Request: Sub-Forum for WOTC/Hasbro Post

[Mistwell]

We have a new edition. It's an exciting time for the message board. Lots of old people posting again. Lots of new people posting. Lots of interesting discussions going on. A good time for the board.

And then we have WOTC/Hasbro posts. Lots of anger. Lots of attacking each other over perceived or real wrongs. Lots of negativity. Lots of discussions about the intricacies of corporations, corporate policies, corporate communications, the economy, capitalism, etc.. None of it about D&D.

Can we maybe get a sub-forum separating out the WOTC/Hasbro discussions from the D&D discussions, instead of them being lumped in with the D&D discussions? Or maybe move them to Industry Talk? I think it would improve the dialogue on both topics, as they're really not the same discussions at all. As we can see in the WOTC Hiring Game Designer thread, a lot of people say they're starting to stay away from this message board because so much WOTC/Hasbro stuff is getting into every discussion.

 

[Thomas Shey]

My own suspicion is that it'd require some heavy lifting on the moderators part to keep those two topics really separated.

 

[Morrus]

We have no intention of creating a “WotC Bashing” forum. Whether it buries criticism of WotC by hiding it out of the way, or it invites criticism of WotC by creating a space for it, it’s a bad look either way.

Also, the moderation load of that is not feasible or something we want to become our job.

 

[Mistwell]

I thought we used to have them separated years ago and it was not a bad look. But OK, do you have any ideas on how to improve the D&D dialogue that's getting derailed by the WOTC/Hasbro dialogue?

 

[Parmandur]

I thought we used to have them separated years ago and it was not a bad look. But OK, do you have any ideas on how to improve the D&D dialogue that's getting derailed by the WOTC/Hasbro dialogue?

Use the ignore feature, it helps a lot.

 

[jerryrice4949]

We have no intention of creating a “WotC Bashing” forum. Whether it buries criticism of WotC by hiding it out of the way, or it invites criticism of WotC by creating a space for it, it’s a bad look either way.

Also, the moderation load of that is not feasible or something we want to become our job.
[/
Deleted. Some things are left better unsaid.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Seems a tad defensive of a response. He didn’t ask for a ‘WoTC bashing’ area but to separate out D&D talk vs WoTC discussion.

I don’t think Morrus is saying that this is what’s being asked, but that many people will see it that way and the moderation team doesn’t want to have to deal with people making such claims one way or the other on top of the extra work it will take to moderate a new section of the forum.

I get it, going into a thread to talk about all the changes I’m excited for and seeing it has turned into yet another thread reminding me why it’s horrible to like this and x,y, and x is so much better if you just opened your eyes and people arguing about the company over and over again even when the thread’s topic isn’t about that is is INCREDIBLY draining and frustrating. However, I don’t know if a new forum would really help things much, and I’m not expecting a small team of three to want to handle all that on top of everything else.

I think ignoring the users that you feel make those threads unbearable and not engaging in side conversations about topics that are tiring is really the best solution here.

 

[Mistwell]

Use the ignore feature, it helps a lot.

I am starting to do that. But I hate it. I don't hate we have that option of course, but I hate shutting out someone's voice on all topics because I don't like some of it. It's a really broad and blunt solution which I wish had more nuance to it. Not that I have any idea what more nuance would look like.

 

[Parmandur]

I am starting to do that. But I hate it. I don't hate we have that option of course, but I hate shutting out someone's voice on all topics because I don't like some of it. It's a really broad and blunt solution which I wish had more nuance to it. Not that I have any idea what more nuance would look like.

It's a bit blunt, but if a particular poster is butting heads woth you, it is at least a temporary solution to the friction.

 

[Mistwell]

It's a bit blunt, but if a particular poster is butting heads woth you, it is at least a temporary solution to the friction.

Sure but I am not really butting heads with most of the people I am sticking on ignore now. Some of them I like a majority of their posts. And all of them I think are good people with interesting ideas about some topics.

It's really about derailing D&D topics with WOTC/Hasbro discussion. I don't need to hear someone's views on the OGL scandal, Pinkertons (which is a M:TG topic), layoffs, moneygrabs, etc. for the 20th time when the topic is just new D&D rules or D&D publications or D&D digital character sheets or virtual table tops to play D&D.

And the posters doing this claim it's to put pressure on WOTC to change their ways. But, this just isn't the place to communicate that sort of thing to WOTC. The people it's being communicated to are just ordinary fans who have nothing to do with that company. They're not even changing people's minds to not play D&D, or let WOTC know the issue. They're just driving people away from discussing the D&D topic they came here to discuss.

Moderators here used to tell people this wasn't the place to communicate a customer service complaint to WOTC. I get there are fewer moderators now. But some sort of more general rule or message to keep the Hasbro/WOTC complaints specifically to the Hasbro/WOTC threads seems like it could help reduce it. There should be some guidance on this.