This has gone on long enough

[Syaoran]

This post will probably not be taken well by a lot of people, but I want to get this off my chest and really I think a lot of this site needs a reality check.

I've sat back and watched a lot of things go down recently with this site, and I'm going to be honest so many of the people on this site act like children. This isn't even funny, this is just sad. As a player of this site right now I'd be embarrassed to show anyone this place because it's like a freakin' preschool. I've been invonveld in internet RP for 15 years now, and been invovled in community management for aroudn 13 years, and never before have I seen such a sorry excuse for decency.

And this goes beyond the precieved injustices from the staff. In every community I've been a part of, a large quantity of this site's player base would be GONE. This is a concept and both players and staff seem to have trouble grasping right now but "TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT." That is literally like kindergarten level stuff, but yet people can't grasp that, and then even worse people support this behavior and smash the like button. Is this the freakin' comment's section on youtube?

Yes, staff has made mistakes and the system has massive flaws, but all of you players agreed to the ToS and Rules when you signed up. Yelling at the staff and ganging upon them and breaking rules is not going to get you what you want,and if I was staff it'd get you banned. I'd still fix the injustice, but that wont stop you from at least getting a suspension.

And staff, you all need to get things together. I know Wes has a new child now so he's going to be slow to responding to stuff, but as staff you need to come together and come up with some kind of stop gap to tide tings over long enough for something to be done. (Pro tip, there needs to be some huge changes in system, and you need at least one more staff, but I made a post about that in staffing. If you want actual pointers, contact me)

You all, staff and players, seem to forget that there are other people on the other side of the screen, and respect is much deeper than not swearing and not saying rude words. Staff, you need to learn how to not just treat symptoms but cure ailments, you all need to be more considerate of people's feelings, just because a decision is right by the rules doesn't mean that no matter how you execute it that it'll go over well. Players, you need to learn how to act like adults, I don't care how old you are, you should carry yourselves the way you want to be seen and treated, and only a small minority of you do that in a way that request respect. Learn how to submit your complaints properly, stop 'liking' behavior that break the rules just because they said something you agree with, and most of all, stop acting like it's okay throw decency and rules out the window just because someone else did it first.

Everyone needs to start being part of the solution, not the problem, and means not playing tit for tat, letting old news go, and most importantly, it means being the change you want to see. Staff, you want players to respect you? Respect them, consider their feelings before you take action. Players, you want Staff to respect you? Stop treating them like the enemy, the only time the staff and player are in opposition is when someone breaks rules.

Talk to each other, not at each other. Rather than always dredging up what the other person has done wrong, talk more about what behavior they had that you liked and would want to see more. When you feel like someone did something wrong, don't bottle it up, take the time to get a calm head, and then talk to them about it and why you think it was wrong, and suggest maybe how they can do it better next time. But don't act like you're entitled to have things done your way just because you pointed out that their way is wrong. And remember, people make mistakes all the time, but very few people are here and intentionally being malicious.

 

[SageShooter]

Very well said, gotta say I agree on all points Syaoran.

This is something that the community as a whole needs to come together on. Rather then throwing tantrums, come up with solutions. I typically stay out of arguments unless something is seriously going sideways, and I feel at this point it is.

We all love this site, otherwise, we wouldn't be here. A lot of people have become angry and disillusioned with the board as of late over issues, but these can be remedied I feel with the appropriate actions. While I can guarantee I don't have the experience Syaoran has in community management, I feel there are things that can be done to fix the issues currently plaguing us, one that some people may not like.

New staff with a fresh look may be a good answer. I feel that with a bit of oversight by Wes while he is busy, a new staff could do wonders for those around, and maybe showing a change to those who left.

I am not saying an immediate unbanning of all players, I'm not saying sweeping change like all staff get the axe as I feel some are doing their best they can, but, things need to be changed.

 

[Ametheliana]

Thank you for posting this here, @Syaoran. Thanks for replying @SageShooter!

Other staff members and I will watch this thread for what is said.

 

[Lijosu]

Now that I've read your post I see the error in how I behaved. I wrongly assumed that speaking up was the right thing to do just because I felt as though what was happening needed to be made public. I allowed myself to disregard the rules that were so clearly there, and for a cause that although right, I had carried out incorrectly to my true obligation to this site.

Although you won't change my mind that being a slave to the moderators of this site and having their words shoved down your throat because they are too insecure to face themselves is wrong. You are right that I'm not free of my own wrongs and that I did allow myself to go against my own ideals and resort to an "eye for an eye" attitude that has been proven timelessly not to get anyone anywhere but hurt.

As such, I am giving up any attempt to get myself unbanned any sooner than my punishment has been assigned as. Even if it were under false pretenses, I know the real reason why I was banned and evading that is putrid of me. I will allow myself just one more break of the rules to say this. Although perhaps hypocritical. I agree with this post and I think it is only acceptable for me to do so to make an apology.

I'm sorry. I was angry and impatient. I wanted to see something happen spontaneously where it clearly couldn't. To tell the truth. I am incredibly confused and exhausted at the moment. As is, Star Army is a cold war. And when you have ideals as unreasonably strong and high as mine that is a very confronting situation to be in. I love this site, but this site holds no sympathy for any of its inhabitants. Excuse my over-dramatic tendency, at the moment. I wasn't kidding when I said that I am confused and exhausted.

At this point, under normal circumstances. I would leave. Permanently. It is clear I'm not doing enough good for this community and as usual, I am causing more problems than I am solving. Perhaps an unfair assessment of myself, but I digress. I vowed to stay on this site. And I'm not the kind to break a promise where I have the faculty to do so. I won't be leaving as much as I feel I should. I need to see this until the end.

I just hope to be able to make a change to the rules and help improve the system. It is an unreasonable high hope. But if I don't respect the rules and others don't respect them either. Then it's clear something needs to be done. Just that something isn't breaking them.

 

[SageShooter]

Lijosu, no one is faulting you for having ideals. The fault lies in the way it was executed. I feel that both sides have been at fault here much the same way that Sayaoran has stated.

But the needless martyrdom of people going against the system and blasting conversations all over the place, of calling out the blatant issues with staff trying to push things down all over the site, is the wrong way of going about it. This is not the way to do this, you don't keep poking a dog in the face that's been pushed into a corner and growling at you with teeth bared.

You take a step back, calm down, and figure out how to not get bitten.

No one here, nor anywhere is above emotional responses ever, and if they say they are, then they are a liar. I'm not going to say that I don't say and do stupid things, trust me I've had that thrown in my face off the board plenty of times, but the fact of the matter is exactly as Sayaoran has said before, two wrongs do not make a right. If the staff is getting trigger happy, don't throw it in their face. If the members are getting irate, don't slam the ban hammer down like Reinhardt.

At this point in time, I believe conversation, open, transparent conversation is what's needed to get through this. One where everything is laid out on the table for both parties, where the issues can be resolved or at least some semblance of starting to work them out can be made and shown. And not the type where "Of course this is something we can consider." And then a week later be forgotten.

I love this site guys, I've left and come back three times now, and I don't want to see it go down the drain for Egos. Some of the best writers I've had the chance to collaborate stories with have been here, and while I'm sad a lot of the older vets are gone, I don't want to be here for another exodus. I've seen two other boards with amazing writers go through the same issues, and I don't want to see it happen again.

I will put this out here front and center. If there is ANYTHING I can do as a member of this board to make some sort of compromise or solution happen, please don't hesitate to ask me either here in DM, or through discord. I want to make this place an amazing place to write for any and all, and already having two or three new members sit through this on the Discord is absolutely embarrassing, to the point that I apologized to one earlier. We are frankly better than this boys and girls.

Let's show that please?