By: "Skeeter"
You know, with all the rubbish that flies around on SM pages, it's impossible not to admit that, in
the vast menagerie of SM pages on the Web, there's a whole lot of stuff around that is basically just
useless crap. But, even with all the brain-dead pages being posted, it must also be pointed out that they
have some good competition from a type of Sailormoon page that may grow to be an even greater evil
than the pointless drivel spouted off about such-and-such a character. Yes, I'm talking about the fungus
that keeps on spreading: Sailormoon Fan Clubs.
How many pages have you been to recently that sports a montrously ugly logo for a club you've
never even heard of? Or perhaps you've seen a few that say "join my Sailor Moon club now!" in huge
letters, only to follow the link and discover that a mere two people have joined in the 3
months that the club has existed.
The trouble with many new Sailormoon clubs is that they just aren't worth the free server
space they're posted in. The recent spread of SM clubs is due to factors quite similar to the ones that
caused the outbreak of tasteless and worthless award campaigns, and the increase in bad Sailormoon
pages in general. These people are simply gunning for extra page hits and/or trying to make themselves
look "cool."
There are several reasons why many new clubs just aren't worth salt, the first of which is the
lack of purpose. If you're creating a new Sailormoon Club, you should ask yourself "Why is it here?" and
"What makes it different from other clubs?" When you're starting a new club, it should be for a GOOD
reason.
Another big problem would have to be poor design. A lot of these pointless Clubs are run by the
same people who post the some of the ugliest SM pages that can be found, so not only are these clubs
useless, but they're also an absolute beast to navigate.
Now, those of you who are familiar with my other pages might think: "What could YOU possibly
have to say about the evils of SM Fan Clubs? You're the president of one!" Yes, A.S.P.I.R.E. is my baby,
and I'm very proud of it, but the difference between A.S.P.I.R.E. and many other clubs on the web is this:
A.S.P.I.R.E. has a PURPOSE for being there! My club is devoted to stopping hate on the Web by
allowing people their personal opinions, and by not promoting anti-pages about characters. How many
clubs do you see with a real CAUSE these days?
That's not to say that ALL other fan clubs are stupid, pointless, and wrong, because they surely
AREN'T. I'm a member of a few clubs myself! Clubs like the Sailor Pluto Fan Club, the Church of Tsukino
Usagi, or the TAOKMWACBHOTHBTSF are perfectly fine, because they HAVE a purpose. Their purpose
is showing their support for a particular character. But many other clubs are simply there for no reason
than to take up space, and attempt to gain a large listing of members so the President can say "I have a
club with umpty-some members in it! Aren't I spiffy?" What kind of purpose is that? Clubs aren't formed to
be self-serving, they're created so a group of people with a common interest or opinion can come together
and show their support for that opinion or interest. There's no room for a self-serving ego in that.
The bottom line is this: whenever you're creating something on the Web, whether it be a club, a
WebRing, or just a general site, you should try to be original and creative. The Web is for providing people
with interesting content and information, NOT for providing you with an ego boost injection.
Comments on this article can be sent to:
Skeeter.
