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Recent Events, Next Steps

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MP-Ryan:
There is a condition to posting in this thread.  If you respond, you commit to having read this entire post and reflected on your role on this board and in interpersonal conflict relating to HLP.

In the last few weeks, we have seen some prominent interpersonal issues on display and what we can charitably characterize as 'drama' emerge.  The Internet does not lend itself to dealing well with interpersonal conflict.  Not only is a substantial part of communication via tone and body language lost, but people often feel the need to entrench themselves in a position and defend it long past the point of necessity or reason.  When we throw in a global pandemic on top of that, and a number of users with admitted mental health challenges, we have a recipe for disaster.

The disaster is in many ways in a form of slow ongoing burn right now, and without decisively confronting these issues now, it will continue to burn.  We have lost three admins and a global moderator from their roles, and several valued contributors to the community entirely as long-standing UNADDRESSED issues have boiled to the surface.  We have other community members who are now limiting their participation; whether this is permanent or temporary remains to be seen and largely depends on where we go from here.

We have all, intentionally or unintentionally, played a role in allowing frankly toxic behaviour to persist, interpersonal differences of opinion to become interpersonal conflicts and vendettas, and creating an atmosphere that is less about mutual creation, joy, and respect for each other than it is about grievance-peddling.  On a personal note, I am not immune to this.  Less than a week ago, I got in an argument with a member of the community that I let get to me and decided "Oh **** off" was a reasonable response.  It wasn't.  I owe General Battuta an apology for that, and I do, genuinely, apologize.

This divisiveness ends today.  If you cannot commit to ending it today and moving on from these issues, you need to take a break.  Take as long as you need.  When you're ready to rejoin us, we will be here.  We are done bleeding people from the community over festering problems.  Going forward, moderators will take a more proactive role in keeping discussion from devolving into a mud-flinging exercise.  Community members will be expected to uphold community values and resolve their differences in constructive ways.  Peddling in grievance, dogpiling, and generally harassing people to their breaking point will not be tolerated, and we will start handing out bans to those who refuse to recognize their role in ALL of the recent issues and reform their future behaviour.

On more general news, the moderation/admin staff have been working on draft community standards for a little while (predating this most recent drama).  They will be posted for public comment and input this weekend in Site Support.  Comment will be left open for a month; constructive feedback is welcome, while rehashing old grievances is not.  Any significant contentious issues will be open to vote.

This post has been reviewed and approved by multiple members of the moderation team prior to posting and reflects our collective views.

General Battuta:
I mean I do think it was a pretty reasonable response. Apology rejected!

MP-Ryan:
I have MORE and BETTER words than that and should have used them.  As should we all.  Noted, though =)

Fusion:
I see no issues with terminating all prior grievances, offering hands to one another, and moving forward as a community at this point in time - particularly if such outreach could bring said members who have left back.

DefCynodont119:
I don't think i have any grievances with anyone here, but if i do, then i hereby drop them.

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