What's going on

[WOLFGIR]

I told you man!! Just howl!

HOOOOOOOOWL!!

Man, I´m an "oldie" and proud of it!

I´m also a active lurker hehehe!

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

[Neb]

I actually considered leaving for a while, that was at the point when I noticed how many people had actually left, some of which were really nice people who contributed a lot to IW, I hope that Cloudy and Slackerboy will return soon and that the War discussions might cool down a bit, I think that the War discussions are creating negative feelings throughout the entire board, I just hope this damn War will end soon and everything will become, not as they once were, for that will never happen again, but MORE like they once were.

[DragonMage]

Hiya, Wolfie!!!! ((((hugs)))) and Mel

I appreciate how readily I've been accepted here. I don't think I've ticked anyone off (yet) and I hope to never do so. If I ever do, though, please tell me, because, believe me - it would never be intentional. I love you all too much to be hurtful on purpose.

My philosophy on 'touchy' subjects has been to read, think about what I want to post, read some more, think some more, read once more and if I think I can still contribute without causing a ruckus, I'll post (as carefully as possible). Notice that I 'think' and 'read' many times before posting. This may be part of the problem on the War Forum. People get emotional about what they read, maybe even misread something if they're already upset about something else; or the other person, speaking another language in r/l is having difficulty expressing themselves in English, therefore inadvertantly causing a misunderstanding. Guys, please - read and re-read posts that irritate you to be as sure as you can be that you are taking what is said in the context it was intended. I frequently have to decipher some posts due to language barriers that would ordinarily have ticked me off, but upon re-reading them, I realize my error. I always 'think twice, but act once'. For those of you getting upset, try that...if you read something you find upsetting, take a step back and re-read the whole thread. Ask for clarification in case the person posting just didn't get his/her point across well. Try asking, in a neutral tone: "Now let me see if I understood you. You are saying....." and restate their post in the way you read it. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt to say, "yes, that's how I meant it" or "no, let me rephrase that for you" before determining that you are being insulted.

That being said - I also implore you all to stop with the sarcasm. I've seen quite a bit lately and it serves no purpose but to inflame people. I, myself, was victim of such. But instead of getting upset about it and leaving that forum, and instead of retaliating with same, I (hope) I confronted the person fairly but firmly and expressed that I would not take that kind of bait. I feel I retained my dignity and self-respect and that person did not come back at me again with any sarcasm. It doesn't always work, but it's worth it if it does.

(((hugs to all)))

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Alureth...Dragon friend of Breanna, Mage and Advisor in the Court of Lady Lioness

Co-Owner/Operator of the Evil Petting Zoo and devout member of the HADB clan.
Commander of the Dragon Fleet, IW Peacekeeping Force
Sublime Sister of the Illuminati - may the Light shine forever!
Second Historian and Scribe of IW. Mother Hen of IW.
Mage extraordinair, Pin-Up Girl for the OLD-COOTS
Magey-Wagey: performer in the Nekked Dancing Trio of the ORT.

Hopeless Romantic *sigh*

[Sazerac]

Originally posted by Melusine: Mirac and Epona, I think you are certainly right in saying that people who know they will be upset by what they read in the War forum should stay away from it (though Mirac, phrasing it as "it's their own fault" is too accusatory to my tastes - maybe you should try and imagine how it feels when you're in a heated discussion about things that mean the world to you) and I also tend to agree that everybody here reacts more strongly or emotionally than they usually do. However, you shouldn't do away with all of the current problems as easy as that. I think the people who left (including me - I am still not decided on whether it's actually worth the bother...) didn't leave only because their poor ovesensitive little nerves couldn't take it anymore, but because they recognise what's been going on on the fourms lately: in the heat of discussions, people just have lost respect for their opponents in an all-consuming fixation on pushing their point. Just look at the majority of the posts here and compare them to those of a few months ago - people have lost respect for eachother! Hello everybody!!! This is your wakeup call!!! Moiraine, Bilqis, Slackerboy, Nick, Cloudbringer, me... why the hell do you think we got fed up?? Hell, even Sazerac says he's thought about leaving! I hope you feel proud of yourselves for almost losing one of the best moderators ever!!

*sigh* Don't worry, Mel, and the rest...I'm not leaving. I'm too much of a dumb S.O.B. to leave here.

That's not to say I'm not contemplating a "break" for a bit. I don't know just yet. I probably won't leave GD, but I'm really thinking of giving the "War" forum a very large berth from hereon out, and sticking to the Gaming forums, where I can do what I do best: helping others with their games. I mean, come on, guys, that's what Ironworks has been since the beginning. A GAMING forum, not a political activism forum! If you want political activism, go find a forum dedicated to that!

The problem, BTW, with so many members leaving (and Yorick is also contemplating leaving as well), is that their religious beliefs are under attack by a select handful of people who seem to think that they have the right to disprove the others' beliefs or force them to prove that their beliefs are false. I agree with Mirac's basic point of "If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen", but when one is under attack (and seeming to come out of nowhere), it gets kind of hard.

Mel's point, and mine, and everyone else's all along has been that if people were being treated with respect, and only the points were being criticized rather than the people, there would be no problems. That's the only reason I actually considered "packing it in"...simply because I have said this over and over and over and over again and it's like talking to a brick wall. One begins to think that one is useless.

But I will keep saying it. It bears repeating, that EVERYONE here, regardless of their political leaning, gaming preference, religious creed, nationality, etc., are worthy of RESPECT!

One of these days it may actually catch on.




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[Neb]

I'm also staying FAR away from the War forum from now on, it's getting a bit too "hot" in there for my tastes.

[adam warlock]

Originally posted by Neb: I'm also staying FAR away from the War forum from now on, it's getting a bit too "hot" in there for my tastes.

good move...
Ziroc may delete that forum in near future....



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HEY! get away from my homepage!!
The Host of Sigs

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Sazerac: *sigh* Don't worry, Mel, and the rest...I'm not leaving. I'm too much of a dumb S.O.B. to leave here.

That makes two of us.

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[Beaumanoir]

IMHO, How Can Everyone Fight Over The War? There Is Only On Way To Look At It: Terrible, There Is No Other Way To See It. People Should Help Others To Get Round It, There Are Enough Problems Around Already!

Were having A Forum War Over A real War!

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The Clan HADB Cleric Of Sephiroth + Nutella


BINKY The Founding Member, Cheif Architect AND Official Chanter Of O.R.T

The Order Of Royal Toads

[Sazerac]

Originally posted by Beaumanoir: IMHO, How Can Everyone Fight Over The War? There Is Only On Way To Look At It: Terrible, There Is No Other Way To See It. People Should Help Others To Get Round It, There Are Enough Problems Around Already! Were having A Forum War Over A real War!

I know, Beaumanoir. It's a sickening irony, isn't it? And we expect NATIONS to get along.



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Patience, my BUTT...I'm going to KILL something!!!

[Vaskez]

Bah if ppl paid more attention to all the jokes I've posted in the last months......they'd all be too busy laughing to argue!