July 21, 2003
TypePad Elite
I'm loving my play time with Typepad more and more. I wrote about the community feel throughout those of us lucky enough to be beta testers a few posts ago, and Ray over at @typepad who was the first of us to really grapple and begin documenting the typepad sites out there, commented to me about a beta-testers mailing list.
I think that this is a fantastic idea, because at the moment I just send help tickets to Typepad direct, sometimes because I have a genuine query, but more often than not it's because I just feel like talking to someone, or have a really minor html issue which feels like a waste of the techies at Typepads' time. A beta testers mailing list would really help with this I think.
I'll send a help ticket about it!
Whilst browsing on Ray's site though I saw this comment on his post about the Typepad community (or snobs as some people have admitted to being because of the exclusivity of the beta test):
Your sentiments are echoed in many fellow typepadders. In a few months, perhaps, possibly even earlier, this community will have to disband. We no longer will be beta-testers, no longer set apart from the rest of the world, hobbling together in our little corners, unadvertised to all but us.
And the comradarie that is developing is amazing. In my upcoming blogathon, I'm hoping to contact a few people I've gotten to know through TypePad, just because.
I find this really sad. Sad because we shouldn't be forgotten. Sad because we are in a position to become guru's to the world (because Typepad is - by general consensus - brilliant, and quite possibly a product which could just change the nature of the blogosphere - and beyond). And I'm sad because I do understand that this period of time is going to end, and I want to be remembered - damn it!
I'm proud to have played my small part in the development of this software, I'm proud to be able to say 'I was one of them', and I'm proud to be part of a genuine online community who just all seem to be so damn nice and friendly.
To this end I'd like to introduce the title of TypePad Elite to my comrades. We are not snobs, a little gloaty maybe, but not snobs. We are the original members. We are the genuine. We are the first.
We're your badge with pride.
(wiping a tear from my eye)
I know I will.
UPDATE:
Authgeek designed a far superior version to my own previously posted badge. I have removed mine and recommend people use his beautifully simple creation.
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference TypePad Elite:
» TypePad Elite from Mike
A big Thanks to Steve at IllNation for the TypePad Elite logo. I'll align it better later when I have the time. [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 21, 2003 2:23:29 PM
» Superiority Complex from pixeldiva
Well, that didn't take long. It seems that the human instinct to proclaim "I'm better than you" strikes again. Sure, it's a shame that the small community of typepad betabloggers will eventually disperse or diversify when the service goes properly [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 21, 2003 11:03:15 PM
» Elsewhere: TypePad Snobs, Syndrome, Elite and More from @TypePad
Well as I had originally said in comments over at iLLNation I was planning on writing a whole feature on this TypePad user / snob topic that has been developing over the past several days. I have been maintaining a [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 22, 2003 6:58:15 AM
» Elsewhere: TypePad Snobs, Syndrome, Elite and More from @TypePad
Well as I had originally said in comments over at iLLNation I was planning on writing a whole feature on this TypePad user / snob topic that has been developing over the past several days. I have been maintaining a [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 22, 2003 6:59:07 AM
» The First Shall Be Last and the Last Shall Be First from you are here
Hillarity ensues when bloggers take themselves too seriously:...(TypePad beta testers) shouldn't be forgotten. ...(W)e are in a position to become guru's (sic) to the world (because Typepad is - by general consensus - brilliant, and quite possibly a pr... [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 23, 2003 4:34:49 AM
» "Beta: TypePad Elite" Buttons, an Alternative from This Pad Kills Fascists
Someone has made buttons for folk to proclaim their Betahood. Take a peek at them.If anyone would prefer a TypePad Beta button less likely to antagonise, feel free to use the one below. It's made of pure CSS2 - with [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 31, 2003 12:15:45 AM
Comments
Actually, if someone with a better eye, and better access to fonts at work, would like to build a half-decent badge I'd be really appreciative ;-p
Posted by: Steve at Jul 21, 2003 11:06:15 AM
If you want an alternative, I made one up here:
http://authgeek.typepad.com/authgeek/2003/07/typepad_elite_i.html
Posted by: authgeek at Jul 21, 2003 6:13:47 PM
Steve, seems you are getting carried away in the significance of this betatest. It remains an enhanced version of Movable Type Online. :)
Posted by: Pixelchaos at Jul 21, 2003 8:09:41 PM
I love all that I'm reading -- that TypePad testers feel real kinship to each other and that they hope that they can be remembered and remember each other in the future. To have this sort of bond with the system after only a month of testing is amazing!
What does bother me is the whole "elite" thing.
We've been hearing the word "elite" used about Movable Type for ages and we were always bothered by how that made non MT-users feel. TypePad is our way of bringing the aesthetics and principles behind MT to a much larger audience. Maybe if I make a special beta tester button for this early group, we could kill the use of the word "elite" ?
Posted by: Mena Trott at Jul 21, 2003 11:07:48 PM
Well my feelings echo yours but about the word 'snob'. that's why I figured the word Elite was better placed.
In my mind being a Snob is far worse than being recognised as one of a select chosen few (not mater how random the process).
People seemed to embrace the TypePad snobbery and that bothered me greatly.
I'm not snobbish, I'm proud but not aloof or snooty.
I am one of the chosen, and for now that makes me one of the 'Elite' but not 'Elitish' in my nature. Elite in my book stood for privelage, nothing more.
It was not intended as a symbol of offense.
This was intended as a badge of pride, a badge of honour (for I feel that it is one to be a member of such a wonderfully diverse and proud set of people).
Posted by: Steve Hunt at Jul 21, 2003 11:35:57 PM
That's a good plan. I'm taking the whole elite-movement with a grain of salt already. Most of the people are just happy to be on the beta.
Posted by: Pixelchaos at Jul 21, 2003 11:37:43 PM
Steve, I know that there wasn't any ill-intention to the word choice (and it's certainly better than snob). I'm extremely honored that you feel so strongly about the product and are proud to be about it.
Based on what I've read today, we'll be adding the ability for users to add a "Member since" option to their weblog. And, eventually, when there are more subscribers of the service, you'll be able to click on your month and see all the people that joined at the same time.
Posted by: Mena Trott at Jul 21, 2003 11:54:41 PM
Steve - thank you for your comment, but I don't feel I missed your point at all, in fact, I think you may have missed mine. I wasn't criticising you specifically, I was merely commenting on my sadness that people feel the need to point out their "specialness" rather than just feeling it and knowing it within themselves.
I'm all for the "we were there" feeling - it is a good thing and I'm honoured to have been chosen to beta test - I just don't feel the need to make those who weren't feel any less special by rubbing their noses in it, and I feel that's what this does. It may not have been your intention, and I fully accept that - but that's what it can, and will be taken as.
Posted by: pix at Jul 22, 2003 12:05:28 AM
Since this has caused a lot of controversy, I've redone my icon to best represent the beta testers as the close community that we are without making such a blatant (as seen by some) superiority claim.
Read the post here:
http://authgeek.typepad.com/authgeek/2003/07/revised.html
Posted by: authgeek at Jul 22, 2003 1:09:30 AM
I agree with what pix said above, and I think Mena's solution is fine. Beta testers know they joined in July. The little 'tpbeta' banners do look cool, though, so maybe I'll add one.
Personally, I wouldn't add the 'member since' option to my site until say, six months down the road. It just seems lame to me. "Oooh, you've been around since July! Heyyyy, it's still July!"
I guess that also stems from my annoyances at companies who boast how long they've been in business when they were "established 1999" or something. Isn't there some unwritten rule that you gotta have done your time, before you've claim to have been around the block? Maybe it's only my unwritten rule.
Posted by: Jerry at Jul 23, 2003 6:17:16 PM
I WANT THIS BIKE
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Posted by: Reklamist_One at Oct 12, 2008 7:49:41 AM
