The Sacred Space. (Destiny)

by INSANEdrive, ಥ_ಥ | f(ಠ‿↼)z | ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ| ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, Thursday, October 29, 2020, 13:21 (1275 days ago) @ Ragashingo

At the end of the day, DBO is basically dead. And it's not any one person's fault. The internet has changed a lot, even since Destiny's launch. People prefer larger groups like Reddit... but you know what? This place hasn't even tried to be alive or welcoming in a long time. It takes dedication and effort and a special spark to remain relevant in this day of FaceTube groups and InstaTweets and TumblingRedditors... and we don't have it here. If we don't stand out in some way, if we aren't overwhelmingly welcoming, or don't show some special expertise or experience or aspect that's hard to find elsewhere... then why are we here other than inertia?

I am about to speak of some most-subtle shades. Hopefully I can do it justice this evening.

I think you have made a mistake in the same way as Cody often does. Where-in, the truth you speak (as there must be some) fights the change before ones self. This is neither good nor bad, but is often (in my observation) a source of strife. A self considering the changes around it that can not be controlled. The mistake comes when that rigidity blinds a person from concepts they can't consider under such a mindset. A prison of each individuals own making, as if thar be dragons upon that edge!

This becomes particularly interesting when as I mention, in reading your full post, I can't help but over all agree. Shoot, I've made plenty of posts through the years here and there with concerns of this community and site. How many times did I talk about the Front Page becoming totally dormant? Or how the style of posts and language had changed? Of the things we spoke about?

In retrospect, many of the posts here have come due to the many MANY ups and downs we've (I'd say for most of us) experienced through Destiny in all its forms. For many of us, who've never played a WoW or Everquest, we found ourselves grappling with the concept of a "Live Game". A living changing digital space. A not so much never ending story, that at times came out half baked, but an experience. That's the biggest mistkae we made, that we were forced to make. Bungie made Stories, than put them into game form. That's how they got fans in the first place. Destiny The Game isn't that. It's an experience, with stories to guide that experience. Built from not of one cohesive collective mind, but of many individual ones... pushing and pulling it like salt water taffy. The Devs have their say, and... at times, the fans have a say as well.

And we all chip in.

And we all put it out there.

At times what we write is joy, of fun had, but often its been of the pains. The things we find off-putting. Because we can, and at one point, because we hoped Bungie would see it and make that change. Or better yet, in a few cases, had a conversation with a Dev. We were very spoiled at one point, having folks who work at Bungie make posts here. Can't recall the last time that has happened. When it felt like Bungie was part of the community. A small town, around the world. Fans and creators at the same table.

Yet, in this now, so many of those sacred spaces are gone. The little groups, the internet fan clubs of yester-year have but faded away. Changed, as things will. The chorus has grown so large now that it can be only through hope or inertia that we sing, hoping it can be heard. Hoping it really is making a difference in the sound of the song.

Which of course brings us back to here, where at times it has seemed to me that the peeling paint was a warning no one with the power to change it cared about. A strong, perhaps at times lazy philosophy of "leave it as it lle" and "do it yourself if you care to". I can read about Beorns idea of API initrgration, and know(?) it didn't happen because... why? We do well enough without it. Why add light.gg integration, when we can just link to the site? Why give the underline function a button, or give users the ability to highlight subjects and turn them into >quote formatting without having to do it line by line manually? If they care enough, they will do it themselves.

It just can feel like no one cares. But...

What this site has, that no where else can really give in the same, is Truth. Nothing so pure... let's not get carried away, but despite criticisms, this place is special. Both beautiful, and ugly. I expect it shall be as long as Wu can keep it special. Not from calculation, but by what to him feels right. And hey! By and large it has worked. For many many years. But some folks just can't deal with that. Some folks just want the roses with out the thorns. Maybe that's you, I do not know.

I would like to conclude with... I can't recall the last time I played with you in Destiny? You speak of "one man can not carry a community" but... where ARE YOU? You are more than welcome to join. Our little slice of the community is here, it has just... changed.