#29 - June 10, 2013, 11:55 p.m.
You know?
I asked the CM team the same question.
6 years ago.
Perception is an interesting thing. As is human nature when viewing past events.
I think this is worth bringing up. All it takes is a few negative experiences to cast an entire community in a negative light. The reality is that, from World of Warcraft's inception, there have always been rude, angry, dishonorable players. Fortunately, there have also always been friendly, warm, and generous players as well. The bell curve being what it is, I find that most fall somewhere in spectrum in between.
That said, I think it's accurate to say that, as human beings, we tend to remember and hold onto negative experiences far more readily than we do positive ones. Sharing our frustrations with others can be a cathartic experience in and of itself. There's a certain satisfaction is saying "Don't you hate it when?", and hearing other people echo your experience.
Maybe it's because I'm warm and friendly in my in-game interactions (I find that we often get what we give), but I feel it's important to point out that I have had (and witnessed) many positive interactions too. I try to make an effort to hold onto those and recall them when I'm confronted with someone who seems hostile and angry.
Having had almost a decade of experience with World of Warcraft and its players now, I think it's fair to say that people remain people, and I haven't noticed a significant change in the way that the community interacts among itself whether in-game or on the forums. If anything, people are a little more polite, friendlier, and less given to trolling, if you can believe that.
Regardless, while the specific means and venues in which we interact with each other change, I think it's fair to say that we'll always find players of all sorts.
