. But they do, so that we can all continue to enjoy this site.

And for that, I'm grateful.

I'm sure there are a ton of other reasons. Feel free to have at it.

Indeed, I've been here since...I don't honestly know. At least 08.

And there's still something new to find every time I hit the random button.

and OTC and video game regulars are all really cool, even if we fight 90% of the time.

Yeah, this is my favorite forum. It's the right combination of serious and funny. I love hanging out here. I've been here since late 2009 (I registered for the site in mid 09, but didn't know about the forums).

edited 24th Nov '11 9:33:58 AM by wuggles

The forums can be frusterating sometimes, especially OTC, but I just can't help coming back. There's something about them that I crave, and THAT is something I can be thankful for.

I too enjoy this place and appreciate the work done by the administration to see that it continues to exist. I enjoy the debates here, even with people I disagree with most of the time...and I like the goodwill of the site. A good many internet communities thrive on negativity, but TV Tropes' "don't be a dick" policy largely keeps that at bay.

I'm with you Scrib. There was a time that I used to regard the Mods as being the prime example of "Stop Having Fun" Guys.

But I realize that the very real sense of community in this place is largely because of their efforts. The warm rapport that many tropers share with each other simply wouldn't exist if they (The Mods) didn't slap wrists every now and again (my own included) and force discussion to stay toward the nice end of things.

I'm grateful for all the stuff you learn. Honestly, this place is a treasure trove of info you simply will not get anywhere else.

Whether it's someone editing an entry, or Troper Tale, or a link, or a lively discussion in OTC, I feel like my knowledge base on all kinds of stuff from Star Trek to the mobilization of the Wermacht has jumped exponentially because of this site.

Yeah the mods here are awesome, especially Maddy.

I'm thankful for this site existing due to the people I've met here. A sort-of online family, if you will.

Yeah, I am grateful for the people.

My interest in tropes themselves has passed.

It's extraordinarily intelligent, as internet sites go. And like Maxima said, relatively quality database of all sorts of interesting things — I've particularly appreciated the Crowning Music section myself. I would have never watched TTGL if not for recommendation and description on TV Tropes, and I consider that I would be much poorer for it. *

As for tropers, pretty much the same aspects: intelligent and come up with interesting info all the time. In combination with reading the main site, watching series whose description impressed me, and interacting with tropers, I've gotten more relaxed and "less 1-dimensional a character", so to speak; getting more into the idea that no matter what I do I'm still 'role-playing', so trying on different roles can't hurt; and become more 'campy'/flamboyant in general through that, much less self-conscious*

Oh! and trope knowledge has made structured, good writing seem much more attainable. TV Tropes also includes succinct description of certain key musical, cinematic, and animation techniques that help similarly in those other areas.

edited 24th Nov '11 10:13:00 PM by SavageOrange

Tropes have turned me into a much better writer, a much better analyzer of media, and they have given me the structure to create beautiful works of my own. I don't necessarily try to use tropes in my works; I prefer to invent my own tropes for my works that only I know, and if they happen to be the same as real tropes, then that's just coincidence. But that preference, that system, would never have come unless TV Tropes wasn't there to subconsciously introduce me to the wonders of organization.

As for the tropers, my "Massive Story Inside" thread probably sums up exactly why I am incredibly thankful for the amazing work of art known as the troper. For those who haven't read said thread (that rhymed! :D), without tropers, I would probably not be alive right now, or I'd at least certainly be an incredibly different person.

I'm thankful to be part of a great community here and to even make contributions to this wiki. I also thank some people PMing me advice through the times when I made flawed edits/forget certain things early on.

I'm grateful for the forums AND the wiki. The latter is a godsend for helping me voice things in some coherent manner, as well as deepening my analysis of media, and the former is just all-around awesome how everyone is (forced to be) civil if not actually nice.

I wouldn't have been interested in half the stuff I'm interested in before I was at this wiki.

Yes. There are tropers you fight with, almost to the death, and yet.....if you go for a while and don't see any post activity from that troper, you get this weird kind of....discontent..that you can't explain. After thinking about it for a while, you realize you miss that troper.

Edit: Another reason I love TV Tropes are the Troper Tales. The stories of real people living lives of adventure, of overcoming adversity, of finding love, of boldly going where no man has gone before....

It's literally inspired me that no matter what, there's never a reason to give up.

Tear Jerker pages remind me I'm human.

The people on here are really good. I've made a lot of friends who share my interests, and things like that. I've learnt a lot more about pop-culture (and general knowledge), and I've gotten into things I would never have before. OTC is full of engaging debates, and well... nerds like other nerds. What can I say?

So, thanks guys.

I've been on certain Image Boards and other forums before and well... TV Tropes is certainly different. In good and bad ways.

Even the trolls here are intelligent.

Hell, yeah. I'm friends with one of the nicest trolls ever.

The quality of a forum can only be determined by the quality of its members. I have to say, the quality of this forum is damned high.

Another grateful troper here I've gone from being addicted to reading the trope pages, to browsing the forums (mostly Yack Fest), to getting a certain amount of my political news and commentary in OTC and enjoying debating here, and it's wonderful. I agree, this is a damn insightful and intelligent bunch we've got here, with so many areas of interest, and we also know how to have fun and be a real community. We can discuss things with people of different views and have a real exchange of ideas without things blowing up, and also joke around (often at the same time). We can create friendships with and support people we've never met. I've personally gotten exposed to and become a fan of things I never would have if I hadn't found TV Tropes. What more could you ask for?

You guys are awesome. I'm going to go read some random trope pages.

edited 25th Nov '11 8:41:59 AM by TheGirlWithPointyEars

I like it well enough (maybe moreso now that Troper Tales has been jettisoned from the main site - moving that was a wise move on the part of the mods and admins). There are a good few series that I discovered through TV Tropes, and it's always interesting to see what other people think of stuff I liked when I was little(r).

edited 25th Nov '11 8:50:45 AM by TheGloomer