So Long, And thanks for all the divine hairsplitting Options

[Chrysalis]

You know I have been on the Shadowrun forums for a few months, after reactivating my account from ages ago, I have looked through the threads others and I have started during that time.

I am getting tired of it. I am tired of the negativity, the nitpicking over every single item, the tangents, those people who post for the love of their own voice and most of all the effects of this reminding me less of a nice forum to talk about roleplaying games and more like Shadowrun as if this was a "medieval theological debate"*.

So thanks for a nice time in the Shadowrun forums. I am no longer interested in this place.

I will still run my two games though.


*A brawl that if not won by force of argument then by fists.

[tete]

We'll miss you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I tend to be an on and off person since the general off topic forum left! heck I had a similar post after discovering Mutants and Masterminds saying by by to shadowrun... and now Im back and rebuilding my once great collection.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Sorry to see ya go Chrysalis... Keep the Faith...

[crizh]

Sorry to hear that our idiot antics have put you off.

I think part of the problem is that the hobby attracts a disproportionate number of males who are on the fringes of suffering from Asperger's.

We get really, really, really focused on the rules aspect of the game and improving our understanding of it and attempting to gain social standing by beating our chests over how well we have memorized them.

This, and the unfortunate nature of our chosen Mode of Discourse, leads to an unfortunate number of Dominance Displays.

I find it is often easier to read many threads if I mentally read each post in the voice of a petulant 8 year old.

[aftershock]

I know that i'm still fairly new on here but i know where you are coming from i also think there to meny peapol bitching about how the system sucks and spend to much time finding fault , or are only interested in making super characters sorry to see you go i've read a few of your posts and like me you seem to be into shadowrun for the fun of it.
So take care and stop by from time to time just say hi see ya

[ICPiK]

I always tend to believe that anything good or worth while , comes with a lotta bullsh@t. Sorry to see a good one go , you should stay and fight the good fight..lol take care.

[Stahlseele]

You'll be back.
Untill then, have fun.

[Malachi]

I can empathize with you Chrys... I was DS before (under a different name) then left and came back. I know there is a lot of "noise" on DS with people complaining, but if you wait around long enough, then you can find a real nugget of pure gold, like Ryu's Introduction to the Matrix. Sorry to see you go, you were firmly in the camp of an intelligent, reasonable poster.

Watch your back, shoot straight, conserve ammo, and never, ever cut a deal with a dragon.

[Ancient History]

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders that
grow around you

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

The world's about to be destroyed
There's no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

(yeah)

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

(oh dear)

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

[ElFenrir]

Aye, take care. I mean, I don't like all of the petty arguments, but I try to keep watch for the stuff that interests me, at least.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good debate, and I know that some of my views differ from person A's, and person B's differ from both of ours. I know I personally am outspoken about a few things, as well. I haven't quite wanted to leave yet due to that, but everyone has their own BS tolerance level, and once it's reached, things may not be as fun.

Hope you have fun in the SR world at least too.

[Kerenshara]

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

*snip*

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

Slot you, and on TWO counts...

One: you beat me to it.

Two: now I have the song stuck in my head.

A friend of mine likened reading the forums on DumpShock to searching for a diamond in the rough, which is a metaphor about long tedious searches for what may or may not be there. I think it's a lot more like diamond mining: you have to blast tons of rock then sift through carefully to find the sparkles of briliance that can be polished and refined into something that is worth keeping forever.

Yes, there is a lot of negativism, and in a way, I can understand a lot of it. Some areas of the rules are pretty vague, and often morph between versions and printings and the result is strong feelings and incompatible ideas. I prefer to think of some of the more... lively discussions as a vigorous debate about the merits of an idea which in an ideal world would result in a better understanding by all parties, even if they fail to reach an agreement because they gained a better view of their own ideas in the process of defending them.

For myself, I much prefer the threads about the universe than the ones about the Crunchy Bits^TM.

Good luck to you in your journey down your path.

[The Jake]

I'm sorry if I've been one of those people Chrysalis. I've always enjoyed the debates.

Hopefully this is just a break and not a permanent departure despite what you're saying.

Enjoy your gaming.

- J.

[cREbralFIX]

It's the INTERNET! And...a forum where EVERYONE is an expert. Almost every forum is like this, though the trends do come and go over time.

Get over it.

[Cthulhudreams]

It's a community with a low, low barrier to entry, so I only pay attention to posters that have established a rep with me for good quality posts. I just scroll past most of the rest.

[BookWyrm]

Fare thee well, Crysalis.

[BlueMax]

I read the starter and felt guilty. I don't think that I have pissed of Chrysalis too many times, we don't overlap a ton. However, my behavior is not my best sometimes. Two great comics cover this from different aspects

http://www.pennyarcademerch.com/pat070381.html

http://www.xkcd.com/386/

May my errors fall into the second category and not the first.

And may you all be kind enough to forget my transgressions instantly.

This is my third DS ID. Why? I would stop visiting when my campaigns would get rolling, forget my id and even forget DS. Perhaps, I should return to such behavior. Or at least prescribe such behavior of my players...

BlueMax

[Psikerlord]

Sorry to hear you're leaving under such circumstances. Have fun and hope we see you around again one day.

[Blade]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)
Have fun!

[toturi]

It has been some time since I joined and made my first posts.

I have come to enjoy the periodic arguments that have sprung up over the rules and I have come to view them as contests, as verbal sparring, to test my knowledge of the rules. I seemed have lost sight that some people do not see it as I do and that it does not give them the same joy as these things give me.

I am saddened to see another member of our community go. Have fun, play games.

[The Jake]

I feel the same as Toturi and BlueMax. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

- J.

[ravensmuse]

I also want to say that if it is anything that I've said, I apologize fully. Sometimes I can get a little too passionate...

I find myself drifting on and off from Dumpshock as the content swings from fluff discussion to mechanics discussion. I'm not currently involved in any games, any writing I would do would be purely fiction, and mechanical discussion beyond a certain point usually leaves my vision blurry. I usually browse real quick, take note of what's going on in the forums, and then skip on somewhere else if there's nothing of interest to discuss.

While I feel stronger moderation would make this community a little more friendly, it's still one of the best places to discuss roleplaying. I can think of other forums where the signal to noise ration is much higher and the ability to make ad hominem attacks is prized (because as we all know, being able to say "fuck you!" to a person leads to clearer understanding among all parties).

So Chrys, I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving (but echo Stahl in saying that you'll be back; it's an addiction, you see) and I hope that your games continue to run well.

Edit: By the way Cerebral, that's helping. That's really helping.

[knasser]

I'm sorry to see you go, but I hope that you'll be back. Apologies that I haven't got back to you about the Samurai Challenge, yet. It's still in my mind when I have a proper moment.

I know where you're coming from. I've reached the point of distraction on these boards myself on occasion and took a long absence. Which is why I hope that after a similar break, you'll pop back in. If not though, I wish you many fun times with your Shadowrun games.

Peace,

Khadim.

[PBI]

I understand why Chrys left. I come and go on quite a few forums once it gets unwelcoming. I don't think DS is at that stage, but there are quite a few posts where the tone gets a bit...rough. Mostly, though, I'm able to ignore them because, well, I play SR3 and so most of what's being discussed has marginal, though sometimes interesting, impact on my game.

Unfortunately, negativity will never be absent, and that's a good thing, too. As much as I don't want this to be a I hate SR site, I dislike fanboy sites just as much. With luck, you'll be back.

[deek]

I always hate these kinds of posts. Its a forum. People argue, sometimes too much. You either know when to stop and move on, or you get pissed and make a bigger mess of it.

But the reason for my hate is because either: 1) the OP feels they are too important to see go and they want sympathy from others which might make them stay or 2) the OP feels they have put in enough time and they owe it to the rest of us to let them know they won't be around.

The latter, I guess, I can understand a little, although anytime I have left a forum, I have just left. I didn't need to publicly say goodbye, but to each their own.

I've rolled in a meaningless debate several times (as I sometimes enjoy the banter, waiting to see if either side makes a "fatal" flaw in their argument so I can jump on it) and I've enjoyed reading others on here (heck, some have even led me to change my mind on the way I look at things). But the bottom line always is, each of us have our own tables and can make our own rules and interpretations that no one here can change unless we let them. Oftentimes, that fact is lost and people somehow think that "winning" a rules debate here means something. It doesn't.

So long Chrysalis, take care. I've never had a problem with ya and I'm glad your continuing to run your games. They are enjoyable to read!

[Dumori]

Guilt strikes me mildly but the best way to deal with DS it to borwes when the mood takes you some threads are just a wasted of time to attempt to read other are not you can often see in the 1st few posts where it will head. However in my eyes there is not too much negativity it just always sticks out more than any thing positive.