Jun 5, 2024 15:02:12 GMT henry said:

Writing with friends =/= forming a clique. Let's talk about that

bang.

there is a difference between a clique and a friend group.

if i join a site with friends and we've cooked up a little plot, i know we all very much are open to inviting others into it—doesn't matter if we reach out first, or someone expresses interest. to me, that's writing in a friend group.

but if we refuse to let anyone have fun in the playground with us, say it's Our Slide and you Stay Away you're not allowed to use it, then (to me) that's a clique.

every change in rp culture starts small and slow, and it starts with the self. it's not something that's ever going to be a sudden overnight switch. like sure, "this kind of talk rarely seems to manifest anything on the actual sites", but that doesn't mean we should stop trying to foster a healthier atmosphere because it's not happening quickly or everywhere all at once. i know i've had to look at my behaviour multiple times, reflect, and strive to do better. nobody's stagnant, or incapable of change; put out what you want to receive, etc. etc.

totally unrelated: i miss replying to plotters. every site i've joined that's had them, nobody utilised them and all plotting was done on discord. i need to info dump a paragraph at someone about characters.

Jun 5, 2024 14:26:19 GMT traveller said:

This kind of comes across as a false dilemma. There's lots of things you could do if you feel you are "constantly being thwarted" from succeeding. "Ghosting" or quietly quitting or however you want to call it is one option, but it's not the only one.

i wouldn't say it's a false dilemma, though i wonder if maybe my word choice was poor because i'm not trying to speak in the absolutes of ghosting is the only other option to staying. i'm saying that it's one of the many potential reasons why people do ghost.

it's not a case of me being like "stop writing with your friends, stop having fun with people you know, you're ruining the community", etc. cliques happen, that's a fact (i'm sure i've found myself unintentionally becoming a part of ooc groups)! but personally speaking, it's one of the reasons i try to reach out to people who, for example, have plotters that haven't been replied to. we all have the ability to be a little more conscious, to maybe change our habits and behaviours, for the sake of a healthier community.

Jun 5, 2024 12:21:23 GMT traveller said:

Yeah, it's not like "write with everyone!" is a magic bullet solution that'll usher in an era of untold prosperity. But there are reasons people flake/ghost, and it's not always because they're wee cunts

yyyeahhh, imo ghosting is also a symptom of cliques forming in roleplay groups. nothing makes it harder to join or write on a site than a group of people who are exclusive and don't include others. and it always happens, i don't think there's a single site that doesn't have those kinds of people, but some are certainly worse offenders than others.

in those situations, when you're trying your best to be involved and are constantly being thwarted, what choice do you have other than to ghost?

not my last post but you know how it be!! i'm still incredibly proud of the whole piece itself.

So he stands over the body, stance wide, crimson dripping from his curled fingers—plip, plip, droplets landing on grey concrete—and his chest heaves for air, half-gasped like his lungs won’t fill quite right, like there’s a hole that has punctured him clean through. His vision swims in doubles, triples. His throat burns white hot, phosphorus flames licking the backs of his teeth. The spattering of blood on the grimy wall is as benign as trickle-down raindrops to the undercity; this is the norm.