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[Hairfoot]

Originally Posted by Odhanan

I was personally a very regular poster and community supporter a few years ago.

I am now flabbergasted at the way this site has morphed into a clique of people who can't stand disagreement, argument, and which promote the idea of licking WotC's (and other VIPs') boots at every turn.

When I see threads closed with comments from Piratecat like "I am so very tired of babysitting a very small number of threads, and this thread is one of them. Klunk." (if you're tired of babysitting, PC, don't be a mod in the first place), or Morrus who goes against people by ascribing motives to their posts (which in itself is against the rules of ENWorld), this tells me right there why I stopped posting here, and why I'm deluded in thinking things have gotten better over time.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think ENworld sucks - yet - but it's as close to an unofficial official Wizards of the Coast site as you can get.

I've been posting here for five years, and there have always been edition wars, flaming and complaints about game publishers. What used to make ENworld so classy was firm but even-handed moderation. But try criticising 4E now - or worse, WotC - and watch the mods not only tolerate, but even lead the attack on the critics. 4E/WotC boosters, on the other hand, can expect a free ride all the way, even down to the most bitter attacks on those they disagree with.

The treatment of Joethelawyer's thread was astounding. It was completely mild and almost flame-free, while other, ever-present, threads of vicious argument are allowed to play out for page after page in the General forum.

As for 31 complaints, pull the other one. If it really was that many, are they assessed for relevance and seriousness? The most florid personal insults usually result in some red text and maybe a poster being kicked from a thread, but - oh, boy - criticise Hasbro and the whole thing gets nuked.

And let's keep in mind that the thread was about whether Hasbro might try to hammer those of us who aren't playing 4E. Surely that's a legitimate and highly relevant topic for a board that purports to be for "general" game discussion. Instead, the conversation was apparently shut off for containing unfavourable comments about a games publishing corporation. Can the ENworld team really not see something fundamentally rotten at the core of that?

Since I returned to gaming, ENworld is where I've had the most discussion, and it's been great. But now the site is a thinly-veiled marketing board for Hasbro products, fully endorsed by the moderation team. It makes me sad to put Gamespot and ENworld in the same basket, but I'd be naive not to.

If the future of ENworld is in helping Hasbro to shift units, for whatever reward or esteem in return, then either be up front about it or make an effort to make it a discussion site again, rather than a discuss-4E-positively-or-else site.