I'm sorry, Bronies...

[Page.Turner 940]

After being a bit of a lurker for a while on this site and just now getting back into posting a lot, I've been noticing a lot of sarcastic, critical and downright negative threads.

 

A lot of it is stemming from things that can offend you from the show, talks about "coming out" for being a brony, hate experiences, trigger threads (basically, topics that can trigger very negative emotions from people who have suffered trauma) even if they don't mean it.

 

Do you think the site is in a bit of a funk? Or is it just me happening on the threads that make it seem that way?

 

I know it's really impossible for everyone to agree on all the same things, and I know that if someone says something offensive to you it's hard to ignore it. I even have a hard time with it. I always feel like I need to leap into action and throw myself into the drama to defend myself and whatever is being talked about. But that's just it, there is nothing saying I have to.

 

I'm finding it a little hard to get my thoughts across (I'm half-listening to a lecture in class) but the thing is, it's getting complicated being here for me. It's becoming a little too "real".

 

Agree? Disagree? I would honestly love to hear your thoughts.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

You can't really blame them, though. Whenever the prefix of "debate" is brought up, things spiral out of control without any whiff of doubt. And this doesn't apply to just "regular" people, it applies to us, too. The issue here is that one person's beliefs and opinions conflict with another person's, so a fight ensues. Not pretty, but it's in our nature.

[Page.Turner 940]

I'm not sure what "regular" people would be, I think we're all just "regular" people who happen to enjoy the same show.

 

But that's the other thing... it's human nature to get defensive but it's the heat of the moment that you post. A couple of times I've written on a topic while heated and come back only to feel guilty about it. Especially with this being primarily a children's show and children do and will come on this site, we should not only be setting better examples but for our own sakes and the community's, we shouldn't bring such delicate topics to the forum in the first place.

[Yellow Diamond 7,569]

I honestly haven't noticed much of a change, if any. Occasionally, a thread pops up which gets everyone's blood up, but those don't happen with enough frequency to make me think something is "wrong" with the forum.

[Crispy 5,563]

Especially with this being primarily a children's show and children do and will come on this site, we should not only be setting better examples but for our own sakes and the community's, we shouldn't bring such delicate topics to the forum in the first place.

 

I think instead of not discussing delicate topics, we just carry ourselves with a higher level of maturity. This is something we normally pull off splendidly, but as you said, rage happens.

 

I also think that though we have had a steady influx of these types of topics, we've handled them far better than other sites we could name. This suggests to me that we have a community that feels they can openly share their ideas and problems without (much) fear of consequence.

 

tl:dr, it's fine, yeah, but sometimes we do lose sight of what this place is about, which is...

 

[Page.Turner 940]

Well, I'm not saying something is wrong more that I think something is off or falling into a bit of a deep blue funk. Even so, it might even just be the next big "thing" to do on the forums; see how many people agree with your opinion and then argue about what is right or wrong.

 

In an argument of "opinion", no one is wrong. I strongly believe that. But with every new episode, people are finding more and more things to frown upon, even if it's something petty and it feels like a potential spiral.

[FedoraMemes 582]

I sort of agree with you, however, don't take this the wrong way, but they might not know your being offended. If you said that you were offended by something, say to them. Our community is very friendly, and I'm sure the rest of us will understand, I mean, we are all, as you said 'regular people' who all happen to watch a kids show.

 

I do agree that there are some NSFW content that appears to be cropping up occasionally.

[Key Gear 6,663]

I don't know. I haven't been here for very long, but this site still seems pretty mild to me. I have seen far more heated conversations in the comments section of my local newspaper's website.

 

There have been some rather emotional topics posted recently, and I think that some of these may have left some people a bit bruised. I agree with you that it would be great if the negativity level came down a bit and if people tried just a little bit harder to be more polite.

 

While this is a pony-related site, you can't really stop people from posting topics that may ruffle a few feathers. I don't really mind them myself.

 

Personally, I think that the level of discussion on this site would be improved a bit if people were required to read this:

 

http://www.paulgraha...m/disagree.html

Edited March 21, 2012 by Scootacool

[Page.Turner 940]

I think instead of not discussing delicate topics, we just carry ourselves with a higher level of maturity. This is something we normally pull off splendidly, but as you said, rage happens.

 

I also think that though we have had a steady influx of these types of topics, we've handled them far better than other sites we could name. This suggests to me that we have a community that feels they can openly share their ideas and problems without (much) fear of consequence.

 

Certain topics, I believe, shouldn't be allowed on a site that children look at. Specifically topics that can become triggering or confusing to kids who don't know about the topics. Topics such as gay rights I think are perfectly wrong, but topics about sexuality, what it means, how it works, etc, I don't think should, simply because it's still a very delicate topic and parents might not appreciate their children being exposed to it, thus potentially harming the site.

 

Having a higher sense of maturity would be wonderful. Sadly, "well done" is better than "well said" and we can talk about it all we want but we can't force people to change. We can encourage or even promote people to act differently but at the end of the day, people are going to do what they want to do and not think about consequences right away.

 

I don't know. I haven't been here for very long, but this site still seems pretty mild to me. I have seen far more heated conversations in the comments section of my local newspaper's website.

 

There have been some rather emotional topics posted recently, and I think that some of these may have left some people a bit bruised. I agree with you that it would be great if the negativity level came down a bit and if people tried just a little bit harder to be more polite.

 

While this is a pony-related site, you can't really stop people from posting topics that may ruffle a few feathers. I don't really mind them myself.

 

Personally, I think that the level of discussion on this site would be improved a bit if people were required to read this:

 

http://www.paulgraha...m/disagree.html

 

The only way to stop said topics is to have Feld0 ban said topics but I don't think it should come to that! I think people should use more discretion and think about what they are posting before they do.

 

And... that is actually a fabulous idea.

[Neikos 968]

I myself often don't respond to threads in which I feel I will be just wasting my time, as a debate often is not one, and just everyone posting their opinion, I just go back to overview. It does impact my Post count, but in the end I don't really care.

[Page.Turner 940]

I myself often don't respond to threads in which I feel I will be just wasting my time, as a debate often is not one, and just everyone posting their opinion, I just go back to overview. It does impact my Post count, but in the end I don't really care.

 

That is a good example of how to handle topics one might find unsavory.

[FlutterDerpy582 89]

IMO, I see no problems with having friendly debates on the show, it gives the community a better feel if you ask me. personally, I LOVE to have friendly debates on shows, books, games, etc, and I (and what I've seen on this forum, for the most part) always have a good amount of respect for what other people say about their take on it. When I get really into a show such as this, I without a doubt like to think as if the show was 100% real, and essentially have an alter ego as if I lived in the setting. With the right person, this makes debating a lot more worth while, and turns more into a "no hard feelings" back and forth confrontation, and usually ends with an agreement, with a silly remark at the end, I see absolutely nothing wrong this. However, I've noticed people very recently started getting very defensive on a personal level about what they think. This is where I agree with on the forums getting "Too real" because people are seeing what they believe as their defensive selves, not our adorable Pony egos we all posses. On a side note, I give the Brony community A LOT of credit. Have you ever seen (With exceptions for trolls, obviously) "No, your wrong fucking idiot.", or something of the sort, when a person wants to get a point across on this, or a related forum? I know I haven't.

[Page.Turner 940]

IMO, I see no problems with having friendly debates on the show, it gives the community a better feel if you ask me. personally, I LOVE to have friendly debates on shows, books, games, etc, and I (and what I've seen on this forum, for the most part) always have a good amount of respect for what other people say about their take on it. When I get really into a show such as this, I without a doubt like to think as if the show was 100% real, and essentially have an alter ego as if I lived in the setting. With the right person, this makes debating a lot more worth while, and turns more into a "no hard feelings" back and forth confrontation, and usually ends with an agreement, with a silly remark at the end, I see absolutely nothing wrong this. However, I've noticed people very recently started getting very defensive on a personal level about what they think. This is where I agree with on the forums getting "Too real" because people are seeing what they believe as their defensive selves, not our adorable Pony egos we all posses. On a side note, I give the Brony community A LOT of credit. Have you ever seen (With exceptions for trolls, obviously) "No, your wrong fucking idiot.", or something of the sort, when a person wants to get a point across on this, or a related forum? I know I haven't.

 

I agree that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a friendly debate. If anything, it's healthy to get your feelings and your points across and to have outlets for such desires. It's when people start getting rude or juvenile about it, which I have been seeing more often, or when people pop onto threads with one point and begin turning it into a heated debate because they become so utterly defensive they feel they have to try and make everyone see their point of view. Forcing an opinion is wrong.

 

I have not seen any sort of "No, you're f-ing wrong, idiot" but it could easily come to that, depending on the person.

 

I know this site is a LOT better than other sites, it's very mild, but I'm just hoping to not see it spiral toward petty arguments.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

It's not so much the threads that are the problem, but the manner in which they are handled.

 

Understand what it means to debate and be mature about it.

Reverting to personal insults, captioned pictures and irrelevant statements as a means of "debating" only turns the thread into a free for all rather than a discussion.

Something that also needs to be understood is the difference between a debate and what is simply posting your opinions. There is no need to make 2 and 3 pages worth of repeating your opinion to the other person simply because your opinions differ.

 

Personally, I think debate threads are best threads. Though they need to be handled with care. All it takes is one insult to turn a good discussion into a flame war.

Check what you wrote before posting it, make sure you aren't posting uncalled for insults and that your post is actually meaningful to the discussion and not only your personal crusades.

 

Don't turn normal threads into debates either. If a normal thread really makes you want to discuss something related to it, make it it's own thread, there's no need to ruin everyone's on-topic discussion by posting off-topic opinions.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Lady Rarity Pony

[FlutterDerpy582 89]

It's not so much the threads that are the problem, but the manner in which they are handled.

 

Understand what it means to debate and be mature about it.

Reverting to personal insults, captioned pictures and irrelevant statements as a means of "debating" only turn the thread into a free for all rather than a discussion.

Something that also needs to be understood is the difference between a debate and what is simply posting your opinions. There is no need to make 2 and 3 pages worth of repeating your opinion to the other person simply because your opinions differ.

 

Personally, I think debate threads are best threads. Though they need to be handled with care. All it takes is one insult to turn a good discussion into a flame war.

Check what you wrote before posting it, make sure you aren't posting uncalled for insults and that your post is actually meaningful to the discussion and not only your personal crusades.

 

Don't turn normal threads into debates either. If a normal thread really makes you want to discuss something related to it, make it it's own thread, there's no need to ruin everyone's on-topic discussion by posting off-topic opinions.

 

Agreed, It really annoys me when there's a thread regarding a serious (for the show) debate, and you get people posting random garbage that has nothing to do with the topic. However I do have to disagree about the "flame war" on this particular forum. In my experience, I haven't really seen a lot of hate on here, disagreements yes, but that's just human nature in general. Let's hope it never comes to that though.

 

I am also guilty of forming types of friendly "debates" or questions on topics :/. I always like to know what other people think about topics, kind of a habit of mine. I do completely see how this could get annoying however.

I will take that into consideration next time I post

Edited March 21, 2012 by YourAverageBronie582

[Crispy 5,563]

Reverting to... captioned pictures

 

I am unendingly guilty of this.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

I haven't really seen a lot of hate on here

 

I've been in like every debate thread, trust me, there's been hate.

[Page.Turner 940]

 

I am also guilty of forming types of friendly "debates" or questions on topics :/. I always like to know what other people think about topics, kind of a habit of mine. I do completely see how this could get annoying however.

I will take that into consideration next time I post

 

There is nothing wrong with making a debate, it's just when it gets out of hand and people start getting offended and mean towards each other that I find is the problem!

[Luurilka 325]

Am I missing something?

I have not seen any threads that could be considered offensive.

Could you please show a few examples?

[Page.Turner 940]

Am I missing something?

I have not seen any threads that could be considered offensive.

Could you please show a few examples?

 

Well, one has recently been deleted, but I could link you some examples. For the most part, though, I'm going to say again like I did in my original post that some of these probably were not intentional. At the same time, it varies from person to person and it might even just be the result of a few bad comments that turn the thread into a melting pot of angst.

 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/10282-idiocy-of-some-fans/

http://mlpforums.com/topic/10241-yaknowi-think-thats-offensive/ <-- this one more for the comments

http://mlpforums.com/topic/8500-putting-your-hoof-down-darker-atmosphere-compared-to-other-episodes/ I think I commented on this one a while ago

http://mlpforums.com/topic/9610-your-funeral-how-do-you-want-it/ <-- a pretty dark thought concept for an all ages site...

The one that got deleted was a Princess Molestia thread that contained extremely inappropriate conduct and content for an all ages site. I'm sure you can imagine just by the Molestia factor.

 

The Everfree Forest and the episode discussions are always the most populated with such threads

[Strafe 594]

Am I missing something?

I have not seen any threads that could be considered offensive.

Could you please show a few examples?

 

Yea, I agree on that, most debate threads get a little hectic but we are still respectful of each others opinions. I don't think one person hates one another on this forum.

[Starshine 16,333]

Judging from all those debate threads from other forums, this place got it easy.

 

In here people from the both sides are willing to at least read and understand other' argument. While at the other sites all kind of debates turns into 'one-sided-lecture' :/

[Page.Turner 940]

Yea, I agree on that, most debate threads get a little hectic but we are still respectful of each others opinions. I don't think one person hates one another on this forum.

 

Well, if you read my original post thoroughly, I'm not just talking about hate, here. I'm talking about inappropriate and triggering topics that just shouldn't be on an all-ages site.

 

I mean, if you skimmed through the content of the seemingly innocent "Do you believe in the supernatural?" debate, they start bashing religion by the end of the first page. It's gotten to be a bit heated seeing as it's word against word, science vs belief etc. Opinions can't be changed by anything but fact, and even then it's no longer an opinion.

[Luurilka 325]

Well, one has recently been deleted, but I could link you some examples. For the most part, though, I'm going to say again like I did in my original post that some of these probably were not intentional. At the same time, it varies from person to person and it might even just be the result of a few bad comments that turn the thread into a melting pot of angst.

 

http://mlpforums.com...y-of-some-fans/

http://mlpforums.com...hats-offensive/ <-- this one more for the comments

http://mlpforums.com...other-episodes/ I think I commented on this one a while ago

http://mlpforums.com...do-you-want-it/ <-- a pretty dark thought concept for an all ages site...

The one that got deleted was a Princess Molestia thread that contained extremely inappropriate conduct and content for an all ages site. I'm sure you can imagine just by the Molestia factor.

 

The Everfree Forest and the episode discussions are always the most populated with such threads

 

Hmm... I never saw those topics as offensive.

But whatever, to each their own.

 

Thanks for giving examples.

 

Yea, I agree on that, most debate threads get a little hectic but we are still respectful of each others opinions. I don't think one person hates one another on this forum.

 

Actually, when I wrote that, I was just asking for some examples, not that they're weren't any.

[Page.Turner 940]

Judging from all those debate threads from other forums, this place got it easy.

 

In here people from the both sides are willing to at least read and understand other' argument. While at the other sites all kind of debates turns into 'one-sided-lecture' :/

 

Yes, but this site isn't like other sites and I don't want it to become akin to such places. Just the same, because it's not like other sites I don't think it's fair to really compare it just because it it better. That's being a tad biased. God knows I'm glad there is a site LIKE this that is FREE and I shouldn't scorn a gift/look a gift horse in the mouth but I'm just noticing symptoms of a greater issue.

 

Hmm... I never saw those topics as offensive.

But whatever, to each their own.

 

Thanks for giving examples.

 

The Princess Molestia is honestly one of the main reasons I sparked this thread. As a person who has been through such trauma, I did not find the idea funny and as a legal adult I did not find it appropriate to be on a site that has children on it. Not only for their sake's, but because it could potentially become a federal offense, especially since the idea of child molestation came up as a joke.So did abortion.

 

I'm just kind of hoping for a less "dark" forum that isn't so "real". It's not fun logging onto a site for fun and then having to be reminded of your own suffering, past or present.

 

Just as well, I find it slightly off that people seem to forget about the minors on this site and it is not our place to teach them about life facts and nor should we be okay with exposing them.