Why is the North American community so much worse than the Japanese one?

[Lium]

This is something that pervades pretty much all online gaming communities, not just FFXIV. The American community is just, for lack of a better word, a cesspool.

In other games like WoW, you could chalk it up to the population. But in Asian MMOs where there are far more people playing the game in the East than in the West, our communities still manage to be absolutely atrocious.

And here's the thing. FFXIV's community is actually one of the better ones out there. Even then, the Novice channel still has its fair share of racial epithets and trolling. I just ignore it, but it got me wondering.

What is it about the NA community that makes it so much worse than the Japanese community? From what I understand, the EU community is not as bad as the NA one either.

We seem to have a monopoly on terrible. Why is this? Is it just our culture?

[Amelia_Pond_Behemoth]

Right because people weren't using slurs online before he was elected.

[ElazulHP]

Right because people weren't using slurs online before he was elected.

Not as many people were as open with their racism. Its a lot more prevalent now in America since he took office because people see what he has done and gotten away with so they think they can get away with it as well. It's a lot worse now.

[Malzian]

For the JP community: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hdZK22pR5nU

Now, why is NA worse than EU? Simple reason: Freedom of Speech. In the US you are told that you are free to speak your mind, that your opinion is valid no matter how bad it or your attitude may be. We're a very "accept me as I am or go away" oriented country which ultimately allows people to be abusive in how they interact with others. In the EU, you're allowed to have your own opinion, but the social norm is that you generally keep that opinion to yourself unless specifically asked about it, leading to a lot of people biting their tongue more often than slinging abusive comments about your mother... So yes, it's cultural.

[Tridus]

NN is used as a glorified mentor chat channel, and nobody can police it but mentors... which doesn't work so well. I've seen people literally tell novices to leave NN if they don't want mentors screwing around like idiots spamming up their chat log.

I'm pretty sure it's not all sunshine and roses in Japan either, but Japan does have a stronger cultural respect for authority than NA does.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Add in a little bit of Internet Anonymity and "What You Are In The Dark" and people can surprise you sometimes.

As it stands, I carry myself to what I feel is a reasonable standard. Perhaps higher than some, or lower than others, but I operate on pretty simple principles: treat people how you want to be treated, teach but be willing to let failure teach more effectively instead, be the change you want to see, etc. . . just simple, reasonable stuff. The rest gets a little too specific.

The point about "accept me as I am or go away" is a bit valid though. Thing is, the wrong people use that as justification to not seek self-improvement, and I have a major issue with that. None of us are perfect, of course, but that doesn't mean the world has to take what you dish. I'm not so rosy as to say I never fight fire with fire, but I'm far more affable and diplomatic at first before anything else.

[AmemeAmeklin]

Because we absolutely do not (or perhaps refuse) to understand what begets trolling and how to control/fix it.

I have spent a very long time in a community that has a massive troll population (and I try to stay positive but some of them I just want to track down and murder to rid the world of their diseased behavior) and I can tell you that it is cancer. These people are bored and have made a habit of winding others up, not caring what kind of environment it fosters (and in fact some are smart enough to manipulate others into joining them) or that it contributes to absolutely nothing.

Unfortunately it's just a symptom. To change it we have to change IRL, and with our current political climate that will very likely not happen. We are a nation divided by political ideologies and it will lead to nowhere good.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Easiest way to beat a troll is to either ignore them or outdo them at their own game, which is still doable via the first method. They do it for a reaction. If you don't react, that's no fun.

As for outdoing them, well. . . the stories I could tell there. (But won't as they're largely inappropriate, lol)

[Bernkastelx]

NA worse than EU

Don't get me wrong na is toxic but if you have ever played overwatch or league of legends on eu you will realize they are way more toxic. Mainly due to their many different cultures colliding into one to two servers yeah no EU was always throwing way more racial slurs and extreme insults than na.

[Sekkei]

Upbringing, greed, and sense, or lack, of moral code, mainly. I'm a born American and even I wonder about by country. I've dealt with it firsthand all my life and just because I was treated in such ways did not give me the thought that it's okay to return in kind to anyone I meet. To make it short, the Asian community is strict with honor, morals, extreme politeness in many ways, and all sorts of other factors. Our community, however, just lacks in that entirely in a lot of places. I live in the south so there is that "southern hospitality", but the problem is still there. Parents try to do right and guide their kids, some don't care as long as the authorities aren't involved, some barely make an effort. If little Timmy pushed a wheelchair bound person over just because he wanted to for a laugh, he'd either get people laughing along, a slap on the wrist, or he'd get a talking to and, hopefully, would find he did wrong and regret it.