Android Scene vs Xbox Scene
Let me begin this by explaining what I mean by "scene". It simply is the community around that product. For example the Android scene is the estimated 5 million users who modified their Android devices and work together in various online chat rooms & forums. While the Xbox scene is the estimated 1 million users who modified their Xbox to do a majority of things.
Lets examine the hierarchy of both communities.
- The Elite Kingpins (1 %)
- This is the small group of users that own these various communities and sit back and reap the benefits. Whether it is monetary gain or a growing network of connections. These users usually have a strong knowledge but then sit back and let said community run itself.
- Elite Users (2%)
- These users are about in the same line of the Kingpins but do a lot more work on that community. Usually the highest level a non-community owner can get. Usually the known public figure for that community.
- The inner circles (7 %)
- This is the group of users that actually know what they are doing and do it well. They develop tools and products that the majority of the community uses. Users in this group that can't make the next jump upwards usually go create their own community to be their own Kingpin. Since they seem to have enough talent to call for their own community. 5 out of 10 times these users will come back to their original community. Since they underestimate the toll and work required at the top.
- The growing few (15%)
- This is for the group of users that hold enough information to stand on their own. They don't yet have a known public figure or image, but they continue to make contributions to climb the ladder. Soon they will make their ways into circles and be one step closer to the top.
- The understood (25%)
- This is for the group of users that understand the work involved in projects, but don't contribute much in the way of help. Just use said products/modifications, but then understand enough to troubleshoot problems themselves without begging for help.
- The Peons (50%)
- This is half of the entire community, in every community. These users feel entitled to everything whether its free or not. They continue to bash/demand/question everything constantly. They refuse to seek the entire internet prior to asking their question. Then get upset and insult others when a free product doesn't work. These users are the reason that most of the upper tiers retire from such scenes.
I started in the Xbox Scene as a peon. However, unlike others. I learned quickly and didn't stay long. The changing Xbox community orientated on money and profits drove me out of the scene as I believed knowledge should be shared to benefit the community. I shared everything that I came along and hated seeing users charge for products.
So I joined the Android scene. Once again another Peon. Long story short. It took me 6 months and I was a Elite User. I manage a variety of products/modifications along with administrating a website and becoming more and more the public image of it. However, the Android scene is about 4 million members greater than the Xbox scene. I can't handle the Peons anymore. Surprisingly it was easier to insult/handle the stupidity that wanders into the Xbox Scene due to the rough nature of it. Not being careful in the Xbox Scene can result in a stolen Xbox account. Which forced incoming users to learn quick or get out. The Android Scene is just too nice. My products receive 10 times the attention that my products in the Xbox scene received. With that increased promotion the peons increased and continued to feel entitled to something I do as a hobby. Even then some users feel that donating $5 - $20 once entitles them to an infinite amount of dedicated support.
While a donation usually gives me the increased drive to finish up things, it's not a permanent binding to infinite support. You might have to pay $150 at a store for a 1 on 1 support request that lasts one hour. Yet the donations I received are expected to receive a constant help back n forth for days to months. When 90% of the time the answer is already there somewhere.
I tried to understand why this is. Android is obviously phones and Xbox is obviously gaming devices. One has become a necessity in this world while another is just a hobby. Maybe the fact that users phone's stop working makes them loose all idea of respect. Even though they choose to do this to their own products that no one forced on them. Some users attention span online is less than 5 minutes. They require & demand an answer in under 5 minutes or they continue to annoy such avenues of support until they are answered. Then they go to social networks to bash such community for breaking their product and refusing to help.
With that, I am going back to the Xbox Scene where I started. I will more than likely be at the bottom again, but I will work towards the community and climb the ladder once again. Hopefully this time it will be different. I will take a month and slowly weed myself out of all the involvement I have in various products making sure I leave ample trails for the next user to come in and take over.