A positive environment will foster positive feedback and a better community. This works in most cases, be it a forum, a neighborhood, a store..whatever. If you fill something with good energy, keep it clean and tidy and welcoming, good people and interactions will thrive there.
If you allow it to become negative, it you allow bad elements, topics, aggression, attitude, to fill it up..then those sorts of people will become your norm, and eventually the more upbeat and happy folks will no longer feel welcome ( in this case a lot of the new folks seem to stress that feeling ).
As a community this can be a very rough waters environment. There is a a lot of talk about the importance of communication, while in practice it seems less used. There is a larger focus on red flags, bad feelings, and warning signs, than working through things, gaining understanding, and building a better community from it. I've learned this in likely the hardest way possible, and despite that I still feel the need to try, because like most people here I do have a genuine care for this grouping and setting.
So for what my two cents are worth...I do think there should be more of a focus on how to help others do right, rather than what they are doing wrong..be it lore, their direction to gain Rp, or whatever else.
Its hard. A lot of us are on here so much because we don't likely do well in regular interaction and social situations, so when we remove the human elements it can get worse in different ways. Approaching a stranger can be downright terrifying...and I've had MANY visits to the Grindstone in past weeks were I was completely ignored even when I directly said things to some people ( before the fights, not during..so it wasn't a matter of distraction. ) But you just kind of have to roll with it and keep trying. I can say that I feel the connections you DO make through your own perseverance and merit are likely far better than any you'd get through griping or briefing.
I think the best advice anyone can give on this matter, or help in these situations is Eleni I believe? Her SMILE comments really do embody what the community likely should focus on.
Or if you really find yourself unable to post something constructive on a thread that seems like it's a powder keg, don't post?
Also Black Hat, was fun Rping with you at the GS, Healers really just loom around there lol.
If you allow it to become negative, it you allow bad elements, topics, aggression, attitude, to fill it up..then those sorts of people will become your norm, and eventually the more upbeat and happy folks will no longer feel welcome ( in this case a lot of the new folks seem to stress that feeling ).
As a community this can be a very rough waters environment. There is a a lot of talk about the importance of communication, while in practice it seems less used. There is a larger focus on red flags, bad feelings, and warning signs, than working through things, gaining understanding, and building a better community from it. I've learned this in likely the hardest way possible, and despite that I still feel the need to try, because like most people here I do have a genuine care for this grouping and setting.
So for what my two cents are worth...I do think there should be more of a focus on how to help others do right, rather than what they are doing wrong..be it lore, their direction to gain Rp, or whatever else.
Its hard. A lot of us are on here so much because we don't likely do well in regular interaction and social situations, so when we remove the human elements it can get worse in different ways. Approaching a stranger can be downright terrifying...and I've had MANY visits to the Grindstone in past weeks were I was completely ignored even when I directly said things to some people ( before the fights, not during..so it wasn't a matter of distraction. ) But you just kind of have to roll with it and keep trying. I can say that I feel the connections you DO make through your own perseverance and merit are likely far better than any you'd get through griping or briefing.
I think the best advice anyone can give on this matter, or help in these situations is Eleni I believe? Her SMILE comments really do embody what the community likely should focus on.
Or if you really find yourself unable to post something constructive on a thread that seems like it's a powder keg, don't post?
Also Black Hat, was fun Rping with you at the GS, Healers really just loom around there lol.
