Alright. I know from the get go that this will probably attract some flames. Problem is, I think it's a big enough problem to warrant that risk.
There's been a large amount of furry bashing on the forums. That's not great, but I can freely admit that I've done my share. Forums it's tolerable, easily ignored.
It's when it gets to the point that it comes off the forums and into Skype, people making personal attacks on others, attempting to drive them away from Discovery, that it has to stop.
I realise there's little to nothing the Admins and Moderators can do about this as soon as it leaves the forums, even if the people doing this were brave enough to use their normal Skype accounts doing it, so it comes down to the community.
It's actually quite disgraceful, and it needs to stop. Take a look at what you're doing, and why. You're hurting people for no good reason, other than what...? It makes you feel powerful? You're no better than any racist or sexist doing that.
In the end, realise what you're so worked up about is a Game. Perhaps you don't have anything better to do than play it, that's fine. Neither do I really. But there's plenty of other game out there you could play instead. And yes, they may not be as good as Disco, they might not hook you for as long, but if you keep this up, all you're going to achieve is ruining it for others, and in the long run that's nothing but detrimental to the community as a whole.
Think about how your actions affect others. If you're selfish, malicous or just enjoying those negative effects, it's you that should be leaving, not the people with furry characters.
To expect a group of people who often dislike one another due to their non-existent digitalised 'mini-me' getting shot in a video game by said other human beings, to not bash something like 'furrys' is like asking the tide not to come in.
I'm not expecting it to stop in that respect.
Just that it has gone way to far.
It's their choice to be a furry, but personal attacks on them is not okay.
That's like me coming up to you and insulting you for being black, or Asian, or a woman, or gay.
Do we insult the gay people here?
Not so much that I've seen.
I do not bash people for having nonstandard sexual fetishes. This is, after all, the internet. I do, however, shamelessly bash arrogant nits who believe that anyone not pampering them is oppressing them. A substantial portion of the furries I have encountered on this forum are arrogant nits. So I deal with them like any other arrogant nits. When I encounter furries on this forum who are not arrogant nits, I do not treat them like arrogant nits.
Allow me to make a comparison. Having a black person arrested just because he's there is racism. Having a black person arrested because he's waving a gun around and firing into the air is not racism. Both situations involve having a black person arrested. One is acceptable, one is not.
By the same token, I do not condone bashing people for their sexual fetishes. We're all pretty weird somewhere, after all. However, I would take the claim that any bashing of a person who happens to be a furry is based on their being a furry just as I would take the claim that the latter example- the black man waving the gun around- was arrested because he was black. That is, I would apply common sense to the back of your head through the medium of my hand.
Being a minority grants you no special protection against breaking the law, or in our case pissing people off. I honestly don't care about your race or fetishes, if you're a jerk I'm going to treat you like one. Cry all you want, that's just how it is.
Well that's the thing.
The people I've heard from that this is happening to, spend little time on the forums on the first place.
They're not members of the... arguments happening on the forums.
They're being targeted simply because of their characters.
Or at least one is.
If they're being annoying/arrogant nits with their characters, like most of the ones that tell you about their "condition" are, then they're getting what's coming to them. I'm not aware of actual hate for the people who play their nonhumans casually and discretely, like Kanga's lizard. I am, however, very aware of hate for people who have earned it.
Unless people playing nonhumans discretely (i.e. not shouting "pay attention to me, I'm a cat!" every ten seconds) and non-abrasively (i.e. your obstacles and tricks won't work on my because of my magic ears and my claws can cut through any prison you put me in! Also known as "Mary Sue" syndrome) are being targeted specifically because they are playing nonhumans and not because of any other factors, including but not limited to personality and attitude, then I don't see a problem. Even then it's kinda iffy, depending on how well they explain the presence of their nonhuman- they are, after all, not human, and in addition to the general hostility of mankind, nonhumans don't just pop out of trees...
Sovereign, you are speaking everything I wanted to say, almost brings a tear to my eye.
Please continue.
Well, you're making good points, some of which I certainly agree with.
I'd rather this didn't turn into yet another Discussion about whether these characters should be here, however.
I'm well aware that certain people have ruined it for others, bringing them under the firing line even if they've done nothing to deserve it. But, the blame is not entirely on them. It's the people branding someone with a character like that a Furry, and then making attacks on them, that apparently have decided that since one or two of these characters aren't played very well, ALL of them aren't played well.
But even if they have that belief, it gives them no right to verbally assault others, in a private environment. I can understand part of the forum trashing just being E-Peen, but one on one, it's just malicious.
' Wrote:Sovereign, you are speaking everything I wanted to say, almost brings a tear to my eye.
Please continue.
I'm already crying. Please continue Sov
*takes a box of tissues*
Personally I hate furries. But I only question whether they should exist on this server. I wouldn't be annoyed at someone just because of their choice of character. The only time I would be annoyed at someone using a furry would be the semi pvp-abuse from one "Cat" character.
Furries - no problem.
Stirring up a fuss and then hiding behind the rules so your furry doesn't get the persecution expected - problem.