Topic: The Goodbye/Vacation Thread

Not sure if I will post again in the near future, but the amount of ***** that spews out below any article about queer or female representation makes me not want to get involved with any discussion on this site.
Shames, the writers are excellent, and most users are great.

@Rambler Funnily something just came up that makes your story so relatable to me. I commented on a prominent women’s racing series that the reigning champion’s good enough for Formula One. Guess what happened next. A three paragraph post from some idiot explaining why she’s terrible. Way to go, loser.

Doesn’t mean I won’t comment but come on. Some people just need to shut it.

While I would not encourage anyone to stay somewhere they felt uncomfortable, if everyone runs for the backdoor when the wolves appear, the wolves take an easy win.

@gcunit
Oh I agree; but there are enough twunts spouting ***** in real life (e.g. the recent by-election, although I am in no way making a comparison!), that I'm just going to keep the back door closed more often.
Having a games site that doesn't descend into the daily mail comments section as soon as a non-hetero, non-male pov is posted should be possible.
Anyways, I am aware of the irony/hypocrisy/egotism of this post, but this is me making my small complaint/protest

I was just about to post a comment regarding Dezzy's departure (which has since been locked; good thing I copied it), so I will be leaving my response here...

@Dezzy: You have hit the nail on the head and echoed many of my sentiments with respect to the paradigm shift that has enveloped the site over the last year and a half (but especially more so in recent months). The recent practice of removing comments entirely (which has become an all too common sight in articles that are deliberately published to arouse impassioned responses) has increasingly made the site feel like an echo chamber where only one perspective is permissible, and the "wrong" perspectives are open to petty insults, outright removal, and/or condemnation of the characters of others merely based on unsubstantiated inferences of the writer's intent (as several here have done towards yourself in that very thread). The fact that some comments are removed with vague and often disingenuous reasons such as "offensive" and "unconstructive", whilst exposing the user also has an air of antagonistic intent about it, as leaving the user's identity exposed could stigmatise them in the estimation of other users.

As somebody who would tick off quite a few of the hip "diversity" (ugh) boxes these days, I have never felt more excluded and alienated in so-called "developed" and "inclusive" society. While I am happy to be forthright about my age, sex, ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs etc., all of these traits, perhaps excluding the latter, are merely circumstantial, and have little to no bearing on the manner in which I deal with other people, nor do I impose my life choices/beliefs upon others, and yet many of us are expected to adopt worldviews to which we do not subscribe. How can one be expected to embody (to borrow a term) "authenticity" if we are to forfeit our values and principles at the fickle behest of the zeitgeist? For example, what some describe as "empowering", I would describe as degrading. What some describe as "compassion", I would describe as cruel. What some describe as "progressive", I would describe as regressive. But God forbid that we should be able to have a critical discussion like the adults that I thought we all were rather than resorting to insulting/silencing those who dare dissent from one's myopic worldview.

I believe I have been "ignored" by my share of people on this site, likely due to biased interpretations of the odd comment, while I have always kept an open mind, and I have not ignored any user on this site, even those who I very, very strongly disagree with (of which there are now many), because despite my shortcomings and stances on things, I can at least keep an open mind and hear out the perspectives of others (and I am genuinely interested in hearing out other people's perspectives), but rarely is such courtesy reciprocated in a civil and respectful fashion, nor do I feel that this is a place where such discussions can be had anymore, and I see little point in weighing in on such conversations as many of my longer and more considered comments have been removed on a whim, merely because I haven't offered my unwavering servility to another's sentiment.

Whatever happened to not discussing sex, politics, or religion in polite company? It seems that these unwritten rules of society have been thrown out the window so long as certain political stances, religion, and "straight white men" can be ridiculed without restraint (and I especially agree with the last comment left by @BloodNinja in Dezzy's thread in that regard). As Dezzy has said, I do not subscribe to the idea that identifying oneself on the basis of complexion or ethnicity is "progressive" in the least. I thought that we were finally maturing as a society to the extent that we could interact with one another without placing undue emphasis on what a person looks like, but it seems that superficial diversity is all the rage nowadays, while diversity in ideas and perspectives are met with intolerance and derision.

I too am finding myself feeling increasingly alienated and I will most likely withdraw from this site sooner or later, which is a shame too, because, as Dezzy had pointed out, it provided for a refreshing change of pace in its political and ideological neutrality.

I doubt that I will be missed around here, but I have (mostly) enjoyed discussing our shared hobby with the users of this site, and to avoid the risk of derailing this thread (as I would have preferred to keep it in Dezzy's thread), I will not comment further on the topics/issues raised above, but I would be happy to chat with anybody who wishes to keep in touch in private. Thanks.

I was about to say goodbye a few months ago (more on that below...).

I just read a personal goodbye thread that is locked. I don't agree with everything that Nintendo Life does. I know it's full of fluff and most of the times I don't read the comments sections because there are 300 comments where only 10% are worth my time but I'm happy that Nintendo Life and most sites are being inclusive nowadays because many people suffer and commit suicide or are murdered because they are "different". I would like to thank @Purgatorium @nessisonett and @antdickens in that regard for what they posted. I am white and handsome according to my society's stereotypes and I live in a free country so I say this because of my beliefs and because my childhood was not easy because of... family (divorced parents etc.) and that made me a more sensitive person although I don't look like that.

The only site (I don't read Kotaku) that I think takes things too far is Eurogamer because not only politics are everywhere but there are no good gaming content, the news are poorly written and only the Digital Foundry stuff is worth reading/watching. One thing I like about Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox is that the general tone is more positive. Eurogamer is kind of depressing even when reporting good news.

I have been on here for many years (this is my second profile). Although I don't believe in virtual friendship, I appreciate many people that are around here, some of them I'd like to know in real life. I have had depression for three months because of someone that broke my heart. This is the first time I say this "publicly". I'm slowly getting well but boy it's being so hard.

Oh, and Pure Xbox rules!

EDIT: After reading the last post and others, I think that the problem is that those people think that talking about something force them to be part of it which is ridiculous. It's just another part of the reality but it doesn't mean that you have to be a part of that. For instance, they read about gay men and they feel that that shouldn't be here because they are not gay. Or certain famous female writer that doesn't want to see a transsexual woman as woman because she feels that she is not like her. It's absurd. Let everyone be part of the world and just be yourself. You don't have the right to decide about the rest. I can read about different people and lifestyles and I don't necessarily feel part of everything. If everyone did the same, there would be respect and peace.

@BlueOcean Cheers and thank you for the shout out. I hope you feel better.

I kinda find it funny that people think removing comments is a new thing.

Anyhow. Let’s not derail this thread too.

@Silly_G It's a shame, really, because many of the best commenters are slowly leaving. You guys add a lot to the site, and for the past couple years have been making it a great place to "hang out." I foresee the inevitable, but hope something diverts it's course.

@Eel That's somewhat of a bait, Eel. Removal of comments that are just outright rude or mean is one thing, but there are many comments still floating around the site that are massively inappropriate that still remain. Someone called me a nazi for sharing ideas about being and non-being; which are largely a part of Japanese and Thai Buddhism. It's making people question the moderation.

@Purgatorium Yeah thanks, I visited a doctor and I'm getting better, wish you the best as well 😊.

No I mean, ever since the site started leaving notices that a comment was removed, people have somehow assumed that this some sort new draconian moderation effort.

The truth is that before, the comments would just disappear completely.

About that other thing say, I would suggest you report it. Bringing it to the forums will not help us moderate the site, it’ll just start and expand that discussion here.

@Eel I just checked back on it and it was removed since I reported it earlier today, so thanks for pointing that out. Of course, we all know that the comments would just disappear when moderated. Some people will think it's draconian, of course. You can't please everyone. I happen to like being able to see when something was moderated, I like that change. I think some people are noticing that comments that are direct dissention are being removed, even if they are cordial. I've seen comments that got removed that I was able to see before their removal and they left me scratching my head. Others, are direct trolling or directly insulting so I understand their removal. I think SOME of the comments that get removed are erroneously flagged for removal, as no system is perfect.

Oooooooo... so this is the legendary Goodbye Thread. I don't think I'd use this. Not like I've been around here, signed up that is, for very long anyway. I'm sure some people already hate me anyway lol. I'm the tell it like it is type, seasoned with fresh sarcasm. You either love us or hate us. LOL

@PoliticallyIncorrect So your not leaving right? Every one has an issue with somebody from time to time, I'm the kind of guy you get into a coral with but will get over it later, unless you were that mean or bad but thats not really the case with...well. anyone, there as one dude and thats it, everyone else I wont even hate, nor do I think I ever would.

Yes I like you.

@Eel Well I was one of the people that noticed before you updated it, and I still have the same opinion has before.

@PoliticallyIncorrect I would miss you!

Honestly, I think that Dezzy leaving has started a debate on whether the site is going downhill or not.

Personally, I think that the diversity articles are good, as long as they don't flood the website in the long run. Basically, keep the website mostly fun, but also don't stop talking about important issues like diversity issues or the recent Activision Blizzard article.

But personally, I think that it's kinda silly to just leave the site over a few articles that make genuinely good points. If you don't like those kind of articles, just don't read or comment on them, it's not that hard. I don't see why anyone would get so mad at these articles that they would just leave.

And it's not like the people who are leaving are against these articles or not. I don't know anyone on this website who's a racist or homophobic or sexist or anything, so why get so railed up on these articles?

@BlueOcean Good luck bud, hope you feel better soon, and take a break from the site if you want to.

@PoliticallyIncorrect I think that you're a great part of the community, and if you're leaving, that would suck.

@BloodNinja I understand your point of view, and also prefer the comments still having a trace to them instead of them disappearing.

@HotGoomba I agree with you that you can ignore these kind of articles (that is what I do to avoid the drama in the comments). However these kind of articles bring people that like drama and that affects the website as a whole. I have been here for about four years now and I feel the comments getting harsher everyday even on topics that have nothing to with social justice/politics

@Snatcher @BloodNinja @HotGoomba Nope, I'm not leaving. I just saw that the Dezzy thread was closed, and saw this in the popular forum choices. You guys are stuck with me for now lol. Thanks for the kind words.

@Balta666 I had some dude try to take me to task on the issue of physical Switch cartridges vs. the environment. Being an immense environmentalist myself, I slew him in a small debate. He was basically an armchair environmentalist. This can be viewed on the Ender Lillies review, if anyone wants a chuckle. Don't worry, I'd never push my beliefs onto anyone though.