Topic: The Closed-Comments Afterparty!

At the time of posting, an article about LGBT+ representation in gaming just had its comments closed for the night. As with a lot of these articles on controversial subjects, there were quite a number of deleted comments.

It's no secret that internet discourse--especially where social and political issues are concerned--can get toxic FAST. Comment wars can be a bloody exchange of words, with appendages flying everywhere in the midst of the crossfire; why, I lost three fingers and my left elbow in the Great Internet War of '62! That's TOTALLY a real thing I didn't just make up...trust me!

So anyhow, you're probably wondering what the purpose of this thread is. Well, after a heated discussion, I thought it would be a fun idea to provide a place where everybody can cool down afterwards. No discussion of the divisive subject itself--instead, people on both sides of the issue are free to discuss their current emotional state and how the exchange made them feel.

Let's check up on each other and see how we're all doing. Consider this a form of aftercare but like...in a platonic and not weird way. Did you feel it was a worthwhile and productive conversation? Did someone make a personal attack that left you feeling a little hurt, and you could use some positive reinforcement? You've come to the right place! (No finger-pointing--this is meant to alleviate drama, not create more of it.)

If the comments were too much and you'd rather just put them out of your mind instead of reflecting further on it, this thread can also be used to just discuss general topics--watcha been playing? What didja eat for lunch today? Any good movies on Netflix you'd recommend? What shape is the universe?

Think of this space as the locker room after an intense sports match. Or an employee lounge you can come relax in after a stressful work day. Put your feet up, grab a drink, and--most importantly--take care of yourself!

Remind the members of this community how much you care about them, even if you don't always agree with their point of view. Tag your favorite NL users and let them know how important you think they are to this community. Cause at the end of the day, these are real people with faces on the other side of the phone or computer screen. And we're all dealing with unspoken battles.

So, let's make this a wholesome thread where we can all be here for each other and lift one-another up, no matter how different our walks of life are! We have more things in common than we like to think, so let's work to find some common ground and do a little healing. (Ooh--like the All-Star rest area in Smash! That would've been a good analogy to use earlier, and I regret not thinking of it sooner! CURSE ME!!!)

...Anyways, have fun! We're all gamers, so let's use our mutual, nerdy interest as a means of bringing us all together. To echo the wise words of Abraham Toad: "A Mushroom Kingdom divided cannot stand!"