Why do you have to close a thread because people pick fights? Shouldn't those users and their specific posts be taken care of instead? What is wrong with frequent short (24h-72h) bans when people misbehave? Why do we rather lock the derailed threads—effectively completely derailing them—instead of deleting the posts that ruined them? There used to be a time where derailed topics were actually rescued through either deletion and/or migration of posts.kami_ryu wrote:I locked it. It was a really easy decision. It was brought up that staff members wanted it closed. The direction of that thread was conflict. So I closed it before we got to that point. Nothing wrong with the thread itself. I could probably have opened that exact same thread and no one would have batted an eye.
What I've come to really dislike is people who look at a thread and say "I don't like this topic/discussion" and then start picking fights so that we have to close it regardless. Then, instead of fingers being pointed at people who are incapable of having a civil discussion about difficult topics, we point fingers at the difficult topics themselves. We can't have grown-up discussions on ESOC because of this, even though the vast majority of us are probably well over the age of 23 with university diplomas under all our belts. No. We have to cater to the capricious 18 year old who will either sexually identify to 5 different genders OR the capricious 19 year old harboring racial grudges because they think that 4chan is edgy and cool. There is no in-between.
@momuuu brought some of these points up recently but this should be discussed in public rather than behind closed doors among people who barely care anymore (or can afford to care). I am sure you yourself are in favor of a freer Community Team that can hand out short suspensions as they see fit without the need for a long process that ultimately discourages any action so that the threads become unsalvageable and have to be locked while the people who derailed them remain unpunished. This community is rapidly reaching the point where it is no longer enjoyable for anyone: the hard-working staff members see their efforts being in vain (as a Community Team member you of all know how easily you get burnt out and lose motivation), the AoE3 fans are fed up with the omnipresent toxicity that has replaced the enthusiasm for the game, and the off-topic section is a wilderness where every other topic is derailed. The only people who thrive here are the shitposters. I know for a fact that I am speaking for both a large portion of the staff members and a large portion of the non-staff members.
On behalf of virtually everyone: let's stop this madness. Locking threads usually achieves nothing but confirm our subjugation to the shitposters who answer for their crimes only once in a blue moon. The governance of this place is a complete failure (and I am referring to much more than the mere locking of threads), and in the light of several recent events this should be obvious to a lot more people than it previously was. Let this thread stay open and this will probably become evident to even the most inactive forum member. If you aren't open for discussion this time around, I don't know when you will ever be, and since I am the one who both cares and stands with nothing to lose I suppose it is on me to take the lead even though it probably isn't ideal; I have waited long enough.
Despite responding to Kami, this thread is not primarily directed towards the staff. I know a large part of the community (i.e. the part who is neither in the staff nor in The Hub) remains out of the loop regarding the shenaniganry that goes on on the forum, and I am happy to dig up old threads and shed light on the matter if needed. This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard; I expect this thread to remain open.
(not my proudest moment 
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