Community Mood Thread: Take Two

[FlynnCoyote]

I have only a few minutes here so I'll be brief and follow up on these things after work.

When I say lacking leadership, the main issue I have is that without a direction or a theme for the site the mods have no real means of directing the flow. We need to reach a consensus and decide what this place is. Are we a furry forum? If the simplest answer is yes then I say go with that. Advertise that. A furry forum that likes grown up discussions. Does that work?

When that's sorted, the next issue is influence. Right now in our formless state the mods are reduced to basically cleanup when shit gets spilled. If we know where we're going then they need to be able to step up and lead by example. Plenty of us are willing to help out, but we will still look to the staff to be the figurehead for any solid endeavours the community wants to take, be it advertising, contests or any of the other things we've discussed.

Mods mixing business with pleasure. I realize none of you get paid for any of this but that doesn't matter. Fact is you are in a position of more responsibility and you need to realize and act like it. Vae's differentiation between personal posts and mod posts is a good way of showing it, but I have to emphasize that the "I don't care" personal opinion posts are really not something we should be seeing at any point while you're wearing that purple title. If you think it, fine. But it's not something we should see. Like it or not, you're all figureheads and we need to see that you have the interests of the forum in mind.

Aaaand I'm running late, so sorry if that was a mess.

 

 

 

 

[Umbra.Exe]

2 hours ago, Zeke said:

I vote Umbra and Rev as the new Joo Dee.

(Yes, I'm actually reading the thread, not just making jokes. Been a bit busy lately, sorry.)

[Tsuujou]

21 minutes ago, FlynnCoyote said:

Right now in our formless state the mods are reduced to basically cleanup when shit gets spilled.

Like it or not, you're all figureheads and we need to see that you have the interests of the forum in mind.

Never been to any online community where the mods are anything more than just that. Cleanup/repair crew.
Also, figurehead doesn't mean what you think it does in that context.
 

[Zeke]

10 minutes ago, Tsuujou said:

Never been to any online community where the mods are anything more than just that. Cleanup/repair crew.
Also, figurehead doesn't mean what you think it does in that context.
 

We need a "Dragoneer" to pile upon and take the blame, including ones that are out of his power. Like impotency in the bedroom and your cat being on fire. :V

[Vae]

Let's consult my good old friend the Dictionary for this, shall we?



Now, unless we suddenly turned into boats since the last time I checked, that's kind of not how it works. In fact, it's kind of the complete opposite of how it works. Almost.
So I'm dismissing this part of the argument, as it doesn't apply to us or this situation.

On the note of voicing my opinions about not caring, I'm going to continue to do that. It's not against the rules for me to have opinions or to voice opinions.
If you actually find me breaking actual rules, report it.
If not, I'm going to keep having and speaking my opinions. Yes, some of those are negative. No, they're not collective staff opinion, and I've stated ad nauseam that they shouldn't be regarded as such, or representory of the community at large.
I'm not arguing or debating this any further. I'm a staff member and a user. That's just how shit be.

[Tsuujou]

2 minutes ago, Vae said:

That's just how shit be.

[QT Melon]

33 minutes ago, Zeke said:

We need a "Dragoneer" to pile upon and take the blame, including ones that are out of his power. Like impotency in the bedroom and your cat being on fire. :V

Sounds like Oroku Saki's philosophy in TMNT 2012

 

*Accidentally stabs Tang Shen to death* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Accidentally knocks his adopted daughter into a vat of mutagen* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Gets an overcharge on his cell phone bill...* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Forgets to take off his tekko-kagi and tries to scratch an itch on his butt* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

 

Having said that, there's a point when repeating something is less in terms of people "not listening so let me state it again to convince you" when it comes to observations of behavior that can be curbed, versus repeating because you're trying to convince yourself you're correct. Because quite simply, there isn't a 100% who is in the right or wrong. A stubborn refusal while sitting on top of the mountain and stick ears in fingers repeating the chant isn't going to change things either. From personal experience, that kind of tuneout has a more horrible backlash that will come at you sooner o r later. Which is a shame in some regard, cuz I'm actually not saying these things as a hate on moderators/pick on X moderator...when it's quite the opposite. I actually care.

 

 

[Zeke]

1 minute ago, QT Melon said:

Sounds like Oroku Saki's philosophy in TMNT 2012

 

*Accidentally stabs Tang Shen to death* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Accidentally knocks his adopted daughter into a vat of mutagen* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Gets an overcharge on his cell phone bill...* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

*Forgets to take off his tekko-kagi and tries to scratch an itch on his butt* "HAMATO YOSHI DID THIS!!!"

 

Having said that, there's a point when repeating something is less in terms of people "not listening so let me state it again to convince you" when it comes to observations of behavior that can be curbed, versus repeating because you're trying to convince yourself you're correct. Because quite simply, there isn't a 100% who is in the right or wrong. A stubborn refusal while sitting on top of the mountain and stick ears in fingers repeating the chant isn't going to change things either. From personal experience, that kind of tuneout has a more horrible backlash that will come at you sooner o r later. Which is a shame in some regard, cuz I'm actually not saying these things as a hate on moderators/pick on X moderator...when it's quite the opposite. I actually care.

 

 

Out of the few posts here, there are some that make good points and to be taken to heart. There are also some that would end up in the Shredder because it's more "Scream at my own ass". 

Other than that, I was being glib/sarcastic.

[Endless/Nameless]

4 hours ago, Zeke said:

There are also some that would end up in the Shredder because it's more "Scream at my own ass". 

[FlynnCoyote]

10 hours ago, Tsuujou said:

Never been to any online community where the mods are anything more than just that. Cleanup/repair crew.

I have.

10 hours ago, Tsuujou said:

Also, figurehead doesn't mean what you think it does in that context.

So it doesn't. My bad.

10 hours ago, Vae said:

On the note of voicing my opinions about not caring, I'm going to continue to do that.

Well, I tried. Good luck.

[Tsuujou]

I know what we need to do.
Stop this weird obsessor/stalker issue we have. lol

[Silo]

May I ask why [null] was banned?

[Vae]

22 minutes ago, Silo said:

May I ask why [null] was banned?

He was a ban alt.

[Sidewalk Surfboard]

55 minutes ago, Vae said:

He was a ban alt.

That is the last thing I expected him to be banned for.

[Tsuujou]

4 minutes ago, Sidewalk Surfboard said:

That is the last thing I expected him to be banned for.

He's been suspected by about 4-6 members for a while now. Their suspicions were confirmed. Dude's touched in the head.
That's why I (joking) said we need to work on our obsessor/stalker problem. lol

[Vae]

Summer always seems to lead way to pest problems.

[FlynnCoyote]

So was null the usual suspect or someone else that's been banned?

[Vae]

4 minutes ago, FlynnCoyote said:

So was null the usual suspect or someone else that's been banned?

A usual suspect, but not the usual suspect.
We have a few of those.

[FlynnCoyote]

On 09/06/2017 at 2:52 AM, ArielMT said:

The kind of granular access she had to the admin panel (the theming section, specifically) requires permissions that only @Carenath has.  That access, along with her moderator status, will be revoked, but it's something I can't do myself.

I saw this on phone at work and then forgot about it, so if I can make one more suggestion before I dip out; Is it possible for one of you to gain these kind of permissions or has Carenath actively made the call that they will be on him only?

I only ask because we see nothing of him, so we have no indication of how often changes like this can actually be made and it sounds like it could be days or weeks before he stops by to do anything. If it is more practical for one of you to have these permissions, and it sounds like it would be, then I would suggest that be the way to go.

[Zaraphayx]

RIP in piss Great Value Zara

[Tsuujou]

12 minutes ago, Zaraphayx said:

RIP in piss Great Value Zara

Good fucking riddance. lol

[Wax]

I've seen in OP that we're willing to advertise on SoFurry and FA. Would we be open to advertising on sites like Weasyl and InkBunny too? Are those communities the demographic we want to attract? Do they even run ads? Man, I'm bad at being a furry.

[fennecbyte]

6 minutes ago, Wax said:

I've seen in OP that we're willing to advertise on SoFurry and FA. Would we be open to advertising on sites like Weasyl and InkBunny too? Are those communities the demographic we want to attract? Do they even run ads? Man, I'm bad at being a furry.

Nothing is confirmed by staff, yet. If you have any arguments for or against any of them, do pitch in so I can add them into the OP.

[DrGravitas]

48 minutes ago, Wax said:

I've seen in OP that we're willing to advertise on SoFurry and FA. Would we be open to advertising on sites like Weasyl and InkBunny too? Are those communities the demographic we want to attract? Do they even run ads? Man, I'm bad at being a furry.

Weasyl doesn't do community ads just yet; I checked earlier. It was actually my first thought along with SoFurry

[QT Melon]

3 hours ago, DrGravitas said:

Weasyl doesn't do community ads just yet; I checked earlier. It was actually my first thought along with SoFurry

Weasyl hasn't really stepped up on the community side either. I mean their forums seem just as dead as these lol. I'd say the same for their main site too, I mean it's active...but there's some loss in the way it is being used.

[Zeke]

19 hours ago, DrGravitas said:

 It was actually my first thought along with SoFurry

I thought some of the members, if not most of the community of old FAF had an unsavory relationship with Sofurry?

[DrGravitas]

22 minutes ago, Zeke said:

I thought some of the members, if not most of the community of old FAF had an unsavory relationship with Sofurry?

I'm only familiar with FA history. I know a couple people who regard SoFurry favorably, so I tossed it out there.

[Vae]

I've heard nothing but bad things about the crowd on Sofurry, and Inkbunny is well-known to be full of pedophiles.

If we're going to advertise on other furry sites, FA is probably one of the lesser of evils, despite its particular history with this community.

The thing about advertising on FA, though, is that their ads have been well-known and documented to contain all kinds of malicious shit, ever since the IMVU takeover. Especially for phones.
The biggest concern there lies in if it's even worth it, when I doubt anyone doesn't use strict adblocking filters on that site now.

[Tsuujou]

2 hours ago, Vae said:

I've heard nothing but bad things about the crowd on Sofurry, and Inkbunny is well-known to be full of pedophiles.

Can confirm. Spent a while uploading on SF and directly mingling with them. Shit crowd. BUT not in the sense that they're malicious. Just......more grody than anyone using Red Lantern. I would say that the SF crowd is shit, but shouldn't be a deterrent if we're that desperate that we're going to advertise period. If you really want to advertise there, it shouldn't cause any unique problems.

I personally feel like it would be embarrassing to advertise on FA. "We left you ages ago in spite, but can you host our ads so we can get more people? We're dying." But that's whatever...
I don't even have to get into InkBunny. Fuck that place.

[Vae]

9 minutes ago, Tsuujou said:

I would say that the SF crowd is shit, but shouldn't be a deterrent if we're that desperate that we're going to advertise period. If you really want to advertise there, it shouldn't cause any unique problems.

I don't think it would create any particularly "unique" problems, but I tend to be more prevention-minded than anything else.

The less time you spend inviting the serial alcoholics to your house party, on the chance of getting those two or three tolerable ones, the less time you spend cleaning puke off your floors.
Etc.

[Zeke]

7 hours ago, Vae said:

The thing about advertising on FA, though, is that their ads have been well-known and documented to contain all kinds of malicious shit, ever since the IMVU takeover. Especially for phones.
The biggest concern there lies in if it's even worth it, when I doubt anyone doesn't use strict adblocking filters on that site now.

It's probably safe to assume yes so that members browsing FA can avoid the ransom/Malware from the ads, or avoid false positives from your antivirus.

I wouldn't care if we did IB or SF despite the community being questionable. 

[Fossa]

I'd say ads on FA would be wise. I mean, on the forums alone, they have at least 12 new users, per day. And I tend to think it's bounced back from its initial reappearance; I've met a ton of friendly furs there, and also, have noted more people from this site also posting and nosing about there. I think the main draw for me is it's a community you can meet new people. It may be looser knit, but by just connecting with those that you share interests with as they join and post, it's possible to make a lot of connections/friends, which I think is harder, here, as there's not really new people joining/staying. I mean, I have made some good friends here, don't get me wrong...but there's a certain sorta stagnation to the place, like a bowling alley that nobody goes to much anymore, and still smells like cigarettes from 20 years ago. Ok, maybe not that bad

I know it'd mean swallowing yer pride, but I think FA is a good bet.

Also, I think enabling people to see your profile information would be good. On FA, I get a good deal of PMs from people who read about my basic interests, gender, where I'm from, and all. It seems handy. I know this was mentioned before and got shot down, but it's sorta dumb to have profile pages, and not be able to have anything on them, of any real informational nature.

One other thing: More fun, and less negativity and drama. I'm not sure how to arrive at this, but one reason I post less is that it can be sorta a downer. Like, in the Red Lantern, I see a lot of posts where people tend to 'shame' people, and complain how awful it is, but if you don't wanna see sexual stuff, why go there? I really don't get that people can't have frank discussions about sex, as adults, without people getting all upset, and shitting on their parade, so to speak. I can see unwanted flirting, but I sense there's a fear of posting there, lest you get attacked. So that's a negative aspect I think is less than welcoming.

And I know this isn't a RP forum, and probably won't be...but it's sorta sad that the only RP threads are basically mocking the whole idea of RPs. That's not helpful. I mean, say, if I don't like video games, I just don't say anything; I don't go and mock them.

Anyway, had yet to weigh in, but there ya have it.

 

[Vae]

35 minutes ago, Fossa said:

I mean, on the forums alone, they have at least 12 new users, per day. And I tend to think it's bounced back from its initial reappearance; I've met a ton of friendly furs there, and also, have noted more people from this site also posting and nosing about there.

What do FA's forums have to do with anything?
Afaik, they don't run ads on their forums. And the biggest risk of running ads on FA proper is wasting money on nothing, because the site's known to carry nasty shit in its ads packages, because IMVU doesn't care.

35 minutes ago, Fossa said:

So that's negative aspect I think is less than welcoming.

You have to have 69 posts and specifically apply for Red Lantern access. It doesn't have to be "welcoming."

A rule of thumb is that you're going to get judged for literally anything you put in the public space, be it online or IRL. Especially sexual topics.
This is the nature of sharing those things. If you don't want that judgement and people to associate you (positively or negatively) with those things, exercise forthright thinking and abstain from it. If you don't, you have no one to blame but yourself when people cringe away from it.

35 minutes ago, Fossa said:

And I know this isn't a RP forum, and probably won't be...but it's sorta sad that the only RP threads are basically mocking the whole idea of RPs. That's not helpful. I mean, say, if I don't like video games, I just don't say anything; I don't go and mock them.

That's all fine and dandy for you, but if that's the case, make your own. Don't tell other people how to theme their threads.

[Fossa]

16 minutes ago, Vae said:

What do FA's forums have to do with anything?
Afaik, they don't run ads on their forums. And the biggest risk of running ads on FA proper is wasting money on nothing, because the site's known to carry nasty shit in its ads packages, because IMVU doesn't care.

You have to have 69 posts and specifically apply for Red Lantern access. It doesn't have to be "welcoming."

A rule of thumb is that you're going to get judged for literally anything you put in the public space, be it online or IRL. Especially sexual topics.
This is the nature of sharing those things. If you don't want that judgement and people to associate you (positively or negatively) with those things, exercise forthright thinking and abstain from it. If you don't, you have no one to blame but yourself when people cringe away from it.

That's all fine and dandy for you, but if that's the case, make your own. Don't tell other people how to theme their threads.

Well, just some suggestions. I mean, I know you 'don't care', but just some observations on why people don't join or stay. I'm just saying FAs forums are thriving, while these are dying, and trying to help, is all.

[Tsuujou]

3 hours ago, Fossa said:

One other thing: More fun, and less negativity and drama. I'm not sure how to arrive at this, but one reason I post less is that it can be sorta a downer. Like, in the Red Lantern, I see a lot of posts where people tend to 'shame' people, and complain how awful it is, but if you don't wanna see sexual stuff, why go there?

As someone who got shat on in PDC's adult chat...
what?
I've literally seen one or two light jokes at the expense of a fetish from like, Impact in the last several months or someone like Zara tastefully critiquing a picture that was posted. And any of those times it wasn't necessarily directed at someone let alone remotely scathing. Like I get the last part of your point, but it really isn't anywhere near that bad.

[Vae]

2 hours ago, Fossa said:

I mean, I know you 'don't care',

My comments on what you said had literally nothing to do with the statement about "not caring" I've made before.
So I have no idea what you're getting at, or how that's relevant.

Also the Red Lantern is a small subsection of activity for the site, and always has been since it's inception.
The RP section even moreso.
I just don't get what any of this has to do with getting people to join or maintain an audience.

[Wax]

Just to voice it: I don't think advertising on FA is a bad idea.

[Mandragoras]

I kind of stumbled into Inkbunny a while back without knowledge of its reputation, and in retrospect, I'd be disinclined to advertise there not so much because of the content on the site per se as the exceedingly laissez-faire culture which seems to go hand in hand with it. It's not channer-tier given the apparent dearth of malice, but there's enough overlap in those crowds for me to be wary.

Incidentally, I think this forum has a definitive leg up on the current incarnation of FAF in terms of moderator responsiveness. While the community itself isn't bad, I feel like this place is much more likely to tackle trouble quickly and efficiently with a relatively clear explanation of what happened. It took *days* over there for the moderation to rectify a situation wherein a Nazi troll sent a friendly acquaintance of mine sexually harassing messages and made strange, threatening comments toward me for being Jewish, where I think that things would have been over in minutes here.

[Tsuujou]

16 hours ago, Mandragoras said:

I kind of stumbled into Inkbunny a while back without knowledge of its reputation, and in retrospect, I'd be disinclined to advertise there not so much because of the content on the site per se as the exceedingly laissez-faire culture which seems to go hand in hand with it. It's not channer-tier given the apparent dearth of malice, but there's enough overlap in those crowds for me to be wary.

....Huh?

[Wax]

21 hours ago, Mandragoras said:

I kind of stumbled into Inkbunny a while back without knowledge of its reputation, and in retrospect, I'd be disinclined to advertise there not so much because of the content on the site per se as the exceedingly laissez-faire culture which seems to go hand in hand with it. It's not channer-tier given the apparent dearth of malice, but there's enough overlap in those crowds for me to be wary.

So the staff on Inkbunny are too lax?

[Mandragoras]

1 minute ago, Wax said:

So the staff on Inkbunny are too lax?

It's more like this: When you advertise your site as a place where anyone can post anything so long as it fits the theme, the comments section is going to reflect that. I actually wouldn't be surprised if the staff were quite vigilant about harassment and abuse, but that says nothing about what people are already allowed to say and do.

5 hours ago, Tsuujou said:

....Huh?

It's very easy to get lost on the Internet.

[Tsuujou]

3 minutes ago, Mandragoras said:

It's very easy to get lost on the Internet.

You posted incoherent run-on sentences with random uncommon phrases peppered in. Pull back on the snark.

16 minutes ago, Wax said:

So the staff on Inkbunny are too lax?

Thank you for the translation.

[Vae]

20 minutes ago, Mandragoras said:

It's very easy to get lost on the Internet.

If someone doesn't understand you, it generally indicates failure in your own communication skills, not the other way around.
This thread is for ideas and their discussion, not intellectual masturbation.


OT: If we do disregard the pedophile angle entirely (although it's still a huge "icky bad no" point of protest for me), lack of structure on another site doesn't have to affect us at all.
People who break the rules will be dealt with, whether they're used to that kind of culture or not.

[Mandragoras]

4 hours ago, Tsuujou said:

You posted incoherent run-on sentences with random uncommon phrases peppered in. Pull back on the snark.

I wasn't actually being snarky. I thought you were responding to the first part of what I said, and I was making something of a joke at my own expense. I'm really sorry, but I'm also taken aback that you assumed I was calling you stupid; while I can see that interpretation in hindsight, and I do feel bad, I'm really not that kind of person...

Anyway, my response to Wax summed it up better. I'm not talking about the mods so much as how the rules of the site in themselves attract a certain kind of person, at least in my limited experience. While it goes hand in hand with much of the seedy stuff, they're not identical problems.

3 hours ago, Vae said:

If someone doesn't understand you, it generally indicates failure in your own communication skills, not the other way around.
This thread is for ideas and their discussion, not intellectual masturbation.


OT: If we do disregard the pedophile angle entirely (although it's still a huge "icky bad no" point of protest for me), lack of structure on another site doesn't have to affect us at all.
People who break the rules will be dealt with, whether they're used to that kind of culture or not.

Again, I had no intention of insulting Tsuujou there. I am fully aware that I can be a bit wordier than the average bear, and unfortunately this has once more bitten me in the tuchus.

I'm honestly not entirely sold on the idea of ads in general because of the whole forum culture issue. Even setting aside places where the basic atmosphere is bound to be wildly different, not everyone is a good fit or has a strong social learning curve; and while I think it would be great for new people who never knew they wanted a place like this to join up, talking to folks we know elsewhere who we know would fit in seems less likely to result in unnecessary melodrama. That said, if you think it's worth the gamble, go for it. It could very well be worth it.

[QT Melon]

Considering most of us are on social media isn't spreading the word something that can be done vs advertisements that's more than likely to get adblocked?

[Shiro]

On 6/10/2017 at 3:30 PM, Wax said:

I've seen in OP that we're willing to advertise on SoFurry and FA. Would we be open to advertising on sites like Weasyl and InkBunny too? Are those communities the demographic we want to attract? Do they even run ads? Man, I'm bad at being a furry.

This is just my two cents on the subject. I don't think it's necessary. The community we have had around here has always been us, and just us most of the time. Sometimes, people join, sometimes they leave, and the cycle continues. I don't see why there is any pressing reason to attract more people of different demographics when it's been the same generally speaking, for as long as I can remember, even back in old FAF But then again, change is always good too. Whatever happens, happens I suppose.

[Silo]

1 hour ago, Shiro said:

This is just my two cents on the subject. I don't think it's necessary. The community we have had around here has always been us, and just us most of the time. Sometimes, people join, sometimes they leave, and the cycle continues. I don't see why there is any pressing reason to attract more people of different demographics when it's been the same generally speaking, for as long as I can remember, even back in old FAF But then again, change is always good too. Whatever happens, happens I suppose.

A pretty sizable chunk of the active community didn't make it through Phoenixed 2016. For the most part, they've either been banned, wanted out of the forum drama (It got pretty bad one time) or simply didn't like someone in the leadership/mod position. Because these members have left, the overall activity died down and there's less to post about. Forums that don't have adequate activity just end up dead, and nobody here wants to be part of a dead forum - it smells bad.

The connections between everyone were a lot stronger back then, and it got worse and we started losing them.

 

[Mandragoras]

Maybe this is technically off-topic, but as a new member I feel this is important: I'm kind of torn about whether or not I should request someone PM and fill me in on what happened last year. I feel like there's a certain value in coming from outside and being able to help talk things out without prior baggage, but without enough context, well, what's there to even go off of? I'd like to know you folks better and contribute to the community, and I'd like to be able to say I feel comfortable here and have others be comfortable with me here.

What do I need to know? What is there to know?

And yeah, I guess I'm just posting here like I would anywhere else regardless, but that's because I'm just a very socially-oriented, talkative person, even when I'm nervous or agitated—especially, even, at times. But I feel like it's harder to read the room here sometimes than other places. Not always, but sometimes, and it's mildly concerning.

[Wax]

9 hours ago, Mandragoras said:

Maybe this is technically off-topic, but as a new member I feel this is important: I'm kind of torn about whether or not I should request someone PM and fill me in on what happened last year. I feel like there's a certain value in coming from outside and being able to help talk things out without prior baggage, but without enough context, well, what's there to even go off of? I'd like to know you folks better and contribute to the community, and I'd like to be able to say I feel comfortable here and have others be comfortable with me here.

What do I need to know? What is there to know?

Afaik, although I'm not the best person to explain this cause I wasn't really involved or reading much of it at the time, but I think there isn't that much to tell. In fact I think it was similar to what has happened recently. People made it clear they were unhappy with aspects of the site: staff/administration and so on, then the discussions got out of hand and a lot of people left because they were unhappy.

That and, a few people got banned at the time for being creeps.

[Vae]

One of the bigger instances we had was a user slandering another off-site in a pretty serious way, with pretty serious accusations. A large portion of staff (myself included) took a very harsh stance against this because it wasn't something we wanted to allow or entertain as acceptable conduct for people here, on or off the site.

So while we were debating what to do as staff, or if we should even do anything at all, the user who was slandered lashed out about it. The thread exploded into drama.
A lot of people who weren't directly talking to both users in the conflict beforehand, and researching what had actually happened, just saw this as callouts and shit-stirring.
Some of them had issue with the drama being on the site in general. Some thought we were taking too long to handle the conflict (And we kind of were, because it was a highly contentious issue, and I was away at a friend's house with limited computer access.). Some thought we were playing favorites.

So a large chunk of people left over it.
Personally, I feel like we could have handled things in a more timely manner, but I don't disagree with the action and stance we did eventually take. They're entitled to their opinions and lack of activity, but users shouldn't be making libelous statements and blackmailing other users over differences in political affiliation.
Bottom fucking line.


Other than that, I know a few people who left because the community culture morphed into something they just didn't like. In some cases because of too open and too overt sexual attitudes, and others because it just got too antagonistic for them.