21 replies to this topic

[Langley]

Why do we call ourselves the 'Nerf Internet Community'? I thought this whole 'get out and nerf' thing we've been managing to do these last few years was all about more nerf and less internet. Also, the assassin nerfers and the nerf larpers and the steampunk guys all have varying levels of internet presence. Not to mention there are plently of people who are barely active on the forums, if at all, who attend nerf wars. Ideally, the thing that really sets us apart from other groups of people who nerf, is that we modify the guns way more extensively than anyone else. Why don't we start calling it the Nerf Modification Community?

[Split]

Chyeah. I'll rock that. NMC from now on. Very valid argument and an example of each point came right to mind when you said each.

[TheNerfLoki]

Ideally, the thing that really sets us apart from other groups of people who nerf, is that we modify the guns way more extensively than anyone else. Why don't we start calling it the Nerf Modification Community?

Yeah.. I agree. And like you said we should start calling our selves the NMC. Just a side note but wouldn't that confuse newer members who like to read through older posts?

[Rogue Warrior]

It will take some getting used to, but it is much more precise.

[jwasko]

Yeah, but the fact is that NerfHaven and other nerf forums are still a community on the internet.

Still, you could say that the NMC is the overarching community in which there are divisions which have various degrees of separation, including the NIC, HvZ, Assassins, and various other players that don't participate in the NIC.

But even a "modification" community excludes some of our kin...what about HvZ and assassins players who participate in games that do not allow modified blasters/guns (for reasons of safety, fairness, or just because the sponsoring school says so). Just because they don't modify their weapons doesn't mean they don't nerf as hardcore as others, right?

Even young kids are part of the community (though they may not have "found us" yet). Shoot, I probably started playing with Nerf and having wars in my basement only a short while after some of the NIC "legends." I just didn't have a computer and had never even heard of the internet at that time.

In summary, anyone who nerfs is a nerfer...if we want to phase out the phrase NIC, I suggest that we replace it simply with "NC." Because that's what it is: a community of nerfers, no matter what narrow form "nerf" takes.

But by all means, do whatever you guys want. It's not like the name really matters.

Edited by jwasko, 19 September 2008 - 03:45 PM.

[Ubermensch]

Yes, I think Nerf Community is perfect. NC. We should still maintain that NH and NHQ are part of the NIC, though. Why? Well, because they are on the internet. They are still internet forums. Nerf Modification Community doesn't seem right, as some people here stock nerf, and LARPers don't modify their guns at all sometimes. Anyway, the reason this is called the NIC is that it is a Nerf community on the internet. The meaning is totally literal.

Two terms should be maintained:

NC for the Nerf community in general, and NIC for the two main forums.

[Langley]

Yeah, but the fact is that NerfHaven and other nerf forums are still a community on the internet.

Still, you could say that the NMC is the overarching community in which there are divisions which have various degrees of separation, including the NIC, HvZ, Assassins, and various other players that don't participate in the NIC.

But even a "modification" community excludes some of our kin...what about HvZ and assassins players who participate in games that do not allow modified blasters/guns (for reasons of safety, fairness, or just because the sponsoring school says so). Just because they don't modify their weapons doesn't mean they don't nerf as hardcore as others, right?

Well, there still is a Nerf Internet Community, but that includes those who are on the forums but don't nerf, and excludes those who nerf but aren't on the forums. Also, these forums do have plenty of HvZ and Assassins people, but they don't really congregate here because we cater to their subdivision of the hobby. NH and NHQ are first and foremost modification forums.

In summary, anyone who nerfs is a nerfer...if we want to phase out the phrase NIC, I suggest that we replace it simply with "NC." Because that's what it is: a community of nerfers, no matter what narrow form "nerf" takes...

...It's not like the name really matters.

Absolutely true. Although not everyone in the 'Nerf Internet Community' could be called a Nerfer by that definition.

[Bomberman]

Langley, I agree. We are'nt the Nerf Internet Community, we get out and nerf. But I think NerfCommunity, NC, would be better than NMC, because if we are the NMC, there would be a controversy about that we don't just mod, we participate in wars. So, NC would be better. But my personal opinion, we should be kind of two communities. The NC, as a general community, but the more active members here and on NHQ, the NFC. NerfForumCommunity. Or NerfInternetCommunity, whatever. But two communities might be just fine. I think the reason we have been the NIC for so long is becasue it just came first, and people just rolled with it.

[Icespartan 1114]

Wow, I actually never thought about that. I really need to stop using my computer (Macbook) and go out and do some accuracy tests with tree, rocks, can, and maybe even Fathers perhaps. Haha just kidding. But yeah very good argument.

[CaptainSlug]

Why?
Because I'm not your friend in real life, I'm only an internet acquaintance.

[Langley]

Langley, I agree. We are'nt the Nerf Internet Community, we get out and nerf. But I think NerfCommunity, NC, would be better than NMC, because if we are the NMC, there would be a controversy about that we don't just mod, we participate in wars. So, NC would be better. But my personal opinion, we should be kind of two communities. The NC, as a general community, but the more active members here and on NHQ, the NFC. NerfForumCommunity. Or NerfInternetCommunity, whatever. But two communities might be just fine. I think the reason we have been the NIC for so long is becasue it just came first, and people just rolled with it.

Okay, Nerf War Community then?

[HerbieHero]

How about Recreation? As in, Nerf Recreation Community? Because we all do different things with our Nerf arsenal, but we do it for the same reason: because it's fun

[rork]

This is interesting. Actually, I ran a search on Facebook groups for "nerf wars," and there were over 500 results. Not 500 people, but 500+ groups. The thing is, I'm 95% certain that almost all those guys are playing stock. What's the total number of nerfers that mod AND nerf? MAYBE 200? This forum caters to a relatively small audience, particularly when you consider that there may be more players in a single game of HvZ than there are nerfers on the East Coast. Apoc is a huge nerf war, in that it attracts 1/3 of the attendance of a major HvZ game. All in all, I am inclined to agree with the idea of a "nerf war community" that maintains itself primarily via the internet, and includes modding in many cases. However, the focus HERE is primarily on specific types of wars, carried out with heavily modified/made from scratch weaponry, so "nerf modding community" is rather accurate for this board.

[BustaNinja]

I like the NC idea. Or maybe the UNC. Underground Nerf Community. We are kinda an undergroudn culture. I mean, I know nerds who shun me because I play with toys (most of these nerds have never kissed a girl or couldn't beat up a handicapped retarded puppy) but I mean, we are a pretty underground group. You gotta know where to go to find it, and once you are there, we kinda hold you to some high standards. Think, Fight Club with toy guns instead of fists.

UNC? What do you think?

[baghead]

I think NIC is still a totally suitable term for our community.

Here's why:

Honestly I highly doubt that this community would exist at even half it's current capacity if it weren't because of the power of the internet. The "Internet" in Nerf internet Community comes from the fact that the bulk of how this "community" becomes one is via the internet. Our focus may be "getting out and playing" but how would we have the means to do that outside an extremely limited capacity without the internet?


we wouldn't.


Now... don't get me wrong, I just as often refer to the NIC as simply the Nerf Community... But we wouldn't be having this debate at all if we didn't have the communicative medium we know as the Internet... so... why is it so odd to Keep it there?

yes there's nerfers who come to wars that aren't on the forums... that doesn't mean they're not part of the NIC... they just are part of it via whoever they know who actually is online... or in some cases they're just not part of the forums... but they're still involved in nerf via the internet... Case in point: there's over a Dozen guys in SCUN who gather information about nerfing through alternate internet sources like E-mail, Myspace Groups and in our case our Private .ning forum... they're not on HQ or Here... but they're still in the NIC as far as I'm concerned. Furthermore there's Nerfers who come to wars who aren't members of one of the Forums...who still READ the forums... that's still using the internet in order to get out and play.

In short.. We are an Internet-Based Community... we may do activities in AFK... some of it as a Community, but we wouldn't know how to do that with more than just our local buds without the intertubes, I know this discussion is serious business and all, but come on... most of what I'm reading in this thread mainly comes off as either "silly" or "a thinly veiled attempt to make nerfing sound cooler"

I'm done.


-Bags

^EDIT: for clarity... easier to read and less Big block of rant

Edited by baghead, 19 September 2008 - 11:32 PM.

[DarkKnight]

I agree with jwasko, that what we name ourselves in the end will fail to affect what we do. No matter how generic a name we try to apply, there will be instances were it fails to allocate the correct term for our (for lack of a better term) "fringe" elements.

So basically my view is that Nerfing involves community, wars/nerfing, modding, internet community, forums, etc...


To borrow from TV, how about NCIS - Nerf Community of Internet Soliders? Yes, rather silly.
And, yeah, I'm new. That doesn't mean I'll write like a ten year-old unless I choose to...

[mintee]

We all do different things with our Nerf stuff, but the one thing that brings us together is the Internet (specifically, this forum).

[Falcon]

Frankly, we're all gonna call it whatever we want to, so I don't really see a point to continuing this debate.

...on the internet.

Edited by Falcon, 20 September 2008 - 01:21 AM.

[Forsaken angel24]

I 100% agree with baghead.

[VACC]

Seriously? Who cares. I mean, what possible impact could changing the acronym achieve? This topic is officially useless.

[nerfer192]

That means somebody needs to go edit Wikipedia!

[J cobbers]

Seriously? Who cares. I mean, what possible impact could changing the acronym achieve? This topic is officially useless.

The impact would be nothing more than the ejaculate of this session of mental stimulation. A whole lot of excitement for no real purpose.

It doesn't matter what we call ourselves, NIC is good as anything else you could come up with or better, it's like the old common sense rule; if it ain't broke...