I really, really didn’t want my first Status of the year to be rough, but well, it’s going to be. Disclaimer as this is kind of my way of venting and not necessarily directed at any person(s) in particular as that seems to be a concern. This time its just observations that I’ve noticed over the last few months and collectively just want to talk about.
Social Media Paradox
At this point, I am pretty much done/permanent hiatus from social media. My link for Mastodon will still be maintained here, but… I’m basically done. I may come back when Donald Trump leaves office once and for all, but until then I just don’t have it in me. I did try to give it one real good push back in the fall of 2024, but everyone was just so… angry. There was almost nothing positive or productive being talked about – not none, just minimal at best. Most of my interaction was either dismissed or cold shouldered, which I assume was my own doing for leaving for a near year, so I knew my time was done. Again not all, just… not a lot.
That in itself is very disheartening as I have met so many wonderful people on social media from both Twitter and Mastodon. The thought of poking around on Bluesky has crossed my mind (realizing I know that backtracks my original thoughts on it), but it sounds like the follower count craze and exhausting clout chasing exist there too. Not to mention the perpetual anger that the internet has gladly come to embrace. I just don’t have the time or energy to spend on all of it.
Anger, Anger, Anger
Why.. just… Why!? Why is there so much anger out there now? Look I get the world is not a friendly place currently, but why add to it!? When I mean kick tails, I mean get out there and make a difference! Take that anger and use it for something good! It becomes so tiring to keep seeing this over and over and over again. Make the cycle stop, please. This also has bled into Final Fantasy XIV…
The above was from a Jeuno raid that I, personally, did. The poor feller was having a rough evening, and let’s be real for a moment EVERYONE HAS THIS HAPPEN. I do not care if one has ran the content 1,000 times or once, you’re going to mess up. Bashing & bullying someone this harshly is garbage behavior. Miss Laureine had a similar incident happen where her party’s tank was kicked in a World of Warcraft fashion for messing up a mechanic. She, of course, did not vote yes to kick, but it still went through all because someone was having a petty tantrum about the mistake.
Do not take one’s own anger, go into a piece of party content, and do this. Just… go play something on your own please until you can come play nicely with the rest of us who usually are wanting to have a fun time after a long day’s work. It’s not just this either, there’s been a lot of coldness in group content as well, and from someone who has been around since Stormblood, it makes it a lot harder to want to continue to play a game that I/we have enjoyed for such a long time.
Other whispers of anger being directed at Dawntrail itself is also incredibly exhausting. If one doesn’t like the content, just don’t play. I will never understand why this is such a difficult thought to process. I honestly don’t like the current MSQ either, but there’s parts of Heavensward, Stormblood, Endwalker, and yes even Shadowbringers (albeit very minor) that I didn’t like as well. I still play nearly daily because I enjoy the game regardless – even the parts I disliked I knew would eventually lead into a part I did. So please shush about this and move on – I am so tired of hearing doomsaying nearing the level of WoW: Cataclysm. The mention of lack of content is mind boggling – there’s so much to do; so unless one has been around since A Realm Reborn, I can’t see how it all has been tackled.
Content creators and even folks who write articles in regards to XIV that I used to enjoy are starting to slip down this slope too, it’s all just… so tiring to see.
I was going to add a couple more things, but I stopped myself, as it just wasn’t helpful energy. I know it’s really rough for a lot of folks out there right now; really I truly get it. There’s a ton of anger floating out there about what to do, but please just take a moment and remember we’re all having our own battles, and just to lend out a hand or an ear can go such a long way – far more so than a fist or harsh words. Please, hug people, tell them it will be alright, and get together to kick a lot of tails.
We all got this in the end and it will be beautiful.
Keep kicking lots of tail!
That chat interaction is so sad. I hope other people did not pile on also.
I hope lots of positive things are in store.
Thankfully no, and two of us went up to the poor feller giving him hugs and dotes after it concluded. I was so upset.