Let me try and sort some things out.
Removing the FB isn't a new idea, it has been brought up in the past over and over, and I personally was always there to tell people that the FB is here to stay and if they don't like it then they have the option to not read it.
This is true, however, it also hinges on the assumption that any and all flames are conducted on the FB. Clearly this is not the case.
I believe that compared to other boards QCDN has always been run with a low amount of overall moderation. I did consider this as a good thing, as there were no powermonger mods or admins around.
My opinion on the FB has since changed. I could go on and on as to how and why, but I don't believe those are important. The fact remains that I believe that people ought to treat each other decently, even if they have disagreements, and that the only way disagreements can be worked out among reasonable people is if there is a genuine interest in actually resolving the problem rather than to just add fuel to the fire.
The Flameboard, as is, does not foster such an environment. Furthermore the overall negativity displayed in most every FB thread once it passes the first page is essentially drowning any reasonable argument that has been or will be made.
It may seem as if the "news" that some players avoid QCDN has caused this thread, or the line of thought to remove the FB. This is not the case. I realize that there will always be players who will not like the service that is provided here. However, I have been thinking on what could be done about the what I would consider overall not all that friendly attitude that many display toward each other.
Removing the FB would be the first step, stricter moderation of existing forums to keep posts/threads with the established rules would be another step, permanently banning users who after a warning are unable to adjust their behavior to keep within the rules would be yet another step.
I am not out to get people, I am out to improve QCDN and make it a place where people come to share information, plan and achieve common goals, make profit (yeah, profit doesn't mean to screw people over, profit means win-win situation), while interacting in a climate of mutual respect.
I have said it elsewhere recently, respect is not earned in this case, it is given based on the common ground we have as FFXI players. Then, once people screw up, they lose that respect, and will have to work hard to regain it.
For far too long the attitude around here was that one doesn't treat another well unless a certain number of conditions were met (level, gear, friends, LS membership, whatever). This is simply no longer acceptable to me, and the upcoming changes will reflect that.
This is not a "running away" from the dark side of FFXI. There will still be venues to discuss stolen accounts, trade scammers, etc, but the Free-For-All the current FB provides will not be part of that.
