Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
Ramsus, your heart is in the right place. The community has problems that need fixing but, I don't think this is the way to go about bringing about positive change.
Really nothing will become of this. The users won't change their behavior, the rules won't be enforced, noobs still won't read the rules or stickied threads, nor will they use the search function.
I have to say, I'm completely with fpod here. Despite all the complaints, threads, warnings, etc, you still see users engaging in hostile behavior, the rules spottily and selectively enforced, and some users just plain being stupid.
Various respected users have made appeals, to much ballyhoo but less actual progress. We were threatened with a rules crackdown that I never felt really happened to any significant degree.
We've been down the road of impassioned appeal and honest criticism. It doesn't seem to be producing results. Honestly, I don't really know what to do, outside of simply not feeding the trolls and ignoring idiots to the greatest degree possible to discourage idiocy instead of attacking and mocking them. Personally, I think things would be more pleasant if more people did the same, but going by the way the forums have been moderated and run, aggression, insult, and trolling appear to be at least somewhat acceptable behaviors.
I can alter my own behavior. I can make suggestions and request that others listen to my ideas, but ultimately the Administration decides what kind of forums they want these to be, and what will and will not be acceptable. I'll have to deal with it or leave.
I hate to be negative, but I think considering all the appeal and complaint threads that haven't really done anything, I now have very little faith that change will come from the bottom up. If the admins decide that they are displeased with the state of the forums and take action by creating and enforcing new and existing rules concerning hostile behavior reliably and without bias, then perhaps people will be forced to change their ways, and change will come upon the forum culture from the top down.