• There are cycles on the RPC. When things get stagnant in game, people tend to come here and throw a shit fit. Boredom breeds trolling and argumentative behavior.
  
• The community as a whole now seems to be less welcoming to newcomers than it used to be. Not that people don't welcome the new people, but there is a lot of times where new people or people who don't appear to be in the "popular" crowd get glossed over in discussions or threads.
  
• Even I feel ignored here sometimes. I know I'm not a part of the popular crowd, but hells, I'm a moderator and still somewhat known around these parts. Imagine how someone who isn't either feels.
  
• As much as people don't like Graeham saying it, we HAVE become a circlejerk. I've said it myself, even though I try to insert myself into those threads when I can.
  

• I've noticed that there are a LOT more tensions in the threads.
  
• People disregard the rule of re-reading what they're writing before posting. Instead, they post blindly in the moment, and it causes hurt feelings.
  
• People have this "our way or the highway" mentality, and instead of ignoring the things that people do that they don't "like," they tend to try to change those people or insist that they're "wrong."
  
• There's an undercurrent of "Why are the moderators doing/not doing _______" going around.
  

• Take time to go into the welcome forum and say hello to new people. Even that is something that doesn't take much time and shows that we are a welcoming community (Hey, I have to work on this too.)
  
• Remember that there are people behind the computers. We're all human. We all have triggers and feelings and whatnot. I understand that you are passionate about your RP. But that doesn't mean that you can be a douche to other people.
  
• The Moderation team is working on a list of rules and consequences so that moderation is more consistent and transparent. Look for that soon.
  
• Realize that you don't have to agree with everyone. You don't have to berate someone for something that they believe differently. Not only do we have RP differences, but we have cultural and social differences as well.
  
• Reach out to people who are looking for RP and connections. An invite to your FC is great, but people need to know that they can RP with you without being a part of your FC. Don't just recruit. Be someone who is encouraging to others.
  
• For the love of all that is holy, take a step back from the computer if you are agitated. Don't post with high emotions. Come back and post later once your head has cleared.
  

(04-22-2015, 07:36 AM)Black Hat Wrote: NEXT!!!

While the compliment thread and silly threads are cute and funny, they are not team-building or community inspiring. They're like 80 pages long (I may be exaggerating) and when you tl;dr something that long, you skim for points. When skimming reveals six to seven of the same names in a revolving blur over and over and over and over again, a theory is born out of perception. Is anyone at fault? No. Perhaps it might be time to excise the super-old pages? I dunno. I don't post in them because I personally do not feel that they add anything to my experience.

(04-22-2015, 07:42 AM)Brianna Dunham Wrote:

(04-22-2015, 07:36 AM)Black Hat Wrote: NEXT!!!

While the compliment thread and silly threads are cute and funny, they are not team-building or community inspiring. They're like 80 pages long (I may be exaggerating) and when you tl;dr something that long, you skim for points. When skimming reveals six to seven of the same names in a revolving blur over and over and over and over again, a theory is born out of perception. Is anyone at fault? No. Perhaps it might be time to excise the super-old pages? I dunno. I don't post in them because I personally do not feel that they add anything to my experience.

I wanted to post towards this just because I know I am one of the major people who post/spam the Compliment/Ban the person above you thread.

I don't want anyone to think such threads are there to add post count. In truth, they are there for me to entertain myself during slow hours at work. I sit and read the forums often but, some posts (which this thread has been about) keep me from posting responses.

*rolls off to work now*

(04-22-2015, 12:18 AM)Unnamed Mercenary Wrote: Kellach, I would recommend reavaluating some of your words on occasion. I'm unsure of your intent, but many can come off quite harsh and bitter, which does affect whether people may want to reach out. A positive attitude (or at least the lack of a negative one) can do wonders. It's not the fault of a well-established RPer to not reach out. Nobody is stopping you from reaching out yourself (whether in game or here). Not everything character will be a perfect fit. But calling it a failed attempt before trying just seems overly pessimistic.

(04-22-2015, 08:11 AM)Kellach Woods  Wrote: If I'm angry you deserve to know I'm angry. People can, however, control their words. You don't deserve to be called names or have negative stuff implied.

When I said my most appreciated posts were essentially shitposting I wasn't lying - I looked over my rep history and went "wait people +1d me for THAT?", especially lately.

(04-22-2015, 08:38 AM)Datenshi Wrote: I cannot begin to stress just how much the passive-aggressive sighing, that "Everyone's ignoring me" shtick, gets under my skin. As if you're the Yellow Emperor whose needs need to be met for civilization to continue. Honestly, if there's any toxicity in this group, this... culture, whatever it is you wish to call our community it's the negativity that's radiating from those who feel wronged when they don't get what they want right now and place the blame on the community itself for not fulfilling their needs.

(04-22-2015, 08:38 AM)Datenshi Wrote: The many of you who oftentimes complain of exclusivity and being ignored need to start spending your stat points in Patience. There aren't many personality flaws that dig at me. Betraying your own ideals. Constantly selling yourself short. The big one? Entitlement. I cannot begin to stress just how much the passive-aggressive sighing, that "Everyone's ignoring me" shtick, gets under my skin. As if you're the Yellow Emperor whose needs need to be met for civilization to continue. Honestly, if there's any toxicity in this group, this... culture, whatever it is you wish to call our community it's the negativity that's radiating from those who feel wronged when they don't get what they want right now and place the blame on the community itself for not fulfilling their needs.

And to me, those people stick out like sore thumbs because I find this community positively wonderful.

(04-22-2015, 08:47 AM)Alothia Wrote:

(04-22-2015, 08:38 AM)Datenshi Wrote: I cannot begin to stress just how much the passive-aggressive sighing, that "Everyone's ignoring me" shtick, gets under my skin. As if you're the Yellow Emperor whose needs need to be met for civilization to continue. Honestly, if there's any toxicity in this group, this... culture, whatever it is you wish to call our community it's the negativity that's radiating from those who feel wronged when they don't get what they want right now and place the blame on the community itself for not fulfilling their needs.

The problem is when people who are new or trying to drum up connections in the connections forum get passed over. Or when new people say hello, and people ignore their threads. It's not even a matter of those people saying that they're being ignored. It's a general sense of seeing that they're being ignored.

Trust me, I'm an advocate for people getting out there and finding RP, starting it up with people randomly. It's how I met some of the best friends I have in this game. It's how I met my current RP partner. 

But pretending like it's not happening is just as bad as people who don't advocate for themselves. It does happen. You may not have experienced it, but it doesn't lessen the fact that it does happen to other people.

It reminds me of a camp that I went to for the school I teach at. It was a diversity camp thingy, and one of the things that they taught us was that "We are the owner of our own story." We cannot invalidate someone else's experience simply because it's an experience that we have never had. Count yourself lucky that you don't feel that way, and make a point of ensuring that others don't have that experience. That's how we're going to fix it. Not by telling people that it's their own fault for feeling ignored.