Over the past week, I have seen Gen Con descend into fracas after fracas with a bunch of petty quibbling, back-biting, sniping, dirty laundry-airing, and out and out flaming behavior. I am embarrassed, disappointed, appalled, and disgusted.
Ironworks is what YOU make of it. Not Dan. Not Memnoch, nor Javi, nor I, nor Wyvern, nor Cocoa_Spud. YOU...the posters. The members of the Ironworks community. You have the ability to make this the best set of forums on the Internet, or to lower it to become the Great Cosmic Toilet. Right now, it's looking more and more like the Great Cosmic Toilet, and let me tell you something, it's smelling pretty bad, folks.
Just to clear up some potential misunderstandings, let me explain a few things:
1.) If Ziroc, Memnoch, Javi, or I close off a thread, it's because the discussion in that thread became so hurtful to someone or inflammatory in general that any further course along the thread would be futile. Quite often, I leave threads open to try to give people a chance to clear things with each other. After a certain point, it becomes hopeless. After a thread is closed, this does NOT give the participants, or anyone else, license to open a NEW topic to bash the same issue! Please refrain from doing so.
2.) I know we have some visitors here from other forums. We welcome all our guests, and hope that they will become regulars at Ironworks as well. I would strongly ask all of you, if there are "issues" between members at those forums, please keep them at those forums and do not air them at Ironworks. If it doesn't have to do with Ironworks, don't bring it up. Ok?
3.) Memnoch has said this so many times the poor fellow feels like he's spamming it, so I'll take over. Treat one another with respect. Just because you disagree with someone does not give you the right to treat them like dirt publicly. If you can't treat someone with respect...IGNORE them. Overlook them. No one will think the less of you for failing to respond to someone's post, especially if the other person is trying to pick a fight. It takes two to tango, you know.
4.) Please, please, PLEASE take whatever personal issues you have with other members to personal messengers (PMs) or to e-mail. That's what they're there for. It lowers the morale of the entire community to wade through threads that were once on great topics that degenerate into sniping and flame fests between two or more parties. It does not encourage others to start threads if they think that all that will happen is that their topic will result in a flamewar. I understand that in the heat of the moment, one generally doesn't think about such things, but if you feel your anger rising, rather than respond on board, e-mail the person or PM them instead. Be considerate of the other posters.
*sigh* I really wish I didn't have to say these things. They should be self-evident. Someone (I think it was Dio) brought up the issue of a "cooling-off" period, and I think that would be a great idea. I can only hope that everyone will cool down eventually and that Gen Con will return to being a fun and friendly place to be once more.
Thanks,
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