Guest90210

I'm against organized religion as it has been used for thousands of years to control the masses and propagate bloody holy wars in the name of a "god". There is little to no evidence to suggest any of the major religious texts are based on factual events, so I have no reason to take them to heart as "the only truth". There may or may not be a God, but until I see credible evidence to suggest he sent down prophets and books, I'm more comfortable with asking "why? how? is there a God?" than having an answer.

I've come to the conclusion that Starbucks is my favorite coffee. What does everyone think of Starbucks?

Listening to the legend himself. I miss him, as does the world of music,

We've got hearts Hearts strong as horses

I have so much to say But you're so far away

8.5/10, looks cool

Extremely important. My life is basically lived on the internet! :-P

Some plain coffee from Starbucks. Starbucks is probably my favorite brand of coffee. It makes my morning that much easier.

The internet is a phenomenal tool if used properly. What I love most about it is the anonymity, and ease of communication. As someone with social anxiety, I appreciate the cloak of a screen when introducing myself to someone, or just having a friendly conversation. I don't have to worry about my appearance, and I don't have to worry about instantly coming up with a response. I can express myself more on here through posts, status updates, profile avatars, and so on, which you can't always do in real life. The internet connects me with people I would have never met otherwise, and it introduces me to new cultures, ideas, and friendships. I've talked to people from Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, and all kinds of other places that are fascinating to learn about. Without the internet, none of this would be possible.

There are a few things that are causing the NFL's rating drop. Bad matchups for primetime games, primarily due to injury. Week 1's Monday Night games were duds (especially with no name Blaine Gabbert & Case Keenum at QB). Week 2 had a new QB starting for the Vikings. Week 3 had the Patriots playing with a 3rd string QB in a blowout win, and a Brian Hoyer led Bears in the Sunday Night game. Online streaming & network changes are moving the viewership elsewhere. With certain primetime games being only on ESPN, some being only on NFL Network, some being on NBC, and some being on CBS, NFLN, & Twitter, it can get a little confusing for viewers. With the rise of NFL Gamepass and internet streaming in general, television ratings are bound to drop. As Wind Chaser & Pathfinder mentioned, the NFL may have hit its plateau in terms of viewership. Increased awareness of the dangers of football are beginning to effect the NFL's viewership as well, and possibly the talent pool down the road if more parents refuse to let their kids play football due to safety concerns.

I have a few things to say about this and the situation as a whole. While I usually stay out of forum politics, recent events have made me reflect on several points. First, I want to talk about something personal. The forums are more than just a few members of the community, it is a culmination of the community as a whole. This is something I hope doesn't get lost in all the drama that has surrounded the past few days. I first discovered the fandom, show, and subsequently the forums during a period of my life that I'm lucky to have made it out of. I'm not the most social person, but I have talked with others who have felt similarly. Joining here, and discovering the show this forum and fandom is based on has legitimated impacted lives in a meaningful way. These forums are like a second skin to me, a place I can mesh & blend into whenever I feel comfortable doing so. I am a generally introverted, isolated person, and someone who usually doesn't open up about my thoughts and emotions unless I know someone well. But here, I have always felt a legitimate sense of welcoming. While I've made my way through many homes in person, I can comfortably say that, despite any hiatuses I may have taken over the years, the MLPForums have been my internet home since I joined. I don't post a whole lot nowadays, and I don't interact through PMs or statuses often, but I still pop in from time to time. Each visit is like a small dose of nostalgia. I like the atmosphere this site gives off. I still enjoy seeing the new banners made by the community, and seeing the lengthy fan debates and discussions, and the fanworks created, and the overall aesthetic of the site. Things are organized in a way that feels consistent and secure - that's something I appreciate. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something that matters. With that said, I, along with many others, are certainly seriously alarmed at the accusations that have been thrown around, and of the overall cloud of doubt that has surrounded the forums recently. I feel an inner confliction tug at my mind as I try to wrap my head around everything. Some, including friends of mine, have chosen to leave the site due to this, and I fully understand and respect them for that. There are obvious issues from within that need to be addressed & resolved. Jeric has been one of the most respected moderators/admins in this sites history, and if he says there are rifts within staff, I'm inclined to believe him, and I consider his voice to be something that deserves to be heard. At the same time, this place has been my internet home for 3 years now, and my & others presence on them means a lot to me. Something I try to remind myself of is that the staff & community are not just a few people, its thousands strong, and I have not given up hope that the wounds can be healed between staff and community. I've seen members who've been banned, then come back as positive members of the community. I myself was not the easiest person to deal with during my early days on the site, but as time ticked by I've learned to try and strive towards being a better person and a better part of this intricate puzzle we call a forum. How do we heal this divide? First, we need accountability & an openness to constructive dialogue. @, makes a very good point, in that members of the staff, former and current, deserve a chance to air their concerns with the way Poniverse is ran, and offer solutions to try and regain the trust between both the staff itself and the community, as long as its constructive. Right now, tension and management has caused distrust of each other to run rampant. Second, again, Plisetsky is right - we should never assume there's nothing that could have been done to prevent this in the first place. Recognize, analyze, and figure out what went wrong, and use the appropriate platforms to get things fixed and take accountability for things that went wrong. Staff turnover this large is not something that should be glossed over - without honest discussion and acceptance of mistakes, the rift will only grow larger. I joined this site in 2013, and I'm still here today, despite any disagreements I've come across between staff and members. But the recent drama has done damage, I think we can all agree on that. I don't want to see it all end like this. There's too much potential left to let this place fade away, because I know to a lot of people including myself, this is a place of friends. For now, I will be staying in hopes of seeing things improve, to encourage discussion, and in hopes of seeing the spark that initially drove my interest in this place rekindled. To the staff, I ask that you take this opportunity to figure out what went wrong, figure out the direction Poniverse is heading, promote a constructive dialogue, and consider adjustments across the board that lead to making this the best place it can be down the road. To the community, I say, this is a community of many different kinds of people. There's been drama before, and still this place stands. Some will leave, and some will stay, both are understandable responses. Just remember that we're all human and we all have the ability to do good. Let's make use of that ability, in whatever way possible.

This could turn out to be an absolutely disastrous idea. Rewarding random users for mass-flagging posts is just asking for trouble. Considering YouTube's "remove/ban first, ask questions later" policy of content removal, we could be seeing a large influx of false flags, or people flagging videos & comments they simply disagree with even if they don't break any community guidelines. Furthermore, the video is strangely vague. Video chats with fellow heroes? "Unlock super tools"? What's all this supposed to even mean?