Retiring Announcement

*Brief content warning: decline in mental health and talk of on-site drama included*

Hey, WCC. I debated posting a member announcement detailing why I decided to step down (and ultimately away from WCC, at least for a few weeks), but after some thought and reflection, decided that hopefully it might do some good to share. This is also not intended to bring anyone down or hurt feelings, but more than anything to prevent it from happening again. I joined WCC when I was around eleven or twelve years old. WCC, in a way, had a hand in raising me in the absence of my parents. Whether intentionally or not, many members here played an active role in my childhood, taught me fundamental lessons, and helped me grow to be the person I am today. I can confidently say that without WCC, I would not be here, nor would I have gotten to where I am today. I still love WCC just as much as I did when I joined years ago, and want nothing but the best for this site and the community within it.

As a staff member of four years, there was no way I’d get around the inevitable drama and fall-outs that come with a community of any kind, and especially of this size. There are bound to be hurt feelings, arguments, and whatnot from time to time. I was also prepared to receive negative feedback and criticism on a more personal level, because ultimately you cannot please everyone every time, and not everyone will be your biggest fan. All of the above were something I knew and accepted when I joined the team. However, in the past year or two and in a few isolated incidents prior, things have absolutely gotten out of hand. Under no circumstances should a staff member (or anyone, for that matter) be receiving physical threats of harm, called slurs or other names of any sort, or have to genuinely worry for their safety/the safety of their sensitive information. These are all things that staff members, some of which were minors at the time these events occurred (including myself), have had to deal with in my tenure as a moderator and an administrator.

Simply put, this is absolutely ridiculous behavior and it needs to stop. A number of my former teammates have been put through the ringer trying to please as many people on site as they could, and to make the right decisions under pressure, only to be called names, talked down on, and shamed. That isn’t to say that staff always makes the perfect calls or that they never do anything wrong, because from time to time that does take place. But it is important to understand that staff members are people who volunteer their valuable time to better the site and community and ensure that things run smoothly- ordinary people who do extraordinary things because they care. I cannot count on both hands the number of teammates who have stepped down and/or away from the site because the stress of it, largely caused by drama and unnecessary pressures. It is the number one reason staff members leave- staff members that did great work on the site, and could have continued to do had these unfair circumstances not taken place. To hurl insults, slurs, threats, and more at selfless individuals who want nothing more than to better the community they love is absurd. Even when mistakes are made or things go south, understanding and kindness are the bare minimum, and even that became rare at times.

Additionally, please keep in mind that things happen behind the scenes that the site as a whole may not be aware of, and that can influence decisions that the team makes. Before attacking someone for something you perceive as an unpopular decision, ask yourself if there are better ways to go about it- or better yet, reach out to members of the staff team and ask questions (politely) if you feel something is sideways or might need further explanation. Don’t jump to conclusions or assume the worst. In what world is the correct response to a decision you do not like flooding an anonymous comment section with slurs, insults, and swearing, spamming public places with inappropriate content, or harassing staff members before they are given the opportunity to address things?

As I’m sure you can guess, the things I stated above are the reason I’ve decided to step down as well. Unfortunately, those things became too frequent and too harsh for me to continue to handle on a near-daily basis. Instead of the safe place and escape that WCC used to be, I dreaded logging on and it became a constant battle in my head over taking care of myself and tending to my obligations. I was consistently receiving anonymous comments berating me not only as a staff member and an RPer, but as a person. I received countless comments saying that I needed to leave the site, that I was worthless as a team member and high rank and couldn’t be worse at my job. Occasionally, I’d even get DMs/comments from throwaway accounts with things I’d not dare repeat. That, combined with other real-life circumstances and events, landed me in a very poor position in terms of my mental health and wellbeing. After a brief stay in the hospital and continued mental health care, I am doing a little better, and recognize that remaining a part of the staff team and site as a whole is just not in my best interest at this time- and that’s okay. However, what isn’t okay is that this is a continued occurrence with no end in sight.

WCC, please put effort into making this community more sustainable for the staff members who keep it up and running. Give them grace and understanding, and trust that you are in good hands- because you are. I will be the first to admit that over time, staff has made some poor judgements and dropped the ball. It is bound to happen, because nobody is perfect. In those moments, instead of choosing aggression or hatred, choose to be honest, kind, and constructive. In the end that will get you far closer to your desired outcome than being negative or unkind, and all parties will come out of the situation feeling happier and more fulfilled. Again, I love this community and want nothing but the best for it. That will only be achieved if individuals within the community wish the same- ultimately, the community can make or break itself.

As for my characters:
Briarstar fell behind on the way to Fourtrees after the Earthquake, and was abducted by a Twoleg soon after. Nobody knows of her predicament, but many assume the worst.
In the frenzy that followed the Earthquake, Nightbird got lost and has not been seen since.
Hyacinth and Olivepaw went missing amidst the chaos.

Love always, Maple