User blog:CMDSire/CTRF Volume One

Controversial Topics on the RWBY Fanon:

Volume #1: Staff/Community Relationship

As you all know, there has been several threads highlighted for the entirity of the fanon to examine, with most of them pertaining to how members of the community are acting rather distastefully towards the reviewers. There has been instances where members of the community verbally attack reviewers for not accepting their characters anonymously, and instances where memebers of the community have insulted the staff in the chat, thus heightening tensions between staff and community.

It is important to note that none of the staff here are paid, nor obligated to deal with any of this harsh treatment. They are all here because they wish to be here and work with the community; everything they do is community service, because they are, usually, willing to bend over backwards for the community. We must remember that they dedicate a good portion of their lives to just reviewing our characters, doing a rather thankless job it would seem. We need to show these people who sacrifice so much to this community that we are thankful for all that they do. And while it is important to treat the staff with respect, they have to realize that this is a two way street.

We, the community, have all come here for the same reasons: to share our appreciation for this intricate universe that has been present to us via Monty Oum, Miles Luna, and Kerry Shawcross, and to share our concepts for characters that may fit in said universe. And in that sense, we are all the same. Nobody would be here if they didn't want to, so we all need to recognize that and respect it, even if you may or may not have authority over that person. There have been several instances where the staff have made a few snide comments towards the community (I am not saying it is not sometimes warrented) that have been rather distasteful, and have angered a few people. I have had this exact thing happen to me; I asked a question that apparently has been a very frequently asked question, and in return, recieved a very rude comment from a reviewer in return insinuating that I am idiotic because that question had already been answered before someplace else of the fanon.

While it is entirely possible that question had been asked and answered before, that response wasn't necessary. I was not notified of any such conversation and given the ability to avoid sounding ignorant. Now, I understand that answering the same question repeatedly would be found annoying, but reacting like that towards me is not fair to me, or anyone recieving the same kind of treatment by asking a similar question.

We all, community and staff, need to try to be open-minded, and walk in the other side's shoes for a mile. When your character is rejected, instead of insulting the reviewers for rejecting it, ask what can be done to improve character, thus allowing for it to become Canon complient. Whenever a popular question is asked by a member of the community, the staff should avoid sounding condesending towards the community, and instead, post up a blog answering that question thus stopping further questions. And even if the staff is asked again, just direct the community member towards that blog. The hostility comes from both sides of the spectrum, and if we are going to improve the general mood between staff and community, it is necessary that people try to reason with one another first, and, at all costs, avoid be DICKS to one another.

What do you guys think? How can we improve the general mood towards one another? Is there anything I didn't cover in this blog? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for your time guys!