Okay, I only have like 6 minutes at most (hopefully more but I doubt it) to write this post
Keep in mind that if prominent forumers were given VIP, I might be affected by this, so my view on this is biased, however I'll try to stay as objective as I can.
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I feel that forumers do deserve some sort of recognition. I'm not talking likespammers/forum game spammers, I mean people who actually help, like with General Support/Tips&Strategies/Guides, etc.
For example,
duckluv321 and
HalfSquirrel have written a large amount of guides in the past. While Duckluv321 is now a Moderator (for the 2nd time), HalfSquirrel has a donor rank. Can you really say that he's not a Very Important Person on the forums? Nowadays, he's more of a background figure as he's inactive, so perhaps this isn't exactly the best example, but you get what I mean.
YouTube/Twitch VIPs have contributed by bringing more players to the servers and mentoring players through their videos.
Ex-Staff who have VIP (or Plat) have contributed by moderating the servers and helping the community by answering questions, eliminating rule breakers, etc.
However, Forumers (the ones that would possibly be candidates for VIP if this were a thing) often do the following:
-Answer General Support threads, often with answers more detailed or from a different angle as a staff member.
-Report rule-breakers on the forums, such as spam/advertisement threads, necros, etc.
-Are role models for other people who browse the forums
-Assist staff members by dealing with trouble-makers on a more personal level
-Discuss and contribute to topics such as potential new features, changes in policies, and more
-Help train, instruct, and mentor potential Moderators who come to the forums
And what do they get in return?
YT/Twitch VIPs: Money from YouTube, fame from the fans, VIP, and when they break a rule the situation is passed onto the Administrators.
Ex-Staff: VIP or Platinum and a lesser degree of fame/recognition from players.
Forumers: Uhm... uhh...
any other forumers have any ideas for what we get? >_> I can't think of anything.
So yeah. My 6 minutes are up. Byee
My reaction when I log on, post a long comment in a few minutes, and then log off:
Zaex
EDIT: Oh, and I should probably mention that I don't think that it should be based off of Followers, because of the issue where people would create alts and ask for followers. But rather, forumers who are deemed by either the staff or community to be highly outstanding and prominent, by methods such as future MCGamer Awards and threads like "The Best Forumers", run by
OhFancy.