More Discussion, Less Arguments, Faster Progress

Author's Note: I usually try to avoid these kinds of situations, since from what I can see they come and go on the forums and rarely result in anything being resolved, but this time I felt it important that I have my say, even if no one cares to read it. 
 

Anyone looking to get into journalism of any kind should spend a year on the internet. Why? Because the internet is one of the most savage trial-by-fire lessons in journalistic ethics and integrity that an aspiring writer can put themselves through. Whether you write about world events, video games or your cat's most recent bowel movement, make no mistake that should you benefit from any kind of readership at all, there is someone out there fact-checking your every syllable. I still hover over the “post” button for just a second longer than I should when posting a blog, and I’d like to think that I’ve become fairly ingrained here since my first post one year, one month ago. 

 
Even in my short time here there have been dramatic and sweeping changes, as should be expected from a young website I suppose. Users have come and gone, (some departures more public than others) the site has been formatted and reformatted, features endlessly removed or replaced and of course the staff has continued to provide its community with stellar multimedia content all along. But it hasn’t all been easy. 
 

 Recently there has been some turmoil around the forums because every few months some brave, foolhardy soul decides to plumb the depths of our forum’s deepest, darkest criticism by expressing displeasure at the current format/features of the forum. Swiftly and inevitably ride the shining knights of Giant Bomb to bash and stomp the thread into oblivion, of one mind and purpose. Threat dealt with, evil exposed, they return to Mt. Complacent, confident that the forums are safe once more.

 
And that’s fucked.

 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to tell you that your pride in what Giant Bomb’s staff and community have accomplished is misplaced, because its not. However, it is misguided. Let me explain by example of recent events. 
 

Now, he won’t like me mentioning this, but we all know British people can’t read anyway, so I’m going to come right out and say it: Sweep, a (dare I say beloved?) blogger on Giant Bomb whose work has been nigh-universally praised by the community since launch and whom I have immense personal respect for recently wrote a few blogs that ended up becoming a healthy critique on the current state of Giant Bomb. The posts were fleshed out, detailed and reasonable. I couldn’t read anything that seemed like a deliberate and/or serious attack on GB’s staff or community throughout, and I challenge anyone to bring something forward in the comments. 

 
Unfortunately, despite Sweep’s diplomacy, the response that he was met with was often all but “reasonable” and anything but productive. Worse, the community then began to fold in on itself as those who could see the post for what it was leapt to Sweep's defense, an honorable if futile act. The debate then raged on, everyone so busy arguing Sweep’s character that ultimately sight was lost of the true intent of his blogs, which is where this all comes to a head: 
 

Community members that thoughtfully critique features or trends on the site and offer solutions to the problems that naturally arise with those things are to be commended, because those are the people taking the time out of their day to try to think of ways to improve the average user’s experience: that is to say, your experience and my experience and his experience and her experience.

 
So, unless we have further input on how to make this little ship we’re all floatin’ on run a little tighter, we should probably shut our goddamn mouths about it. Maybe then those who do can be heard.

 
Thanks for reading,
End_Boss.

Author's Note: I usually try to avoid these kinds of situations, since from what I can see they come and go on the forums and rarely result in anything being resolved, but this time I felt it important that I have my say, even if no one cares to read it. 
 

Anyone looking to get into journalism of any kind should spend a year on the internet. Why? Because the internet is one of the most savage trial-by-fire lessons in journalistic ethics and integrity that an aspiring writer can put themselves through. Whether you write about world events, video games or your cat's most recent bowel movement, make no mistake that should you benefit from any kind of readership at all, there is someone out there fact-checking your every syllable. I still hover over the “post” button for just a second longer than I should when posting a blog, and I’d like to think that I’ve become fairly ingrained here since my first post one year, one month ago. 

 
Even in my short time here there have been dramatic and sweeping changes, as should be expected from a young website I suppose. Users have come and gone, (some departures more public than others) the site has been formatted and reformatted, features endlessly removed or replaced and of course the staff has continued to provide its community with stellar multimedia content all along. But it hasn’t all been easy. 
 

 Recently there has been some turmoil around the forums because every few months some brave, foolhardy soul decides to plumb the depths of our forum’s deepest, darkest criticism by expressing displeasure at the current format/features of the forum. Swiftly and inevitably ride the shining knights of Giant Bomb to bash and stomp the thread into oblivion, of one mind and purpose. Threat dealt with, evil exposed, they return to Mt. Complacent, confident that the forums are safe once more.

 
And that’s fucked.

 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to tell you that your pride in what Giant Bomb’s staff and community have accomplished is misplaced, because its not. However, it is misguided. Let me explain by example of recent events. 
 

Now, he won’t like me mentioning this, but we all know British people can’t read anyway, so I’m going to come right out and say it: Sweep, a (dare I say beloved?) blogger on Giant Bomb whose work has been nigh-universally praised by the community since launch and whom I have immense personal respect for recently wrote a few blogs that ended up becoming a healthy critique on the current state of Giant Bomb. The posts were fleshed out, detailed and reasonable. I couldn’t read anything that seemed like a deliberate and/or serious attack on GB’s staff or community throughout, and I challenge anyone to bring something forward in the comments. 

 
Unfortunately, despite Sweep’s diplomacy, the response that he was met with was often all but “reasonable” and anything but productive. Worse, the community then began to fold in on itself as those who could see the post for what it was leapt to Sweep's defense, an honorable if futile act. The debate then raged on, everyone so busy arguing Sweep’s character that ultimately sight was lost of the true intent of his blogs, which is where this all comes to a head: 
 

Community members that thoughtfully critique features or trends on the site and offer solutions to the problems that naturally arise with those things are to be commended, because those are the people taking the time out of their day to try to think of ways to improve the average user’s experience: that is to say, your experience and my experience and his experience and her experience.

 
So, unless we have further input on how to make this little ship we’re all floatin’ on run a little tighter, we should probably shut our goddamn mouths about it. Maybe then those who do can be heard.

 
Thanks for reading,
End_Boss.

Uh huh. Ok.

Well, that was certainly very well written. 
 
You do have a point, naysayers need to take a break from attacking others and give some progression a chance. That isn't to say that I agree with some of the more aggressive users on the side of community expansion but that's beside the point. The community does deserve some kind of overhaul beyond just further convenience and eye-candy (although, those are welcome additions as well) and I think users like Sweep are the ones who can do it.

Saying British people can't read is not very nice. The blog you mentioned was a fine blog indeed. But the blog about Facebook integration was a little off if you ask me, from the very beginning it was an option. As for the fervor of community becoming more front and center, Whiskey Media builds it, Giant Bomb supplies the juice... have fun, let the community add something useful and see what happens. By the way, doesn't this post add fuel to a dying fire.

Could you condense your blog a little for us British folks?

I must be a secret brit cus tl:dr son.

" The blog about Facebook integration was a little off if you ask me "

Some good points.  
Message boards would be a lot better if they had more discussion and less argument.  
Its great when people attempt to understand where others are coming from, but more often than not they simply hammer their own POV repeatedly ad nausium (until other people quit the thread, at which point they declare 'victory'.)