NYPD on Twitter: "We regret to inform that Desmond Amofah aka Etika has been found deceased." (See guidelines before posting)

[NoName999]

You mean of course people repeatedly ignored everyone who is more familiar than they are with mental illness telling them that his behavior was an example of mental illness? Because, sure. That happened.

And now is a really good time for those people to reevaluate their own ignorance, the possibly very hateful and hurtful things they said about Etika and people who might be going through similar things, and challenge their own perspective. It's definitely true that some bad actors are trying to target Era over this, but that doesn't mean posters who showed their asses should take that as a free pass to avoid introspection. It's possible to be on the right side in several cases and wrong in others and vice versa.

A whole lot of people have been wrong about this topic and trying to hide behind the other instances where they're right doesn't fix it.

Click to shrink...

I think you misinterpreted my point. What's done is done; calling everyone out for trying to change for the better, just because we didn't do it before, isn't productive. Yes that makes wrong in the past. But that doesn't mean we want things to stay the same either. At least, that's how I feel anyway.



There's no point in justifying the shameless cruelty that was present in that thread. "Of course people would not give him the benefit of the doubt" speaks to how poorly understood mental illness is here, and it's a mindset we should 100% abandon.

Click to shrink...

Well there's also the issue (at least on the Etcera side) that people jump to mental illness when someone does a scummy thing only to find out, no that person really is just an asshole.

Etika's situation is honestly like the only time that someone spouting slurs really did need to seek psychiatric help.

Like I said, Era could be better (fat shaming, Islamphobia, sexism, racism, initialization of bigots) so you're not wrong. But the responses to Etika didn't just happen in some vacuum.

Also I keep harping on it, but Liam and them leading the charge on this: They probably couldn't give a rat's ass about mental health either.

 

[LiK]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Not an easy job.

 

[Deleted member 32679]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Thank you and the mod team for trying to keep up with all this.

 

[Anuiran]

I think the moderators team last post was great. I also suggest we separate the threads, this one should be talking about his life, and another one can discuss the way the site / users dealt with it.

Either way it's all a very tragic situation.

 

[Strittles]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for replying, and also allowing the thread to discuss this matter. I can totally understand how difficult is must have been to moderate something like this and I'm glad the team is taking this situation seriously while admitting the mistakes that have been made. I support the retroactive bans and trust that things will be handled better in the future. This forum is not perfect but the fact that we are able to criticize ourselves and improve is very important.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

These posts hit the nail on the head — well said. Dismissing change and constructive discourse as impossibilities, and shuffling all website concerns off-site (or derailed tertiary threads like this), is a self-fulfilling prophecy of impotence.

ResetEra was founded on communal good will, in belief in our capacity to do the right thing, and in transparency. Eschewing those leaves us where, exactly? If we can't talk about things openly for the betterment of our community — for fear of trolls, of all things — how do we change?

Relegating constructively critique to behind close doors, in private one-on-one PMs or official emails, goes against the core notion of this place being a community.

Click to shrink...

This forum is very quick to punish dissent, be it by the actions of mods or by a certain group of posters who are rather hawkish in their attitude (they are already in this very thread circling the wagons). That's not the kind of environment where change happens.

So, just as it happened on GAF whenever there was a moderation controversy, this thread will be left as a ranting zone for people to say whatever they want to say, for a few days at least, then it will be closed and swept under the rug. And no change will happen.

 

[Sagadego17]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

thank you!

 

[Crossing Eden]

That's something we share in common, then. But I think there's a healthy middleground between "ResetEra is garbage dumpster fire" and "ResetEra is completely fine the way it currently is."

Click to shrink...

Dude if you were to check my post history I genuinely have a lot of metacommentary about some of the discourse that happens on this site. I absolutely do not believe Era is perfect, because no website on the internet is especially not gaming websites and no this is not a whataboutism.

We don't need to address disingenuous trolls, but we shouldn't lump legitimate concerns in with them either.

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, and this goes doubly so when the community a lot of members are disgruntled, that conversation gets hijacked, it turns into
-more creepy documentation for people who genuinely have NOTHING better to do than stalk this forum and it's members because of their opinions over video games, there are people literally reading this text right now doing so and they have a fucking bot that specifically tracks my posts an example.
-and such discussion tends to happen without nuance and continually starts to become a witch hunt directed against members of the site, especially the moderation team's members, developers, active members etc
-it then gets further hijacked and devolves into a commentary about outrage culture in general, which is a nicer way of complaining about "sjws."

If there was a day for Era as a community to discuss moderation policies. Today is 100% not that day, going by this thread. And trust me, I absolutely understand the value of constructive discourse. I encourage it constantly. It's a balancing act, one that gets increasingly harder to solve as Era grows as a community both in the literal and figurative sense as there's genuinely no precedent for a gaming community whose mission statement above all else is being openly progressive at the best of times.

 

[Deleted member 13077]

That's a good response from the moderation team. Thank you for listening and understanding.

This forum has always had so much potential, but it has never quite felt as inviting or comfortable as it should. I hope that this is the beginning of the journey to get to that place.

 

[Ferrio]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Good call.

 

[Cordy]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Good.

 

[CenturionNami]

R.I.P :( I only got into his videos recently but he made me smile alot. Can't fathom what his families feeling after losing two children....

 

[Deleted member 18944]

Couldnt disagree more. It's the exact opposite. People who joke about such important issues never, not even remotely, have experienced what it feels like to go through such issues (mental illness) in this case. And I should know. I dont think any person who suffers from mental illness would joke about it.

Click to shrink...

I joke about it all the time, its how I cope. But there's a time and a place for those jokes.

 

[Linde]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

thank you.
i dont particularly think it necessary that those members be banned. anyone can learn from their past actions
but i think its important that a message is put out in regards to how people respond to mental illness, suicide notes and such, even if they are people that resetera generally does not agree with
furthermore, i think an avenue to continue discussing the moderation and of the site as well as the community would be appreciated by many

 

[The Last Laugh]

Do be aware another thread has been created for positive memories and respect.

 

[Taker34]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Very good.

 

[Raijinto]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

If nothing else I appreciate this. I'm still somewhat uncomfortable and disappointed that it took until 5 minutes ago for this to come to pass, which I consider to be the right thing to do overall, and after hours of confusion, conflict, arguments and stifling of attempts at putting this into the spotlight. I don't think you deserve a lot of the garbage you have undoubtedly had recently, even you-know-who (don't want to specifically name them at this point) who I do sympathise with at least a little who bore the brunt of the vitriol didn't deserve some of what I saw. I *do* however think a lot of the criticism was valid and like I said at the outset I'm glad you've made this comment to attempt to rebuild bridges somewhat.

But still goddamn I'm not going to get over the awful news that of course should remain the main discussion point.

 

[djinn]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

As someone that struggles daily with mental health, it means a lot that you're doing this. Thank you.

 

[Angst]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Fantastic response.

 

[rochellepaws]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

I'm relieved to hear. Thank you for the response.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

I know it can't be easy so thank you

 

[Omegamon]

Because it's something most people can't afford to ignore anymore.

Click to shrink...

We could affort the sexist and racist people on some threads then?

 

[Molten_]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

We appreciate all the hard work you guys put in, thank you <3

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

RIP.

All of those threads and replies fucked with my head as to how people were so flippant regarding mental health. Basically turned one mans troubles that seemed obvious to some of us into a meme, a joke, and something to disregard.

 

[Deleted member 12790]

I never watched his show or streams, not because of him specifically but because I don't watch many streamers at all, but I did notice several topics about the guy over the last few years here on Era, and those topics just kept getting more and more sad with each update. The dude was very obviously an ill individual, I feel especially bad for all those in his life that were affected. What a sad situation all around.

 

[Gartooth]

RIP Etika, you'll be missed.

Wish he would've gotten the support he desperately needed. Wish more people took his signs seriously instead of playing it as a fucking joke. I've had my own demons time and again and I don't think I would've survived had I not had my family and friends to pull me through it. Having no support, or worse, people I know being straight up non-caring about me would've pushed me more towards suicide.

I've had plenty of dark days on this site where the constant back and forth antagonizing and shaming of posters to score some dumb win got me to request a ban for a month. I'd just feel shitty and tied to my phone because some different opinion I made was getting dogpiled throughout a thread, and in many cases, no it isn't justified to harass people for their opinion on which movie will make the most money. I found out that in my time away my mental state and positivity improved a lot.

I still like some of the communities here, but for people suffering I hope they're able to step back if this forum is a negative influence. Your life MATTERS, please love yourself, or at least give others the chance to care about you and help before it's too late.

 

[The BLJ]

1) Fuck the mental health ward doctors. How the fuck did they let him go after 2-3 days every single time? How the fuck do you let someone end up in the mental ward several times within a few months and not recognize that they shouldn't be let go off so quickly?

2) Fuck the people who didn't take this seriously. I mean Etika "fans" who just shitposted about it, Era users who "cancelled" him because he said "forbidden words", and anyone who doesn't fucking take mental health issues seriously. I say this as someone with mental issues who has tried to commit suicide multiple times.

3) Fuck anyone who was within Etika's circle, could have helped him, and did not.

Yes I'm angry. I'm tired of this shit happening.

 

[QisTopTier]

RIP.

All of those threads and replies fucked with my head as to how people were so flippant regarding mental health. Basically turned one mans troubles that seemed obvious to some of us into a meme, a joke, and something to disregard.

Click to shrink...

Not knowing someone personally mixed with internet persona stuff tends to create massive disconnects in people.

 

[L Thammy]

1) Fuck the mental health ward doctors. How the fuck did they let him go after 2-3 days every single time? How the fuck do you let someone end up in the mental ward several times within a few months and not recognize that they shouldn't be let go off so quickly?

Click to shrink...

Did they have the power to keep him?

I'm not responding to the rest because I don't have an issue with the rest; you're right.

 

[statham]

I watched the video, and talked back to you as if you was still alive. I wrote a paragraph, but deleted it.

RIP Etika.

 

[PK Gaming]

We could affort the sexist and racist people on some threads then?

Click to shrink...

No to that too.

But ResetEra has had issues tackling mental illness and topics of that nature in the past, and it's finally being addressed. This is a good thing.

 

[free_bubble]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Seriously, thank you. I am sorry to hear about the impact this event has had on the staff. While I think that action should have been taken to curb the toxicity, hindsight is always 20-20. I'm grateful that you are reevaluating that thread and taking action to help define "what is never appropriate" under terrible circumstances such as these.

 

[Uhyve]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

I honestly think there should be a dedicated thread for publicly addressing moderation concerns. A thread like this shouldn't be getting hijacked over moderation disagreements.

 

[LOLDSFAN]

Wow. I know the signs were there, but I'm still shocked that he's gone now. He was such an influential Nintendo YouTuber. Always liked watching his reaction videos during Nintendo Directs. RIP. :(

 

[srtrestre]

Hard to believe that, mere weeks ago, Etika was hyped about Banjo in Smash, and now he's gone :(

I first found out about Etika during the Switch launch, while following Captain Nintendo Dude's shenanigans.

 

[hurroocane]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Good response

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

Not knowing someone personally mixed with internet persona stuff tends to create massive disconnects in people.

Click to shrink...

Not knowing someone still doesn't excuse how people treated suicidal ideation as a big joke. Even after the point of attacking police and being taken into hospital more than once everyone was so certain it was a prank.

 

[Foffy]

Did they have the power to keep him?

I'm not responding to the rest because I don't have an issue with the rest; you're right.

Click to shrink...

I believe he was uninsured, so that unfortunately does play a role in regards to how long certain places keep you...

 

[The BLJ]

Did they have the power to keep him?

I'm not responding to the rest because I don't have an issue with the rest; you're right.

Click to shrink...

If I'm not mistaken, by default anyone is let off after a few days if they show signs of being stable again.
However there is no excuse for letting him free again and again as if him repeatedly ending up there was not a major sign to take account of. I don't know how mental wards work in America, though.

 

[Deleted member 4353]

RIP Etika. Hope you're at peace now. Not going to rag on mods but I still feel more needs to be done and going back to mod that topic is a good decision. However that empathy topic was a good one that was closed prematurely.

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Sounds good. Mistakes were made, but nothing that can't be correctly addressed.

Thank you for your hard work.

 

[MGPanda]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, honestly. Here's to hoping that Era will keep evolving after this incident.

 

[Heckler456]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

Great to hear. Hope you guys reconsider the "meta-commentary" ban though, because otherwise, this type of stuff will continue to crop up.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

This definitely means a lot. Part of the public stigma of mental illness comes from dismissal or downplaying of said issues, and taking a firm stance that that type of behavior is extremely harmful will go a long way in helping individuals speak out to friends, family, or complete strangers about problems they may be facing within themselves.

 

[Orbit]

1) Fuck the mental health ward doctors. How the fuck did they let him go after 2-3 days every single time? How the fuck do you let someone end up in the mental ward several times within a few months and not recognize that they shouldn't be let go off so quickly?

Click to shrink...

while i can understand your anger, please do not say 'fuck the doctors'. as someone who has been in a psychiatric setting in a learning capacity, it is really difficult to enforce a patient who needs to stay to stay. a lot of the clients i saw when i was doing shadowing were there because of court order/legally forced to etc. if etika brushed off the incident, said he was fine, and did not seem to pose a danger to himself or others, it is very difficult to enforce him staying. should the legality and rules be revised? absolutely! but please, please at least understand what the doctors have to put up with. i do not say your anger isn't justified but it at least may not need to be directed in the direction of physicians. who knows tho, the doctors could've been non-caring dicks but who knows

 

[janoGX]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

That's a step forward, thank you.

 

[HardTimesFamilyPride]

I want to echo the sentiment that if anyone needs someone to talk to my inbox is open. I know I can be standoffish about certain topics but this shit is so important to me.

I'll remember the skepticism I treated him with for the rest of my life.

Click to shrink...

I stopped visiting Etika topics because the constant back-and-forth got me skeptical, which made me feel icky, and yeah same

 

[Abylim]

Good response

Rip Desmond, my man.

 

[TheMrPliskin]

As staff we should in fact have paid more attention to and done better with the initial thread, and that's something we've been agonizing over for days. We do usually moderate mental health topics much more vigilantly and that did not happen in this case. We regret that enormously and it's taken a personal toll on all of us.

We do not usually retroactively revisit old threads to issue a lot of bans, but this is an unprecedented situation and we feel it is both appropriate to correct a mistake and also the best way for the community to heal. We will be reviewing the thread again. We have to balance what was known at the time with what is never appropriate, but the bans will not be short.

At the end of the day we are a small team of volunteers trying to keep up with a massive community as best we can. We are members as well and we feel the same things you do.

Click to shrink...

This is definitely appreciated and a good step forward I think.

 

[Nothing Loud]

I was afraid this would be the outcome. The news reports of his belongings and the found body from yesterday were grim.

This situation reminds me of my own experience with mental health struggles and the horrible system here in the US.

I feel horrible that this is the outcome that resulted. RIP to Etika.