SW&D groupthink

[KPO89]

Groupthink definition: "Groupthink is a type of thought within a deeply cohesive in-group whose members try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. It is a second potential negative consequence of group cohesion."

Just out of curiosity....how much of this do you believe happens on the streetwear side.

Edit: Poll is private so no one will see your answers.

 

[DLester]

I will wait to respond until someone else comes along and tells me what to think

 

[LA Guy]

This is a hobbyist website. What do you expect?

 

[KPO89]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

This is a hobbyist website. What do you expect?

But is style/fashion really a hobby like building model planes or playing golf?

 

[Master-Classter]

UH, there is no emoticon to express how I feel right now!

 

[jet]

Tons of it in clarks, jcrew and redwing threads.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by KPO89

But is style/fashion really a hobby like building model planes or playing golf?

Yes. People who are really into in are into the esoteric aspects of clothing, or else there would be nothing to discuss. The only significant difference is that it involves "coolness", which is social currency.

 

[Prada_Ferragamo]

I am teh dumb, can't think.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by jet

Tons of it in clarks, jcrew and redwing threads.

And in discussions of Wings+Horns, Nom de Guerre, Rag&Bone, Hugo Boss, A&F, Stephan Schneider, Dolce&Gabbana, Rick Owens, Trickers, and pretty much everything discussed here. There is nothing wrong with being a fashion fan, but it's silly to pretend that it's otherwise.

 

[KPO89]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

Yes. People who are really into in are into the esoteric aspects of clothing, or else there would be nothing to discuss. The only significant difference is that it involves "coolness", which is social currency.

I'll agree with you on that point but my analogy to golf and airplane modelers is that there is an objective line to which everyone agrees on. Golf=least amount of strokes. Airplane models=most detail of the real thing.

Style is a subjective inward expression. One's "social currency" can, just like fiscal currency, provide their opinion with added clout. In this case I would suggest the post count is real "Styleforum Currency"

 

[jet]

They don't blindly cop those as much as noobs entering and getting brainwashed by entry level workwear for dummiez, well maybe rick owens. MC is probably more groupthink as they are an older crowd going through midlife crises and feel the need to associate with a clique.

 

[jarude]

There's two kinds of groupthink going on in SF, one for ballers and one for plebs. Baller groupthink involves longtime members with esteemed standing in the forums getting eachother off while dumping on pleb style, whereas the pleb groupthink is less established/broke members/noobs getting eachother off while defying the need for baller-ing-ness.

Look at any thread that will bring up some kind of controversy. Noob posts a dumb question, baller comes in and ***** on him. Other baller comes in and high-fives the OG baller and goes for the reacharound for ******** on noobs. Other people who aren't quite ballers but would like to be come in to demonstrate how their left-handed technique in order to graduate to the baller circlejerk, while more plebs come in to start rubbing eachother off to compensate.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by KPO89

I'll agree with you on that point but my analogy to golf and airplane modelers is that there is an objective line to which everyone agrees on. Golf=least amount of strokes. Airplane models=most detail of the real thing.

You can talk about these things in clothing too. The value of a certain material, the number of stitches per inch, the amount of handiwork used to produce a certain item.

Style is a subjective inward expression. One's "social currency" can, just like fiscal currency, provide their opinion with added clout. In this case I would suggest the post count is real "Styleforum Currency"

Style is actually an outward expression. And there are plenty of high count posters who people know to be idiots, and some low count posters who are held in high esteem.

 

[jet]

Originally Posted by jarude

There's two kinds of groupthink going on in SF, one for ballers and one for plebs. Baller groupthink involves longtime members with esteemed standing in the forums getting eachother off while dumping on pleb style, whereas the pleb groupthink is less established/broke members/noobs getting eachother off while defying the need for baller-ing-ness.

Look at any thread that will bring up some kind of controversy. Noob posts a dumb question, baller comes in and ***** on him. Other baller comes in and high-fives the OG baller and goes for the reacharound for ******** on noobs. Other people who aren't quite ballers but would like to be come in to demonstrate how their left-handed technique in order to graduate to the baller circlejerk, while more plebs come in to start rubbing eachother off to compensate.

I take it you don't read the prominent threads I mentioned that are always at the top of the page?

 

[stick]

Groupthink is a type of thought within a deeply cohesive in-group whose members try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas.

Sure that can be an issue in a company where people give up on finding new ideas or solutions and just go along with what other people say, but this doesn't really have any application to a forum... The people that like the Lanvin, MMM sneakers stick to the baller thread, the ones that like dirty as **** Chucks stick to the non-baller thread.

...minimize conflict...

Would you rather have members maximize conflict and have all the J.Crew haters constantly spam the J.Crew thread with "ugly plebe" all day, and have all the non-baller peeps spam the baller sneakers thread with "why pay $500 for shoes when you can get perfectly good Chucks for $10"?

...reach consensus...

There is no universal consensus, aside from the "search before you post" mentality. There's basically a niche for every "style" on the board. Hell, even when some idiot comes along posting about his kickass new True Religion jeans, a bunch of low post count lurkers will suddenly participate in the thread. That lack of universal consensus is because there is a diversity of styles prevalent on the board, despite the near-universal disdain.