I think that there should be penalties for ‘competative snitching’. If a faction or individual is that kind of insecure that they need to race to a judge to show them all the things said about them, to ‘win’? Then they a) are not focused on just writing a story and b) Have no faith in themselves or the ones who write with them.
Its a poor mark. It’s one thing to be ticked off about a play done in a thread. We’ve all been there in some shape or form in and outside the forum. However, it is still no excuse. You can easily disagree with a behavior or action, without being nasty and impolite. We have manners, for a reason and far too often people act like ill mannered, ill taught, little monsters.
If tomorrow say, Tathra, waltz into a thread and take pot shots at someone and add nothing to a thread? I’d report the post and go on with my day. If in that same hand he came to me and started chewing me out because he found out it was me? I’d block him and go to staff. If I heard that he was then raging behind my back spewing vile because of it all? I wouldn’t plant a single feth in my field and I know full well that it would either go away, or someone would deal with it for me.
My reaction when I found out? “Oh really? Lol. Good on him I guess, don’t care.”
Do I believe he would, no. The same thing can be said for anyone who does talk about me. Would I run to the judges and use that during an invasion? No. Could I have used an event that happened to me, around invasion time against another person? Yes. Did I? No.
Firstly because it would accomplish nothing, secondly because it would impact nothing and third? Because it wouldn’t change nor appease my feelings.
Now, in that same hand. Say the Tofu Monarchy was known for throwing tantrums and making accusatory and inflammatory statements every time someone said they hated tofu. And sending people to other factions to use them to make sure no one was saying they hated Tofu, but if they see it they run to staff to tattle. Say I knew that a new member in my faction was from Tofu. I, myself, am not in Tofu, but I would quietly mention to staff that name, because of the behavior I have seen with my own eyes.
Does that mean I am biased? No, but I also don’t want my own faction to get fire in the face over stupid soybean squares that taste like pink pencil eraser.
I am giving that Tofu member a chance to be themselves, to be on the side of angels, but fully aware the politics that are rewarded and enabled could very well make a person do and say things to fit in.
The Tofu Monarchy has a culture I do not agree with. Therefor, I would not write with them. I would not talk about them. I would ignore them as best I can and if they instigated confrontation ICly or OOCly then I would write to the best I could and keep my community as best I can from providing the fuel the Tofu feeds on to use as an avenue to react with uncalled for social antics.
If I stand on the side of angels, then that reflects so and makes the Tofu look like the ones with the poor behavior. Does it grate on the nerves? Yes. Would complaining, raging and spewing make me happy? Maybe a bit. Would it help my case, would it get vindication from the words thrown at me? No. All it does is empower my enemy further and lower me to their standard.
All we can do is make the personal choice to turn our backs and our posts from those we do not like. All we can choose to do is, if need be, talk politely of those that would tear us down. Because at the end of the day, those that choose to use our poor words will do so and one of these days, that person won't be a friend and in turn the behaviors will then cease to benefit. Those that play those games today, who collect people who do those things, have a habit of turning on the one who collected them or the one who collected on them and so the spiral continues.
The only way not to feed it, is to give it no means with which to find a meal. To not reward or enable. To not shelter and abide it.
So while it is easy to ask to change a rule on a forum, it would be better still to look to yourself. To make a decision for your self. To surround yourself with those that make that same choice. To shape a community around that principal. Instead of trying to make a case for rule changing because changing that rule will not fix the issue.
Only by making that stand the new norm, can you change things. You do that, by starting with the self and letting go of those who push back. Because manners mean quite a whole lot, something that seems to have been forgotten. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The value of the Golden Rule, seems to have been cast aside.
