So I've been gone for a little over a week and...

[East Coast Hustle]

To clarify, ECH, the reason I sound like a different person online is because I AM A DIFFERENT FUCKING PERSON. I used to be all sunshine and fucking lollipops, but now I'm not. OK? I'm not taking anything out on anyone, I'm just angrier and more hateful. So you liked me then and you don't like me now. I don't fucking care; choke on your own vomit and die.

[East Coast Hustle]

this board has been in constant flux, yet there is something MYSTERIOUSLY WRONG with this board i just cant put my finger on it ...

a lot of people aren't having fun anymore...



some time's it's understandable due to external problems and all

some still are though

its has its ups and downs. hell of a lot of depressing topics at the moment though.

nail on the fucking head.
Well we live in depressing times. It's not like P.D. is some sort of sheltered place.

Fuck that, depression is a safety net, its training wheels, and inflatable water wings.

nail on head.

[Jasper]

I skimmed over this at first.  Learn from my folly.

Guys. I think we all need to calm the fuck down and listen to what everyone else is trying to say. I mean, for fuck's sake. As much as I like this place, and the posters on it, I'm seriously considering leaving (yeah i know no great loss and all that)

While I can see ECH's point, this board does seem to have gone downhill recently (IMO), I think that we all need to stop being so goddamn aggressive. I mean, this isn't some shitty little site we're all trolling, is it? Is it? I just don't see why you'd particularly want to be screaming insults at people you were conversing perfectly naturally with last week. It's fucking ridiculous.

And before you all start screaming at me for butting in, I'd just like to say that I post this with the best possible intentions. I like this site, and don't want to see it destroyed by stupid little personal vendettas.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

So wait, I guess ECH is saying he's sick of people fighting/flaming each other, so he's going to fix it by...flaming people?

[bds]

So wait, I guess ECH is saying he's sick of people fighting/flaming each other, so he's going to fix it by...flaming people?

Well, if you can't beat 'em...

[Triple Zero]

So wait, I guess ECH is saying he's sick of people fighting/flaming each other, so he's going to fix it by...flaming people?

no, this is what Roger was saying he's sick of.

I'm not entirely sure if ECH is sick about the same thing.

[AFK]

Get up, come on get down with the sickness

[AFK]

Also, I think I figured it out.

It's because Payne left the island.

The balance cannot be restored until he comes back.

[Elder Iptuous]

you fucka get up. come on get down with the sickness!

[That One Guy]

I will admit I, like many others have stated in this thread, missed ECH's intention in his OP, and saw it through the filter of increased negativity that's been building around here, and I apologize for that.

I think a big part of things is the "IRL friends coming to the board" thing: sometimes it works (D-Cup, Richter to name a couple), sometimes it doesn't (the NYC contingent at the first Meet-up a while back comes to mind - remember their posting attempts?). When it works it's great, and when it doesn't it opens the door WIDE for drama, since any insult to a IRL friend will generally be met with extra hostility by the person who they're IRL friends with.

While I've never been fond of the IRL vs. Internet distinction (we are, in fact, all actual human beings rather than bots or something I'd hope), there are times where that distinction needs to be made, and what is acceptable in IRL circles might not fly somewhere on the net, like here. Different social "standards" and all. There does need to be a separation between IRL and the net, if for no other reason than to not confuse one set of social standards with another, which will only lead to conflict and confusion.

While that may or may not be a big factor with this, it's something I've noticed over time around here and in other places. I keep my forum life separate from IRL for the most part, so it's something I've only seen indirectly, but it's something to consider as part of this situation.

[Richter]

Good point, TOG. 
The folks we know IRL, we do handle differnetly.  Anyone we've been able to talk with at length, see in different emotional states, or look in the eye we are more likeley to forgive small missteps than those we don't. 
(Fundamental attribution error.   Like when someone cuts me off in traffic, "They must be an asshole and a bad driver by nature.", I think, not caring that they may be late for something improtant, tired, hung over, or legitamely having a bad day.) 

[BADGE OF HONOR]

Okay, then, ECH, say what your fucking problem is.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ask Hoops what's wrong. 

It's really funny, when you're not on the shit end of the stick, right?

ok, ... I see "The Return of Hunter" being a dick to him (and to a lot more people), which I called him out on.
and I see P3NT laughing at the whole situation, which is what he does.

...
hmmmmm ok i think i see what you mean now. we didnt used to just pick on eachother simply for the heck of it.

i gotta agree somewhat with P3NT and Felix though, in that it is funny, in a way, for the reason you already pointed out, it's monkey politics, and monkey politics is FUNNY. even when it's your friends that do it, that makes it SAD, but FUNNY. just like you don't go around causing horrormirth, doesn't mean you don't get to laugh at it.

HOWEVER, I see your point, we should be able to expect MORE and BETTER from this board. It may be funny to laugh at friends hurling poop at eachother once in while, especially if everybody can laugh at it afterwards, but if it happens every 2-3 days, is when things start falling apart and we degenerate first into monkeys and then cabbages.

point taken.

Yes, I did expect better.  Because, apparently, I'm a fucking slow learner.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

For the record, I've never felt the need to pretend to be friends with people just because they post on the same board or they claim to be a member (wut) of the same fake religion as me.

Noted.

I have no real beef with any of you guys right now, but it just seems like a bullshit argument to me. If I don't like something, I'll say so. And I would expect the same from anyone else.

Telling someone they're wrong/full of shit is one thing.  What's going on now is quite another.

[BADGE OF HONOR]

Okay, then, ECH, say what your fucking problem is.

To clarify, I don't have a problem with you, I understand that things aren't as peachy-keen and awesome as they could be, and I've always respected your tendency to take charge.  My issue is that you made an extremely vague statement about "things" and "people" and then said that everything would be changing.  The last time everything changed was the coup d'etat that got you control of The Mgt in the first place.  All you've managed to do here is create a lot of suspicion and infighting because nobody can tell what the hell you're talking about, and lacking input, imagine worst-cases scenarios.  Since you do effectively run this whole place it's your responsibility to be more clear than that.

Or ban me.