I've noticed a lot of unrest on the forums lately, and although some of it may be justified, IMHO there should never be a place for bashing others, name-calling and other barbarisms between strangers. Yes, I know this is the internet, I wasn't born yesterday. Perhaps it's the sheer chaos of this place that makes me long for peace and civility.

So I've lit my fire in the middle of a woodland clearing, I'm going to spend some time here relaxing next to it... there will be no sides or wars around the fire, only people remembering the good days. You're welcome to grab a blanket and help yourself to some of that drowner stew I'm making.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAAVbFToD10

Nice +1

Great thread. There are issues that need addressing but the toxicity isn't cool. We can discuss things like adults.

Also, great choice on the music.

Great! Thanks.

Just to be clear, it's not my compilation, merely one I enjoy. The Witcher series and its music always brings back good memories, and besides, some good tunes are always needed by the fire :).

I 'member.

*takes a seat*

'Tis the forest here, sir, and that log you've propped yourself on looks mighty uncomfortable! You're lucky I have a large scale map of Velen we can sit and play Gwent on.

*takes a seat*

GUNSHIP - When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies [Official Music Video]

Thanks for the memories (takes a deep breath)! Good times.

It's the same in many parts of the internet: too much politics/conflict/stances in OT topics promoted by users/implied by platforms/"leeked" as simply overwhelming as breaking news/exceptional cirumstances/broad culture trends.

But this, combined with a) polarisation and oversimplifying and b) using OT etiquette to overlook replies to issues and attritions that were already there
causes fragmentation into tight, close-minded rival groups with mutually exclusive but similarly unfriendly, rigid, hostile principles at the core. How can a forum or a community in general can't be bitter with these forces around?

I hid my swords and the bow a bit away from here; only kept my hunting knife on me. May I join?

I will put the kettle on. Who takes tea?

Yeah, I forgot my folding chair, oh well.

I'll gladly take you up on that offer.
My Gwent is rather rusty, but it'll be fun nonetheless.

I use divide et impera when looking at "communities", "society" or other type of black box groups. So for the sake of it let's say that a community made out of cultured and decent folk from all walks of life and political beliefs can still get along, assuming: a) they respect each other b) realize they're only here (aka in this reality) for a short amount of time and there are more important things than arguing over nothing c) they're not on a warpath or particularly focused on being polarized and looking at the world in terms of "us vs them".

Barring psychopaths or people with a vested interest in arguing and causing uproar, we can get along and agree about the simple good things in life at least. What about all the other issues? I'll pull a cliche out of my magic hat: let's agree to disagree and behave - contrary to what you may believe, diverging opinions don't hurt anybody, actions do.

I guess we can liken this way of looking at things to the famous "witcher neutrality".

Ah, a brewer. Fortune shines on us today. I'll have some mint tea, please... helps with the left over scent after that drowner stew.

The taste of mint goes well with game meat.

It's a quite thin layer of civility to distinguish between actions and words. It can also easly be invoked with a double standard. Words are actions. Not in the censorship-oriented meaning of it, but as words have consequences if they
have a certain motive and energy to them (and again, that's different than approving of someone who gets offended to appear as being right). "Divide et impera" does not help to have a comprehensive picture: you get parts. When parts are not united by some overarching common custom (which can be many things) they make their difference "absolute enough" to overlook similarities and a community is no more, not even the topic or ideas that it is based on and probably those groups still have in common matter anymore, since they fade when disrespect emerges.
Civility/decency is not enough, it's mostly surface. Respect is deeper. But I suspect you and I too, word choices aside, actually agree 90%