As I was musing about the site the other day it struck me what a diversity of styles, attitudes, and goals evidence themselves among this community. We have far too many individual personalities to codify. Plus I know there have been extensive analyses done of online communication styles elsewhere. But in a rudimentary sense it amused me to think of us kind of like a basketball team. Consider...
Some of us are like point guards. These folks spend a lot of time listening and understanding the thoughts and tendencies of others. They can be counted on to offer the right observation at the right time and to steer the conversation back on track when it's straying. They don't tend to seek the limelight and you can't really pressure them into producing more. In fact they seldom write their own Fanposts. Quick on their feet and adaptable, they thread the needle with precise passes so the offense runs smoothly for others.
Others of us are shooting guards. These people score points in droves. If there's conversation to be had, they're there...usually at length. They argue smoothly. They make brilliant observations. They create content left and right in the sidebar, the comment section, anywhere. You know these people by name. You can feel them coming the same way you feel a breakaway coming on the court. You sometimes wonder, however, if it's as much about the glory as the conversation. Like a 24 ppg scorer these folks don't tend to pass the ball much. But then few people can light it up like they do.
Some folks are small forwards. They're strong defenders. When a point comes up that doesn't seem sound they're going to lock you down until it's in shape or you give up. They're not going to create much offense of their own unless it's a total slam dunk but they help everyone else keep sharp. They're equal parts necessary (for integrity's sake) and annoying (because few people like to be corrected.) Some are Nicolas Batum smooth while others tend towards Ruben Patterson overbearing...technical fouls and broken schemes included.
Some among us are power forwards in the old-school style. They do the dirty work that others won't. They'll look up stats and salaries...not just the ones in question, but all of them vertically for the past twenty years and horizontally across every team in the league. They give charts, tables, and graphs with the comparative analysis. When somebody else misses a shot they're going to grab it and put it back up, at the correct angle this time. They're not flashy or poetic. They're the blue-collar workhorses of the community.
A very few of us stand tall enough to be considered centers. These folks aren't going to be touching the ball on every play. You're not going to see them bombing away from three-point land or attempting reverse tomahawk jams. But when it's needed they're going to block a shot to trigger the fast break or grab a rebound and then run down to the other end and pick up unstoppable position in the post. When they stride onto the court you know it because everyone else is able to key off of them. They're the pivot, the anchor. They change the game for all of us.
I'm sure you could come up with some analogies of your own in this vein. Expand and expound if you wish. Somewhere in there let us know what your style/position is.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)