New SSRG site opens!

As much as the idea of SSRG returning to its former glory sounds enticing, I don't see how you expect it to with such an ugly-as-sin design and little exclusivity to set it apart from bigwigs like Sonic CulT and Sonic Retro. Do you have sites willing to join with you? Do you have people working on content? Why don't you try adopting a modernized version of the old design?


I really don't like this whole Web 2.0 deal that people are adopting. Whatever happened to a good old fashioned easily-accessible web page?


In either case, we need somebody who knows what they're talking about in regards to the site content--ROM hacking and investigation--to lead it up. From what I know, Qjimbo knows little about such things... so is somebody else planning on adding the beef and the experience? I'm seriously trying to figure out where this starts working, but I'm really, really not seeing it at this point.


Wishful thinking is all good and well, but it takes real action to actually get the place rolling.

 

Split here.

 

I find the site looking pretty sharp to be honest, and honestly, who cares about status? It shouldn't be about "we're hosting the most sites!"

 

Well, the SSRG was originally a "collective" of sorts for many different websites. Area51, Sonic 2 Beta, and SFGHQ are just some of the websites that the SSRG used to host. It's not really about the number of sites hosted, but rather the content of the sites that ARE hosted.


Content is the key. You can always argue otherwise, but communities grow based on what the main site contains. If people see the same stuff they've seen at other places, what's drawing them to come here over whoever was the "first" to report it? Basic business strategy, there.

 

Attitudes can have an affect on sites/communities as well, if someone presents a atmosphere thats vastly different than the status quo, be it in a positive way or a negative way, that can cause people to look at the site too. Not saying you're wrong, content is involved, but it is not the sole key to a site's success.

 

I have to say I don't approve at all of this sort of necromancy. SSRG is gone, and digging it up its grave so you can use its name for yourself is not a respectable course of action. If you want to make something respectable, make something that's totally your own, don't just try to attach yourself to a name that people respect.


Either try to rebuild the dead place as it was, or build a new place to serve a new purpose. Don't try to steer a corpse in a new direction even if it works, you'll be running a rotting, shambling zombie, not a healthy new body.


PS: Although I would respect and allow an attempt to rebuild SSRG as it is, (1) that really doesn't seem to be the purpose of this, and (2) it would be impossible with Qjimbo at the helm. Qjimbo might be able to succeed at building something new, if he really did build something new, instead of cloning a retarded mutant (S2Beta -> Glowing Bridge), or raising a rotting zombie (SSRG). But so long as he tries to leech off the past efforts of others, he will be unsuccessful at bringing forth what he desires. And because of his past activities, he doesn't have enough trust in the community at large to be able to recreate something faithful to the old SSRG.

 

Tweaker, Tweaker, Tweaker. I've missed you =P


SGMC/SSRG or whatever it is, doesn't have to be as big as retro (and retro can't be that big because I rarely visit the place =P)


I've always prefered this place and that's the way it's going to stay; if goes to the top of the rank, or goes down the gutter, I will follow.

 

Technically speaking, Tweaker and ScarredSun leeched off of Simon Wai's site's success to get Retro where it is today.

 

...that doesn't make sense. Retro was ALWAYS successful--and so was S2B. They combined to become even bigger, but their individual successes were always evident.


Besides that, "technically," Pelord leeched off Simon's success when he took over S2Beta. It's not really a valid comparison...


I've been with this iteration of the SSRG for over three years. I've stuck with it for a while. I can't possibly see how this will work out, however.

 

And technically Simon leeched off the success of the sonic franchise. All I'm saying, tweaker, is that saying "Hes just trying to leech off of so-and-so" it looks stupid, imo there hasn't been a single shred of originality since the 70's.

 

voice, do you understand the difference between plagiarising a work, and copying it with consent of its owner? Qjimbo is taking over the SSRG name without the knowledge or consent of anyone who used to be involved. Tweaker, meanwhile, was given control of S2Beta by its owners. See the difference?


Furthermore, Qjimbo has a history of behaving in an untrustworthy manner, and therefore lacks what it would take to recreate what made the original SSRG worthwhile -- a widespread appeal to talented hackers from all corners of the Sonic community. Hell, even if he did, retro already fills that niche, and better. And if Qjimbo is trying to make something different than what the original SSRG was, then why does he need to use the name? Especially given that he doesn't have the knowledge or consent of anyone who used to run it.


Now, a little off topic but, for what it's worth, I always preferred SGMC to S2B/Retro, because the non-hacking related discussion at SGMC isn't a writhing mass of memes and idiocy. I've been going to S2B/Retro primarily because I have to in order to be a functioning member of Team Megamix. And I stopped coming by here because the boards were so slow. But if building a fake SSRG is really the direction that people want to take this place, I've no interest in returning even if the conversation does pick up.

 

Jesus fucking Christ... you're all a bunch of fuckheads.


I'm sick of people hounding QJimbo because of a mistake he made in the past. Get the fuck over it. Clearly, Ordos doesn't give a shit, since after all, he gave QJimbo permission to maintain the site. That represents trust, and QJimbo has yet to break that trust.


In regards to SSRG, wasn't ownership passed on to JohnnyUK a long time ago, like 2004-ish or something? Since Johnny gave up the reigns, Ordos became primary owner, and has permission to use whatever content he desires. It's only due to bad luck that everything was lost, due to hosts being screwy... hence the new forums, and the start of a new site layout and new content.


I don't want to hear (see) anymore bitching about QJimbo's involvement with the site. I mean it. It's Ordos' decision, and I for one feel it's a good one.

 

Eh? What happened now?

 

@RHS: I think what SF is trying to say is people should stop ripping on Qjimbo because he worked with Glowing Bridge. I personally used to not like the Glowing Bridge, just going along with the fad of hating it, but it was a pretty good community. And if you rip on somebody because they used to work with a site, then someone should remove your left asscheek. I think that Qjimbo will do a great job with the site. It doesn't have to be the best site in the world, but by god will it be a good one.


Good luck.

 

Do your research, then come back with an argument which actually has some factual backing. What you said there was complete bullshit.


If anyone else has a problem with how anything round here is done, then just kindly fuck off and spread your bullshit around some other forums. The rules clearly state not to bring any personal shit involving other members here, so from now on, anyone who just digs up past shit for the sake a flame war will be banned on sight. I don't give a fuck who you are or your standing in the community, you will all be treated the same. This is the only warning you're gonna get.

 

Definately the best way to deal with a problem before it starts.


Anyway, it seems like the site is going pretty smoothly at the moment. Is there anything that anyone here can do to help?

 

I don't have a grudge, if that's what you're implying. I've been a part of this site for 3 and a half years, and I can honestly say that I don't think the direction Qjimbo will ultimately take it in will work for us. It sounds nice, absolutely, but I don't think it will work out as well as everyone is trying to play it off.


"This" SSRG and the original SSRG are drastically different places. They aspire to the same basic goal, but how they work and what they contain have always been different. The original SSRG was generally more of a gigantic clusterfuck of a bunch of different pages and communities, which worked for the time. This SSRG, however, has always been a ROM hacking and modification forum; not too huge, but a good place for beginners to start out, learn, and post their ROM hacks, however basic they were. I came here after I was alienated from SWS2B, stuck in Pending Approval for months on end. This forum took me in; it helped me grow, and it helped me gain knowledge that I likely would never have learned otherwise. I think trying to make it huge and popular like it was in 2002 is a bad thing--it takes away the close-knit, friendly feel the board had, and it whores us out to every generic internet turd out there. We'll get absolutely full of ourselves for "being the best," and we'll deter people away as a result. I think activity and attention is important, but we were never meant to be the biggest place in the scene--and that's what made it great.


If I can think of what was unique about this SSRG, it was the old main page. It wasn't big, but it had tons of user-friendly hacking guides--ones that were simple to understand, helpful, and walked you through things that you may not have understood otherwise. I lurked on this boards for ages to learn the ins and outs of the basic Sonic engine--what most people refer to as "learning hex." I never did anything very special until saxman walked me through the music format. That was my "claim to fame," but despite my newfound respect, I still never left this place behind. I stuck around for the same exact reason--because it's not always a good thing to be the best, and it's good to stick to your roots and appreciate them for what they are.


All this "going back to the old times" rubbish isn't as ideal as people want it to be. Have you guys ever seen the Area51 forums from 2002? Here they are. Nothing but halfassed theories, people making stupid posts, and overall idiocy. Is that what we want to encourage? All in the name of "the old times"?


I like this place. I care about this place. I want it to flourish. What's wrong with having an opinion? It may not be popular, but I don't see why it should be disregarded...

 

Off Topic: The new forum logo looks great!

 

Feel free to correct me where I'm wrong. But, to the best of my knowledge, none of the people who ran the original SSRG (Andy Wolan, Stealth, Chaos) has given their consent for QJimbo to take over SSRG, or was even informed about it prior to the fact.


Or is the part that you're calling bullshit where I said that Tweaker was given control of S2Beta by its owners? I'm pretty sure that LocalH owned S2Beta when he gave Tweaker control, but maybe he didn't?


Seriously, I am curious as to what part of this I have wrong.

 

I haven't even takenover SSRG, I'm just helping out with the website, jesus. That hardly counts as a reason to contact everyone who typed "<html>" on SSRG for the past 20 years. Andy has given consent to this version of SSRG as it's even linked to from the old emulationzone address.


Besides, I know Andy and I'm friends with Chaos, and really I doubt they'd mind that the evil Qjimbo is helping out a little with SSRGs frontpage. It would be nice to be able to hear them say they do approve though obviously. Neither of them have been easy to contact recently with Andy pretty much totally gone and Chaos/Magus busy studying at a Technology college (I think he's still there though I haven't spoken to him in a while).


In regards to both you and Tweaker's points about the direction of SSRG, I personally feel that the arguments you have given leave us with two options.


1. Keep the SGMC/SSRG page as it was, with hacking things made entirely redundant by the Retro wiki, however you'll be happy and still come because it hasn't changed it's direction, however the sites popularity as a whole will suffer.


2. Change the direction of the site a little, in an attempt to breathe some life into it, however you feel that this is immoral and will not come here.


The way I see it, S2B made some dramatic changes when Simon left, most notably the clampdown on the members lounge. Funnily at the time, I objected to the changed being made there. In a role reversal, we have Tweaker and Upthorn, complaining about any changes being made to SSRG, and like me then, they "care about the place". Understandably as I was in the same situation, I can entirely empathize with this, but the site as a whole is in a different situation, most notably, the fact the forums are rather quiet.


The bottom line is, we all care about the place, thats not the issue, the issue is that sometimes changes have to be made in order for a site to become peticularly successful in a certain area. I just don't feel the way the site was before is peticularly relavent to the current status of the community, and we have to update, taking some elements of all the previous iterations of SSRG with us.