HEADING FOR A PC
SCENE
-------------------------- by ST-pissed-off-survivor -----------------------
Ever since the Atari scene has existed and especially when it started surviving
while seeing how many of its members were quitting, we have always defended our
identity, taking it as far as possible from the PC mentality. Most PC so called
"sceners" are nothing more than lame gamers, they brag around with their sooooo
powerful machines (someone said that a powerful car symbolized the feeling of a
sexual inferiority ?) and look down on anyone else who is not good enough to be
a decent PC user.
Now, I'll tell you what : somedays I feel like some of us have copied these PC
big headed suckers and that makes me so sick ! I am one of the guys who still
use and work on an Atari because of so many caring friends around...There is no
concept of fame, money or crap like that. Who could actually pretend be a star
while he's still using a system that only gathers a few thousands followers ? -
surely less if we only take "active" people into account - you tell me !
I'm not questionning the trust I have put in some people, especially the people
who help us so much with keeping a last diskmag alive. Ok we don't always agree
but as intelligent beings we always manage to find a compromise or to accept
other people's views. These are people who deserve - in my opinion - the title
of Atarian, people like paranoid, evil, candyman, tao, havoc and many others...
But... some people are changing minds so easily ! Some gfxmen said that former
UCM shells "sucked", other guys claimed that UCM was a pussy mag or they threw
stones at the ones who used PC to get connected (I do use an old P 100, does it
mean I'm a traitor ?), strange things happen during parties compos... It sounds
so much like PC bullshit !
I have another example in mind, an example which pushed me to write this
article. People who witnessed "our" chat on irc will easily clear the blanks, I
don't want to do it myself, since I am sure it could have happened (and surely
did) with other people.
Some time ago I was asked to design a logo for the second edition of a famous
Atari party. It is true to say that for a while (actually two weeks) I did not
answer the mail I received and wasn't much into switching my STe on :((( Then I
realized how long it had been and, feeling ashamed, I decided to mail back and
started working on the logo. I had opted for an "industrial" style ; meaning a
barcode (vertical motive) cut in the middle by the logo (horizontal motive).
After a few unsuccessful tries, I managed to get something ok. I can show you
this picture since it's used as cover pic for this first issue of aLiVe!
I sent it to my "employer" who first replied that he liked it :) But some days
later I received another mail reading that "the other organizers think that the
logo letters look primitive. Their style should be more complex especially
compared to the complexity of the barcode". My first reaction wasn't good and
considered, I admit it. I said it was meant to be primitive, to offer such a
contrast with the barcode that it would naturally be highlighted. Also the led
display style was of course related to computers. Changing the letters style
and the barcode background would wipe out the whole thing in my opinion. The
following day, I mailed back and said : "sorry for my previous message, you
asked for a logo, I will do it the way you want it". So I got started again.
It didn't take me "long" to complete the new logo... Two days actually and I
finished it at 1:30 in the third morning. I mailed it as soon as possible,
eargerly waiting for a new opinion. The only answer that came back was "as it
seems that working with you is impossible we have decided to use the old logo".
There was _NOT_ a word about the new logo, the one I had been asked for and had
worked on in a real rush ! I thought it may have been lost and I emailed it
again and again...
At last, some four days later, I had another mail which read "sorry but people
still think our old logo looks better than yours, so we won't use yours". I was
smashed... What sort of game had they played with me ? Ok they didn't like the
first letters and background, so I redid them. Then what ? Not a word about how
they liked it, what they thought about the changes, nothing, just a plain "we
won't use it" without further comments.
Some days ago, I met him on irc and started a chat to get him to tell about the
new logo, not even being sure if he had seen it. I kept asking for explanations
but only had inadequate replies. Finally he said "I know you're a great gfxman
and I like what you have done so far. But this picture is less good than your
previous logos. It looks like a beginner's picture and really shows that you
were not motivated". Then he left as if nothing more needed to be said...
Now let me get this straight : I _never_ pretended to be such a great artist, I
would__not__ dare compare my piccies to Niko, Mod, Edo A-t or Havoc and no one
should tell me that this is crap talking because I know what I'm worth, maybe
not bad but not great either. Still I was _very_ motivated to work on this logo
which gave me the opportunity to get back to pixelling after a year of absence
(my latest _REAL_ gfx was the dragon I presented at SV2K and it was done in
september 1999). Though it was frustrating, I followed the instructions and did
the letters from zero again. At the end of the day, I am told that it is a
beginner's picture and that they don't want it, cool. Worst is being told you
are _NOT_ motivated while you_ARE_ (wtf can pretend to know what I thinK ??).
If that's what the Atari scene is about today, then I'm better off this scene !
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