Being more self aware
This thread is to discuss how everyone can help stop making it such a hostile environment for people who are feeling very depressed over personal attacks. Please read this with an open mind and heart. Letters in game are being sent around to people from upset individuals. Everyone should be made aware including OOO. To those who are feeling upset use what I say as a fire to strengthen your resolve. Don't feel as if you are alone. Make yourself be heard. If 1 person or a 100 people hate you there is always another person or a 1000 more people who will love and support you.
My experience on this forum
Before I begin can I just point out something without anyone taking offence. By now you should know I argue my side as fiercely as anyone on this forum, I know I am right and I won't be stopped until, and this is very important, *UNTIL I am PROVEN wrong*. So I don't mind having lengthy discussions and correcting anyone who tries to prove me wrong based on personal opinion. Big difference between personal opinion and solid fact. So please don't confuse the two when discussing with me and you THINK you are right. That's the way I am I won't change. However if I am wrong I'll be the first to admit it.
Hate me for this or love me, if I feel I can make a positive impact I'll push and push. My suggestion thread was hated on not because I wanted to harm or hate on people. It was hated on because a few individuals made such a massive deal of me trying to turn this forum into a policed society and they believe freedom of speech should allow us all to say what ever we want with minimal consequence. My suggestion was logical based on how things are successfully run on the Steam forum specifically on the Don’t Starve discussions forum where I HELP moderate with Klei developers. Those arguing against me had no solid logical argument to suggest my suggestion would not work here. Only Rating and Perronius came up with reasons which I accepted and dropped the whole thing. I stayed true to myself and didn't let anyone get the best of me. Especially those who deliberately tried to make my suggestion worthless. Trolls are very good at that.
Upholding rules
When rules are upheld and individuals through accepting those rules, learn to choose what they say more carefully, it produces an environment where constructed and positive topics can flourish. I can say hand on heart the community in that forum (Steam Don't Starve) is the best I have ever seen. Same goes for the community at Klei Official Forum for Don't Starve. Why? Because rules are upheld with no 'grey' areas in between. No forum is perfect but it is much better than most forums. Personally I don't see any grey areas. I take the rules as they are. But in all honesty I don't need to look at rules to know what is right and wrong. How I act towards a stranger in real life, I try my best to replicate here. Yes I make mistakes, we are all humans. But as humans we must learn from those mistakes and move forward.
Self belief and accepting mistakes
Although I have started to familiarise myself here, there are things that I dislike. What I hate is having a discussion where someone assumes something negative about you and proceeds to throw out little hateful comments. *I hate it but I have learnt to put up with it*, because I BELIEVE in MYSELF and BELIEVE I am right as long as I can base my argument on LOGICAL FACTS. I have never started an argument on personal opinion and if I have, I have always accepted both sides and if wrong I apologised. I made one mistake with EOS and I made it clear in their thread I was sorry for the trouble I caused, after which I have never dabbled in their affairs (separate issue to the <69 thing). I accepted my mistake and didn't feel sorry for myself after I openly apologised.
Being on this forum (not including the Bazaar) I have seen quite a few people with strong personas. Honestly if we have ever had an argument over game related things I thoroughly enjoyed them and hold no bad or ill intentions for you. But not everyone is the same on this forum. Not every can tolerate full blown arguments, not everyone can tolerate negative comments, not everyone can tolerate hate. That is where this community fails. When individuals contemplate suicide this is a serious thing and honestly families can get involved along with police.
Expressing yourself and being more conscious of others
What you guys have to look at is the reasons why someone would go as far as to think of suicide. This must be acted on indefinitely. Everyone has a right to express themselves how they see fit, this is the internet, you feel protected sitting behind a screen typing what you type. You can say anything to anyone with no PHYSICAL harm. What you do say however, can cause MENTAL harm. So is it fair for individuals to have freedom of speech on a public forum where the slightest of comments can hurt someone immensely? My honest answer is yes. BUT freedom of speech should never be abused and those who do abuse it should be punished. OOO do an excellent job at that and I tip my hat to them. But it is clear some things are passing through undetected.
How WE can help
Now as a tight knit community it is up to all of us to help OOO by helping those we feel are being targeted unnecessarily. Reporting straight to OOO should be the first port of call. Supporting that targeted individual is just as important. What happens is one or two people will help while a bunch of people will leave silly little hateful comments. We call them trolls. You know who you are. We know who you are. So please stop. This is a gaming community, to have kids talk about suicide is very disturbing and not right. If you see someone saying something you find to be "stupid" either ignore it or correct them nicely. DON'T try and be CLEVER and say something to make YOU and your friends LAUGH. I can see people giving out advice. Yet it is those same people who have some cause to the reason why people are feeling bad about themselves. First you say what you want, then you are made to feel sorry, then you advise and feel apologetic? Funny thing is you then go and do the same hurtful thing to someone else. I am not targeting anyone in particular. If this has upset you, as you feel you may have upset someone use it as a tool to make yourself a better person.
Time for change
I believe everyone can change for the best. But it's best only for you to correct your mistakes as soon as you make them. There will come a point where trying to fix the wrongs you have done will be too late, no harm will come to those you have upset at that point. Please be more aware of people around you, especially those you associate yourself with on the internet.
Conclusion
This has gone too far now, even if the victims are joking or being serious, the topic of suicide should not be talked about here in this forum because it should never be thought about. People should not be in a position caused by people in this community to contemplate something as extreme as that. We all have the power to change, it's your choice to change and help make a difference. Use the love we ALL have for Spiral Knights to make that change :)
Please take a moment to leave a comment and share your viewpoint on everything I said. If you also want to help make a difference, by making everyone aware that there is always a consequence to how we behave on a public forum and we should take every effort to make this forum a friendly place for everyone to use, please leave a comment to support this thread.
AKD
*EDIT: In response to Skepticraven post #13 I clarify some points in post #18.
This is a huge topic (and post), so I'll approach it one step at a time. Is it a response to something that triggered in-game or the forums?