What would you like to see less or more of around here?

[Drathnoxis]

7. This is ostensibly still a gaming website. Start organizing some gaming leagues/get-togethers with your staff and community. That there's never been Escapist guilds or clans or leagues in ANYTHING I can remember is kind of comical.

I think all the points you made would be really good to implement and have my vote, I want to add to this last one though.

I was looking through forum archives one day and came across an old feature called The Escapist Game Circle. Basically it was like a book club for video games, where everybody would play the same game and then discuss what they thought of it. I think it would be pretty cool to start this up again. Though I think rather than doing a blanket 1 month per game, the game should be broken up into sections(probably consisting of 2-3 hours game time, not including sidequests) and participants should have the goal of completing one section a week then stopping. This allows everybody to keep pace and discuss the game as they are playing through it, rather than saving everything for their final thoughts at the end. It would foster more of a sense of a communal playthrough to have weekly goals and discussions. Choosing the next game to play should probably be done through a community vote.

Here's another example I found from a different forum doing something similar. It's a playthrough of Paper Mario for the N64, the weekly goals are laid out each week in the thread by the person running it. (The forum is kind of awkwardly formatted to have the OP at the start of every page, so that stuff about Chrono Trigger can be ignored.) I think this is a pretty good format for a group play, but I would spoiler the 'optional [goals]' and 'important notes' sections.

 

[Fox12]

Less list articles. All of that 'content' is cheap in quality as well as price, guys.

Definitely this. We lost all of Jims content, and got list articles and Disney Princesses instead. I'm tired of seeing "9 Disney princesses reimagined as X." Browsing deviant art for five seconds is not real content. On the more positive side, I love Erin Dies Alone.

As for what I want to see? Maybe an in-depth analysis of a series, like Silent Hill or Dark Souls. Or something like Extra Credits, where we get insight into game design.

 

[Cecilo]

I would like the staff to outline what form of Racism, sexism they follow, the "Old" Definition, or the New one that makes exceptions for those that hate men or white people.

 

[Frission]

I would like these internet text walls to not pop up so quickly.

Anyway, I do like quizzes and organizing an escapist group may be fun. I personally any choose your own adventures.

I'm just popping in to let folks know I'm keeping an eye on the thread and reading each of your responses.

Although the site is very nice to let us users submit our own quizzes and make them a reality- I want to see more produced regardless and get badges from them (because badges are awesome yo). Apart from that, more competition + events would suffice.

Not popularity or "who has the best (blank)" but rather events relating to one of The Escapist's most famous (and biggest) event they ever produced which had almost 2,000 comments. I'm talking about the Test Your Mental Might with The Escapist's First Ever Puzzle Adventure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106072-Test-Your-Mental-Might-With-The-Escapists-First-Ever-Puzzle-Adventure] .. and the fact it was +1 meant it was part 1. I know you guys planned for a second one but never had the time to get around to it. Please, another event like that would vvveeerrrryyyy likely get this community active again trust me.

This would be nice. Yup.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

A multi quote function would be neat. Another forum I frequent has this and it's really handy for the, lets charitably call them spirited multi participant conversations, various talking heads to respond to multiple people without taking a half-assed HTML course.

On that note, get some kind of post control panel going for embedding images, YouTube and hyperlinks and text formatting and so forth. This place is very behind the times on that score.

More video content: I get not everyone has the confidence for TV, but at the least spoken word pieces are easier for us to digest on a daily basis - plus they can be uploaded to the YouTube channel for further revenue.

Perhaps live streamed debates using Skype. I know I'm reaching for the low hanging fruit but if you could get say one of the top GG and AGG talking heads to agree to debate one another over something like that so we can see it without all the hassle of booking venues and having the shit pots ruin it with bomb threats and the like. And of course you could extend this to general interviews with other willing industry figures or cultural notables.

 

[M0rp43vs]

See what's going on above with Lil Devils and the others? Less of that please. Taking over a thread with a pointless argument where posters just shout over each other. The forum is for everyone, not just the same power posters with chips on their shoulders. Always ends up drowning any chance of an actual discussion forming. Though to be fair, at least Panda and lightknight seem like they're trying to engage the other side. (Sorry Devils).

Continuing on above; less walking on eggshells. Seems like you can't say anything nowadays without causing a thread derailing shitstorm through offending anybody on any point of the spectrum. I'm not saying we should immediately turn into /pol/ or a happy hand-holdy Kumbaya Jamboree (or turn into a forum of Danyals. Shudder), but can we at least have be able to discussions on a different worldview if it's delivered with a bit of politeness?

I would ask for a teensy bit less pointless cynicism but the forums have always been like this so it's likely ingrained by this point.

More? I say more quizzes. I don't think I've seen one in a couple of years. Sure they were silly but they got you a badge when you did them. Oh, more badges too.

And how about more things to look forward to. Like conventions, competitions, or contests. Something the forum can form a buzz about. Building on Devils idea, maybe a cosplay contest? Most creative lego builds? Get the creatives on the site with a buzz with art and music competitions. Who can make funniest or most original flavour Zero Punctuation? With the grand prize of Yahtzee berating the video, there is a ton of stuff people more creative than I can think of.

Also more original content goes without saying.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

See what's going on above with Lil Devils and the others? Less of that please. Taking over a thread with a pointless argument where posters just shout over each other. The forum is for everyone, not just the same power posters with chips on their shoulders. Always ends up drowning any chance of an actual discussion forming. Though to be fair, at least Panda and lightknight seem like they're trying to engage the other side. (Sorry Devils).

Continuing on above; less walking on eggshells. Seems like you can't say anything nowadays without causing a thread derailing shitstorm. I'm not saying we should immediately turn into /pol/ or a happy hand-holdy Kumbaya Jamboree (or turn into a forum of Danyals. Shudder), but can we at least have be able to discussions on a different worldview if it's delivered with a bit of politeness?

I would ask for a teensy bit less pointless cynicism but the forums have always been like this so it's likely ingrained by this point.

More? I say more quizzes. I don't think I've seen one in a couple of years. Sure they were silly but they got you a badge when you did them. Oh, more badges too.

And how about more things to look forward to. Like conventions, competitions, or contests. Something the forum can form a buzz about. Building on Devils idea, maybe a cosplay contest? Most creative lego builds? Get the creatives on the site with a buzz with art and music competitions. Who can make funniest or most original flavour Zero Punctuation? With the grand prize of Yahtzee berating the video, there is a ton of stuff people more creative than I can think of.

Also more original content goes without saying.

All of this, with bells on.


Also, (I'm really just trying to think of any old shit that hasn't already been suggested) how about how-to guides and tips? How to get bitchin' at aerial control in Rocket League, how to build stuff in Cities: Skylines that doesn't suck arse etc. I get that The Escapist has always tried to be a bit more than the average gaming news/walkthroughs etc, but it would be handy.

The only other thing I can think of is community gaming events- play the staff at Civ or a Rocket League tournament (I'm not actually sure if RL has that function, but you get the idea).

 

[IceForce]

I'd like some sort of consequences for abusing the report/flag system.

The reason why my inbox looks like something out of a horror film (and yet, paradoxically, my actual health bar is close to empty) is because there's a certain group of users who want to see me banned (they've even said so on other websites; naming me specifically), and they are abusing the reporting system in order to facilitate this.

PMs to the right people, and questions through the correct channels, have both revealed that my posts regularly get spam-flagged and report-brigaded by a group of users. This leads me to being forever walking on moderation eggshells whenever I post, and me being constantly under microscopic moderation scrutiny at all times.
Even worse, moderators are clearly believing that punishments should be given out to me based on the sheer volume of reports, rather than the actual content of my posts.

It's not fair that I should be getting regularly punished and have to do battle with the appeals system on a bi- or tri-weekly basis, all because OTHER people are abusing the system, not me.

I'd like some consequences for this abuse. As for what consequences exactly, I'm not entirely sure. But something definitely has to be done, and soon.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

See what's going on above with Lil Devils and the others? Less of that please. Taking over a thread with a pointless argument where posters just shout over each other. The forum is for everyone, not just the same power posters with chips on their shoulders. Always ends up drowning any chance of an actual discussion forming. Though to be fair, at least Panda and lightknight seem like they're trying to engage the other side. (Sorry Devils).

In my defense, I didn't intend for it to turn into a multi-post run about social justice theory or whatever. I just wanted to point out how impractical the idea was(it was arguably on topic, but I do appreciate how you might not want to read it). I feel like the point has been made.

All of this, with bells on.


Also, (I'm really just trying to think of any old shit that hasn't already been suggested) how about how-to guides and tips? How to get bitchin' at aerial control in Rocket League, how to build stuff in Cities: Skylines that doesn't suck arse etc. I get that The Escapist has always tried to be a bit more than the average gaming news/walkthroughs etc, but it would be handy.

The only other thing I can think of is community gaming events- play the staff at Civ or a Rocket League tournament (I'm not actually sure if RL has that function, but you get the idea).

Would actually love to see tips and pointers videos for skill-based games. This might be too niche, but a Goals of the week competition for Rocket League would also be fun, even if the only prize is the glory of recognition.

I've been taking part in a Rocket League tournament on another forum (that I'm actually not a member of, but my doubles partner is) and it's been reasonably fun. I can get behind ideas like this.

Good suggestions, I'd say.

 

[happyninja42]

1. I'd like to see more of gaming content, specifically various playstyles for popular games. Inspired by Many A True Nerd, who likes to do interesting playthroughs with specific rule sets for games (No Kill, Kill Everything, No Guns, No Healing, etc) would be fun. Perhaps some twitch streaming of it, to see how they handle some of the more insane rule restrictions. Or maybe just a writeup after the fact as an editorial piece on the pros/cons of that play style.

2. I'd like to see more of the various artworks they find online that are nerd/geek related. Less of the "My Little Ponies reimagined as *insert thing*" or "Disney Princesses reimagined as *insert thing*" and more of a diverse collection of things in that similar vein. "Professional Wrestlers reimagined as Pacific Rim Jaegers and Kaiju!" for example. (No idea if that's a thing, but it would be funny to see) Honestly the site got a lot better about this for the last year or so, but then it just seemed to stop producing this material at all lately. I don't have a problem with MLP or Disney Princess fanart in theory, but when it was the only thing they were presenting, out of the multitude of geek stuff out there, it got a little tiresome.

3. I'd like to see less of the science articles with titles that constantly imply doom and gloom about whatever new scientific breakthrough was discovered, no matter how pop culture relevant it is. When all you do is couch the discovery in language that implies it's a terrible thing, that will ultimately bring down the fall of humanity, it slants the public perception of this new breakthrough. I don't care if it vaguely sounds like something Borg related, or maybe once there was a movie that used this as a plot element, so now this "automatically" means that of course it will go down this route. When you don't even bother to list the possible beneficial applications of the technology, alongside your "omgurd we're gonna die to borg monkies!" humor, it sounds like panic writing. And you know there will be some people out there that will read it like that, and think nothing else. Which is contrary to advancement. You want to give it a funny slant? Fine. You want the slant to have some nerd/scifi/geek related slant? Fine, but also devote at least as much article time (preferably more) to talking about the actual discovery itself, and how it might improve our lives.

Now again, to be fair, the site seems to be doing better in this regard as well, but I'd like to see it get even better. I think the readers of this site are pretty nerd savvy, we don't really need you to point out how this technology is like *insert pop culture reference* to notice it. We're already spotting it. And besides, where the escapist sees Borg Monkies, I see Cyberpunk/Shadowrun Riggers. Glass half full and all

 

[Lightknight]

See what's going on above with Lil Devils and the others? Less of that please. Taking over a thread with a pointless argument where posters just shout over each other. The forum is for everyone, not just the same power posters with chips on their shoulders. Always ends up drowning any chance of an actual discussion forming. Though to be fair, at least Panda and lightknight seem like they're trying to engage the other side. (Sorry Devils).

Hopefully it is apparent that my reason for engaging that discussion was to gain elaboration on how such a policy Devils was advocating would play out and to present a counterpoint so that the OP would see the call for that as not being without its detractors in the community. So on topic, hopefully, albeit dragged on for longer than necessary.

Continuing on above; less walking on eggshells. Seems like you can't say anything nowadays without causing a thread derailing shitstorm. I'm not saying we should immediately turn into /pol/ or a happy hand-holdy Kumbaya Jamboree (or turn into a forum of Danyals. Shudder), but can we at least have be able to discussions on a different worldview if it's delivered with a bit of politeness?

I would ask for a teensy bit less pointless cynicism but the forums have always been like this so it's likely ingrained by this point.

It might be worth noting that this is a common occurrence in the internet as a whole. I have found that if the OP specifies the intent and constraints of the thread that too much deviation will be moderated, especially at the OP's request. Otherwise the flow and redirection of conversation is considered natural and perfectly normal with the set and subsets of the original topic.

Excellent post, thank you for contributing here.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

See what's going on above with Lil Devils and the others? Less of that please. Taking over a thread with a pointless argument where posters just shout over each other. The forum is for everyone, not just the same power posters with chips on their shoulders. Always ends up drowning any chance of an actual discussion forming. Though to be fair, at least Panda and lightknight seem like they're trying to engage the other side. (Sorry Devils).

In my defense, I didn't intend for it to turn into a multi-post run about social justice theory or whatever. I just wanted to point out how impractical the idea was(it was arguably on topic, but I do appreciate how you might not want to read it). I feel like the point has been made.

All of this, with bells on.


Also, (I'm really just trying to think of any old shit that hasn't already been suggested) how about how-to guides and tips? How to get bitchin' at aerial control in Rocket League, how to build stuff in Cities: Skylines that doesn't suck arse etc. I get that The Escapist has always tried to be a bit more than the average gaming news/walkthroughs etc, but it would be handy.

The only other thing I can think of is community gaming events- play the staff at Civ or a Rocket League tournament (I'm not actually sure if RL has that function, but you get the idea).

Would actually love to see tips and pointers videos for skill-based games. This might be too niche, but a Goals of the week competition for Rocket League would also be fun, even if the only prize is the glory of recognition.

I've been taking part in a Rocket League tournament on another forum (that I'm actually not a member of, but my doubles partner is) and it's been reasonably fun. I can get behind ideas like this.

Good suggestions, I'd say.

I had no intention of having it turn into multi post long reply when I simply asked for the "dont be a jerk rules" to apply to racist, sexists and bigoted statements made about groups of people that the members you might happen to be speaking to belong to allowing for the forums to be more inclusive. Apparently that is too much for some users to understand how this may affect minorities in an unwelcoming way to make them feel as they should not be here. As probably the only Hopi female on this site, I offered my perspective as it often comes across as a very hostile environment for some users, and I have been told by some of those who are no longer coming here they do not wish to be here due to this environment being created here. When you look around at the many who have left and wonder why, this is what some of them are telling us. I mentioned these issues because it has been one that has made me not want to be here as well.. and maybe I have overspent my time here as most that felt that way left already.

I do not think that is an unreasonable request to consider things such as " blacks are either criminals or drug dealers" just as bad if not worse than "member X is a drug dealer and criminal because he is black", because that IS what is being said and is just as much of an insult. Even worse than the racism that has been allowed on this site the sexism is usually far worse. " Girls are attention whores" is the same as "since you are a girl and you are only talking because you are an attention whore" It is no different, and I fail to see why it should be treated any different. Of course if they think you should be able to just outright insult people to have discussion, I guess there is no more discussion to be had. This is the only place I go where saying things like " stop calling blacks criminals" is controversial. That isn't controversial, and if someone thinks that something as simple as that IS, then they should really reevaluate how they view other races.. It is no more controversial than saying " stop calling whites criminals". Like that is a huge request or something.. Whites are no more criminals than blacks is the issue, but even asking for something as simple as treating insulting someones race the same as insulting that person seems too much to ask here without it being considered " unreasonable." TBH, I am not sure if I really want to be here anymore due to this as well if this is considered "impractical".

As can be shown in this very thread, If a minority even bothers to ask for racism and sexism against groups to be treated the same as any other insult, you will have multiple users who will claim that is not a reasonable request. Insulting people is already against the rules, unless you just insult their race or gender. This is just a loophole around being able to do so without saying " Member x is a drug dealer". Leaving it that way just ensures more who have had enough of it don't come back.

 

[EvilRoy]

This might be unpopular, but I'd like to see harsher moderation. I know 'be meaner' is a rough one to really follow through on, but its just that I see too much direction from the mods straight up ignored or walked around 'to make a point' for what can be healthy for a forum. If a mod gives you a simple 'back on track' or 'chill out a little' verbal warning, and it keeps happening in the same thread then the next step should be an official point-off-the-healthbar warning. Sky gets goddamned walked on in threads where she asks people to keep in on track, and the worst that can be feared for any involved is the thread to be closed - which isn't a punishment. Same with things like one liners or back patting - if someone can get a warning for posting 'agreed' or a reaction image, I can't see why they shouldn't get a warning for a one sentence line that translates to 'they suck, we rule'. I dunno, maybe I'm just sour in my old age but I'm tired of seeing the same disrespect and related bullshit hang around - easily outlasting the good parts of the forums that accept their punishments with grace and move on or just can't take anymore. And if you can't get people to play nice by asking nicely the only other option I can see is to beat it into them.

I guess on a lighter note:

1. I'd like to see more of gaming content, specifically various playstyles for popular games. Inspired by Many A True Nerd, who likes to do interesting playthroughs with specific rule sets for games (No Kill, Kill Everything, No Guns, No Healing, etc) would be fun. Perhaps some twitch streaming of it, to see how they handle some of the more insane rule restrictions. Or maybe just a writeup after the fact as an editorial piece on the pros/cons of that play style.

I'd like so see this kind of stuff as well, maybe mixed in with the game of the month format others have mentioned. It seems to me that there are at least one, maybe two or three big games a month that could have a little showcase with goals and a thread to post youtube videos/screenshots of your accomplishments. Like, Fallout 4 was big over the last little while, so there could have been weird fake achievement goals for things like 'collect 200 fans without salvaging them' or 'score a headshot kill with vacs at < 5%'. Now that XCOM 2 is in, we could see things asking for missions to be completed in strange or difficult ways (pistol only mission?). Have a person doing a twitch stream or lets play of the game running for the month where they showcase the stupid/weird stuff and then encourage responses with proof that other people pulled it off too, or met a challenge that the streamer couldn't pull off. People playing along with the person leading could suggest things for them to try as they come across them.

For games that are cheaper and/or more straightforward I imagine it could be relatively simple to organize small tournaments or matches between escapists or just have a 'look how awesome this is'/'fake achievements' thread for videos - something like Rocket League, Binding of Isaac, or Risk of Rain could work well in that format.

 

[Lightknight]

If a minority even bothers to ask...

Are you implying that the response from posters would be different were you not a minority? As far as any of us knew, you're a kitten with horns. Which, I guess would be a minority...

If a minority even bothers to ask for racism and sexism against groups to be treated the same as any other insult, you will have multiple users who will claim that is not a reasonable request. Insulting people is already against the rules, unless you just insult their race or gender. This is just a loophole around being able to do so without saying " Member x is a drug dealer". Leaving it that way just ensures more who have had enough of it don't come back.

I believe they were asking for evidence that they had been treating insults levied at different groups differently rather than calling your request itself unreasonable. I was not a part of that particular line of questioning so I could be wrong.

EDIT: Looks like you're talking about individual insults vs group insults. I believe I have seen group insult rules being enforced. I haven't really seen anyone proclaiming that black people are all criminals and getting away with it. But I also haven't seen anyone proclaiming that. Is that a problem here?

 

[UberPubert]

Oh gosh, I'm so late to this thread!

Butts.

I want to see more butts.

Man, woman, drawn or sculpted, I care not. Moar.

 

[happyninja42]

This might be unpopular, but I'd like to see harsher moderation. I know 'be meaner' is a rough one to really follow through on, but its just that I see too much direction from the mods straight up ignored or walked around 'to make a point' for what can be healthy for a forum. If a mod gives you a simple 'back on track' or 'chill out a little' verbal warning, and it keeps happening in the same thread then the next step should be an official point-off-the-healthbar warning. Sky gets goddamned walked on in threads where she asks people to keep in on track, and the worst that can be feared for any involved is the thread to be closed - which isn't a punishment. Same with things like one liners or back patting - if someone can get a warning for posting 'agreed' or a reaction image, I can't see why they shouldn't get a warning for a one sentence line that translates to 'they suck, we rule'. I dunno, maybe I'm just sour in my old age but I'm tired of seeing the same disrespect and related bullshit hang around - easily outlasting the good parts of the forums that accept their punishments with grace and move on or just can't take anymore. And if you can't get people to play nice by asking nicely the only other option I can see is to beat it into them.

I guess on a lighter note:

1. I'd like to see more of gaming content, specifically various playstyles for popular games. Inspired by Many A True Nerd, who likes to do interesting playthroughs with specific rule sets for games (No Kill, Kill Everything, No Guns, No Healing, etc) would be fun. Perhaps some twitch streaming of it, to see how they handle some of the more insane rule restrictions. Or maybe just a writeup after the fact as an editorial piece on the pros/cons of that play style.

I'd like so see this kind of stuff as well, maybe mixed in with the game of the month format others have mentioned. It seems to me that there are at least one, maybe two or three big games a month that could have a little showcase with goals and a thread to post youtube videos/screenshots of your accomplishments. Like, Fallout 4 was big over the last little while, so there could have been weird fake achievement goals for things like 'collect 200 fans without salvaging them' or 'score a headshot kill with vacs at < 5%'. Now that XCOM 2 is in, we could see things asking for missions to be completed in strange or difficult ways (pistol only mission?). Have a person doing a twitch stream or lets play of the game running for the month where they showcase the stupid/weird stuff and then encourage responses with proof that other people pulled it off too, or met a challenge that the streamer couldn't pull off. People playing along with the person leading could suggest things for them to try as they come across them.

For games that are cheaper and/or more straightforward I imagine it could be relatively simple to organize small tournaments or matches between escapists or just have a 'look how awesome this is'/'fake achievements' thread for videos - something like Rocket League, Binding of Isaac, or Risk of Rain could work well in that format.

Yeah, that would be cool, my preference would be for comic relief kind of playstyles. "Playing XCOM using only pistols" or "Always attacking at point blank range" or "Naming all my squad members after 1980's action heroes" or "Naming all of them Freddy Mecury" or other silly shit. xD The Let's Plays I enjoy watching the most, are the ones done for comedy. So inserting some into it, with a player who is quick witted with one liners, would be a refreshing addition I think. Though I would also like a more serious breakdown of "This is how I played XCOM with pistols only, and how well it worked for me." Considering how many times I've played a game, using a playstyle that the meta says is "stupid" or "unplayable" and done just fine with it, it would be interesting to see someone break down the pros/cons of those kind of playthroughs. Especially if they focus on the least traveled kind of playthrough, which might get me interested in games I would normally avoid.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I had no intention of having it turn into multi post long reply when I simply asked for the "dont be a jerk rules" to apply to racist, sexists and bigoted statements made about groups of people that the members you might happen to be speaking to belong to allowing for the forums to be more inclusive. Apparently that is too much for some users to understand how this may affect minorities in an unwelcoming way to make them feel as they should not be here. As probably the only Hopi female on this site, I offered my perspective as it often comes across as a very hostile environment for some users, and I have been told by some of those who are no longer coming here they do not wish to be here due to this environment being created here. When you look around at the many who have left and wonder why, this is what some of them are telling us. I mentioned these issues because it has been one that has made me not want to be here as well.. and maybe I have overspent my time here as most that felt that way left already.

I do not think that is an unreasonable request to consider things such as " blacks are either criminals or drug dealers" just as bad if not worse than "member X is a drug dealer and criminal because he is black", because that IS what is being said and is just as much of an insult. Even worse than the racism that has been allowed on this site the sexism is usually far worse. " Girls are attention whores" is the same as "since you are a girl and you are only talking because you are an attention whore" It is no different, and I fail to see why it should be treated any different. Of course if they think you should be able to just outright insult people to have discussion, I guess there is no more discussion to be had. This is the only place I go where saying things like " stop calling blacks criminals" is controversial. That isn't controversial, and if someone thinks that something as simple as that IS, then they should really reevaluate how they view other races.. It is no more controversial than saying " stop calling whites criminals". Like that is a huge request or something.. Whites are no more criminals than blacks is the issue, but even asking for something as simple as treating insulting someones race the same as insulting that person seems too much to ask here without it being considered " unreasonable." TBH, I am not sure if I really want to be here anymore due to this as well if this is considered "impractical".

As can be shown in this very thread, If a minority even bothers to ask for racism and sexism against groups to be treated the same as any other insult, you will have multiple users who will claim that is not a reasonable request. Insulting people is already against the rules, unless you just insult their race or gender. This is just a loophole around being able to do so without saying " Member x is a drug dealer". Leaving it that way just ensures more who have had enough of it don't come back.

I have a feeling these examples given are nonsensical. There's no context, as well as nothing to suggest that you haven't misrepresented/ misinterpreted anything. I'd honestly be surprised if someone plainly said "blacks are criminals" in no uncertain terms and received no punishment for it. I can imagine a number of things being said that could be unfairly twisted to come to that conclusion though. Which is part of my concern.

Surely you can see how the way you present your reasoning raises the question "what definition of racism do you intend to work from?". Is it a universal of "discrimination based on race" or something more specific that includes caveats like "black people can't be racist". S0denone hinted at this, and as far as I know you didn't address it.

It's a really important distinction if you are proposing having it written into the rules.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Oh, also TACO News. I think people like that (if not, I'm sorry for being wrong)

Hell yeah dude. You're like our personal little The Onion, it's great.

 

[maninahat]

More on books? It doesn't necessarily have to be fiction either - non-fiction, especially of a scientific persuasion, would be a nice addition.

 

[Gorrath]

Well, this question of how to moderate specific kinds of speech is interesting. I would say I fall on the side of those who don't want heavy-handed moderation. I would agree that allowing "questionable" pronouncements to be thrown out into the wild and subsequently ripped apart by passionate debate is better than trying to censor anything anyone might find offensive. Hell, I've seen people get seriously angry and very offended because someone criticized a game they liked so it's no wonder that people get very irritated and are very sensitive to real issues like sexism and racism.

We generally want people to feel comfortable here, that I can agree with, and allowing people to be viciously racist or sexist doesn't support that, but people also won't be very comfortable if any contentious comment they make can be called blank-ism and lead to moderation. It's also fair to say that sometimes talking about tough subjects is inherently uncomfortable for everyone involved. Sometimes being made uncomfortable is what drives us to learn or listen. It is up to us as individuals to know when we should take a bit of time to cool off if we get too uncomfortable.

If someone gets moderated for literally, actually saying, "Black people are criminals and scum," or, "Women are whores," I don't think anyone would bat an eye. But when we don't even have agreement of what sexism or racism are as a society, how do we create a fair baseline to moderate them? When the President of CEDA declares that criticism of its national champions is motivated by bigotry and racism would voicing my own displeasure over the results automatically make me worthy of moderation? If CEDA's reaction to criticism demonstrates anything, it's that it takes little effort to call something bigotry.

Okay, so that's my view of the big debate that's cropped up here now on to the other stuff.

What I want more of:

1) Clean water in poverty-stricken areas of the world, for people and animals.
2) Video content! Even though I often disagreed with MovieBob the man had talent. If we can find someone who can do what he did without the childish namecalling, that would be fantastic. When at his best MovieBob could be a sole reason to come to any site.
3) Being able to add explanations to flagged comments. Great idea!
4) An easier way to embed images and videos!
5) I've wondered if the escapist might try a live chat system? I'm not sure this is a good idea as it might turn into a rolling mess of fiery hatred and might also nuke the forums to dust but being able to chat live with other users might be fun? Don't even know if it's feasible, just tossing it out.
6) Love - I've said it many times before, love you guys! Yes even when we are bashing one another with links to academic work about contentious subject X.

What I want less of:

1) Vitriol - This is on us in the community. Let us go out of our way to sit on our egos and talk to each other on here like we would if we were face to face with another human person. I bet plenty of people on here who can't stand one another would probably be good friends if they spent this amount of time with one another in real life.
2) Honestly can't think of anything else at the moment.