Goodbye FAF

I don’t know what’s up with you. But in recent times I tend to get basically just negativity from your side. For every reply in terms of content, I get ten times as many with personal attacks or allegations, and pretty much just down-votes. The vocal part of your userbase predominantly yells at me and I’m a bystander while they yell at other people. Calls people names, a good chunk of a conversation will be on a personal level, you have that general suspicion of every German going on. Can’t accept any perspective on technology or politics other than something 100% aligned with your own.

You’re not all like that. I tried to find some nuance and people compatible with me. And there is/are some. It’s just not the general experience for someone like me at all. In cases I decide to speak up against what I think is bad behaviour, I get things like backlash and a crowd of apologetics who lecture me how I consented to basically everything, including what feels like being abused (to me), just on the basis that I (or other people) participate in a public internet forum. Other times I must write several paragraphs to pass some ideology check before we can talk about something like facts.

And frankly speaking… It sucks. We’ve now all being throwing poo at each other for a few weeks in what was a bigger fight. But it didn’t even start with this. I’ve been pondering over your approach towards people months ago. Dunno what the silent majority amongst you think about this, whether they’re indifferent towards it, enable it in some way, or whether they’re just silent… I’ve tried talking and learning, but there’s way too much poo coming my way while trying to conduct a conversation.

So… I’ve come to a realization: This ain’t my kind of party. I’m feeling uncomfortable. And judging by all the down-votes and allegations, I don’t think you like me to be on your party either. Maybe we’ve reached some mutual agreement here.

It was great while it lasted. Rest assured I had a blast on communities like Piracy: Sail the High Seas, sometimes on Ye Power Trippin’ Bastards… I’m gonna miss those. Thanks for putting up with me, for the people who did… But I’m gonna leave your party now. Palaver.p3x.de is going to stop federating with the FAF, effective tonight.

Best of luck, ask yourselves if the force is with you, or whether you draw power from hatred and rage. I honestly can’t tell. But that’s something you need to figure out yourselves. I’ll try to find my own path forward.