Member Cards Abuse

<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Based on the various rants of MAL friends, and my inner monologues.</em> <strong>Just a note:</strong> This is NOT an Anti-Member card club: It is simply to rant about the increase of Member Cards on MAL, although based on your own interpretations, it can be. Nonetheless, foul language and spam will not be tolerated here, and everyone has their opinions, <span style="text-decoration:line-through;">so even when one person's opinion may be painfully stupid to read<!--strike--></span>, please respect everyone here. Alright, so basically, I created this club out of a collection of rants, that I, and some other people have also noticed through the past few months alone. <strong>A brief recollection? Sure:</strong> Back when who knows when, these things called "Member Cards" were created in MAL. Of course, not even I had joined at that point, but it was blatantly obvious that they were popular. At first, there was an official club to distribute these Member Cards. Seemingly, they were a good idea, and were "adopted" by several other clubs, with some members on MAL slowly accumulating a small number of clubs, proud to display their collection of cards. Then the first club, Member Card Collectors, appeared, solely for the lovers of these cards. Then another member card club showed up, <span style="text-decoration:line-through;">blatantly copying the original member card club, and pissing the hell out of its members.<!--strike--></span> Of course, no one cared at the time, because, they're member cards, RIGHT?!?! ZOMG. -.-" More clubs slowly decided to have member cards, deeming it a worthy source of advertising, where admittedly, it is one. How many times have you heard of a club because of seeing the member card on someone's profile? How many times have you joined that club yourself? Think about it. However, the problem begins to occur right around here. At first a few member cards in each club were fine, since of course, they were cute and nice and all, but several things began to bother me, and I'm sure a lot of other people as well. ---------- <strong>Point 1: Excessive Cards</strong> As pointed before, member cards are a great way of advertising. But really, do we really need to have some every time your club gains another 100+ members? Every time it hits a certain milestone? 1337? 666? What significance do those numbers have to a club? Sure, your club is increasing, but isn't it only because you're putting out all those cards in the first place? If you hit a 1000+ members, then perhaps that would be a nice milestone number, but I see no real reason for all the other numbers. <strong>Point 2: Duplicity</strong> I like joining clubs that support all my favourite characters. Unfortunately, some of the biggest, and original clubs on MAL don't have member cards. So, what do some people do? "I'll just make a duplicate of that club, just for the sake of member cards, oh yayz~" You're just blatantly disregarding the other club. Don't you think if there's one club, that's good enough? If you wanted member cards in the original club, ask the creator. What percentage of the original club can you expect to gain? I hate receiving duplicate invitations to clubs that already exist, so why. are. you. trying. <strong>Point 3: Unoriginality</strong> Basically a build up on the point two, but more based on the sheer number of clubs dedicated to member cards out there. And really, there's been a major increase in those clubs, sheerly dedicated to member cards. Click on the <!--link--><a href="http://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cn=&action=find&type=recent">"Recently Created"</a> clubs bar. Check how many of those clubs are duplicates. Check how many are dedicated to member cards in the first few pages. WHAT. THE. F---- UDGE. As if the previous number of member card clubs weren't good enough for you?! Did you just want another reason to make cards? D: WHY?! <strong>Point 4: Card Crazy</strong> I absolutely detest seeing card crazy members. You've probably seen them. And you may be guilty of doing the following as well. I know I am at times. 1) A limit is stated. "You may only choose 1 card." - Stupid Member: Template B (and could I have all of them as well, if you have the time? kthxbai) First of all, the limit of request is clearly stated. The limit is put there for a purpose, whether under the cardmaker's own personal time constraints, or because they don't want to make 20 other templates for one other member. 2) As stated in point 1, a special number is reached for the club. - Stupid Member: OMFGJHSLFDJLS, WHERE THE F*** ARE THE SPECIAL MEMBER CARDS?!?! xDDDD No. Just no. Can't you be happy for the club? Why the hell should <em>you</em>, the member, be rewarded? All you did was click the damn "Join" button, and suddenly, you have the right to demand for special cards? Celebrate for the club, and whatever the hell it is for, but please, don't do this >.> 3) AWEEEEEE!! I MISSED THE CARDS! T_T FML, I"M GOING TO GO DIE BECAUSE MY LIFE DEPENDED ON THOSE CARDS. - No. They're just cards. They're coloured pixels on a computer screen. Some don't even look that nice, because they're not anti-aliased. Some don't even look that nice overall, as shown by Point 5 below. Get a social life, get some friends, and get over it. <strong>Point 5: "The cards suck."</strong> No, this is not directed to people who actually say this. It's directed to the cardmakers (LOL). I don't discourage creativity, in fact, it's recommended, to avoid an re-occurance of Point 2 and 3, but, when you see (sorry to put it harshly) CRAPPY CARDS, you can't help but wonder, "God, really, are you BLIND?" (My eyesight is really bad, so I think I can get away with this one...) The signs of these usually include: Lack of knowledge of resizing. Lack of good pictures. Lack of good typesetting. Cards that are too big (as in WALLPAPER SIZE. I am talking GODZILLA) in size. Just, if you're going to try and do another Point 3, acquire some knowledge first of graphic design, I beg you. <strong>Point 6: Limited Editions EVERYDAY!</strong> Another build up on Point 1. Basically, these are the clubs that release card themes on a daily basis. You know those clubs right? Mass message, mass message, mass message. <em>Ecchi theme cards, meganekko theme cards, special edition Code Geass cards, OMGRANDOMLIMITEDEDITIONS!</em> What's the point of making these limited editions then? The point of LIMITED EDITION is that they're limited for a reason. They don't come every single day, otherwise they become... habit. It's like... Christmas (I don't celebrate this, btw). It only happens once a year, and is a real and valid reason for families and friends to gather, exchange presents, and enjoy each other's company. You wouldn't have Christmas in mid-May just for the presents now, would you? Nope, and the same goes for these cards. Making these so called, "Limited Editions" take away the meaning of limited edition. <span style="text-decoration:line-through;">Oh the sheer irony.<!--strike--></span> ---------- These are the main ones, that really tick me off actually. Being a cardmaker myself, in a number of clubs, I think I'm being a hypocrite here. But nonetheless, did I get my point across? I'm sorry if I offended anyone here by making this, because you may actually be the sheer devil's incarnate of some of these traits, or maybe even all of them. Who knows? <strong>Basic Point:</strong> - Don't let the phenomenon of MEMBER CARDS blow up and lose its significance like claiming did. <strong>If you ask to have member cards in this club, you will be banned :D</strong><!--center--></div> /endrant.