Hello! I’m a new member on here and I really hope this isn’t an overreaction or anything, because I don’t want to give off a bad impression to anyone here. But part of the reason I came here in the first place was because I heard that this website is pretty progressive in terms of social issues, and the amount of toxicity on another certain website drove me away, even though a lot of the stories are really well written.
In my personal experience of online fora and other outlets, this place is a shining beacon of a sanctuary in comparison. May sound like I trump it up, but that is my honest opinion. As you said yourself, too much toxicity out there in too many places, alas.
Yikes, I only skimmed the first few messages on that thread and got too nervous to look at more
You won’t need to worry here. The community’s pretty friendly and there’s a lot of trans and nonbinary folks around (hi!) And in the rare instances that intolerant comments show up at all, they’re dealt with really quickly
hello @ryder123 nice to meet you i had the same fear but people here are vary nice and understanding so don’t worry about it oh and before i forget welcome to the forum
Okay first of all, god damn that was just horrible. Second, welcome to the community that is our tiny ass corner of the internet! I’ve been here for years now, but was too afraid to get an account and start talking. When I did, it was last Christmas, I was immediately welcomed. So are you. The only people NOT welcome here are jackasses like what I just saw in that forum.
In my limited experience, it’s a question of having rules of proper conduct and moderators who take their job seriously.
When a forum don’t allow hate, it doesn’t get to settle there, and instead attracts the open-minded, kind people, who shy away from the toxic parts of the internet.
Yeah I can see posts in that thread that would get flagged and deleted here. It’s not to say they might not be posted but we have active moderators.
@Ryder123, welcome to our community. One of the things that I love about COG is the commitment to inclusion. Some of the more recent games (Heart of the House off the top of my head) have cis, trans, and nb options and a choice of how to dress. On the forums we try to be welcoming of everyone and there are a few threads about trans issues and experiences if you want to connect with people.
i just got done reading that forum holy crap that place is filled to the brim with transphobic assholes (sorry for the harsh language but i have family who are trans)
Just because this place is more progressive doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its share of intolerance and/or ignorance, just less visible, and maybe not in the form you’d expect. This forum is basically a sanctuary for social minorities so if you come here and possess an opinion that doesn’t align the with the forum’s interests or sensitivities, you’ll get shutdown faster than you could say “What did I do?”. The mods are pretty active around here, always making sure the rules are being followed, so you won’t find many trolls around here, and if you do, not for long.
I remember partaking in a conversation a few months ago about a topic I was curious about. At the time I didn’t think I was being offensive but apparently my ignorance and lack of “proper etiquette” offended a few people. In the end I apologized for it but the ammount of arrogance and disdain I got in return, almost made me bitter about asking in the first place (and the people themselves). Want my advice? Avoid all controversial topics. If you have any question about anything that is slightly tabboo then just google it yourself. Don’t barge in without knowing what you’re walking into.
I’d say this goes for everywhere and everyone except with friends you know can deal with it sensibly (meaning you of course have to learn this the hard way) and with groups gathered for the intent and purpose to have such discussions.
So best thread gently, rather than jump into unknown public toilets with a ducky floating ring of doom.
Same which is why I don’t participate in most topics or trigger topics in this forum anymore. The high and mighty “folks” here are rather a bitter bunch… I’m ending it there less I get banned for something I have done…
While I think the CoG forums can be a bit overly sensitive at times it’s a lot more preferable then the alternative which you linked. Pretty much everyone on this site is someone I would label as a good person.
Thank you all for the positive replies and introductions!
I posted the link party because of all the bigotry but also because I saw the site being recommended in alternative interactive fiction, which really made me uncomfortable- A lot of the transphobes on there are among the most popular authors.
Unfortunately you will it have often that stuff gets recommended despite such glaring shortcomings.
'Cause too often some people go and think ‘Oh -I- enjoyed it and saw absolutely NOTHING wrong with this, so everyone must love it too’
Like…nope.
(Sidenote: we have an inofficial discord server somewhere, too, if you’re interested. it’s not very active but eh)
Yeah, when I went to check out the games on that site a few months back, it was quickly obvious that they were all pretty damn heteronormative, which 1, meant I didn’t really want to try any of the games, and 2, made me suspect I wouldn’t really feel welcome there.
But, yes, as have been pointed out, people here can sometimes get aggressively defensive about certain matters, and jump to conclusions quicker than I’d personally like.
It can be annoying, even when you like me are pretty much always on the same side of the arguement, but it is to be expected when dealing with sensitive issues with a long history of oppression.
No arguement happens in a vacuum.
I am pretty confident this is the same guy who previously dedicated his existence to destroying chooseyourstory.com and launched “attacks” on the site by spamming the forums. At various times, he has begged to have his ban reversed. At one point, it actually was reversed, but, unsurprisingly, he screwed up again. Overall, his general conduct led to an impressively poor opinion of him by the active site members, even prior to his full blown troll antics.
