umm...

[Arcanafang]

I was semi gone for the past few weeks since my mother passed away. Actually I really wasn't here and didn't visit that often but now I'm trying to get back into writing and be a part of the site again.

[AdventWings]

(Belated) Welcome back to Althanas, Arcanafang~! :D

We're sorry about your mother, but you deserve the down time. I'll see if I can find a hole in my schedule to role-play with you, Nyan. :)

[Arcanafang]

Thanks Raven^^

*hugs*

[Arcanafang]

well I might as well cancel my return. If this is how Althanas is now then I know that I'm not welcome here.

good bye

[Visla Eraclaire]

There's really no need for that, Arcana. Althanas is people. Some people aren't going to like you. Stiff upper lip, do some good RPing, and prove people wrong.

Leaving in a huff over one topic isn't going to change anything, except depriving you of a forum that you enjoy. Wouldn't that make it a victory for furry-bashing?

Don't get me wrong, I'll take the victory... but this seems a bit much.

[Arcanafang]

Have your victory. I don't enjoy this site anymore. I love writing but I can't do it here. I spent years here and speaking out for this site to be loved by all writers that put effort into what I do but I get for my reward is to return to being ignored and having my life choice being trashed. There's nothing for me anymore. Have your victory, it means that ALthanas is a closed minded place where there's no respect. I hope you're happy.

[Visla Eraclaire]

That's a real shame then.

Still, you shouldn't do something to be loved. You should do something because you love it. Hopefully you'll realize that eventually, wherever you end up.

[Ataraxis]

I'm a bit surprised that you'd accord that much importance to what people say on a forum. It's a universal law that a percentage of forumgoers will not agree with the views of any of the forum's members.

But as I'm not trying to move that discussion over here, I'll go on to my point. You're ready to give up on writing with the people who have clearly shown that they want to write with you just because you're offended by what a few of other members say? Let's put aside that you're feeling offended, and focus on the fact that you're insulting all those people (who didn't even participate in that thread) by saying they're less important to you than a handful of individuals.

You have got to remember that internet isn't it (it being Serious Business). The time an individual's opinions change because of a forum discussion will never come. At most, people get deeper insight on a topic or become more entrenched on their own point of view. Trying to convince someone that they're wrong will never work, like they'll never convince you of one thing and you'll never convince them of the opposite. Discussions aren't made to convince people in the first place, anyway. Only join them if you're ready to be questioned, to answer with a level head and actually contribute to intellectual discourse. Note: that thread only had a few posts worthy of any insight, while the rest was pure bashing and/or defense. Therefore, a lot of people didn't fit the requirements, which accounts for its clusterfuck conclusion.

Point being: don't let irrelevant things keep you from enjoying the point of Althanas. That is, writing for fun with other people. Side features like the FST should be just that. Side features.

You said you love writing. It's the one thing 100% of the people here can agree on, and it's the only thing that actually matters, don't you think?

[Arcanafang]

I wish you were Right but that thread was not a discussion but a hate speech. I know Furry is Niche but allowing hate speech like that just shows me that I'm not welcome, especially when mods look at the hate speech and say they agree. People don't have to like furries but that kind of language needs to be kept to one's self.

Would it be ok to have a thread saying "all Homosexuals are pathetic losers"?

[Garwocket]

Grow up.

It's a thread on a fantasy based forum.

If you have a problem send a message to an admin about it.

[Visla Eraclaire]

I think such a thread would be ok. It would get destroyed in the marketplace of ideas. People would defend homosexuality and in the end we would all feel better having shown up a group of biggots.

Now, do I think such a thread would be ALLOWED to exist... no. Society moves slowly. Homosexuality is accepted and protected enough that outright gay bashing would be stopped. So would racism. And there was a time when racism would be stopped but not gay bashing.

None of this came to be because people left in a huff. The world isn't going to fix intolerance for you. Have a strong voice and a clever argument and maybe people will respect you. You have to earn it.

[Godhand]

Ugh, enough! Get out and fucking stay out! The fact that you have the cuntjuggling gall to equate furry bashing with hate speech and homophobia tells me everthing I need to know about you.

[Ataraxis]

Though I may have called it 'discussion' in the first line of my second paragraph, I went into showing that it was as far from a discussion as could be later on. Still slight oversight, I apologize. In any case, there were only a few pieces of intellectual discourse in there by Adventwings and... Valanthe, I think.

I also share the belief that if your hypothetical situation did occur, that homosexuals would not participate in any way other than amusing dismantling of their assailant's incoherence. So they'd pretty much take it in stride. Nobody needs people to say 'your lifestyle is a-ok in my eyes' to accept it, so why care if someone says the opposite? The Janitor knew it best.


JD: Now there is nothing wrong with being a janitor.

Janitor: Thank you, you've turned my life around. I'm going to have to go tell my janitor wife and all our janitor kids that life is worth living and that comes straight from our hero, Doctor Who's-It, Doctor Nothing. No seriously, come on. You can come over to my house and point out things that are cheap. But anyway. Chris Hansen is after me, but I don't mind at all. Jailbait is the way to live.

Disregard that, I... you know, that line in Happiness. And yes, joke.

[Valanthe]

Don't quit on me now Arcanafang. Ignore the insults, sort through the BS and find the few gems worth keeping.

I was looking forward to writing with you. On forums around the internet I participate My beliefs get bashed to an even greater degree because it's been over two thousand years and The Glorious Reappearing has yet to happen, and it seems no one on the internet actually takes Christianity seriously, thus it is bashed, flamed, torn down and pissed on, yet I don't leave in a huff. Sure the insults are a touch upsetting, just as I'm sure the cuts towards your beliefs were upsetting, but if you let every little insult banish you from somewhere, you will live a very closed life indeed.

Don't leave over something like this, please.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Valanthe makes a good point. If Christians can still be unusually prevalent on the Series of Tubes, there's no reason you couldn't.

Their beliefs might actually be even more ridiculous, though decidedly mainstream.

[Cyrus the virus]

This person is Reiko, right?

[Arsène]

Can we try and be a bit nicer to John? Please?

Telling him to get thicker skin doesn't work, and stop trying to convince yourself you're helping him. The man isn't going to become some battle-hardened, cold-blooded killer because you told him to grow a pair. He's sensitive. That's the way he is, and he isn't going to change because some names with pictures under them told him to.

Closed.

John, if you want a new introduction thread, go ahead and make it.