Background

My social media presence is what people would consider “specialized”. To me, the internet is a place to communicate new ideas and collaborate with people, not to socialize. The websites I frequent are those that show me new media, and hence I prefer Reddit and deviantArt to the more personal sites of Facebook and Twitter.

Among the social media sites I have expressed an interest in, one in particular that has caught my attention and time is a forum called Smogon University. It is rather specialized in terms of its audience; it is recognized among the English-speaking Pokemon community. Yet, within this sample space, it is the de facto competitive Pokemon website, and thus, it is held in high regard. It is home to an online simulator for competitive play, and it has a database of metagame analyses members are encouraged to discuss and construct.

As of September 17, 2015, 10:20 AM, the Facebook page for the site has 279,234 likes, and the forums themselves have 230,775 registered members. Out of that number, I am one of the few hundred members of the site that are special community members called “badgeholders”, showing that I have made significant contributions to the website. Indeed, since December 16, 2011, I have made many works of art for the Create-a-Pokemon Project and the Pokemon Showdown! Sprite Project, and, in addition, I have been recognized for not only artistic contributions but also community ones, enough to receive two badges.

…Then, on September 16, 2015, just one day before this project was assigned, I replaced my profile avatar, added a descriptive title, and formally left the website.

Let me make that clear; this is not a stunt for the purposes of this assignment. On a website that I had been an active member of for nearly four years (and lurked on for much longer), I had actually made definitive changes to my profile to signal I quit.

I had planned my resignation months in advance, and the decision was one of careful consideration. It is auspicious that the timing of the event and the expectations of this project would align so well, and it is rather fantastic that I can present a concrete example of the behaviors expected from social media and the effects changing it create. I ask the reader to keep in mind the gravity and reality of the event I document.

Documentation

Intention

My internet presence is static. When I invest my time into a community, I establish a consistent username, avatar, and behavior that represent who I am. As a longstanding member of Smogon University, I had done the same; on the day I joined the site, I uploaded an avatar, and since then, I have retained it for nearly four years. Even when I was promoted to badgeholder and was privileged to larger avatars and a custom title, I actively decided to retain my existing profile information; I was thankful that the moderators of the site recognized me for my contributions, but I did not flaunt it.