I've promised myself to largely stay out of this debate for fear of being accused of showing favoritism to one side over another. I have my own personal opinion, but I really don't want to focus on that aspect. I've kind of been caught in the middle of this though (lots of chats in the background) and so I decided to leave some words of wisdom about the greater scheme of things. After all, I'm starting to see the past repeat itself in a way. Anyone can take this 'wisdom' or leave it, as I won't overrule any decision made either way. But I think people should hear this at the very least...
Once upon a time 3 years ago, the RPC was ruled by an RPC Council and a Charter. Everything was decided by majority vote. And by everything, I mean just about everything. There were polls to hold polls and end polls. Any amendment to the charter required a poll. If the RPC had a bathroom, we'd likely have had a poll as to what brand of toilet paper to use. As with any community, there was a minority that often got overlooked as a result of these ruling polls. This minority eventually got fed up with feeling like outcasts and, sadly, left the RPC and never looked back. Some of these RPers still exist today and even now look at the RPC with contempt because of the past. One can easily make the statement that those people 'need to get over it.' And while I agree with that to an extent, one can't hold them at total fault for their bitterness. It's only human nature after all. They felt like they didn't belong and that the RPC wasn't inclusive of all the different styles and beliefs like it promoted itself to be. Perhaps this was true, perhaps not. One can make the argument either way.
Fast-forward three years. The people who left because of those feelings have still not returned (despite returning to the game and RP in general), and may never return to the larger FFXIV RP community ever again, regardless of the vast changes that have been made since their departure. They still remember the past RPC not representing their needs and wants, and they want no part of that entity. This is sad, because some of these individuals are incredibly talented artists, writers, and Rpers who would have the ability to take the RPC to even new heights than it's already reached.
What's my point in all this? Sometimes, 'majority rule' isn't always the best option. Sometimes, it's perfectly fine to accommodate the minority without at all negatively impacting the majority. The end result is everyone being happy and getting what they want out of the community. I've already heard several people question whether they want to continue to support the wiki at all. That's not something I like to hear. And it's not healthy for the community that people feel that way at all :/. The minority is already being pushed away and history is slowly repeating itself. Do we really want to repeat the mistakes of the past? Just to satisfy personal beliefs as to how something that doesn't have a huge impact on the overall population should/should not be? I've learned over the years that there's usually more than enough room to accommodate most RPers. Sure, there are some circumstances where demands can't be met. But when the demands can be met without any real negative impact, why not go for it and make the minority feel like they still belong? There's already been some degree of a rift growing between certain sectors of the RP community and even something as small as this debate seems to be causing that rift to grow.
Just something to think about...
Once upon a time 3 years ago, the RPC was ruled by an RPC Council and a Charter. Everything was decided by majority vote. And by everything, I mean just about everything. There were polls to hold polls and end polls. Any amendment to the charter required a poll. If the RPC had a bathroom, we'd likely have had a poll as to what brand of toilet paper to use. As with any community, there was a minority that often got overlooked as a result of these ruling polls. This minority eventually got fed up with feeling like outcasts and, sadly, left the RPC and never looked back. Some of these RPers still exist today and even now look at the RPC with contempt because of the past. One can easily make the statement that those people 'need to get over it.' And while I agree with that to an extent, one can't hold them at total fault for their bitterness. It's only human nature after all. They felt like they didn't belong and that the RPC wasn't inclusive of all the different styles and beliefs like it promoted itself to be. Perhaps this was true, perhaps not. One can make the argument either way.
Fast-forward three years. The people who left because of those feelings have still not returned (despite returning to the game and RP in general), and may never return to the larger FFXIV RP community ever again, regardless of the vast changes that have been made since their departure. They still remember the past RPC not representing their needs and wants, and they want no part of that entity. This is sad, because some of these individuals are incredibly talented artists, writers, and Rpers who would have the ability to take the RPC to even new heights than it's already reached.
What's my point in all this? Sometimes, 'majority rule' isn't always the best option. Sometimes, it's perfectly fine to accommodate the minority without at all negatively impacting the majority. The end result is everyone being happy and getting what they want out of the community. I've already heard several people question whether they want to continue to support the wiki at all. That's not something I like to hear. And it's not healthy for the community that people feel that way at all :/. The minority is already being pushed away and history is slowly repeating itself. Do we really want to repeat the mistakes of the past? Just to satisfy personal beliefs as to how something that doesn't have a huge impact on the overall population should/should not be? I've learned over the years that there's usually more than enough room to accommodate most RPers. Sure, there are some circumstances where demands can't be met. But when the demands can be met without any real negative impact, why not go for it and make the minority feel like they still belong? There's already been some degree of a rift growing between certain sectors of the RP community and even something as small as this debate seems to be causing that rift to grow.
Just something to think about...
