User:Etzan/Resolving the crisis

I feel like enough time has elapsed since before last week's debacle that we can begin to talk about it again. In the immediate aftermath, some very meaningful ideas and questions were discussed as to how we could fix this, but sadly no action has been taken. The issue has been swept under the rug, but the problem remains. This is the fault of nobody; I admit that I also wanted nothing more than for the issue to go away completely. I ran away from it, I hid, and there were times when I did not want to look back. After much thought and reflection, I have decided that I want to tackle this problem, not for my own sake, but for the good of the wiki and that of our community.

With that in mind, I hope to front a few solutions Wormy and I came up with last weekend. They will work within the current framework of things as they are and make no drastic changes, but will hopefully bring our fracturing community back from the brink with time.


 * 1. Before last week's event led to the severing of almost all fiction ties between the MCA user faction and that of the Xonexi Allies. Retcons were made, fictions were canceled, and the state of many collaborations between the two are still unknown, but are nearly considered to be dead in the water. At this point, the universe might as well exist in two separate realities, with a few fortunates awkwardly traversing between the two. I think we can all agree that this is a sad development, and I have heard many express a desire to return to the days where the Gigaquadrant felt like a whole, rather than a set of isolated enclaves. However, the fictionverse has grown from a mere eight writers to somewhere in the dozens, making collaboration difficult, especially with the innovative styles and preferences we have each developed over our time here. That is why "factions," which is really just a pejorative term for a group of friends who enjoy writing with one another and who have similar interests and styles, are here to stay.
 * This leads me to conclude that we need to focus on improving relations between user factions, notably between the MCA and Xonexi groups. How? We need to get them writing again. I suggest a collaborative writing project we can all agree upon that will get us to talk to one another again. This project can be anything we want, hopefully including as many people from both sides as want to get involved. We don’t even need to limit it to the two factions, but some focus is necessary. Since I’m proposing the idea, I thought it might be best that the MCA group get first-choice on what the project is, though it should hopefully be something we can all enjoy and equally take part in. My hope is that we would be able to get to know each other better through this project and become acquainted with each other’s styles a bit more. Ultimately, my dream would be to use this as a springboard into each others’ worlds. I myself have never tried party-based collaborative writing where a motley crew battles gods and demons, and I have a feeling that I would really like it given the chance. I would also love to introduce others to the thrill and suspense of Katar-style writing. I realize that this is far off, but we have so much to offer one another. Is this not a goal worth working for?
 * 2. Distrust and mislike between factions still very much exists, especially in the aftermath of what happened. We all hold grudges against one another for what was said and done, myself included. If solution #1 is to work, we need to agree to put that behind us. From this moment on, I will make no accusations, nor will I attempt to explore what happened in order to figure out who was more at fault. What happened happened, and arguing about it will only lead to more anger, frustration, and mistrust between all involved. I hope that we can all sign on to this pledge. I am under no illusion that we can instantly forgive one another––it will take time––but knowing that we are all working diligently towards the same goal is paramount to making this work. It is also a vital component of trust. 
 * 3. Finally––this more directly relates to me––Cyrannian and I need to sit down and be brutally honest with one another. This does not need to happen immediately, but it must be done. Otherwise, the bad blood between us will never go away. We both very likely harbor misconceptions about the other which hamper our ability to work together, or really be in the same chat room at the same time. I understand that we will never truly be friends after all that we’ve been through, but I hope to understand him better, and him me.

I have spoken to everyone in the Xonexi group, and we unanimously agree with the principles and actions proposed above. We are ready to commit to it and hope for a positive response from other factions.