next »

[tesselode]

Just want to see how many people have been trapped on TV Tropes before.

[Ashkin]

The horror... THE HORROR!

[moi]

It lacks the option "I don't waste time on this website because my neurons aren't one-way only".

[Okenido]

I don't get why people act like tvtropes is a black hole for one's attention.

The website isn't that great to begin with.

[PGGB]

I never really got why people get stuck there. Cracked.com on the other hand... that's more of an issue...

[Paint by Numbers]

I love TVTropes and the concept behind it, but whenever I go there, I see so many flat-out stupid comments that I go into a mad rage and have to go do something else.

Especially the "Troper's Tales" pages on Lazy But Brilliant and Mad Hatter. You've never seen so many awkward, arrogant people who think that being monkey cheese random whacky is the highest form of humor.

Like I said, though, concept's fun.

[Pineapple]

I never really got why people get stuck there. Cracked.com on the other hand... that's more of an issue...

[Vino]

It's good for reference when writing something. If you're already familiar with most tropes then it's not as addicting.

[Inanimate]

I press random page, and only random page, really. I like finding new works, its very useful for that. Sometimes I can get some inspiration, too.

[Rob Lach]

Don't get it. Don't like it.

[Accidental Rebel]

Errr... TV tropes?

[dspencer]

Even if no one else will, I'll admit it. 

[Nikica]

I never really got why people get stuck there. Cracked.com on the other hand... that's more of an issue...

Agree. There are many sites which can make me suddenly have over 100 tabs open but TVTropes isn't one of them. I sometimes spend hours on sites like Cracked or FMyLife but I don't visit them every day so that I have much more stuff to read once I get there.

[KarenB]

I'll gladly admit that I get stuck there on regular basis, and by stuck I mean 100 tabs, XKCD style (http://xkcd.com/609/). I love that site, love reading what other people think of the media I like, and love finding new tropes.

[JoGribbs]

I got stuck once, but I've read a good deal of it now : /

[Türbo Bröther]

It's like a bloody Choose Your Own Adventure, just keep clicking link after link and hope that you don't die horribly and have to start all over again.

ffffff...

[TobiasW]

I love TVTropes and the concept behind it, but whenever I go there, I see so many flat-out stupid comments that I go into a mad rage and have to go do something else.

There is a comment section? Oh.

Well, just don't look at it? It's pretty hidden anyway, especially if you don't like it.

And hell yes, I get stuck there every time I visit but one page there. So if you will kindly excuse me...

[AMAZON]

i only really stay there for extended periods of time if i'm actually trying to waste time so yeah.

its a great way to waste time.

[Paint by Numbers]

I love TVTropes and the concept behind it, but whenever I go there, I see so many flat-out stupid comments that I go into a mad rage and have to go do something else.

There is a comment section? Oh.

Funny thing is, there isn't. People manage to comment anyway. You're not supposed to jump into the main pages of tropes sharing anecdotes or whatever, and if you want to correct something, you go in and edit it; no matter how much the site tells people not to, most tropers will just attach some "well, actually..." comment onto the offending sentence.

Also, when giving an example of a trope, tropers have a habit of placing the example with some smarmy comment about how the example should have been on here already, i.e., "Come on, people, <some show nobody has heard of> isn't on here yet? FOR SHAME"

Also, people regularly use hyperlinks to compare themselves to positive tropes (like "Lazy but Brilliant") and, if they're arguing with someone, their opponents to negative tropes ("You Fail Logic Forever").

Those might seem like nitpicks, but given how much the site tries to stop people doing things like that and how irritating it gets after a while, I can't take it. That's why I'm not a big fan of the place.




TVTropes is funnest when you read it the first time. It's entertaining learning about new tropes and I've found some cool shows out of it. Once you get others' terminology and how to properly refer to things, it becomes a bit less magical and even kind of boring.

[SirNiko]

I feel like TVTropes is a good idea executed poorly.

The one thing that bugs me the most about TVTrope readers is that they obsessively link to TVTropes in the middle of conversations, as though it's all an elaborate ruse to get you to read a list of unedited, repetitious examples of every movie, TV show and video game that has an exposed pit of lava at some point. As though anyone who plays video games couldn't think of twenty examples instantly. I especially hate the "Nintendo Hard" trope. Why do you need to link to that? Just say the game is "Hard" or "Harder than Solar Jetman"! I'll comprehend what that word means.

If I was in charge I'd change the format to a weekly column where a writer picks some common element in media to discuss. They could briefly describe it for those that might not understand, then give a few salient examples of common usage and potential extremes. Finally, talk about when it's appropriate to use this in your own writing / filming / game design or how to avoid it if it's a bad trope.

That would be fascinating and I'd probably read it each week, doubly so if the person doing the writing was amusing or showed experience.

As TVTropes stands, I only visit when my friend links me there in mid conversation and then I only read the first paragraph and two examples until I get the gist of what she was trying to tell me.