PLEASE STOP!!!

[SSJ4Sephiroth]

agreed Azure .

ive been thinking that theres too much of that going on lately. we seem to be at each other's throats now, waiting for a spark to set us off so we can just unleash on someone else. cmon people, if i wanted this id stay at my guild forum! let's have some FUN and not worry about being serious and all . a change of pace is nice, but we seem to be getting set in this tempo, which started as a nice, brisk walk but is now a rut of an incredibly fast run in which there seems to be no way to slow down. (sorry if i used too many metaphores there). i dont mind us being serious sometimes, as long as we can return to a light-hearted good-humored group of people when we're sick of being serious, and personally, i'm quite sick of being serious!

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It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha, ha, ha. And at the center of that injury, wil be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with the energy of the Planet, I will be come a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet, I will cease to exist as I am now. Only to be reborn as a 'God' to rule over every living soul.


What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings now? Ha, ha, ha... Stop acting as if you're sad. And there's no need to act as if you're angry either. Because, Cloud, you are... a puppet.

Super Sephiroth, slayer of the Uber Fluffy, and battle co-ordionator and defender of the HADB clan.
Follower of the mighty Fallen Paladin himself.
Diplomacy is all and well, but HADB is better!
Head of the IronWorks Intelligence Division
Official Soup Server and bumper of Cloudy's Cafe
Possessor of the Aerie Diamond Head from the ALSB.
Page in the Court of Lady Lioness

Stalking the woodlands,
the Lioness in my sight,
warm feelings doth come,
into my lonely heart

[Larry_OHF]

Wow...what have i missed?
I have been on a ship for the whole day, looking for my kidnapped friend, and have paid almost no attention to any other post!
I felt like everything was just dandy!
I guess I don't go looking for trouble...well, back to my rescue I go!

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3rd Member of the Ancient OHF and Diamond Ranger of the ALSB (secretarial position & Ambassador)
Father of the wicked but cute child known as MaryBeth

Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
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Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

[Reeka]

I have to say that I agree with several of the opinions here. First, I think the board has become a bit "heavy." I agree with Saz 200% that we need a separate place for serious discussions.

I do occassionally make serious posts in these discussions, I would like to more, but usually by the time I see it it is too long for me to read and I dislike trying to post if I haven't read.

BUT, the primary reason I come here, is diversion and fun. OK, I admit it, I like the silly, stupid, playful threads. I like bantering back and forth. I come here to RELAX.

So,maybe while we are discussing the board evolving, maybe we should seriously consider the board evolving into general discussions and serious discussions.

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Order of the Holy Flame
Member of Clan HADB
Laughing Hyena
Clan Illuminati

[250]

oh good... now you guys are manipulating me!!!

why not just ask everyone to be a little more respectful and mature, like me? we have a very strong morality bedrock here. I seriously doubt anything disturbing will happen

if you seperate a SERIOUS discusion from General Discussion, people will have sh*t loads of excuses to do meaningless posts on General discussion, and there could be a possibility that General discussion's posts are no longer respected, since if you want serious discussion, you can to to "Serious" forum

just wait people, we all have a sudden have so many new members, it take time for everyone to get used to each other. there will always be a long time for new memebrs to get comfortable in this community. and they will gradually adopt IW's goods, and contribue their own. I am sure. I got a lota faith in Memnoch and Sazarc and all other mods here in this matter.

be patient, most importantly, try not to use terms such as "newbie" or "olddie" because it just creates gap.

you hear that? newbies and oddies? ooops....

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Sazerac: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: We need a separate forum for "Serious Discussions". When the forum upgrade occurs, maybe we can rally for a Serious Discussions forum then. We need a place where these kind of heated debates can thrive and not upset other members who aren't interested in those types of discussions.

I initially didn't think so, Saz, but events of the past week are starting to change my mind. I'll email you about this and we can bounce the idea off Ziroc.

In the meantime, my best suggestion would be that people who don't want to get involved in serious discussions ignore those threads (like channel-surfing on cable).

I will post yet again some comments I had in one of these threads which got quite heated:


I know most of you love a good spirited debate, since most of you are quite strongly opinionated, if somewhat tactless about expressing opinions, serenely confident in your righteousness and in the other's wrongness. I personally don't have a problem with it unless you start making snide remarks about each other which don't have anything to do with the topic at hand, since this might eventually lead to shouting profanities at each other, which then becomes my problem. However, I'm sure will not happen, given that we're all VERY good at exercising self-control, right?

It's actually quite funny listening to you bang heads at each other. Make sure you don't get headaches for no reason. The two most difficult things to do on the internet are: 1) admit that you can't change the other person's point of view; and 2) accept that failing to change the other person's point of view does NOT mean you have lost the argument.



And finally, argue the point, not the person. I know it's difficult to disassociate any personal dislike you may have for a person with the point or stance they are making, but do your best. It's called self-control. Let's not let great discussion threads degenerate into shouting matches.

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[This message has been edited by Memnoch (edited 10-10-2001).]

[250]

Originally posted by Memnoch: I initially didn't think so, Saz, but events of the past week have changed my mind. I'll email you about this and we can take it up with Ziroc. I will post yet again some comments I had in one of these threads which got quite heated: I know most of you love a good spirited debate, since most of you are quite strongly opinionated, if somewhat tactless about expressing opinions, serenely confident in your righteousness and in the other's wrongness. I personally don't have a problem with it unless you start making snide remarks about each other which don't have anything to do with the topic at hand, since this might eventually lead to shouting profanities at each other, which then becomes my problem. However, I'm sure will not happen, given that we're all VERY good at exercising self-control, right? It's actually quite funny listening to you bang heads at each other. Make sure you don't get headaches for no reason. The two most difficult things to do on the internet are: 1) admit that you can't change the other person's point of view; and 2) accept that failing to change the other person's point of view does NOT mean you have lost the argument. And finally, argue the point, not the person. I know it's difficult to disassociate any personal dislike you may have for a person with the point or stance they are making, but do your best. It's called self-control. Let's not let great discussion threads degenerate into shouting matches.

woooo ahhh... **notes to himself** Ziz iz a dangelous man...

[Sazerac]

Originally posted by Memnoch: And finally, argue the point, not the person. I know it's difficult to disassociate any personal dislike you may have for a person with the point or stance they are making, but do your best. It's called self-control. Let's not let great discussion threads degenerate into shouting matches.

As a practicing mystic, one of the meditations I use is called the "Meditation of Detachment." It may be worthwhile bringing up here.

"I am the Soul.

I have a body, but I am not my body.
My physical body is but a part of me.
I have emotions, feelings, and moods, but I am not my emotions, feelings, and moods.
My emotions, feelings, and moods are but a part of me.
I have thoughts and opinions, but I am not my thoughts and opinions.
My thoughts and opinions are but a part of me.

I am the Soul. I exist. I remain. I AM."

Regardless of your personal beliefs, please bear in mind that you, and all others, HAVE emotions, feelings, thoughts, and opinions. You, and they, however, are NOT those emotions, feelings, thoughts, and opinions. As Memnoch has intimated, separate (detach) the form from the substance; the truth from the illusion and glamour.

Thanks,



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[Yorick]

Why doesn't the thread starter post a: "Serious - ******topic title*******" sort of header for a while till things calm down.

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[Nachtrafe]

Originally posted by Sazerac: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: We need a separate forum for "Serious Discussions". When the forum upgrade occurs, maybe we can rally for a Serious Discussions forum then. We need a place where these kind of heated debates can thrive and not upset other members who aren't interested in those types of discussions.

OK...upshot from a relative newbie. As one of those who thrives on the serious threads, I agree that are tending to degenerate. I know I've been quite cranky lately, and I want to apologize to anyone that I've honked off.

As for a seperate "Serious Discussions" forum, I dont necessarily think that's a good idea. I've seen it at a couple of other boards, namely MH and a few other non gaming boards. That section tends to draw a very specific crowd who mostly stick there. A lot of them dont interact anywhere else on the board. And the general discussion board ends up being mostly fluff. Here at IW you get an eclectic mix of fluff and substance interspersed with general weirdness. It is an awesome atmosphere and I would hate to see it changed. I agree with Yorick that maybe some sort of warning should be placed in the title, or when things upgrade, Ziroc could enable some icon that would let people know it is a Serious Topic. Segregating all of the Serious Topics to a seperate forum is, IMHO, a bad idea.

Azurewolf...Excellent post. Thanks for attempting to bring a bit of calm to the current storm. Kudos.


PS: Memnoch...sometimes you HAVE to debate the person to make the point. Its a fact of good debate. That's not to say it has to get rude, but sometimes it really does have to get personal to mean something.

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"In Memorium of those who are gone, and all those that bought our freedom with their hearts blood!"

"May the Colors of Liberty never run"

[WOLFGIR]

Serious schmerius..I agree with Azurewolf here, and he didn´t give me any scones!

OK, enough of the funny part. I think that the serious posts here are now more heated and than ever, but it is not only the serious posts that are starting to get gloomy. Alot of buisness are getting heated and we all hae a shorter temper then before. I noticed this on myself as well, I get more frustrated over the whole buisness of gluminess and well.. downhill racing...

So I agree with Azurewolf, but I don´t think the problem is only in the serious threads. I think there is more that needs to be done if we are going to get back to a "happy place". How, right now I´m not sure don´t have a clue, but I eill start where I can and start with myself. Perhaps taking a serious break from here might do it. I don´t know. But when the mods over and over again has to remind us all how to use a bit of consideration when we post, how to debate the topic not persons, not to spam, to thonk before post... Something is wrong.

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Howling to the moon, cause this world seems so far away..
Wolfgirs lair
once-upon-a-paper

[This message has been edited by WOLFGIR (edited 10-10-2001).]