Much of the issue relies within its memberbase. But to be honest, a staff members absence does not dictate that you cannot intervene when something inappropriate is happening. Don't shove authority around, but do your duty as a member of Feral Heart because the staff can't do it themselves.
The toxicity floating around is due to big heads, everyone wants to be literate and mature and popular but no one wants to have fun and use the game as it was meant to be used, to make friends, have fun and roleplay. To state that you are a "mature" group means that you are anything but mature in actuality. No, I don't mean elements of gore or sexual violence. The fact that every second group has that in their bio is off putting to begin with.
Yes, registration needs to be addressed, but I believe there are enough staff for the current dwindling memberbase, if not too many. It is up to the loyal members to stand fast and do THEIR duty in creating a safe environment without the emblem of "staff" stitched to their chest. But no, everyonr does a hood thing and thinks they have a shot at being staff because they help, they report, they make an offer of commitment, but as soon as you are denied, you become as toxic as the others. To create a better community, go to its core. Its members, because that is where the fault will be found.
I will have to 100% disagree with you due to Hooli & I's experiences lately, which is a big reason why I believe this thread exists.
I sit in The Grounds nearly every day. There are many people who try to quell issues when they come up, but members have absolutely zero authority over other members. So not only can members not make people stop breaking rules or generally being problematic, but if you try to reason with someone, you are normally met with sass & resistance, & an argument ensues. This has happened a ridiculous amount of times to Hooli & I lately in a very short amount of time, because we DO try to calmly deal with people being inappropriate (specifically people using "freedom of speech" to badly excuse rudely stating opinions about other players who are right there).
The better way to resolve the issue is to be able to silently message a staff member, or for one to already be there to take care of it. That way, when things began to hit the fan, there would be someone with authority to stop it. When arguments ensue & there are no staff around to even call, it completely disturbs everyone in Local. People often respond differently to a moderator than they would a regular member because a regular member has no authority over them. But, even if they disagree with a staff member, they have little choice but to comply. If they don't, they get kicked or banned. Either way, the problem stops. I feel that you're greatly undermining the importance of staff & forgetting why they must exist & be around.
Due to the fact that these instances have been happening so frequently due to these egotistical people going on about their "free speech" & no staff have been around to assist in the issue, yes, it is a problem, & I would say that this is indeed a sign to get even just one or two more staff members to fill in time gaps the current ones may be unavailable. It would stop Local from being flooded with arguments quite a bit, as well as other things.
I never insinuated that we should call out people publically I said you can intervene, so don't assume so, by intervening, I implied many things, but NEVER did I say that intervening implied calling people out or starting and argument or "going about it calmly" that is up to YOU to decide how YOU intervene. (Reporting, screenshots, etc) I said it was your duty as a member to ensure that the environment we are all in is taken care of. By reporting by INFORMING STAFF, and expecting nothing back, no rewards, no praise. Don't put words into my mouth.
I am there, just as you are, every day, I never bicker with the rule breakers, nor do I say anything because the staff are capable of doing it themselves, but if each good member takes a moment to take a screenshot and send it through, they are more than helping the staff as well as they can, not by shoving their self-entitled authority down the offenders' throat. If the memberbase stops bickering and complaining and actually helping with the simplest things, the toxicity can go away.
