How do AFOLs communicate?

SirRazakai

Hello All!

I am a university student and I am currently working on a research essay where I am exploring the ways that AFOLs communicate with each other. I would love to hear your thoughts on a few topics that I am addressing in my essay.

First, would you please share what type of AFOL you are and how you interact with others within those corners of the larger AFOL community? For example, you could consider yourself as one who primarily builds MOCs, just follows the LEGO news, or goes to in-person LUG events and conventions to socialize. Whatever type of AFOL you are, please let me know how you interact with others in that community, or maybe you don't, and are purely just a consumer of that media and information. I am especially interested in hearing about those who meet up with people in-person, as I have never been to a LUG meeting or convention.

Second, I would love to hear your thoughts, and maybe analysis on a few conversations that have recently taken place in the LEGO community and you may be familiar with; meaning that I would like to know your opinion on how the conversation developed, rather than your stance on the issue being discussed. One of these conversations was between several YouTubers who were discussing LAN and how LAN potentially limits criticism on the LEGO product, and their various reasons for participating in LAN or not. Another conversation particularly prominent on Brickset is the debate about LEGO's recent price increases and the sentiment that LEGO products have grown too expensive. What are your thoughts on these conversations? Have they been healthy debates or whining? Do you think LEGO listens to these debates, or how do you think they impact the greater AFOL community? Who initiates these conversations, fans, social media personalities, or news websites?

Finally, what channels for communication and news do you primarily use? Instagram, YouTube, or what LEGO websites do you visit?

Thank you to all those that take the time and respond. If you have any questions, I will try to check the forum regularly and respond in a timely manner. I understand that I am asking a great deal, so short responses are also welcome, don't feel required to write a whole essay- that's my job! Thank you again.

CCC

Grunts and hand gestures.

OldTownBricks

Hey @SirRazakai, I think it'd probably be a good idea for you to put together a survey (surveymonkey, google forms, etc.) to get this information. 

WatfordScottyM

I'd second that ^.  It'll allow you to get much more consistent and structured data to interrogate, rather than the long ramblings of a few on here...  :)

madforLEGO

Sorry if this is legit, but I'm always a bit dubious of someone who just became a member to ask such questions. Its a bit akin to someone just popping on to sell a rare set for pennies or asking people to check out their store... As for this, Its almost seems like someone working for someone (maybe a media advert agency) and fishing for answers about consumers, hiding behind a reason of being an 'essay'.
Now, we have had members who then asked such questions in the past, but Id put more stock into those members as they were active in the forums with constructive things to add to conversations before they asked for such assistance (typically as they were doing papers for College).
This just seems a bit 'off'. I hope Im wrong and you are legit and get the data you need for your essay.

SirRazakai

A little clarity on my position: I am a first year college student, recently turned 18, which is why I was just able to join the forum. This is a writing project I am doing for an English class, and am just looking for some extra insight, in addition to research I have already done. I decided just to post here rather than putting together a survey is because I am not doing a fully in-depth analysis that would be published in an academic journal, this is just a school assignment about a topic I think is interesting and would love feedback from the community. Hopefully this situation is a bit more transparent now.

Astrobricks

In my case, essentially all my communication with other AFOLs is via this forum.

pxchris

Thank you for the bit of clarifying remarks on who you are and what your intentions are @SirRazakai.

1) I'm an AFOL set collector primarily. I do some MOC building, but would certainly primarily classify myself as a collector and displayer of retail sets as designed and sold by TLG.
I do follow LEGO news a lot, I attend LEGO conventions and am a member of my local LUG. However, my primary day-to-day interactions and conversations with other LEGO fans is online with only the occasional in-person meetings/interactions.

2) This is a bit of a broad question but I do believe that conversations among fans on a variety of topics related to their hobby is both inevitable and important. There is certainly a fairly strong thread of general complaining that goes on intermixed with what could perhaps be classified more as serious debate and discussion. It does seem like the social media personalities are often the ones who get the general community riled up over certain topics and can often influence the course of discussion on those topics with their own opinions. I think that to at least a small extent TLG does gain feedback from some of these topics of discussion, but to what extent they act on it in any way is only a matter of conjecture.

3) My primary channels of communication with fellow LEGO fans are:

• Brickset Forum
• Eurobricks Forum
• Discord
• Instagram
• Facebook Groups

My primary sources of LEGO news are:

• Brickset
• Bricknerd, Brothers Brick, New Elementary, The Brick Fan and a handful of other blogs/websites that I visit less frequently
• LEGO social media
• Instagram & Facebook
• YouTube

I hope that is of some help to you and the paper you are writing.

GrannyLEGO

@SirRazakai ... There does not seem to be any LUG in this area and since I am old (almost 78) and somewhat handicapped I don't get out much so most if not all of my interaction with other AFOLs is here online

bpk2300

This forum is my only means of communication with other AFOLs. I wouldn’t even call it “communication” since it’s really just me commenting on threads, not real in depth conversations on my part. Part of me really wants to expand beyond my current state, but life is too busy for me to take it beyond this (work, having young kids, etc). This forum is the perfect amount of Lego “communication” for me to handle. 

I’ll add that the closest LUG to me is a 4 hour drive, so joining is a non-starter, I believe. 

mr_benn

Mainly through the Universal Greeting:

Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong