Moratorium on personal housing threads

[FreelanceWizard]

 

The release of 2.38 and personal housing has created some serious unhappiness in our community. Therefore, to give everyone a chance to cool down and for SE to make some statements on the issue, I'm implementing a 72 hour moratorium on all personal housing threads. I'm locking all existing threads on the issue, including the Patch 2.38 notes thread. All new threads on the topic will be locked, and any post that derails another thread into this topic will be deleted. Users who repeatedly try to break the moratorium will receive progressive discipline.

 

Please remember two things. First, SE doesn't read this site to my knowledge, so commentary here has no effect on their behavior. Second, the overriding Number One Rule of the RPC is: Be Excellent To Each Other. I realize this is a very hot issue, but that's no excuse to be aggressive or abusive.

 

The moratorium will end on the afternoon of 9/19, Central time.

 

EDIT: At the end of the moratorium, threads that were locked by me to enforce it will be unlocked. This is just to give people a chance to cool off.

 

[Kage]

Would it be possible to discuss the changes in 2.38 in a new thread similar to the old 2.38 thread so long as it does not mention personal housing?

[FreelanceWizard]

 

Yes, if you want to discuss other changes in 2.38 in a new thread, that's fine, but do not bring up personal housing. Don't make me be mean. :cry:

 

EDIT: I might as well clarify: by "progressive discipline," I mean warnings followed by temporary up to permanent bans. People who are members of the Frequent Warning Club should be aware that I won't hesitate to go right to temporary bans for the duration of the moratorium.

 

[Dogberry]

I would like to appeal this.

 

The thread was generally very civil, and those who got uncivil were warned by mods, and also called out by the userbase. The most unpleasant incident happened out of the jurisdiction of the forum. Surely you aren't planning on policing people's activity on skype?

 

Second, even if SE doesn't see it, it's good for all of us to have a place to get it out. If we feel comfortable doing it here, we should. It's cathartic.

 

Please, do not try to control the discussion on this website. I like it, and would like to continue using it, but I won't if I'm going to be told what subjects I can discuss, even if I'm following Rule Number One.

[FreelanceWizard]

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened on Skype or anything else off site. It has everything to do with the overall tone of the discussions (uniformly negative in my opinion), the fact that one thread was locked and a second had to get warned (and was skating dangerously close to being locked), and the fact that this all happened outside the times of major activity for the site. My hope is that cooler heads can prevail given some time for people to step back instead of venting.

 

Anyone who's been here for a while knows that I don't take steps like this lightly (this being the first time I've ever done it), so please don't read this as a major change in the direction of the site. It's a targeted response to a specific issue given some extraordinary circumstances.

 

[Lost River]

I tried on my thread to at least give the news, its why I put it in the headlines section... but sadly it devolved into housing all over again. Sorry for that Wizard, I didn't intend a news section to turn into it.

[Kage]

I think what Dogberry was alluding to is that most of what most of us users saw as a negative commentary is towards one, specific, incident. Other than that, I thought it had be quite civil myself. @_@

 

Second, even if SE doesn't see it, it's good for all of us to have a place to get it out. If we feel comfortable doing it here, we should. It's cathartic.

 

Please, do not try to control the discussion on this website. I like it, and would like to continue using it, but I won't if I'm going to be told what subjects I can discuss, even if I'm following Rule Number One.

I know I'm in the minority between some users or moderators but I've always questioned the "This is not the official forums. If you want to vent, do it there since nothing can be done by posting it here."

 

I know generally things get very heated, but I'd like to believe that many times we can see the difference between when a) things are heading into personal attacks vs b) being passionate about it. I don't understand the stance that even passionate or heated, even negative discussion is a bad thing.

[Dogberry]

Not allowing discussion is only going to make people angrier. It's an unpleasant subject, I know, and people feel passionately about it. That's why it should be let out now so we can all get tired of talking about it. Silencing people who are already upset just makes us more upset. Cool heads prevail when there is an effort made toward civil discussion, and that was the majority of the last thread. At least the one I was in. I don't know what you were looking at.

 

I feel comfortable in this community. It's the only FFXIV related website I post on with any regularity. I feel that this community has provided a lot for me, and I have tried to provide for it by hosting events and trying to stimulate discussion. I've made a lot of friends here, people I feel comfortable talking to. But if I'm going to be told which subjects I can and can't discuss, then I don't really see this place as useful for discussion of any kind. I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way.

[FreelanceWizard]

 

You know I'm generally fine with people expressing displeasure towards actions by SE. You'll note I've not been locking threads that talk about bad system design in the game, for instance.

 

Again, this is a targeted response to a specific topic given extraordinary circumstances (admittedly, some I'm not disclosing due to their being sensitive in nature). It isn't something I intend to do regularly (if ever again) and it isn't something I really want to do, but I think it's necessary to help cool things down to our usual warm simmer.

 

My decision is final and this thread is closed. If you have specific questions or concerns you want to raise, you can always send me a PM.

[FreelanceWizard]

 

The moratorium is now lifted and the two threads that were locked to enforce it initially (http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8307 and http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8302 ) have been unlocked. Discussions of personal housing may now proceed, but please remember to be nice.