I'll chip in with .02 here...
I don't like the idea of existing forums being changed due to the merge. This forum was fine before and everyone seemed happy. I understand what the ON guys and gals are saying about it cluttering up the place and that it could be a pain for those with slower load times, but so what? Before the ON people came along, nobody complained about it.
HOWEVER.....
The forum is now being regulated by rules. That is the straight up truth. As long as that's the case we should all try to work together to keep the community happy, healthy and harmonious.
Shawn and Gunsmith have come to an agreement on how the site's going to be managed for the time being. Part of that agreement is the inclusion of rules to some forums so that the ON way of life is preserved for those that journeyed from 'there to here'. The chips have fallen and that's just the way it is. All of the fighting and all of the politicking have done nothing to change what's happening.
And it won't.
Ever.
Because it doesn't have to.
Why?
Because this web site, in the end, is about video games and the community it creates amongst its enthusiasts. This isn't about the 'NG' or 'ON' way of life - misplaced idealism; this is a VIDEO GAME web site, not Amnesty International - , or whose feelings get hurt - you stepped into the yard, now it's time to straight up ball.
Now, before this gets misunderstood, I have all the respect in the world for how long time NG members like Fran, DEVIL_GUI, LWK and others feel about what's going on here. They have an opinion and they have the right to voice it, regardless of how others feel. I've kind of waffled on their thoughts during the course of all this(I think they're right on some things, and wrong on others), but that's neither here nor there. They have voices, and I'll defend their right to be heard.
I also have respect for the ON people because they're not simply bending over and taking it. They have as much right to be here as anyone else. There is no standard defining who is allowed to join and post messages here.
But Neo-geo.com isn't about who gets to be an administrator or a moderator or forum rules or any of the other things that seem to be the points of contention right now. It's about the games.
SIDE NOTE: the one administrator point I'll make is this - If Gunsmith is abusing his administrator's rights in any way, shape or form, he's being a 'right wanker'. If he's not, then he's fine in my book and he gets a big 'Two Thumbs Up' from Taiso and I'll see him...at the movies
.
And you better document that because it's one of the FEW times you'll see me single anyone out around here.
But I'm not intimidated by the changes one bit. So you've got gray stars next to your name. So what?
*twirls finger in air and rolls eyes*
Hell, I'll spar with ANYBODY on this web site, regardless of who they are or what color their dumb little stars are. As long as it's a debate or argument grounded in the progression of thoughts and ideas and there is receptive communication between both parties, why wouldn't I? That's what forums are all about. What I can't stand is when it breaks down to profanity, name calling, passive and/or agressive gay bashing, rudness towards women and meaningless drivel talking about 'suck on deez nutz' or 'I'll treat you like my prison bitch' or whatever nonsense has been posted around these parts of late. How does such schoolyard bullyspeak solve anything? But before anybody gets mad about me being negative about this mode of communication, please keep reading.
I respect the rights of others to say these things, but not in the middle of a thread where say, the top down system of Garou is being debated, for example. The War Room is for these kinds of battles, and that's where all non video game issues should be taken.
There is a time and a place for these disputes to be had and for these battles to be fought, but I don't feel they belong in a forum that has been given to those who choose to run it differently from what the incensed are used to. The big players in this drama have made the decisions, and we bit players simply have to suck it up and perform our roles, whatever they may be.
Would I like for my animated Hanzo gif to adorn each and every one of my posts? Hell yes. I didn't make it part of my sig just to take up bandwidth. Well okay, maybe I did, but it's a cool sig nonetheless.
But whether or not it's there isn't the issue. The issue is what's in the body of the text I type. Everything else is optional.
And that's all I got to say about that, as the pre-pussified Texas Rattlesnake might say
.
And, because the body of my post is a LITTLE bigger than my sig...
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Taiso
'Because of my bloody life, it was no accident that I was involved in the troubles...'
