Post by Fable on Aug 15, 2006 14:20:54 GMT -5
Over the past few months, I've noticed this forum has become less and less about The Blackblood Alliance comic and increasingly focusing on OCC sections like Angst, Debate, Spam, and so on. I believe those boards distracted from what this forum should be about: artwork and the comic. With all the OCC clutter and sometimes outright hatred people dragged in from Furc, this forum was becoming less about a common interest (wolves, canine/comic art, and the Blackblood Alliance) and more about screaming about your bad day or why this person's face makes you vomit.
My proposal is to limit the Blackblood Alliance forum to a few sections:
Comic News and Announcements
Comic Discussion
FanArt and FanFiction
Other Art and Stories
RP'ing areas would be much the same as before because I don't believe RP'ing was the source of the problem, but the bad vibes people dragged in with them to OCC was certainly a large factor in making the BBA atmosphere increasingly unfriendly. Nobody wants this place to turn into some of the infamously bad Furc dreams we all ranted about, in fact this place is supposed to be an alternative and more open atmosphere than some Furc places. It's supposed to be a place for those Furc-goers or RP'ers who felt they could expand their characters' stories beyond the BBA dream or a place to go to if they desired an alternative to the sometimes cliquey atmosphere Furc has.
This isn't middle school, people, it's a fun BBA comic-interest forum, and we should leave our petty prejudices and tempermental attitudes behind when we put our fingers to the keyboard. Do not allow yourself to become confined within a special group of friends here, reach out to newbies or create fun, interesting characters that interact with others outside your normal gang.
What are we passionate writers, artists, comic enthusiasts, and wolf lovers if we stoop so low as to flame some naive newbie or pick on seniors just because they like ice cream or don't enjoy apples as much as you? We lose our credibility if we can't harness enough self-control to avoid ranting about sick guinea pigs and Furc tagalongs. We become the place most people hate to go: school, where cheerleaders (sycophants or kiss ups) and jocks (over-reactive mods, older members with much clout and little consideration) are in the upper eschilon of the 'popularity pyramid'* while some GTA obsessed hoody strokes a gun in a corner, harboring fantasies of shoot-em-ups and blood.
Extreme metaphor? You bet, but hacking/cracking/flame wars you name it is the equivalent of a massacre here. It's not one we can't recover from nor should we point fingers and scream at whoever may be an instigator. The point is we should exercise self control and dignity and open our eyes to what is causing these problems. This is both nobody's and everyone's fault, it's up to everyone to keep their heads on the internet and remember what they're here for: fun.
Am I being preachy? Yes, but sometimes we need a good lecture and a chance to muddle over others' thoughts and opinions. I encourage others to be as open and direct with me and my thoughts and consider what my reaction to this incident has invoked both in me and in yourself. How do you see the decline/rise of this forum? What do you think you could do, personally, to make sure this place doesn't become some whine/flame-board?
*Yes, mods sometimes over-react and older members act foolishly. At the same time, people react as rabid fans towards an offense aimed at their favorite cheer queen. I'm a mod and a 'big-shot' oldie on the forum, but I try my best not to let my position corrupt me (though I've had lapses and try to avoid future ones). Mods are constantly reminding themselves that they have to rise above insults and flaming, and we encourage others to do so as well. They poke you because you squirm, people. So play dead.
My proposal is to limit the Blackblood Alliance forum to a few sections:
Comic News and Announcements
Comic Discussion
FanArt and FanFiction
Other Art and Stories
RP'ing areas would be much the same as before because I don't believe RP'ing was the source of the problem, but the bad vibes people dragged in with them to OCC was certainly a large factor in making the BBA atmosphere increasingly unfriendly. Nobody wants this place to turn into some of the infamously bad Furc dreams we all ranted about, in fact this place is supposed to be an alternative and more open atmosphere than some Furc places. It's supposed to be a place for those Furc-goers or RP'ers who felt they could expand their characters' stories beyond the BBA dream or a place to go to if they desired an alternative to the sometimes cliquey atmosphere Furc has.
This isn't middle school, people, it's a fun BBA comic-interest forum, and we should leave our petty prejudices and tempermental attitudes behind when we put our fingers to the keyboard. Do not allow yourself to become confined within a special group of friends here, reach out to newbies or create fun, interesting characters that interact with others outside your normal gang.
What are we passionate writers, artists, comic enthusiasts, and wolf lovers if we stoop so low as to flame some naive newbie or pick on seniors just because they like ice cream or don't enjoy apples as much as you? We lose our credibility if we can't harness enough self-control to avoid ranting about sick guinea pigs and Furc tagalongs. We become the place most people hate to go: school, where cheerleaders (sycophants or kiss ups) and jocks (over-reactive mods, older members with much clout and little consideration) are in the upper eschilon of the 'popularity pyramid'* while some GTA obsessed hoody strokes a gun in a corner, harboring fantasies of shoot-em-ups and blood.
Extreme metaphor? You bet, but hacking/cracking/flame wars you name it is the equivalent of a massacre here. It's not one we can't recover from nor should we point fingers and scream at whoever may be an instigator. The point is we should exercise self control and dignity and open our eyes to what is causing these problems. This is both nobody's and everyone's fault, it's up to everyone to keep their heads on the internet and remember what they're here for: fun.
Am I being preachy? Yes, but sometimes we need a good lecture and a chance to muddle over others' thoughts and opinions. I encourage others to be as open and direct with me and my thoughts and consider what my reaction to this incident has invoked both in me and in yourself. How do you see the decline/rise of this forum? What do you think you could do, personally, to make sure this place doesn't become some whine/flame-board?
*Yes, mods sometimes over-react and older members act foolishly. At the same time, people react as rabid fans towards an offense aimed at their favorite cheer queen. I'm a mod and a 'big-shot' oldie on the forum, but I try my best not to let my position corrupt me (though I've had lapses and try to avoid future ones). Mods are constantly reminding themselves that they have to rise above insults and flaming, and we encourage others to do so as well. They poke you because you squirm, people. So play dead.
