This is topic A note regarding Introductions and Landmarks in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 
I'd like to start this out by saying it is not meant to be critical of any of the posters who have recently started landmark threads. In all cases, I've been glad of the chance to get to know you better, and happy that you feel comfortable enough here to share some more personal information about yourself.

However, the landmark tradition is something that is, as far as I'm aware, unique to Hatrack, and I think you may not have fully understood it when you started your posts.

A landmark thread is not usually an introduction thread. It's great when someone who is relatively new here starts an introduction thread, so the established posters can get to know them a little better when they start replying. Some people do it as their very first post, others wait until they're a little more comfortable with the community. I think it helps you feel a "part" of Hatrack sooner, because when people know more about you they have more background with which to interprete your posts, plus many people respond more frequently to posters they feel they "know." That's why it often seems like there are cliques on the boards -- there are groups of people who tend to read the same types of threads, so they get to know each other better, and so respond to each other more often.

An introduction thread tells a little about yourself, and gives everyone a chance to say "Hi" and "Welcome to Hatrack." Here's mine.

A landmark thread, by contrast, usually comes much later. The very first one was posted at 1000 posts, but back then people didn't reach 1000 posts in a long weekend. It usually tells a story the poster considers important to his or her personal history. It is a post that takes time to write, because it is special and important, both to the poster and to the people who read it. Often it is a chance for that person to open up more than they ever have before, sometimes just at Hatrack, sometimes at all. Sometimes people do them to announce important events in their life -- a wedding engagement, graduation, moving to a new place. Here is an example of a landmark thread used to tell about someone's life so far, as they were about to take a big step forward. Here is one that deals with self-relevation.

Here is the landmark archieve. I urge our newer posters to take a look around, and especially to go back and read some of the older ones. Landmark threads are archieved forever. They are important, so we don't want them to fall off the end of the board, as all other threads do. They usually mean something every personal to the person who wrote them, and are frequently very meaningful to others as well.

There are no rules about what can and cannot be called a landmark. If, after reading some other people's landmarks, you still feel that you want your recent thread to be a landmark, that's your choice. But I hope you will consider changing them to introduction threads instead. And in a year or two, or four, or whenever you feel you have something really important to say, I look forward to reading your landmarks.

Liza
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
I agree, ELJay.

Maybe some day I will even get around to writing my first Landmark thread as well.

 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 
I haven't done one yet, either. It's not time yet.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
No Landmarks from either of you? Well, I can tell you that they'd be much appreciated, if and when they come.

I was thinking much the same thing, ElJay, as I was reading through the day's posts. How neat to get to know our newer folks, though.


 

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Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by ElJay:
I haven't done one yet, either. It's not time yet.

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Of course it's not time. You're still a newbie.


 

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Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
I did one for 1K, but not for 2K. I like even numbers.

Plus, I just figured that if I came right out with a landmark no one would know who I was. If I was gonna add anything to what ElJay's said, it would be that by writing a landmark with considerably more thought, time, and effort than would go into a regular post, they stay special, almost hallowed.

I started writing my landmark in my head at around post #700, which meant it was fully 6 weeks before I actually set my fingers to the keys to start typing it. But I also loved (and still love) to go to the landmark archive and read everybody's landmarks. A lot of people who are still around, and a lot of people who aren't. But, when you read their landmarks you feel like you really know them.
 

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Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
 
I did one for 1k, too. The difference is that getting to 1k too me 961 days.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
I did a really wrenching (but cathartic) post after my mother's death, then one about me (at 5000 posts and [4] years) and again at a year after my mother's death. The last few years have been some of the most difficult of my life, but there was a lot of good, too. I had the need to document it, but I don't know if that will come up again, for me.
 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by twinky:
Of course it's not time. You're still a newbie.

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Well, duh.
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
I didn't do mine till 3K, though I expect I'll do another one next month as it will be my 5th aniversary...
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
I did them at 1 year, and 20 months, also 1 and 2k. And I tried to make mine "different" not that there's anything with the form "this is how I'm me" type, the ones that tell an interesting story, are done in a different format, use pictures, music, or something else entirely, are the best.
 

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Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
 
I agree with pretty much everything ElJay had to say there, even if she didn't use my landmark as an example. *smile* Truth be told, someone else's landmark is still my favorite.

For all those who have written recent landmarks, the threads are in my list for archiving. If anyone would choose to re-categorize his/her thread as not being a landmark, just change the thread title to remove the word landmark (as one person already did -- perhaps you could reply here or e-mail me so I know I did the right thing), or let me know via e-mail (best to send it to papajanitor@hatrack.com probably), and I'll take it off the list.

--Pop
 

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Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
 
At the rate I'm going, I won't be deserving of a Landmark until 2011.
 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 
*grin* I don't think "deserving of" is the right term. "Ready for" works much better for me, 'cause I think it's all about when you are ready to do it. Anyone who's been here over two years can make a landmark at any post number they please, as far as I'm concerned.
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
That implies you think they should wait two years, which I don't think is what you mean.
 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 
Well, I'm saying if you wait two years I think it doesn't matter what your post count is. I'd even say if you wait one year it doesn't matter what your post count is. If you've been here less than one year and have less than 1000 posts, I'm honestly probably not going to be too interested in reading your landmark, because I'm probably not going to feel like I know you well enough to be emotionally invested in what you have to say, and for me that's what landmarks are for. I, personally, don't think you can be sufficiently invested in the community at three months to write a landmark.

Any line I draw based on numbers is going to be arbitrary, and there are going to be exceptions to it. So what I was trying to say was that two years is well on the "been here long enough to write a landmark" side of the line, no matter how you draw it.
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
Ok, I agree, i was just being bratty, since you said a time later than when I posted my first, well actually, a time later than both you and i have been here now (i think, I'll click on your reg date in a minute).
 

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Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
 
I, uh, try to time my landmarks.

1000 came at 4 years, 2000 at 6. Silly stuff like that - I find the combination of duration of time and total posts a nice way to say stuff about me.
 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by breyerchic04:
. . . a time later than both you and i have been here now . . .

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*grin* And you'll notice I haven't posted a landmark. But yeah, I knew you were just pickin'. But I thought I should clarify for others who might have taken my statement the way you pretended to.
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
Ok good. I have an idea of when you could post a landmark, but I'll shush.
 

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Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
 
I appreciate that. But I'll add don't hold your breath.
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
heh
 

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Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
 
I'm willing to bet my first landmark will come around May of this year- I'm estimating to be around 1k at that time, as well as my 18th birthday and my graduation. Big time in my life, that there.
 

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Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
 
I'm planning my landmark for July. I should be near 1K by then, it will mark my 1 year reg date, and I'll be turning 18/graduating/moving out.

Wow. Listing all that stuff out .... . I'm kinda nervous.
 

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Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
 
I've never actually posted a landmark. I don't think I have anything important enough to be said in one.

I've started several, though. Whenever something central to my life is causing me a lot of turmoil, I tend to start a hatrack landmark discussing it. I never post them, or even finish them, but they really help me. Often, they take the form of a life history that is skewed towards events that are important to me. I can reread it and see where I'm being illogical or uneven in my thinking and get things straightened out.

But so far nothing has ever been important enough for me to actually post a landmark about it. Honestly, I can't imagine anything that would be. I sort of feel like landmarks are works of art, and I haven't created anything beautiful enough yet. I'm not even sure I'm capable, at this point in my life, of creating something beautiful enough.
 

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Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
 

quote:

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I tend to start a hatrack landmark discussing it. I never post them, or even finish them, but they really help me.

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Ah yes. For me, livejournal plays this role. The joys of self-analysis-through-technology.
 

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Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
 
I just wanted to say that the landmarks, especially the well-thought-out ones in the tradition that ElJay described, have been my favorite thing about the Hatrack community so far. I love reading people's stories. I've gone into the archives and read a few there. And I'm still waiting with baited breath for the next installment of "Pennies"!
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
I love the landmark tradition, but I admit I like the landmark that are, you know, marking something more than others.

I have written two - one at 10,000 (about my mother) and one at 20,000 (about the future plans).
 

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Posted by sarahdipity (Member # 3254) on :
 
Wow, reading this thread made me realize that a) I remember when ElJay signed in and I wondered how long dkw's sister was going to hang around. And she's totally a Hatrack presence. *laugh*

To me it seems like she's only been here for a little while. But I'm starting to realize that my perception of Hatrack time is very warped. *laugh*
 

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Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
 
Wow. I can't believe it actually has been 2 years since my last landmark. It was quite amusing to go back and read it. Now I'll have to dig out my first one. *digs*
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
I've done landmarks twice, both when an event that hit me as profound and made me reflect upon myself happened to coincide with a specific number of posts, not, you know, necessarily one you think of as "even", but one that you "notice".

I am kinda fond of them both.
 

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Posted by JemmyGrove (Member # 6707) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by blacwolve:
I've never actually posted a landmark. I don't think I have anything important enough to be said in one.

I've started several, though. Whenever something central to my life is causing me a lot of turmoil, I tend to start a hatrack landmark discussing it. I never post them, or even finish them, but they really help me. Often, they take the form of a life history that is skewed towards events that are important to me. I can reread it and see where I'm being illogical or uneven in my thinking and get things straightened out.

But so far nothing has ever been important enough for me to actually post a landmark about it. Honestly, I can't imagine anything that would be. I sort of feel like landmarks are works of art, and I haven't created anything beautiful enough yet. I'm not even sure I'm capable, at this point in my life, of creating something beautiful enough.

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