[matt_st3 (Strongrule)]

I would definitely argue that the lack of drama posts is more to do with the lack of drama than the rep system being gone. Nothing has really happened since that last incident that's big enough to warrant any large-scale drama. The amount of time between that piece of drama and the one before that was a good many months, too, so I don't think correlation can be definitively inferred based on that. I do definitely think less people just commonly get on and browse the forums and engage as much, save for a few threads here and there, but obviously I have no analytics to base that off.

I do understand the negatives of rep manipulation, but I don't really get the issue with mass -1s, in terms of rules or...ethics, I guess? Like if many people disagree with something, it'll get -1s, and that's generally what's happening. If it's all on the same post and not breaking off into every single thing someone says or going back to previous posts, I just don't really get the issue. But I probably do have a bigger separation between feelings online versus actual feelings than some so that might just be a me thing, but being mass -1'd never really made me feel much in the negative. It's probably just one of those things that rands don't understand, but I just feel like it should just let to do its thing without really needing moderated unless someone outwardly complains, either on their behalf or someone else's, but that's just my opinion on it. Since there isn't actual words being expressed by someone when they -1, I guess it just feels like focusing on it more than when someone complains would be just busy work more than anything.

this entire response is a mess idk what im saying im tired -rep

The correlation I’m drawing is based on the people who have been active since; like I said it’s multiple aspects at play. Many of the same people that caused the most headache with the system happen to also argue for it and have been absent. Not to include the one off idiots that made up the majority of mass -1 regardless of who it was. Also not to say that those present arguing for it are among that grouping, but rather to say that many of our dramatic members have been silent from other issues and the fact that there is less to keep them around. I don’t say that the rep system gone means less drama threads, but that several changes were made including the removal of the rep system that both prevents them from causing issues and takes some of the incentives out of it.

I’d have to look at some of the analytics to be sure, as I have not this month, but initially there was not a major change to the actual activity of the forum, more so a drop in posting from several regulars and a drop for the holidays. I do not think the removal of the rep system is dropping out activity, but a fair argument is that the forums are moving away from the social center of dinks. The discord has a set team and many new additions that bolster it, while also the new players are not used to forums as much these days. Social apps dominate the communication now so discord is a natural social draw. Take into account to that many steps and changes I have made are to structure the formal side of the forums, which is what I picture as the site’s main purpose these days. That said, I have noticed a pleasant uptick in members from non ttt servers and a lot of positive feedback to threads I would have previously expected to be trolled. 

Any argument beginning with “well I don’t feel this way so it must not be” holds little value in my eyes. There are always multiple sides to events, and to discount a view because you aren’t part of it is folly. I will continue to take in all views for another month before bringing the topic up the admins again, tho I cannot ignore what I and others see as positive movement for the forums as much as I cannot ignore the views that miss the rep system. Many people use it differently, and some have used it to negatively impact the community or as positive feedback to their negativity. I will weigh them all with admins as best I can, from here the poll and elsewhere.