Since I didn't post what I had written out on Jango's now locked topic before it was locked, I guess I'll say it now.
Personally speaking here, General has been something that we've all fought on for so many years. Bring it back. Don't bring it back. Bring it back but change it. Bring it back but it better not be brought back changed, or else we don't want it. I for one, hope this issue resolves soon because I'm getting a little tired of an old decision being brought up time and time again, with no real, set in stone reason as to why it should be brought back, or why it should stay removed from the game. As for simply discussing it, I have no issues, however we are essentially just repeating ourselves again and again. So when does it end? If you look at it, we've constantly, relentlessly brought it up throughout the years, and every single time resulting in failure. Let me note, that the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over time and time again and expecting a different result.
If we use the argument of "the community has grown and matured," you're cutting out all of the younger kids still playing who can easily abuse the chat. They easily get excited and don't really think before doing, so mistakes and various hyper actions are to be expected from those young ones. For us "older and more mature players," one would hope that they use it reasonably. We still have some of those players who are older but are still growing and are immature to an extent. "But we have more staff to help monitor the chat!" This being true, seeing how much local blows up at times, just imagine having to monitor BOTH chats blowing up. It most definitely would not be a pleasant thing to get on every single day and do, and for how many maps? The Grounds, Eastern Pass, Kiwimbi Beach, Bonfire, Zama, Cape, Seaside, Ficho, Cherika, Kibou. 10 maps that the staff would have to monitor. Granted we have enough to be sent to every single map, think about what else they have to do every day. Monitor the site, keep the site clean and organized, help players with their issues, discuss multiple things and plan events, monitor those events, and overall make sure everything is in line. You can argue that not all the maps are active like they are The Grounds and are least likely to blow up, but that just leaves all of the less active maps as a big target for General Chat mischief, whatever it may be. That's just one of the various issues and ways it could be seen.
Back when I joined, there was no General Chat. I knew it existed in the chat options, but of course I could never use it in public maps. For four years, I got along just fine without using it. Personally, I never really used it in external maps with the exception of others speaking to me through it rarely, and map rules from their creators upon entering when the group was there. Basically speaking, the game would be no different upon bringing it back aside from being able to speak with everyone within the same map as you regardless of distance between you and the other without having to hassle with a few clicks to make a party with them. Whilst in party, you can speak to anyone in any map just so long as you're in the same party.
Now, being more blunt here, I personally say make a decision and drop this topic. It has been run into the ground how many times over how many years. It's getting old. If we bring back General, then how long will it take for the old function to loose it's charm? I think we should leave the gem we call General alone. If we bring general back, it wouldn't really be the same, just like the old maps. It would be great and all for General to be back and all it's glory, but how much of it's glory is really still there? The only solution I could ever say to this is bring it back for a month, see how it rides, and make a final decision. Out, or in. Or just drop it entirely right now and stop this back and forth "bring it back - let it go." With these kinds of things that have gone on for so long, it's really best to just make a decision and go with it.
I said it once, and I'll say it again. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over time and time again and expecting a different result.