Welcome. I have to say you sound like a breath of fresh air compared to some of the others I've encountered while reading this thread. Your post rather reminds me of the one I made on the last page. I really can't speak for HotRod. Maybe he was just having some fun, like I assume he was doing and what I probably would have done myself had I stumbled across it. Maybe he really does think you guys are a bunch of sad losers. I honestly can't tell you what his motivation was. Personally, I think the idea of a WoW radio program is a pretty novel idea. Despite the fact that MMORPGs (or online gaming in general) are not really my cup of tea, I like the concept. That said, I think it's nerdy. Like you said, and like I said in my earlier post, we're all nerds. We are all fanatics in the truest and proudest sense of the word. And I don't necessarily think that my fellow forum members need to "open their minds to your point of view" because that's assuming they aren't already. The negative backlash from our end has come from the invasion that occurred afterwards in a way that we think is taking it way too seriously (and thus confirming negative stereotypes). And, once again, I can't speak for everybody, but I feel no need to abandon the stereotypes either. Like I said in my earlier post, they're fun if you can learn to laugh at your own foibles rather than take everything too seriously. Have you ever heard of the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" from the musical Avenue Q? It hilariously brings forth every racial stereotype in the book and admits that we all use them or joke about them from time to time. I challenge anyone to come forward saying that they have never found some humor in a stereotype. What I particularly like about that song is a lyric that says that all stereotypes are based in truth. So if someone claims that a WoW player is a loveless 30-something-year old nerd who never leaves his computer in his mother's basement, chances are that there is a player out there who at least comes close to that description. Does that mean that most people actually believe that the stereotype is representative of the whole, or even the majority, of the group? No! So while it's your job as a fan to spread a more positive image of your fandom, it's also your privilege to have a fun caricature to represent your fandom and learn to embrace that inner geek.

You seem like a pretty level-headed guy, and I hope this helps to clarify things a bit.