Viva la Redwall Abbey Forum!

[SandyB]

I'm just want to say that I think that this forum is quite possibly the best site in the Redwall Online Community. Now I've been around for a while and I have sampled the atmosphere of several Redwall online forums and I've gotta say this is one of the best ones.

What I'm going to do is just give you guys my perception on what I mean. First I'm gonna explain the better sites.

The Golden Leaf Inn - This was my first dabbling into the ROC and everybody on the whole were OK. Granted you did occasionally get the odd "hardcore" fan who tried to get their interpretation of the Redwall series as doctrine (for lack of a better word). By that I mean on one occasion I posted a post about Slagar and his character and one hard-core fan said something about how the forum wasn't set in the time period that Mattimeo took place in (whatever that meant). Still, everyone was pretty accepting and I managed to have some really good conversations about the series. It was the benchmark on what the ROC should be.

The same could be said for Starfire's Redwall Forum. Looking back it was one of the better sites/forums. As long as you stuck to the rules about posting and stuff, but that's par for the course.

Right, with the good examples out of the way, let's look at the bad. I will be talking at length about why I didn't like them.

Redwall Fanfiction Board - Referred to by users as the "RFF" (don't ask me why) had to be  where the most negative aspects of the ROC and Redwall fandom as a whole ended up. The content of the fan-fiction included foul language, sexual innuendo and in the worst cases even sexual activity. On the RFF, it seemed anything was game. And if that wasn't enough, the users were even worse.

Now you guys should know me by now, I'm a "Happy-Go-Lucky" sort of guy and I tried to reflect that in my posts. However, there were some people on the RFF who came across as the most cynical, moody and sarcastic people on the planet! Why? Because they thought it made them look cool. There I was just being me and when users realised that I wasn't gonna fall in line with their way of thinking, it opened me up to be on the receiving end of the worst flaming and trolling I've ever received. In the end, I gave up on the RFF and left. And if that wasn't enough, a good bulk of the users didn't even KNOW what the Redwall Series was! Every so often, there would be posts in the Redwall related boards which ranged from "Who's this Brian Jacques guy?" and "what the **** is Redwall?" Do not google this forum. I don't want to give this online madhouse any traffic. Maybe it's cleaned up it's act by now, I don't know I haven't been anywhere near it in ten years, and I pretty much doubt it has.

Long Patrol Forum - Again, a shining example of what the ROC should've been. Moderated effectively and a place where every Redwall fan could express their views without fear of trolling and every user had a say... that was up until Sept 11 2001 (I'm not gonna go into a political discussion about that date. I've done that before and have had some pretty heated debates about it. This is about what happened to the forum after that date).

Granted, I realise that what happened on that day in New York was a terrible shock to the system, not just for Americans but for a lot of other people around the world too. But after that day the chief moderator grew ever more suspicious about Anti American sentiment. Even his parent "Long Patrol" website had an article about the WTC. Which I found really bizarre, article after article about Brian Jacques' tour dates, upcoming release dates for his newest book and an article he entitled "Cowardice". I agree that everybody has the right to freedom of speech on the internet, but I strongly believed that a Redwall forum was the wrong place to discuss this.

Granted, I know I wasn't the best role model for restraint on the LPF. I was a teenager back then and I gotta admit I had an attitude problem. I would openly challenge the chief mod on his own issues and I guess my banning was inevitable. But for him, the final straw was when I said something - I'm NOT gonna repeat it here - and next thing I knew I was banned. But, blames due where it's due and guess after all he was not in the right frame of mind to deal with me any more.

A couple of years afterwards, I met an old LPF user on Starfire's Forum. She told me that she got banned too. For what? Having a "No War in Iraq" banner as her signature. I was also told of how - after I was banned - the chief mod would scour everybody's posts, forum profiles and signatures for ANYTHING he thought of as anti-American. This shocked me greatly and even scared me.

Sorry if this post is against current forum guidelines. I did not mean to offend or bad-mouth and if I have offended somebody, I'm very, very sorry. All I wanted to do was make a comparison with this forum and some others I was a part of.

Rant over now. If you'll excuse me, I have a fan-fiction story to write. Take care all!

[Rusvul]

Hmmf. I think this site is the friendliest website I've ever seen or been a part of. As far as I've seen, there's been no serious flaming, bullying, trolling, or inappropriate content. The few clearly offensive things I've seen here were unintentional and quickly fixed. I've seen no swearing, except rarely and mildly, in context. I've only seen one debate that went badly- And there's been quite a few debates here. There's many interests, and even ones that might conflict don't. Everybody here understands that not everybody should/does believe, do, think, feel, and be what they are. Compare that to much of the internet- You don't think the same way I do, you're an idiot. You don't believe the same thing I do, you're going to suffer the religious punishment that is part of my religion. You don't play the same games I do, you're stupid because my game is obviously better. You don't like the same things I do, you're wrong and I'm right.
Seriously, why are people like that anywhere?

[Dannflower Reguba]

Because, I hate to say it, people are stupid.

     Let me explain. We can build cars that break the sound barrier, ok. We can build computers that can calculate data in minutes that would take us weeks to sort through, uh huh. We can do so many cray things... But what we can't do is change our nature. What's your first reaction when someone disagrees with you? If you're honest, you'd say, "You're wrong, I know what I'm talking about." It's part of our nature, how we've been cultivated to think. Here, on this forum, we have an assemblage of people that are willing to stuff a cork in our first instincts and consider the possibility that someone else has more knowledge than ones self. I personally believe that is partially because we are made up of a group of people who read books. A weird statement, yes, but just think about it. Almost everyone uses an electronic device to do their reading, almost all screens by now. This is because most people travel the path of least resistance. A person that reads a book of their own free will displays a less common nature to dig deeper (because books seem to have a special depth not captured by electronic devices).

I feel like I made that ridiculously confusing.  Sorry, that wasn't very well worded. Best I can do right now though. 

[Rusvul]

No, that makes sense. I don't actually read books all that much at this point, (Partly because I do a lot of computer gaming, partly because I don't have any books that I haven't read, and the library almost always involves waiting. I have a relatively short attention span. By the time the book that I put on hold is ready for me, I've already started reading the next series.) although when I do read books that I haven't read at least three times before, I really really enjoy it.
Wow. Was that whole thing as tangenty as I think it is?

Another factor, I think, is the type of people that would enjoy Redwall. Redwall emphasizes comradeship and honor, in the same way that you're unlikely to find a mean Brony, I think you're also unlikely to find a Redwall fan who would hurt someone else intentionally, for any reason other than something extremely important.

[Dannflower Reguba]

No, that makes sense. I don't actually read books all that much at this point, (Partly because I do a lot of computer gaming, partly because I don't have any books that I haven't read, and the library almost always involves waiting. I have a relatively short attention span. By the time the book that I put on hold is ready for me, I've already started reading the next series.) although when I do read books that I haven't read at least three times before, I really really enjoy it.
Wow. Was that whole thing as tangenty as I think it is?

Another factor, I think, is the type of people that would enjoy Redwall. Redwall emphasizes comradeship and honor, in the same way that you're unlikely to find a mean Brony, I think you're also unlikely to find a Redwall fan who would hurt someone else intentionally, for any reason other than something extremely important.

     Very much so agreed on my part, your excellent point is actually applicable to most book series for the same reason I mentioned above, just a little different. If an author is going to a full-on publisher to get their book in print (as opposed to just throwing it out on the internet) they obviously place some value in their book to the point that they're willing to do some work to get it out there for others to read.

Again, excellent point, I hadn't thought about that part.

[Gonff the Mousethief]

Just be glad we haven't turn into those sites!

[Tiria Wildlough]

Yeah, I hope we never do. Not on my watch. T.T

[MeadowR]

This is definitely a positive forum for members! It's run by mature people and its ruling is fair. I may or may not have joined a Redwall forum or site about 10 years ago but I really can't remember well enough and so clearly didn't stick around long. I need no other Redwall forum while this one's about.

[The Skarzs]

I think the worst to happen here are jokes that went too far or someone took it the wrong way.

Debating touchy subjects have come up, but are usually ended on pretty good terms.

Arguments on different ideas and such will happen, for they are inevitable wherever one goes, but have been resolved by third parties usually, such as a mod or a person either one trusts.

A few crude jokes and whatnot have happened, but not often after the results affected.

Besides these, there has been nothing much to note as far as I can tell. This forum has a very friendly atmosphere.

[BadgerLordFiredrake]

Agreed, even compared to other, also more mature communities.  We've never had wars, any hating on each other, nothing that bad.  Some small things develop into jokes, but those are pretty benign.

[The Skarzs]

Indeed.

[Wylder Treejumper]

Aye. This forum is a place where people respect each other, and are willing to give their views but accept that everyone sees things differently. Tis the best forum I've ever read, and the only one I've been willing to join.

[Cornflower MM]

I Googled the RFF, and oh my Hades! Just looking at one topic for five minutes! One person had their E-mail address right out there for everyone to see! Not to mention that there seemed to be some sort of club-ish thing. Everyone knew each other! Which, if you ask me, seems kinda dumb. I like comning here because:

I get to talk to new people,
I get to talk to friends who live in England, or Texas, or just places I won't be going any time soon, (I'm sure some of you know who are you are...)
I get to make new friends
Everyone's so nice and friendly

And so on and so forth. But that place? BLECK! Thankfully for people who haven't been warned, that place seems to be inactive.

[Lady Amber]

I think this forum is awesome! Everyone is nice and friendly and it's just fun to be on!

[The Skarzs]

I Googled the RFF, and oh my Hades! Just looking at one topic for five minutes! One person had their E-mail address right out there for everyone to see!

~~~~~~~~~~

And so on and so forth. But that place? BLECK!

Better wash your hands.