[el_magnifico]

(Related to this thread.)

Dear admins:

As requested by some users in the aforementioned thread, I've redone my animated beam, and by means of this post I'm submitting it to your consideration for approval as an official beam.

The current version's file size is between 1/2 and a 1/3 of the original one. The current version is 60% the height and width of the original one, has a halved palette to further reduce the file size, and is easily convertible into many colors.
While the increment in file size from the static beam is still considerable, that could be mitigated by choosing only one color to use. I think the current one is green, so I made two versions for this preview: One in black and white, and the other in green.

More colors are in the making (red, yellow, cyan/blue, orange and violet are planned, plus any other color that you request). But before I work any further I would like to know if this request could be considered.

I can also post the original xcf files (GIMP files) used to make these beams, if you request them.

White beam (281px × 36px, 61 frames, 328,33 KB):


Green beam (281px × 36px, 61 frames, 276,83 KB):


So, to sum it up, my questions are: Is there any possibility that these beams will become official? And if not, am I authorized to complete and upload them anyway, so that we forumers may still be able to use them through an image hosting site?

Thanks in advance.

[karajorma]

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=81395.new#new

That thread is a fairly mild example of the problem with welcome beams.

When the beams were first used they were meant to welcome people to the site and make them feel wanted.

This eventually led to stupid competitions between the forum users over who got to beam the newbie. Sometimes the competitions would get so involved that people would ignore the new user and any questions they asked, just so that they'd win.
Some people even started keeping track of how many people they'd welcomed as if making yourself an unpaid Walmart greeter was in some way important!

Basically it was the HLP equivalent of posting "First!"


So like "First!" It swiftly fell out of favour. Personally I have no objection to bringing beaming back as long as people realise it's meant to be about being welcoming and not about waving your e-penis in the face of anyone new to the website.

[TopAce]

What if only the admins were allowed to post these welcome beams?

[BlueFlames]

This eventually led to stupid competitions between the forum users over who got to beam the newbie.

The reality of that was crystalized for me, when someone decided to welcome beam me, after one of my hiatuses, having not noticed that my account pre-dated his by several years.

I don't think that this is something in desperate need of being brought back, and the welcome beams certainly don't need to be made any more obnoxious, if the beaming does resume.

[jg18]

...the welcome beams certainly don't need to be made any more obnoxious, if the beaming does resume.

This.

Sorry, el_magnifico, but I think that animated beams are the sort of thing that might look cool at first but get old really fast, especially if beaming does get brought back and becomes widespread again.

[el_magnifico]

Well, I for one felt a bit rejected by this community when I signed up here, because no one ever welcomed me, let alone beam me. And I knew of the tradition because I had lurked every now and then for some years before I signed up.

I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something neat for the community, that the community also seemed to want. I didn't know that the "beaming tradition" was so frowned upon nowadays, and I would hate to be remembered as the one who restarted an obnoxious trend.

I will stop all work on these beams now. Thank you anyway.

I'll keep looking forward to any future opportunities to help improve HLP.

(And for the record, the power up and cool down glows and the whole animation sequence are heavily influenced by the Fibonacci series. I'm sorry, I just had to point that out before this work vanishes because it all ended up looking so much better than the original in my not so humble opinion.)

[Black Wolf]

I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something neat for the community, that the community also seemed to want. I didn't know that the "beaming tradition" was so frowned upon nowadays, and I would hate to be remembered as the one who restarted an obnoxious trend.

Don't apologize. Trying to do something you think is going to improve the place is great. I can't speak for everyone, I guess, but for myself, just because what you produce isn't exactly what we need doesn't mean we don't appreciate the effort and the thought that went into it.

[Goober5000]

no one ever welcomed me, let alone beam me.

Exits are to your left and right.  Flame throwers are located in the weapons locker, but they are being heavily guarded by the admins after that incident with Derek Smart.  Beware of Carl the Shivan; he likes to hide out in the air vents.  If you find yourself cornered, offer him your lunch, and he will (probably) leave you alone.

I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something neat for the community, that the community also seemed to want. I didn't know that the "beaming tradition" was so frowned upon nowadays, and I would hate to be remembered as the one who restarted an obnoxious trend.

It's not the beaming tradition per se, it's the tendency to abuse it.  One way it could potentially be managed is if the moderators vigilantly deleted any welcome post that had nothing to do with the thread.

[Rodo]

Those beams look cool man, good work.

I'll use them from time to time if you don't mind, don't worry admins I'm not into the beaming competition thingy for sure.

[el_magnifico]

I'm sorry. I just wanted to do something neat for the community, that the community also seemed to want. I didn't know that the "beaming tradition" was so frowned upon nowadays, and I would hate to be remembered as the one who restarted an obnoxious trend.

Don't apologize. Trying to do something you think is going to improve the place is great. I can't speak for everyone, I guess, but for myself, just because what you produce isn't exactly what we need doesn't mean we don't appreciate the effort and the thought that went into it.

Thank you.

no one ever welcomed me, let alone beam me.

Exits are to your left and right.  Flame throwers are located in the weapons locker, but they are being heavily guarded by the admins after that incident with Derek Smart.  Beware of Carl the Shivan; he likes to hide out in the air vents.  If you find yourself cornered, offer him your lunch, and he will (probably) leave you alone.

Thank you very much!

Those beams look cool man, good work.

Thank you too.

I'll use them from time to time if you don't mind

Well, that's for the admins and mods to decide. I don't mind if you use them (that's what they were planned for), I'll just stop working on them any more since I don't want them to be misused.

[SirCumference]

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=81395.new#new

That thread is a fairly mild example of the problem with welcome beams.

Oh dear, I have become an example of what not to do... 

Personally, I like the welcome beams.  Yet another thing to make HLP unique. I do understand the potential for abuse though.

[AndrewofDoom]

Don't feel bad, magnifico, I never got beamed and I got a gold star and a custom title.

[MatthTheGeek]

Well, I never got beamed and I got a custom title noone ever remembers giving me...

[el_magnifico]

Don't feel bad, magnifico, I never got beamed and I got a gold star and a custom title.

Well, since you mention it: What does the gold star means? What is it awarded for? Curiosity is killing me.

[headdie]

Don't feel bad, magnifico, I never got beamed and I got a gold star and a custom title.

Well, since you mention it: What does the gold star means? What is it awarded for? Curiosity is killing me.

they are randomly awarded by admins for undefined deserving deeds.  Just dont ask a gold star wearer how they got it because they probably dont know

[Jeff Vader]

I got one once for messing up with TVWP's highlight image.