Maybe it's just me. But the (Perfect) forum title bothers me.

I wouldn't call myself "perfect". I wind up forming opinions about people who use it, like it shows a lack of imagination, and/or about the kind of person who'd call themselves "perfect". Unlike the other titles, it has nothing to do with D&D.

And it ends up feeling like a sort of peer pressure, like I've seen people say "Why would anyone choose a title other than (Perfect)?"

I mean, even if it requires making more posts than any other title does, people can see how many posts you've made, so it's not necessary for communicating how prolific you are on the forum.

I just don't see what good it brings as a forum title. Why have it?

I mean, how many (Perfect)s do you see on the board?  You're arguing against the title's existence, but how often have you actually come across and been offended by the title in actual forum usage?

I think it is a bit sad that one would form negative opinions on someone they do not even know based purely on something so superficial. I for one never chose my title. I had Initiate of the 3rd circle. Then one day it was the ‘Perfect’ title. I assumed it was an automatic change once I unlocked it, or I had amused a mod at one point and they ‘gifted’ me the title. Are either of those reasons to label me as unimaginative? Do you expect people to put you in a similar box for your title choice? Calling yourself ‘master’ seems pretty bold given this thread topic. 

This seems more like a ‘you problem’ and I encourage you to look inward.

Wait, it automatically gave you that title? Weird.

I've seen it a lot more than I expected, honestly. I wasn't really sure what to think. I'm not sure what I think about the auto-title.

Hrm, I just tested changing my title, and it looks like (Perfect) becomes your Default Title once you've earned it.

Well, this definitely helps my feeling paranoid about the title, though I'm still not keen on it existing.

Still, thank you for speaking up on the matter.

Maybe to give a little context, it won't seem as arrogant.

The forum titles all come from 1e. Back then, you had a level title based on your class. For example, a level 1 cleric was an acolyte, a level 1 fighter was a veteran, etc. In theory, it was kind of an rp device, like you could introduce yourself as a conjurer, and that meant you were a level 3 wizard. (FWIW, my favorite was the max level monk who was Grand Master of Flowers) I think the idea was to get away from the abstraction of stating a level, which isn't really something a character would know. Anyway, in practice, I don't think anyone ever used them, but they were kind of a neat little bit of flavor.

Perfect, was, as I understand it, a typo. It was supposed to be "Prefect" -- a level 5 cleric -- but it was printed as "Perfect" in the 1e PHB instead. So, my assumption is also, that's why they have it in parenthesis here. To show it recognizes it was a typo, but that's what it said. Kind of like when you quote someone who made a grammatical error and write "sic." So, for those of us who use it as a forum title, it may say perfect, but it's actually a mistake, a nice bit of irony I enjoy.

.......Oh. okay. It's a funny thing from 1e.

I can understand the context. But... crap, it was triggering me, and I didn't know what to do about it except ask on feedback what the point of it was. But the way I'm feeling now I'm not sure... I'm just... it made me so anxious, I wanted to know what was going on, but now I've gone and made people mad.

Quote from naruhoodie >>

.......Oh. okay. It's a funny thing from 1e.

I can understand the context. But... crap, it was triggering me, and I didn't know what to do about it except ask on feedback what the point of it was. But the way I'm feeling now I'm not sure... I'm just... it made me so anxious, I wanted to know what was going on, but now I've gone and made people mad.

 I hope you don't think you made me mad. Not at all. Basically, it was an easter egg, and most people playing today probably have no idea where it comes from.

And, really, you make a good argument that people should not necessarily have to know obscure lore from 40 years ago to make sense of thing. 

Maybe if it wasn't, like, the very top title? Mixed in with the others of the same level instead? Then I wouldn't have assumed it's meant to be a Pinnacle title or somesuch.

Quote from naruhoodie >>

Hrm, I just tested changing my title, and it looks like (Perfect) becomes your Default Title once you've earned it.

Well, this definitely helps my feeling paranoid about the title, though I'm still not keen on it existing.

Still, thank you for speaking up on the matter.

I am happy to help. I do not mind you having an opinion on the title existing. The titles are just gags in my opinion. I just want to stress the importance of acknowledging that we do not know what we do not know in all things and Internet forums are certainly no exception to this. Many people who have them that I have interacted with are perfectly decent people who use the title ironically at best, or regard titles with complete indifference. There are likely some who do not even know that they have the title at all. I believe there was a thread at one point where someone was asking where the titles even came from as they were confused how they got one.

In any case, I hope this helped you realize how easy it is to judge someone, indeed an entire group of people, prematurely and (with all due respect) in ignorance.

Awesome. I work very, very hard at not judging people, and not insulting people, and the one time I finally reach the point of anxiety about something that's been triggering me that I finally feel the need to ask about it, I get slapped for it and called ignorant (or at least that's how it feels.)

I should've put more effort into saying in the OP that the thing that really bewildered me was people that totally did not seem like they'd be the type to pick the title for arrogant reasons, YOU included Erik_Soong, had it. I should've thought through every single word a lot more than I did. It was already making me anxious to start the thread in the first place. That is my excuse, however poor it is.

Edit: I forgot to say that I'm sorry I made you feel that way Erik_Soong. I... I'm sorry I'm not sure how to find words at the moment but it feels like I need to at least say that much right now. I need to process an awful lot of awful feelings before I can say anything more than that.

Really, I hope you didn't feel slapped. And whenever I've noticed you on the boards, you do certainly seem to work at be inclusive. The titles are a silly thing, and without context, this one does seem pretty arrogant. And it's a really obscure bit of context. They only had level titles for 1e. There's not many of us grognards still running around who remember it, and who are still playing today.

And also, I'd bet that a high percentage of the people with the title have no idea where it's from and are probably choosing it because they are arrogant.