Can we please stop this?

[Ascanio Giovanni]

Ok. I thought long and hard before making this post. I will begin by saying that at this point this post has absolutely nothing to do with the original issue over Toni's banning. I do not feel this is any of my business one way or the other. So please don't get caught up in the original issue in any responses here.

What this has to do with is the volume of hatred and vitriol I have seen on the boards lately and on Facebook as well. It has gone too far all around. Can we please call a ceasefire here? This is ridiculous.

The charter has a provision for opposing a staff call and levying a punishment against a staff member. If the side who wishes to overturn Toni's ban thinks themselves in the right I request that you attempt to use this system. If a majority of game agrees with you, you can make your will known. If not, then game has spoken either way. In either case, this level of truly disgusting behavior just needs to stop. Calling out direct attacks on other players and staff is never ok. I'm not naming anyone in specific in this or calling out specific incidents for a reason. I want an end to this whole mess. I'd like to get back to pretending to be vampires and having fun. That's why we're all here, remember?

This may seem a bit hypocritical coming from me. I know that my recent explosion on the boards is being used as leverage in this case. I make no excuses for my past behavior. I say though that coming from someone who understands what it is like to get totally out of control when passionate about an issue, these kinds of tactics just aren't worth it. I speak from experience.

I beg everyone involved here, please just use the systems in place. If you feel so passionately about the issue then make a petition as per the charter and let the game decide. Whatever the original issue, THIS situation now is creating a hostile environment, and it needs to stop.

Jaron

[Bubba Kush]

I agree with you, but can we also stop with the charter business? The charter does not direct my behavior, and it shouldn't direct yours; it's basic human decency and trust.

I really don't care about the charter and charter actions won't resolve this. I think this situation needs good faith and good will, like you are demonstrating here (sincere kudos).

But, from my perspective two things need to happen to help the group:

1) Regardless of who said what, verbal sexual harassment needs to stop being dismissed. The attitude of "I don't care about the drama until it affects MY game" is too pervasive.

2) The STs need to embrace your ideas here. I've, all of them, seen a lot of justification from the STs, but no remorse, no velvet glove, no peacemaking. Regardless of what Toni said, she doesn't deserve all if this and the STs need to take control of the situation.

A simple reset won't solve this, because ignoring the issue is what got us here in the first place.

But going forward, we should all adopt the attitude here.

Thanks for the thread.

[Victor Vaughn]

Jan 30, 2014 8:32:27 GMT -8 Bubba Kush said:

I agree with you, but can we also stop with the charter business? The charter does not direct my behavior, and it shouldn't direct yours; it's basic human decency and trust.

I really don't care about the charter and charter actions won't resolve this. I think this situation needs good faith and good will, like you are demonstrating here (sincere kudos).

But, from my perspective two things need to happen to help the group:

1) Regardless of who said what, verbal sexual harassment needs to stop being dismissed. The attitude of "I don't care about the drama until it affects MY game" is too pervasive.

2) The STs need to embrace your ideas here. I've, all of them, seen a lot of justification from the STs, but no remorse, no velvet glove, no peacemaking. Regardless of what Toni said, she doesn't deserve all if this and the STs need to take control of the situation.

A simple reset won't solve this, because ignoring the issue is what got us here in the first place.

But going forward, we should all adopt the attitude here.

Thanks for the thread.

Just because we don't drag it through the streets doesn't mean that we aren't trying to make peace. I've spent forty hours in the last four days trying to make peace.

[Ascanio Giovanni]

Jeremiah I think you have missed my point entirely while agreeing with it. This attitude of looking for someone to blame right now is what is causing all of this nightmare. You say you agree with me and then in the same post further blame the STs for causing this.

This is none of my business. This is none of your business. This is business between Staff, Toni and her chosen PA. That's it. The fact that this has become a game wide issue is ridiculous and is only causing more harm, whatever side anyone is on. Are people getting involved with the best of intentions? Absolutely. Defending a friend who you perceive to have been wronged is laudable. But this has gone well past the point of defense and loyalty.

As for dismissing the charter, I could not disagree more. The charter exists for a very important purpose (I never thought I'd hear myself say that, given I was one of its most vocal opponents when it was being instituted). It establishes clear guidelines for judgments and provides a method to express dissent without causing exactly what we have here. I think the charter is exactly what should be used in this case. If you or anyone else has an issue with staff, I beg that you follow the established system for making that grievance rather than continuing this slander and hate. All that is happening right now is making this problem worse. It's inciting a mob and it is disgusting all around.

I am taking a stand for decency by NOT getting involved. I ask others to do the same. Stop the posts, both on the boards and Facebook. Stop the hate. If you must bring a grievance against the staff then do so by the established methods which do not involve what has been happening for the last few weeks. Let this end.

This is a game. Let's remember that and have fun pretending to be monsters again, please.

[Bubba Kush]

All I meant to say is that the STs are responsible. This game is their responsibility. The STs don't need to take blame, they need to take responsibility.

Joh, kudos to you, but what I mean is that you guys need to put on a united front led by Kevin.

And, respectfully, Jaron you are involved. I'm not spreading slander or hate, and please don't accuse me of such.

[Desiree]

Jan 30, 2014 9:09:36 GMT -8 Bubba Kush said:

All I meant to say is that the STs are responsible. This game is their responsibility. The STs don't need to take blame, they need to take responsibility.

Joh, kudos to you, but what I mean is that you guys need to put on a united front led by Kevin.

And, respectfully, Jaron you are involved. I'm not spreading slander or hate, and please don't accuse me of such.

They have put on a united front, actually, and which ST posts it is irrelevant; they are all acting with the information they have spent tons of time discussing. Not a single one has diverged from the united front. 

[Ophelia Tempest]

Jeremiah,

If you would like the charter as a whole to be removed, or if there are edits you would like made to it, you will need to create a petition for the changes.

At one point this game relied on basic human decency and trust. The charter wasn't introduced just for fun, it's because occasionally there are those bad eggs, or people who are blind to the fact that they are not being decent and will not back down when asked and then told.

No one has dismissed verbal sexual harassment at any point. We all agreed something should be done. Anyone who tells you differently is flat out lying to you.

Joh has covered your second point pretty pointedly. The STs are working towards this, and while I understand you obviously don't have all of the information, it's unfair to assume they're sitting on their thumbs and doing nothing. Just because someone isn't blatantly toting their opinions and every action on Facebook doesn't mean there isn't stuff happening behind the curtains.


I agree with this thread. Both sides need to calm their faces. Direct and vague insults over IM, the boards, Facebook, whatever are no longer appropriate. I made a Facebook status update that was pissed on by someone who brought politics into a thread where I owned my wrong doing and apologized for it.

Both sides need to calm. Your face. We are all friends. A lot of hurt has occurred. If you don't have both sides, please don't assume which side is correct or incorrect. Please make educated opinions about the situation if you must make an opinion. Please don't attack. Please don't cause more hurt in this. Please don't harass. Please stop if you are asked to stop, and do your best not to dismiss or downplay either side's feelings.

This started with a raw and hurtful subject, and the continuous attacks are doing nothing more than making your Community, your friends, your brothers and sisters in nerd-dom cry and bleed and hate themselves and each other.


Stop.

[Ascanio Giovanni]

ENOUGH!

I try to make a single thread that can remain free of the taint of this and apparently that is too much to ask. For the love of God are there not enough hate threads out there to post on if you feel the need? Do you have to contaminate the one asking for peace?

Jeremiah, please don't respond again if you can't stop yourself sniping. The same goes for anyone else who wants to drag this game through the mud to make a point. This is sick. It is wrong. It is causing exactly the situation that this original issue was supposed to address. This is a hostile environment that makes people, myself very much included, not feel safe or comfortable at this game or in this community. This is harassment and it needs to stop. Immediately and unconditionally.

However, I need to put my money where my mouth is. I apologize that this attempt at civility seems to have failed so miserably. I apologize for any harm I may have caused now or in the past. I apologize to everyone who is currently trying to game through this sea of hatred. We all have set an abysmal example of behavior here, whether by participating in or even just allowing this to go on as long as it has.

I'm not an official representative of this sphere in any way. I'm HST of another sphere that quite mercifully is not involved in this mess. However I speak here only as one player, one representative of this game and this community. And I am apologizing for our entire community's atrocious behavior in this matter. I hate that I have to, but I really feel someone should.

This is the last you'll hear from me on this matter. I'm done. I don't know if I'll stay at this game or not if this keeps going much longer, but I want it clear that if I leave, I am leaving because this atmosphere of hate has driven me away. The fact that I'm even considering leaving, as I know others already have should speak volumes and make all of us take a good hard look at our own behavior of the past, present and future.

I was an asshole on the boards. I unreservedly apologize for that. I got a wakeup call and answered. Please answer yours. That goes to everyone.

[BLewis]

TL;DR of this entire thread:

Jan 30, 2014 9:17:40 GMT -8 Ophelia Tempest said:

Stop.

[Valerie]

Jan 30, 2014 9:53:53 GMT -8 BLewis said:

TL;DR of this entire thread:

Jan 30, 2014 9:17:40 GMT -8 Ophelia Tempest said:

Stop.

COLLABORATE AND LISTEN.