We need more GMs in the forums.

[Lunalepsy]

I have never seen this games forums so toxic in all of my life. It has become so apparently toxic, if you even mention this place outside of the forums, people will laugh and eyeroll anyone who participates here. That isn't good.
What is supposed to be a place of constructive criticism and feedback has become a place that reminds me of the real world we live in. Fiercely divided, ruined by trolls, and negative people who don't care about anybody else.

For a long time I have loved to participate here, but I find my blood boiling so much at some of the posts, replies, and comments here, that I have had to actually force myself to stay logged off on my mobile devices, and only on my home computer. That way I can only browse, and not be in a perpetual state of anger, and disappointment. I have to actually force myself to have self control, so that I don't live to regret how I react to some of the vile things that happen here.

This place should be a place that reflects the community in a good light, so that we are heard by devs when we feel we need to voice our wishes and concerns for FFXIV as a whole. Not a place where people get laughed at, mocked, and harassed just because they share a different point of view, or happen to be the victim of an online hate mob for a day.

There are several twitters that mock this place, and take the most awful posts for people to look at and laugh. There's even threads where people on other forums talk about who to bash, doxx, and brigade here. They are actively targeting people that some do not agree with, and creating issues. We need more involvement from the people that run these forums. This forum has lost its way. I am deeply concerned about how people are affected by the lack of oversight here. With that said, I don't want the place to be locked down to the point where we cannot relax, and talk freely. We just need way more middle ground, because it's become obvious that things are way to lax here. People get away with way too much negativity and hate that shouldn't be tolerated. I watched as someone was LITERALLY BEING A RACIST toward African Americans today, and the post is STILL UP. This is just one tiny sliver of the discourse we have gone on. These kinds of things happen everyday, and I don't think the staff that SE has allotted for the forums can keep up. It is plainly obvious. Please do something.

You know there was a huge purge back in 2.0, right? A lot of ppl got banned/expelled from the forums.

[Remish]

I've been on these forums since 2014 (despite what my join date says, its actually wrong). And I personally have felt these forums have gotten progressively more toxic over the years. I think people are getting more and more comfortable of what they can and cannot get away with.

The things that really trigger me on here though is all the passive aggressiveness. I'm sure some is sarcasm but tone in text is really difficult to discern. There are trolls but there have always been trolls and always will be trolls. There is however something that makes me cringe far more than the trolls though and that's all the attempts' people make to fish for likes as if it's reddit karma. I hate going into threads and just seeing the word "okay Karen" tossed around all the time derailing conversation and discussion. I don't like going into threads and seeing the same "This is bait" meme copy and repasted 100 times and multiple people hitting like on each one. I don't like going into threads and seeing people called Titan Man every single time the topic doesn't make sense. There are other people trolling than just Titan Man you know. Honestly this list could keep going on and on but I'm not really trying to complain. I'm just basically stating that the community here, the replies to posts are sometimes just as toxic or meaningless or inflammatory as half the OPs of said threads. It's like people go into these threads with the sole intention of trying to find whatever method they can to call OPs out or bash them or something. Just wish we could have some more positivity and politeness around here and ignore problematic threads instead of keeping them on the front page for months to try and get a few thumbs up by insulting each other.

[Theodric]

Two strike, actually, and until recently there was no punishment decay.

Is the punishment decay applicable to the forums or is it merely tied to in-game punishments?

[SaberMaxwell]

Is the punishment decay applicable to the forums or is it merely tied to in-game punishments?

I kind of assumed (hoped) it was both, but it might just be in-game.

[Skiros]

it was a bit funny seeing some old troll threads being bumped where he was the OP, in response to the "I'm getting bullied" thread, while at the same time he was agreeing with the person (Titanmen) that was actually making fun of him and bumping those threads
like, that exchange solidified (for me) that he was a troll, because there's no way someone can be that oblivious when multiple people pointed it out that the guy he's agreeing with is actively trolling him, completely ignoring their posts

Lmao I remember that!

[Rinhi]

Two strike

definitely not two strikes, as I'm still posting :P
(both strikes were a joke tbh)

[Skiros]

I don't like going into threads and seeing people called Titan Man every single time the topic doesn't make sense. There are other people trolling than just Titan Man you know. Honestly this list could keep going on and on but I'm not really trying to complain.

Nah, I like it. It gives me an ego!

[Kolaina]

Snip

So what makes you the arbiter of what’s toxic, trolling and harassment? You yourself are extremely controversial with implementing your real world views, buzzwords and ideologies. Some people may even find you to be more y to icicle than those you find yourself disagreeing with.

[Kolaina]

So what makes you the arbiter of what’s toxic, trolling and harassment? You yourself are extremely controversial with implementing your real world views, buzzwords and ideologies. Some people may even find you to be more y to icicle than those you find yourself disagreeing with.

Be more toxic* omg sry. Autocorrect

[SaberMaxwell]

definitely not two strikes, as I'm still posting :P
(both strikes were a joke tbh)

Interesting. Well I can confirm without a doubt my friend was gone in two strikes and all appeals were flat out rejected so maybe they've changed their policies :shrug: