Maybe I was raised differently. Maybe I *am* just a little different.
I see a just a few issues contained in what I've been reading here and what I've also seen in the general course of, loosely put, discussion in the forums.
Firstly, whatever happened to simple respect for those in authority? When a moderator states his position or makes a judgment, why not accept it and if there is a problem, take it to PM or email. Just because we have the luxury of having an avenue to openly express our desires and opinions to the developer shouldn't mean we have the same entitlements with regard to those assigned the responsibility of maintaining board policy and exchanges. Anyone wishing to debate the "if they want respect, they have to earn my respect" concept can kindly start an OT thread, keeping in mind the only contributions you're asked for to keep the board running are zero beyond your behavior and being able to have an OT arena is, additionally, a privilege - not a right - that many forums don't accomodate because it simply doesn't relate to the game, only a portion of the game's clientle. My OT position is a subject for another time and another thread. IMHO, Steve should have posted his position and simply closed the thread. React as you may.
Secondly, the primary problem (again IMO) as of late has been threads and discussions that quickly disintegrate into the us-them banter that is so much the mirror of what drives our world today. If most of us could simply reply to the original thought rather than spontaneously reacting to the last post, I've a suspicion we'd see more threads reach logical conclusions than they do at the present time. Characteristically, it's been addressed by the courageous, or frustrated, poster who finally - after too long usually - offers an equivalent of "guys, take it outside" and sometimes that's been enough. The form of the responses has, unfortunately, been more the tone of "justify your position or justify your existence" instead of the straightforward, "this is not the place to debate this, let's take it to OT or start another thread." IMO, the playpen idea is not a bad one, but one that should be left to the discretion and the maturity - yes, I believe it does exist - in the potential combatants.
Thirdly, in relation to the above, the greatest shame of this kind of obsessive conflict is twofold: while growth should arise from conflict, it often doesn't in these circumstances because discovering the truth or seeking understanding often takes second place to preserving ego AND while threads of that nature run 150 replies deep strutting intellectual virosity and persistent obstinance, a thread simply desiring assistance with a simple in-game concept is ignored or attended to, at best, by someone posting a link.
Lastly, thank God, we exist in a rather odd vacuum here with a group of folks playing a 'team' game, desiring the benefits of both anarchy and democracy, the rights of individual baronies (my world must be tended to despite yours), and encompassing in the process all the goods and evils of the greater world as well. The screen name can't always be brought into the forums without wearing some of the real-world's wardrobe. We are who we are; the element that seems omitted too often in the "manager" in us that seeks to evaluate, utilize, and assimilate the talent available in all of us Free Agents regardless of our demands, personalities, or eccentricities. The community is diminished whenever one individual buries his desire to share his thoughts, not because they will be argued, but because - in the scheme of it all - he imagines he is not in possession of worth to anyone or any team, retiring quietly to his solo game or another game without fanfare.
There are many, many posts and posters in this thread that I would love to take the time to respond to individually: a brilliant law student claiming that additional rules not equally enforced is doomed (have you been to America?), a wonderful and colorful personality wishing to preserve the right to "slip up" a few times over the span of years without permanent recourse (where's the limit, seven warnings, ten, twelve? When can it be assumed I have learned a sense of caution, of import that I stay here? Can I buy extra credits?) Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun, I'm not suggesting argument. Point is, I've nothing but respect and admiration for most of you, including the two fellas I took the time to use an example here; honestly think they're both great, but I 'could' have reacted to their individual posts, derailed the discussion toward a more personal end, risked getting ego involved. I elected, instead to react to the individual. In this case, saying nothing until now, and only then for an example's sake. They're both witty, intelligent, and relatively thick-skinned men who for, our purposes here, are mature enough to understand the view.
battists has accomplished this: he has us thinking, talking, discussing and, in the process, disagreeing, personalities intact and with the exception of one unneccessary and unproductive low blow, done so with as much grace as this group can generally muster.
Let's keep seeing the players, the team, with our eyes on the pennant. If we dwell too much on clubhouse antics, it's a sign that our focus will hold us back from achieving greater things together.
Thanks in advance for the read, if you bothered. Hitting Submit Reply now before I convince myself what I say won't matter.
