I've been here for 4 years, and we're all kind of a big dysfunctional family in some ways, so I don't feel right about leaving without at least explaining myself. Consider my thoughts to be just that. This isn't a boycott, a petition form, or an excuse to call a Congressman. It's just my opinion, and since opinions are now seen as here as razor sharp nuclear weapons, I'll be brief and diplomatic as possible so as not to offend the perpetually offended.

The recent hardening of enforcement when it comes to discussion rules won't cure any existing hostility, in my opinion. If anything it will only pour gasoline on the fire. Why was the Gamergate thread locked? Well, because Fables said it's demeaning and doesn't add anything constructive to the issue nor to the improvement of relationships here. I could point out dozens of other threads that the exact same thing could be said about. Why aren't those threads locked? Easy answer. Because Fables is the community manager and what Fables says goes. The higher ups here have caved on the issue of 'hate speech' and say that anything being interpreted to offend anyone else's views or values can and will be censored. Good luck with that. It's virtually impossible to impose those kind of objective rules on what is by nature a subjective matter, that being human communication. Think about it. There's thousands of gog members, and people here hail from dozens of countries. We have Canadians, Brits, Germans, Italians, Koreans, Japanese, and even a few idiots from that big crazy land called the United States of America. I can't tell you how many times a point I've made has gone over heads, or how many times a joke I've made has fallen like a lead balloon. I don't get bent out of shape about it because I know I cannot control how others will interpret what I say. Even if we were all from the same goddamn village it would still be so. Humans are individuals, not bees or ants. We all have different opinions, and applying rules that everyone must love vanilla ice cream or we must all like the same kind of music is foolish and impossible. Same goes for politics, sex, and religion. But when I see the mods locking threads like the Gamergate thread, I see exactly that. The mods are 'laying down the law' that we must indeed like vanilla ice cream or a certain type of music. It is entirely lopsided and arbitrary by its very definition.

I don't have to like nor vote for Donald Trump in order to support a person's RIGHT TO DO SO. Same goes for any other topic that may be pondered and debated by human beings. It is not necessary to support a view in order to advocate for a person's right to it. And from what I've seen over the last few months, a chilling atmosphere of manipulation and mob rule has infected the forum to the point where the forum mods are now getting involved with their ever-changing ruleset that is both hard and fast and at the same time totally subject to change. How can it be both and yet neither at the same time? From my point of view, speech in this regard has two levels of proper supervision. Option 1 is do nothing and let everyone speak their mind, making it an important note to mention that if someone gets offended at something, that's their problem. So long as no one is being personally threatened or hacked, everything else is a go. Option 2 is the hard sell, with ALL hot topics being banned with absolutely ZERO tolerance for anything of a political, sexual, or religious context being allowed. In fact, ditch the general discussion altogether and make it clear that the gaming website of gog shall only allow gaming-related conversations to be had. I've certainly seen this option being taken at other sites.

Sadly, Gog is taking that rare 3rd option, which is to say, 'have whatever opinion you want but if you say anything here that offends someone else, we'll take that hard line with you and either warn you to shut your mouth or just ban you outright.' That is probably the worst approach of all, because all you end up doing is stifling speech, the rational and adult types will just walk away, and all you'll end up with a small group of sycophants who constantly knife each other in the back for the privilege of saddling up to those in positions of authority. This is a big mistake on Gog's part, as far as I'm concerned.

I've seen this happen at other websites and forums before, so it's all the more disheartening to see it happen here, because I really have seen this place as one of those last few corners of the internet where all people can share all opinions. It's like a big virtual wild west saloon where virtually anything goes, and for the most part it's been fun. The internet can be a great place. It's like traveling around the world, only without all the overpriced hotels and lost luggage. I've learned a lot and shared a lot with people from all over the planet Earth, and now, like so many other places, it's being taken away from us because of a small group of professional victims who are perpetually outraged at everything they disagree with. No names need to be mentioned. YOU KNOW OF WHOM I SPEAK.

So the velvet glove has come off to expose the iron fist. I get it. You can tell me I don't have a right to express an opinion here, but you can't take that opinion away from me. You can tell me I cannot disagree here on your platform, and you can take that platform away, but I still reserve the right to disagree. Do you understand that? I reserve the right to disagree and if a platform to do so will not be allowed, then I must go where my opinions and views CAN BE expressed... even if I must go somewhere and create my own. That's how important I view speech and a person's right to their own views and opinions. To those here who label others as bigots or hate mongers, I only ask that you look in the mirror once in a while, because if you actually try and define what hate and intolerance really is, you'll see that you are acting as the worst kind of all. Certain people here smell blood in the water and are jumping at the chance to shut down others who they disagree with. If that kind of atmosphere is fostered here, then the only thing that will come out of it is a ghost town. People will flee with this forum in all directions, and the only people here who remain will be the sycophants, the kiss-ups, and their external foe will transform into an internal one, and they'll continue the same cycle of conflict and name calling, only by that point anyone with a speck of humor or intelligence will have long gone. That's not a fate I'd ask on anyone, but it seems to be the one that this place is moving towards.

So enough words. I've spoken my mind. 4 years of sharing, laughing, and learning, all comes to an end with a mouse fart's worth of silence. I'm not a drama queen. No petitions needed. No fucking bra burning in the streets. I'll leave that to you offendo-trons who think that he who yells the loudest has the most to say. Bull fucking shit. You're all acting like a bunch of entitled, selfish little children. And I'm not foolist enough to demand that the same rules for Never-Never Land apply to the real world. Want to chat? Send me a DM where those harsh things called letters and words won't befall the ears of the oh-so thin skinned ones that parade around in their own vicious circles. Until then, you can catch my ass down the road.

P.S. Don't see this as a plea for Gog to change anything. It's not. I know better. And I don't care if they lock the thread either. In fact, I kind of hope they do. It will only add emphasis to my point.