Dr. Strangetopic, Or: How I Learned To Love the Iran Thread

Magonushi · Post by **Magonushi** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:47 am

I just wanted to pose as a general question, why it is that people become so involved in the off-topic threads?

The arguments spew forth like a torrent of tar-and-feathers despite hardly any change of opinion ever taking place to merit such undying dedication.

Are we simply seeking to find others to agree with us? Are we appalled to learn of people who adimately supporting the polar opposite to our own beliefs?

...

Or is it just that we enjoy pissing each other off?

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:12 am

Validation that our opinions are actually shared by others.

Oh, and so we can keep seeing whitey tell us that off topic is a waste of space and this place would be so much better if we had just let him do what ever he wanted

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:08 am

Why have conversations with anyone? Off topic is just another medium for talking with other people, and just talking about ALFA all the time can get quite dull.

That, and I enjoy trolling.

psycho_leo · Post by **psycho_leo** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:22 pm

Lets be honest for once.
We're all here to celebrate the joys of spamming.

Stormseeker · Post by **Stormseeker** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:27 pm

Like i said gives me something to do during the commercials. *grins* Sometimes it is fun.

Post by **ayergo** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:51 pm

People want to express themselves. It really doesn't have to be more complicated than that.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:32 pm

You mean you never argue with your friends? My friends and I have called each other every name in the book, always a bit tongue in cheek of course.

More to the point, you've obviously never played tabletop D&D.

Magonushi · Post by **Magonushi** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:01 pm

Mulu wrote:More to the point, you've obviously never played tabletop D&D.

How dare you question my experiences! You're nothing but a hypocritical, know-nothing, neo-conservative, pot-head hippie wannabe dirtbag that smells of elderberries! Your non-religious approach disgusts me and I hope it never affects any good god-fearing government on this 4000 year old earth. How dare you say what you wish, without properly editing yourself so as to be unoffensive to any and every concievable member of the human race, the sea otter race, or old trees in general!?!

You obveously know nothing, because I know everything. If I didn't ... well that's not even possible... I have the entire database of CNN, all DnD source books ever made or imagined, and the bible. If you still don't believe me you must be a dumbarsed American who can't relate to the intellectual maturity of we [Please sellect one: A) Europeans, B) Asians, C) Africans, D) South Americanicans, C) Canadians, D) Californians.]

Thank you for hearing my words because honestly I only read 1/10th of yours. (Just enough for me to conjure a reply)

I don't have any more to say forever on this thread, and I'm also gonna leave ALFA because I know you can't go on without me. Ciao.

Mikayla · Post by **Mikayla** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:13 pm

In general I have to go with Ayergo's explanation - people like to express themselves. In my case I am a civil rights activist so when I see folks treading into the waters I frequent, I often start posting. Now, I've no illusions about changing people's minds - the folks I argue with, like Dan, are not going to be moved by my words...

...but the undecided folks in the middle might be. I am not arguing to change Dan's mind, I am arguing to influence the minds of others. Now, not a lot of folks' minds are going to simply "change" but I have to change the tone - how many of us grew up on playgrounds where calling someone a "faggot" was totally common place and no one said a thing about it? Well, the only way that changes is if someone tries to change it. So, when folks start discussing LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues, I speak up - its lets folks know they are not going to get cart-blanche to bash away. Maybe I won't change their minds, but I will show the other side of the story and that is a huge part of the battle right there - if folks only here one side of the story ("gays are teh bad!") they are more likely to believe it than if they hear both sides of the story.

So, thats about it in a nutshell - this is a community I care about and a community I want to stay a part of, so to the extent that I can eliminate or minimize discrimination and bigotry through education and argument, I will.

Lusipher · Post by **Lusipher** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:55 pm

To be quite honest this community is more prone to your views than any other community Ive ever been a part of, Mik. You have are continue to be quite vocal about your beliefs and thats all well and good. Its fine here at ALFA to talk about the gay community and issues and thats cool. What I dont like about ALFA is that anything to do with christianity gets shot down awful fast. I dont know if its because most folks here are D&D'ers and D&D has never been all that cozy with christians. I just know that there are more than a few folks here who will start with the christian jokes and utter nonsence, but will have no problem when we talk openinly about homosexuality, etc. Double standard to say the least in this community.

Personally, I'd be happy if we never ever talked again about politics, religion, or sexual preferences. All it ever does is cause hard feelings and I honestly dont think its helpful to the project. If we concentrated more on the game and issues within the game ALFA would actually get more done around here. We spend more time on stupid shit like OT and the Admin worry more about issues like are PMs private, etc rather than the project getting off its duff and getting our NWN2 servers up. I know work is being done and Im not knocking the work done, but its taking waaaay too long. If we spent half the energy we spend bashing or discussing issues on these silly forums toward getting the servers up, getting a solid DM core, and hashing out all the damn item issues, etc then this project would be awesome again.

Inside the game...I dont have a problem with anyone and I enjoy all the fun roleplaying by everyone. My views may cause any personal conflicts I have with anyone on the boards really are the major downside I have being around at ALFA anymore. I guess the less we know about each other the better, I dunno.

As I said, inside the game I like everyone (unless Im playing an evil Biznatch) and ALFA is what it should be. Even outside the game just because I disagree with folks on these forums dont mean I dont respect them or even like them, because I do. Id actually even like to get to know some of them even better and get on better terms so we could discuss things more civil and know that no matter what we feel that it wont destroy any kind of friendship we try and strike up.

Anyway, Im rambling.

HATEFACE · Post by **HATEFACE** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:11 pm

Sweet! Another thread people can start disagreeing over.

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:12 pm

Christ preached tolerance, and God is love and mercy.

HATEFACE · Post by **HATEFACE** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:14 pm

Believe whatever you want but don't tread on me.

White Warlock · Post by **White Warlock** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:40 pm

For me, it's an issue of responding to ignorance, bigotry, hypocrisy, or deceit. Without the Off-Topic section, i wouldn't know some of the 'uncomfortable' things i've learned about various people in this community. And you know what? I would have preferred 'not' to know.

Someone compared it to the dialogue associated with tabletop RPGs. Well, it's not. At least with tabletop RPGs, there's a degree of civility. People are friends first, antagonists second. Here, in this Off-Topic arena, we're antagonists first... and last. Worse, what we learn about each other, we allow to influence our working/gaming relationships.

I hear people praising the Off-Topic section, but you know what? This is the 'only' RPGing community i have ever been in that has been so friggin' volatile, so fractured. Of all the RPGing communities, none have this distractionary emphasis. None have an 'Off-Topic' area.

There is this notion that ALFA is first and foremost a social gathering, and that the utility of the internet defines the project. But, this is as foolish a notion as allowing the cellular phones to govern our actions, and the manner in which we live our lives (at the beck and call of others). Allowing internet anonymity to define the parameters of our interactive respectability is a foolish notion, and having an Off-Topic area feeds this notion.

The whole 'social gathering' mindset undermines the efficiency of this project. As demonstrated by the antics in this last series of threads, the Off-Topic area 'green lights' the notion members can say whatever they want, whenever they feel, to whomever else. This results in a free-for-all that not only undermines the project, but the 'fun' of gaming. What remains is a robust 'internet community' with a crippled project team and a gutted game.

Look, there's many here that are passionate about the project, because of the investment of time and/or money put into it... and that's a factor, certainly. But, the acidic relationships stem from sharing the same project with people who they share little else in common. As frank as i can put it, i just don't need to know about Mikayla's transgender state, Danubus' Evangelical upbringing, or Ayergo's viagra addiction. In fact, i wish i never did know about a lot of the things i've learned about so many of you in this community, through the crap spewed forth in Off-Topic.

The problem is, i really do think a lot of members here feel that the only remaining viable part of this project is the social interaction, and that the chat room & Off-Topic arena are the last stands for holding onto old friendships in a project deemed virtually dead.

I don't agree to this belief. Then again, maybe that's why i'm so resistant to accepting the notion of a no-holds-barred chat room and off-topic arena being necessities. But, what do i know, right?

Mikayla · Post by **Mikayla** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:52 pm

Your preference of removing the off-topic forums is simply is not shared by the majority of us Whitey. Maybe someday that will change and the off-topics will go away, but right now, its not the case. So, live with it. If you don't want to know about my "state" or Dan's convictions or Ayergo's habits, don't read the posts here. No one forced you to read the Iran thread posts, for example, you chose to. And despite all the decrying about the hostility the off-topics breed, somehow, Dan and I have co-existed in this project, for literally years and the project rolls on. So, I don't think its as bad as you make it out to be - but then, thats my opinion - and what do I know, right?