Jerichi
05-31-2008, 11:45 PM
As I know that a fair few people on this site frequent or at least look at SPPf's front page on occasion, I'm sure you've seen the whole Shaymin Forme thing with PurpleKecleon faking people out with her new, extremely well done hoax.
For those who missed it, here's a good summary (http://lexyeevee.livejournal.com/289857.html) from Eevee, owner of Veekun, on the whole debacle. I'm not posting the whole thing, since it's rather long, but I'll give the series of events sans links.
2:58p -- Original /v/ post, now expired (but see below). No source, no poster name, no explanation or message at all; the image is posted naked as a new thread. Again, we never claimed or even implied that the image is a real Pokémon.
3:06p -- Image is copied from /v/ to ImageShack and posted on the GameFAQs Pokémon Platinum forums. Source is named as /v/.
3:47p -- Image is copied from /v/ to a different ImageShack account and posted in a [info]pokemon community post. Source is named as "2chan or 4chan".
4:00p -- First front-page mention! Image is copied to PokeBeach's servers, complete with color fuckery and their logo, and posted as news. Source is named as [info]heerosferret, with no mention of either the LJ community or 4chan. Who exactly is quietly omitting the source is unclear; regardless, now the chain back to anonymity has been cut, and the source is shrouded in mystery. Perfect.
4:07p -- Someone rule 34's the fake Shaymin (nsfw; direct link). No source is given save for "board".
4:11p -- The second ImageShack image (from [info]pokemon) is embedded in a Bulbagarden forums post. No source is given.
4:26p -- Fanart on DeviantArt. Links to the second ImageShack. Source is given as [info]pokemon and then 4chan, making this possibly the only tertiary source who actually names the entire chain. Bravo.
4:28p -- Someone posts the original photo on the Serebii forums. No source is given.
4:36p -- PokeBeach's image is linked on the Smogon forums. Source is named as PokeBeach.
5:16p -- According to PK, Pigzilla direct-links the PokeBeach image in #bulbagarden. Source is of course implied to be PokeBeach.
5:42p -- Someone on DevianArt reconstructs the original original image fairly well. Source is named as PokeBeach.
6:23p -- Some idiot uploads PokeBeach's image to DeviantArt, apparently completely missing what DA is for. Source is named as PokeBeach. (Later deleted, exact reasons unknown.)
6:55p -- At some point in the past 25 minutes (I was taking a shower!), the /v/ thread expires. All trace of the original source is lost, completing the mystery. All trace except the copy I saved, anyway.
2:42a, May 23 -- Gold. Serebii.net makes a news post (no permalink) slathered in warnings about authenticity, presumably because it didn't come from a source whose dick Serebii sucks. The image is the original photo. Source is given as "the internet".
3:36a -- Someone on DeviantArt draws Sugimori-style fanart of the "new" Shaymin. No source is given, but maybe once something hits Serebii it's assumed to be common knowledge.
Time unknown -- Second ImageShack upload is posted to some blog and linked to from some other blog. No time is on the first post, and the second has no time zone information but has a time of 6:23a. No source is given.
6:48a -- Some other idiot uploads PokeBeach's image to DeviantArt, this time with the watermark cropped off. Source is given as "the internet". (Later deleted, exact reasons unknown.)
1:27p -- More "fan"art, this time on FurAffinity and actually G-rated. By Minun, who hates PK for some reason, which makes it hilarious.
Overall, I have to say this is pretty interesting. Not only does it say something about how gullible the Pokemon community can be, it also is a pretty amazing experiment in sociology.
On a related topic, it seems that this also fueled an e-penis war between Serebii Joe and Pokebeach's webmaster. It's pretty depressing that these guys will go to this level of poor journalism just to be the "first source for Pogimanz news." It's also pretty depressing that so many people are really that desperate to believe it.
So, in conclusion, I think it's safe to say that the community is overrun by egos and 12 year-olds. Or am I just being a pessimist?
For those who missed it, here's a good summary (http://lexyeevee.livejournal.com/289857.html) from Eevee, owner of Veekun, on the whole debacle. I'm not posting the whole thing, since it's rather long, but I'll give the series of events sans links.
2:58p -- Original /v/ post, now expired (but see below). No source, no poster name, no explanation or message at all; the image is posted naked as a new thread. Again, we never claimed or even implied that the image is a real Pokémon.
3:06p -- Image is copied from /v/ to ImageShack and posted on the GameFAQs Pokémon Platinum forums. Source is named as /v/.
3:47p -- Image is copied from /v/ to a different ImageShack account and posted in a [info]pokemon community post. Source is named as "2chan or 4chan".
4:00p -- First front-page mention! Image is copied to PokeBeach's servers, complete with color fuckery and their logo, and posted as news. Source is named as [info]heerosferret, with no mention of either the LJ community or 4chan. Who exactly is quietly omitting the source is unclear; regardless, now the chain back to anonymity has been cut, and the source is shrouded in mystery. Perfect.
4:07p -- Someone rule 34's the fake Shaymin (nsfw; direct link). No source is given save for "board".
4:11p -- The second ImageShack image (from [info]pokemon) is embedded in a Bulbagarden forums post. No source is given.
4:26p -- Fanart on DeviantArt. Links to the second ImageShack. Source is given as [info]pokemon and then 4chan, making this possibly the only tertiary source who actually names the entire chain. Bravo.
4:28p -- Someone posts the original photo on the Serebii forums. No source is given.
4:36p -- PokeBeach's image is linked on the Smogon forums. Source is named as PokeBeach.
5:16p -- According to PK, Pigzilla direct-links the PokeBeach image in #bulbagarden. Source is of course implied to be PokeBeach.
5:42p -- Someone on DevianArt reconstructs the original original image fairly well. Source is named as PokeBeach.
6:23p -- Some idiot uploads PokeBeach's image to DeviantArt, apparently completely missing what DA is for. Source is named as PokeBeach. (Later deleted, exact reasons unknown.)
6:55p -- At some point in the past 25 minutes (I was taking a shower!), the /v/ thread expires. All trace of the original source is lost, completing the mystery. All trace except the copy I saved, anyway.
2:42a, May 23 -- Gold. Serebii.net makes a news post (no permalink) slathered in warnings about authenticity, presumably because it didn't come from a source whose dick Serebii sucks. The image is the original photo. Source is given as "the internet".
3:36a -- Someone on DeviantArt draws Sugimori-style fanart of the "new" Shaymin. No source is given, but maybe once something hits Serebii it's assumed to be common knowledge.
Time unknown -- Second ImageShack upload is posted to some blog and linked to from some other blog. No time is on the first post, and the second has no time zone information but has a time of 6:23a. No source is given.
6:48a -- Some other idiot uploads PokeBeach's image to DeviantArt, this time with the watermark cropped off. Source is given as "the internet". (Later deleted, exact reasons unknown.)
1:27p -- More "fan"art, this time on FurAffinity and actually G-rated. By Minun, who hates PK for some reason, which makes it hilarious.
Overall, I have to say this is pretty interesting. Not only does it say something about how gullible the Pokemon community can be, it also is a pretty amazing experiment in sociology.
On a related topic, it seems that this also fueled an e-penis war between Serebii Joe and Pokebeach's webmaster. It's pretty depressing that these guys will go to this level of poor journalism just to be the "first source for Pogimanz news." It's also pretty depressing that so many people are really that desperate to believe it.
So, in conclusion, I think it's safe to say that the community is overrun by egos and 12 year-olds. Or am I just being a pessimist?