Forum Squared

Hello everyone. I am Chess Socialism, and I am influential in TET/F7 according to this dispatch (this is a reference, I'm not actually pretending to be an authority on this matter). TET is (or was?) a general community thread that has been serving the folks of NationStates General for the better half of, what, fourteen or fifteen years? I've been very, very active on it and I feel like, as an observer to the recent spam that has engulfed the eternal thread, with people who I would consider acquaintances talking about it, I feel it would be beneficial to state my public opinion. As the public thread in Moderation has been locked, I must write my feelings here. If you have any further concerns or opinions with my stated position, do not feel afraid to telegram me.

What I want to make clear right now is that I'm not an innocent person. I've been sure to cut down on myself and catch myself in the act, but I am not infallible. I would like to begin this by stating and sincerely apologizing for that. Going forward, I will do better and I believe we all need to hold ourselves to this same standard. Change begins with recognition. If you don't know you're doing anything wrong, you're not gonna change and you're gonna think it's ridiculous to change. I should also make my bias aware that I am sympathetic toward the newer users. I believe we should meet people who don't understand the rules of this forum with kindness and a willing to help. When I first joined, I did not understand the rules either, but I did get accompanied to them and I became how I'd describe myself a productive user many people genuinely look up to. I think we can meet the new users with this same kindness I was met with, and I think with that kindness they too can become productive individuals. But there will be people who refuse to understand this. I think we should work on giving grace to people, but grace will never be an infinite resource and I do not expect the folks who have been here for longer to never put their foot down.

It is important to understand in our bereavement of the thread, even if permanently, that this is not a spontaneous action by modstaff. In fact, there was a (shorter) break between 208 and 209, thus I do not want to see people saying that this was without any sort of warning. It wasn't. That's what is most important to acknowledge, this isn't baseless. It's depressing, not baseless, and justified. I feel sad that TET is gone for the time being and so can you, but I understand why it happened.

If or when we return from break, I hope we do better, and I know I am committing myself to doing better. Slip ups happen, we're not perfect, but they should be manageable.

Irene "Chess Socialism"