On persistent social toxicity in this forum

[Cobblemaniac]

We should all try to calm a bit, I suppose. ^^

This. This is probably a very good method of damage control for those that are currently looking at the thread, and ripping their heads out for whatever reason. Take some time off the computer and chill for a bit.

From whatever I've posted from the previous thread, I'll transfer here, so context will apply from what I've posted in the wind ragna thread, although I would like to post a quick message to VeryVoodoo (quoted so those reading my input can skip this easily):

I apologise if I came across as grouping your methods of arguments in the "hoho you're a shitbag" category bag, for the sake of fairness I've went past previous threads to make sure I wasn't making the wrong judgement for you, and indeed, you've tried your best to keep as civil as possible, I re-emphasise that I am terribly sorry. What I have observed is that you are noticeably losing your patience as the argument goes along (most notably in the general discussions thread), and that argument has probably tainted your impression of a few of our members here. Hell, my message probably already tainted your impression of me. I only ask of you this: please don't take it to heart, be it that general discussion issue, my message, or anything else, and let's try not to point fingers about anything, even if I am indeed hypocritically doing so right now.

With that out of the way, this is what I have observed so far:

The forum today phases between very helpful and the insult firestorm that we see from the linked thread. There is a pattern to this phase; when there is consensus on something, or a person asks for information about event technicalities and stuff you can find in the wiki (JP or not), helpful mode applies, we're good on that. The problem comes when we disagree, some corrections that come in do so rather aggressively, which of course, is like a spark to a gas tank of toxic arguments, either there is damage control to prevent that spark from inducing an explosion, or kaboom goes the thread.

The unregistered user issue is something of concern, there have been particularly helpful unregistered users, but I fear that the mask of anonymity is an issue when we determine the root of the problem; what root is there in the first place? On the flipside, I do believe that necessitating registered posting and commenting kinda gives helpful users the recognition they deserve, although not necessarily the recognition they want. Current observation tells me that most unregistered users also fall within the same patterns of phasing as I've described in the paragraph above, and therefore solving that issue should bring a temporary closure to this issue as well.

[VeryVoodoo]

I apologise if I came across as grouping your methods of arguments in the "hoho you're a shitbag" category bag, for the sake of fairness I've went past previous threads to make sure I wasn't making the wrong judgement for you, and indeed, you've tried your best to keep as civil as possible, I re-emphasise that I am terribly sorry. What I have observed is that you are noticeably losing your patience as the argument goes along (most notably in the general discussions thread), and that argument has probably tainted your impression of a few of our members here. Hell, my message probably already tainted your impression of me. I only ask of you this: please don't take it to heart, be it that general discussion issue, my message, or anything else, and let's try not to point fingers about anything, even if I am indeed hypocritically doing so right now.

Fair enough, lol. Also there's no need for you to apologize as I took no offense from it, was mainly just amused.

As for that discussion from the General Discussion thread, honestly for me, it was just a conversation between two people with differing viewpoints or dissenting opinions. It seems like others in the community may have used that discussion as the train they could use to jump on to personally attack parties that they might've had beefs with in the past. Though, I have no idea if that's the case as I don't frequent these forums enough to know. In fact, the only reason I engaged in the conversation in the first place was since the other party directly quoted and addressed me, which I just happened to see, and asked what seemed like pointed questions. So I responded, but it soon became clear to me that they weren't actually interested in having a detailed discussion about it at all since they quickly disengaged while saying things like "no one HAS to engage in a discussion" with others if they don't want to, which technically is true. Only it left me a bit confused as to why they engaged me in the first place at all if that was the case. Either way, I don't particularly care one way or the other, nor am I offended by it in the least.

And I have to parrot your statement in regards to unregistered users. There certainly are ones that are particularly helpful, but there are also those that seem to use this mask of anonymity to carry out what seems like personal grudges or attacks on others. Requiring posters to be registered would at least fix that latter part.