Listen, people aren't going to get along, it is our nature. There really isn't a reason we need to pretend to love each other and want to hold hands. It's only going to keep your true feelings bottled up and people can only take so much of hypocrisy. However, I do concede going full-blown, all-out like I have in the past is also not the answer. There has to be a middle ground. That's the same thing that usually makes democracy work - agree to disagree.

There is such thing as doing something for the "good" of the community. But that does not mean sacrifice your identity and your personal opinion. People will tell you it is "common sense" in deciding what you should say and what you shouldn't say, but I say there is no such thing as "common sense". Why would so many people fail to adhere to it if it was so "common"? Great mystery, indeed.

Fans, even webmasters, will not get along some of the time. There will be grudges, there will be groups against each other - it's just the way it has always been. We're humans, and fighting to rid this is, of course, against our nature. Yet, to neglect it is to subject ourselves to anarchy. There has to be a way, as I said, to moderate this all. Agreeing to disagree allows us to acknowledge each others differences, but to also respect them. Respect is something I think is thrown aside too often in fan communities. People take things for granted too much.

The beginning of building this bridge to the middle ground begins with communication. I know that each webmaster has their own reason for starting their fan site. For money. For fame. For the love of the game. For technical practice. For creative practice. Whatever the reason, they are all equally valid and worthy reasons. For it is called a fan site because it is made by a fan for their own enthusiasm. We, as viewers, can comment on this concept, but we have no right to try to convince them what they are doing is wrong or should change.

The lone exceptions are when fans commit crimes against each other. The two most common instances, as we like to cite, are theft and site wars. Well, let me give my two cents on theft. It's never going to stop. You can only do so much. And ask yourself - how much of the content on your site is even yours? Sure, you may have scanned that artwork, or recorded that screen shot - but do you have permission? Do you really have the right to use it? We love to argue fair use - yet when somebody takes our OWN works, and uses them with credit or in an original way - we are up in arms.

Again, hypocrisy. The other problem we always cite is site wars. Most of this is started because of egos, yes. It can be over content, over who's more popular, or who is doing better. And you know what - who cares? By that, I mean we, as spectators, should shut up. It's competition. It's natural. Let it go. Let people get it out of their systems, and then when it ends, go about your business. Still, sometimes it will end with a longstanding grudge being formed. Sometimes this happens. We deal with it everyday offline - with stereotypes and other prejudices. We're a subjective race, and we stick with what we like, and avoid what we don't. We form strong opinions - that's who we are.

So what am I asking? I'm asking you all, and myself, to just take a chill pill. Is this all so important to get so worked up about? To create life-long enemies over? Honestly, this is all supposed to be fun. I understand people get mad, I understand people have opinions. Everyone's a critic. But, just try and give some respect, even to the little guys just starting out.

This "unified" community business isn't happening. It shouldn't. However, we can help foster a more respectful community, in which people and sites can be "divided", but they still show a mutual respect for one another to serve the "greater good" - for the good of the community.

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