Pan-fandom fun

[cleolinda]

For those of you who thought the whole hogwartshouses thing was interesting (I was sorted into Ravenclaw): That community has been deleted, and they're starting over from the ground up at hogwartsishome. I mean, everyone who's been sorted is still in their houses, but if you were interested but shy, now is the time to get in on the ground floor. Here's what you'll need to do (and I'm quoting from the user info here):

1. Join platform_934.

2. Fill out the application provided there and post it, making sure that you...

a) put it behind an LJ-Cut. If you don't know how, go here and learn. The application is long and, if filled out correctly, even longer with answers. We don't want our friends page spammed. [Cleo Note: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LJ-CUT I AM BEGGING YOU.]

b) are very specific. The longer, the better. The more we know about you, the more accurate our sorting will be.

c) don't tweak your answers to get into a certain house. We'll know it, and we'll give you the Muggle Vote.

3. Wait for the other members to vote on your application, and then receive an official stamp.

4. Once you've been stamped, you're in! You can then join your house community (see tie-ins/affiliates), vote on other applications, and participate in activities!

Unlike most ratings communities, getting in is not an issue here. You're going to be sorted into something. Just don't be transparent about the house you want and be open to whichever house you do get sorted into, and you'll be fine. Also, in my experience: do not complain about other houses in your application. Hufflepuff is an awesome yet underappreciated house, for example, and its members are all too eager to defend its honor. You can say you don't think you're a good match with Hufflepuff, but try to give an actual reason that has something to do with your own personality. On my application, when I got to the "Which house do you really just not think you fit?" question, I put Slytherin but said, "I just don't think I'm a proud type, I'm more of a swallow-your-pride-and-negotiate type," rather than "EW SLYTHERINS HATE." See the difference?

There are a couple of other things in the fine print that will seem obvious if you've ever applied to any kind of ratings community, but I'll mention them here just in case: Don't reply to votes on your application (this rule was recently instated). Don't vote on other applications until after you're sorted. Use your best spelling and grammar. I mean, really--just post your application at platform_934 and sit back and wait (and you may have to wait a little while--I think posts are moderated, and won't immediately appear in the comm), and you should be fine. And on the last question, you can tell them that I sent you.

As for "What do y'all actually do once you're sorted?": There are contests and debates and activities and things, some of which are in the process of being restructured, but at least a few are in full swing right now (icons, banners, text contests). I'm not exactly sure how LJ Quidditch works, but apparently they've got something for that in the works, too. Anyway, if you're a Harry Potter fan, it's fun and a good way to meet new people on LJ.

---

I'm kind of sad I don't have a paper journal, but then, the quickest way to make me lose interest in journaling is to buy me a beautiful bound book. This is because anything I write in it seems dumb in comparison. The only successful journals I've ever had on paper were on looseleaf in three-ring binders, and maybe a couple of Mead composition books. And, I mean, let's face it--musings on pop culture really are better suited to an online journal where people can actually respond and say, "Wow, I love that movie/show/song, too!" than a velvet-bound journal that your grandchildren are going to find in fifty years and read and go, "Sexy peanut butter, what?" I mean, really: I would like to think pale-blue crystalline thoughts, but... I don't, man. I would love having a journal/stationery set like this, but I don't know that I'd ever bring myself to use it. I don't know. Maybe I could copy poems into it or something. (Sigh.)

(Damn. The gift boxes alone that they come in are awesome.)

---

You have a Purple Lightsaber.

Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity,
independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
Purple denotes high spirituality and religious
aspiration. Purple also represents Peacefulness
and Purification. It also has a sense of
intuitive understanding and a feeling of
intimacy with the world.


What Colored Lightsaber Would You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

Comments

[yarha.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about the journal. I'm a sucker for nicely bound blank books. For instance, I keep my ballroom dance notes in a smallish, thick, leather-bound book. It's been mistaken for a Bible, which always amuses me. Must be the cloth bookmark.

I've used spiffy bound lab notebooks and they beat the hell out of paper pads, but mostly 'cause you feel you need to be careful when writing and not have to write 'the above argument is complete shit'.

Yarha, Bibliophile or Bilboophile?

[aurora-borialis.livejournal.com]

definately may go join the community...

I feel your pain on the paper journal thing. I have one that's leather bound and has really pretty recycled paper in it. It's half full, but I always end up turning to my LJ for entries. I'm a sucker for really pretty journals that you see at barnes and noble and crap. They're just so purty... But when you write in them you feel like you have to write something worthy in it. Whic makes it a guilt trip if you write something completely stupid like, "Harry Potter RuLeZ!" and then throw in really bad grammar. Silly things like that.

[pride4u2.livejournal.com]

Your Lightsaber is Blue

Blue is often associated with depth and stability.
It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom,
confidence, and truth.


(http://quizilla.com/users/AfroBurdie/quizzes/What%20Colored%20Lightsaber%20Would%20You%20Have%3F/)


I love paper journals...I write really dumb stuff in them, but I can sometimes be profound, lol

[maramala.livejournal.com]

Paper journals are overrated. I used to keep one of those, but I always lose them . . . only to find the books years later in very odd places. Like the one dated 1993 wedged between floorboards in the house. Or the 1991 journal stuffed inside a hollow table leg. Or . . . you get the idea. ^-^




. . . I wanted the purple lightsaber. ;_;

[zahavah.livejournal.com]

eeeep that sounds like so much fun! *scurries off*

[http://users.livejournal.com/bellereve_/]

Hee. What Color Lightsaber Would You Have? Dirty.

[sapphires13.livejournal.com]

I got one of these (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439425212/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-1660161-0583319) really cheap last year. I already had an LJ, and I'd never been one for using a paper journal. I bought it because it was cheap and cool looking.
For a while I used it as a dream journal. I kept it by my bed and wrote down my dreams as soon as I woke up, but that didn't last long. I had a dream about writing my dreams down in it, and that really freaked me out. So I stopped using it.
It lives in my closet now (I wonder why it's not on my bookshelf?) Maybe I'll find a new use for it..

[sparklinblossom.livejournal.com]

Call me a big dork but the application, do they want reallife answers for it?
Such as 'Want to do for a living?'
Magic world answer or real world.
Also, for name and age, do we alter it to fit into the HP world, of doesn't it matter.

(Yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist and a dork.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are all real-world answers, what-you're-really-like answers. The only thing I falsified was my name ("Cleo," which of course isn't my real name).

[law-witch.livejournal.com]

I used to love having a handwritten journal and like you, find myself jonesing for one each time I see a pretty new one.

However, I type 75 words a minute and spell like poo - thank the gods for lj!! (besides hon - how would any of us enjoy your posts if this was hidden under your mattress??)

[spiderfarmer.livejournal.com]

apropos of nothing...but I love that icon. Generally, I don't care for animated icons, because they're usually so choppy, but that one is really flawless. Nice job. :)

[ambiguousreason.livejournal.com]

I always stop writing in paper journals because I reread what I've written and it makes me cringe. Ugh.

I think I'll go join that community... it sounds neat.

[intotheheart.livejournal.com]

Yes! Way to pimp hogwartsishome! (I saw this on the friends page) :) Have you applied for the Order? You totally should, you're getting people already!

-Laura, hogwartsishome Gryffindor

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You know, I hadn't, because they said you'd need to have free time, and I don't know that I do. I may go ask how much time, exactly, you need...

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I applied...good luck to them figuring out where I go.
Heh.
My lightsabre is green. FEAR IT!

[carebear080787.livejournal.com]

I wanna join hogwartsishome.... but I can't remember if I belonged to hogwartshouses and there isn't a list so I can check. Should I just reapply and then see if they're like "um dude, you're already a member?" Methinks that might be the best course of action.

I also feel the journaling pain. I write journals best in spirals. I have a ton of journals i started when I was like in 6th grade, but I never felt I had anything important to say.

[http://users.livejournal.com/lorien__/]

*might join... not sure yet*

as for the journal... i knew which one you were talking about before i hit the link... i'm bullying my friends for months now to get me that one for xmas... if i'm not succesfull by then i'm just gonna get it for myself... just need to bully a friend into lending me their credit card... hee!...
we'll see how it goes...

cheers
Lorien__

[christigilly.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!

I just filled out that application yesterday. And them bitches take a long time! Piece of crap!

[arayuldaiel.livejournal.com]

I tried keeping a paper journal a while ago and it just didn't work. I don't think they're much use except to write "i <333 mikey 4evah!1!" or whatever.

After you've been sorted in platform_934, do you have to stay a member of the comm? Like, I want to be a part of the community and all, but I'd rather not have 87 comms on my f-list...

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, theoretically, yes--to vote on new applications. I know the feeling, though--I think I actually have 50 comms on my friends list, so I created a few filters ("Communities Only," "People I Know Well," "Syndicated Feeds," as it were) so I could read one section of my friends at a time.

[arayuldaiel.livejournal.com]

*facepalm* I am an idiot. I completely forgot that you could filter your friend's list. I think I'll do that, if I get sorted.

[twigsandgrace.livejournal.com]

Before I knew that you could have an online journal, I kept a handwritten one. Reading it now is weird, because I'm so used to comments now, that to just see my handwriting, and read just my thoughts makes it seem almost unreal. I still keep a handwritten journal, but just in a plain pink spiral notebook that was 3$ from the newsagency in town. If I bought a nice diary, I'd ruin it the first day, and then mourn the loss of my diary for ever more.

My saber is red!! I wanted a blue one!

[dinorider.livejournal.com]

Wow Cleo your light saber is like Mace Windu's one... I 've heard he has a really cool fighting scene in episode 3

Questions, comments and general babble

[spiderfarmer.livejournal.com]

What is it that is a "ratings" community? You mention in passing "a familiarity with ratings communities", a subset of communities that I've not run across, I guess. What purpose does rating serve? I mean, I liked the HP books, but I'm probably not enough of a devotee to hang with this crowd. I'm just curious about the concept of ratings communities, rather than an interest in this particular community.

Journals: Oh lord, I'm swamped with tons of beautiful blank journals that all have a few pages in the beginning, and then I lost interest. I think because I type so fast, and it's easier to make corrections via keyboard, I prefer an electronic solution.

LightSaber: Teal is your Lightsaber's color. The color Teal signifies trustworthiness, devotion and healing. It is also the indication of a spiritual guide and natural teacher.

Re: Questions, comments and general babble

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Honestly? Ratings communities are generally elitist at best and useless at worst. A lot of them are based around the "are you good enough" principle--give us pictures and we'll tell you if you're hot enough, your 20 favorite books and we'll tell you if we're smart enough, etc. A lot of people apply just for curiosity's sake. I applied to a poetry critique community and just barely got in, but in theory poems would actually be critiqued after you were accepted or rejected, so it wasn't totally worthless. Honestly, though? Ratings communities are basically about finding out whether a group of random people think you measure up, and if you do, you then get to pass judgment on other people. I stay away from them mostly.

The thing I like about the Hogwarts community is that it isn't about being "good enough." If you apply, you get in--getting in isn't the issue. The way this works, it's more like a personality test: they group you with the house (read: personality type) your application indicates the most affinity with. And then the fun starts. : )

[glitterscarves.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand that's why all my journals can be found ranging from $1- $1.50 worldwide. :)

Can't claim purple, but...

[count-01.livejournal.com]

You were destined to have a Red Lightsaber.

Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is
associated with energy, war, danger, strength,
power, and determination as well as passion and
desire. You have seen the Strength and Power of
the Dark Side of the Force and have you thirst
for more of it.


(http://quizilla.com/users/AfroBurdie/quizzes/What%20Colored%20Lightsaber%20Would%20You%20Have%3F/)



...I can say that you were the first of my "friends" to post this quiz, so I'm answering both of yez.

[aurora-borialis.livejournal.com]

Cleo, OMG I looked at the platform_934 applications and every single one (but like one) had youas their reference. Somewhat amusing, no? See how much power you yeild over us? lol! We should now henceforth be known as...

Cleo's Minnions!

hehhehehe.

[ashanta.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation about the community, Cleo! I just joined now, and hopefully I didn't mess up my application in some way...Looking at the others, I might have written too much, come to think of it...oh well.

Yeah, I have a really, really nice paper journal my mother's friend gave me about four years ago, and I've still never written in it. So sad.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

With these people, I don't think it's possible to write too much. : )

[ex-gateaux723.livejournal.com]

Hi! I found your journal through your Movies in 15 Minutes community and I think that all of those are awesome <3 Just wanted to tell you that, and congratulations on getting them published! ^^
Do you think you'd want to be LJ friends?

[dishuiguanyin.livejournal.com]

Umm, Ms Jones, I just want to fess up that I've friended you. I originally friended m15m as you seemed to wish, but since I find myself reading your journal at least once every single day, I've finally given in.
"Yet another one of Cleo's minions"
(Have been vaguely considering the community for a month, but still not decided.)

[edda.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of sad I don't have a paper journal, but then, the quickest way to make me lose interest in journaling is to buy me a beautiful bound book. This is because anything I write in it seems dumb in comparison. The only successful journals I've ever had on paper were on looseleaf in three-ring binders, and maybe a couple of Mead composition books.

EXACTLY. I have this beautiful fake-fur black-spots-on-white-background journal (not as tacky as it sounds) that I bought a few years ago, and it's just sitting in a drawer. I don't have anything to say that could possibly live up to it. Whereas LJ and (previously) my gnarly old notebooks are perfect for slapping down random crap that's going on in my head.

How did people not feel weird back in, say, Victorian times, using real journals becuse there were no spiral-bound cheapies? Did they feel compelled to make Profound Observations? Maybe we can trace the decline of western culture directly to the inception of the Mead corporation.