Just to weigh in on the argument going on here, I can see both side's of the argument.
On one hand, I can sympathise with Harlekin. I generally try and avoid the Applications threads now, because whenever I see an application that sparks my interest, I'll be reading the opening post that describes it, and get loads of ideas, really see the potential in what I could do with a character. Then I'll read the replies, and its like "DIBS!", "DIBS!", DIBS!" on the character I wanted, and my back-up character, and anyone else I'd be interested in playing as. And then I think "Oh well, so much for joining this RPG..." Someone said its unfair relying on who gets their OOC application up first, because time-zones might be against them. But aren't time-zones just as against someone wanting to get a reserve in?
But on the other hand, I can sympathise with Eddie Brock Jr. He's stepped in early, the first reply I think, and reserved The Joker. And while Harl doesn't agree with the CONCEPT of reserving, by the guidelines set out in MB's opening post (Byrd Man made a reservation) Eddie Brock Jr was doing no wrong in reserving The Joker. He's made it clear he's excited about playing the character, and it would be kinda sucky for him if - after being with this new RPG idea from the start - some Johnny-Come-Lately came in and popped up a pre-wrtten Joker app first, and swiped it out from under him. I mean,
I had ideas for a Joker in this RPG, but when I saw EBJ reserve him, I thought "Okay, he got there first," just like someone beating me to an app would have "got there first".
And like others have suggested, I think the best compromise is, if more than one person wants to play a character, they can both apply, and the best post wins. That way, nobody's "cheated". Everyone who wants a CHANCE to show their worth as the character gets it. And therefore the person who gets to play as them is the one who's done most to earn it, rather than whoever hits REPLY the fastest.
[BLACKOUT]And I might just try applying for Batman, Byrd. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

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