(This is a long post, but it's worth it. I know I don't need to put this
parenthetical here to convince many of you to read it, but the post is aimed
at those who would not read it otherwise.)
I love this place. I really do. I owe so much to Wickedfire. I've been a
member of this community since I was 15 years old. Because of that, the
community holds a sort of maternal role in my life. Within the business
world, Wickedfire is very much my mother.
I've been exposed to wonderful opportunities as a member of Wickedfire. Our
thriving marketplace provides a safe environment for taking risks and
learning valuable business lessons. Our membership boasts a strong
contingent of very knowledgeable people who love to teach those who are
willing to listen and learn. These two qualities of Wickedfire make it the
undeniably best place to learn the intricacies of the business world, especially
that of the Internet.
But I worry for Wickedfire.
We have always recruited our new members with the appeal of a "no
bullshit" community. There really is no fucking bullshit here. That's because
our forum members who are hungriest to teach the community have no
patience for some idiot pontificating about his obviously flawed strategy for
success. This "no bullshit" attitude inevitably leads to a parallel "tough love"
attitude from the more experienced community members toward the less
experienced ones. We express this tough love through cocky banter, much in
the same way that two male friends converse by endlessly ribbing on each
other. I am a firm believer in this kind of tough love and the no bullshit
attitude that precedes it. It produces confidence, ambition, and a desire to
prove oneself. These are extremely positive traits that society views in a
glowing light.
But we are taking it too far.
The cocky banter and constant pressure to succeed remains present. On the
surface, the tough love that made Wickedfire such a wonderful community
seems strong. But if you take a second look, you realize that the genuinely
positive desire to teach each other is gone. It has disappeared. There is no
longer any substance to our attitude of tough love. Because of that, there is
nobody to instill proper values in our younger members.
Without the proper values behind tough love, it becomes nothing -- the love
is gone and now it's just tough. The disappearance of love becomes most
evident in STS, where you can clearly see that the content of our banter has
devolved into hate. Faggot this, nigger that. We have an entire forum
devoted to porn. There is a reason that society generally frowns on this sort
of behavior. Although it is refreshing to maintain a cavalier attitude of not
giving a fuck, you cannot have that attitude without producing or contributing
anything.
In the eyes of most people, Wickedfire lives in the crevices of the Internet. In
many ways they see internet marketers as modern-day rats infesting the
dregs of our most valued channel of communication. This is NOT a good
perception and if we ignore it, our community will soon fall apart.
Obviously, I disagree with that perception of internet marketers. Most of it
stems from misunderstandings. But as more and more people come to
understand the Internet and how it works, we need to prepare for major
exposure. Our profession is going to be put in the spotlight, and consequently
under the microscope. When the curtain is opened, do you want your friends
to see you as Hamlet, or as the incapable drunkard who can't even be trusted
to deliver a line?
