Hazel
Premium Member
Recently, a lot of threads have been hijacked with debates about which method one should use. It usually starts with a beginner asking for advice—then somebody responds with something along the lines of "use CFOP, it's the best". Other people chime in, either saying "no, use x method" or "use whichever method you enjoy", and an argument starts. I've seen countless threads being hijacked by these debates, even if the thread itself has nothing to do with choosing methods. I've even seen a profile post hijacked at one point.
There are a few people in particular at the center of this debate, and I'll admit that I'm one of them (one the side of "do what's fun"). We're all just trying to do what we think is best, but it's becoming a problem. I've been on the forum for 3 years now (and I've been stalking it for years before), and these kinds of things aren't what the forum is about. I won't go as far as to say it's toxic, but it's certainly something to be addressed, hence why I'm making this thread. Discussion is okay, and so is disagreeing. But what I've been seeing is worse than simple disagreements, and it has to stop.
So, what do I think we should do about it?
Debates about method-choosing should be strictly kept in the appropriate threads. For example, here is a CFOP vs Roux thread. Beginners asking which method they should use should be directed to the Beginner's Guide to Choosing a Speedsolving Method thread with no further discussion in the previous thread. Furthermore, one should not simply tell a beginner to use x method—it will spark another debate, which could dissuade the new user from asking questions in the future.
In addition, any arguments that seem to be getting out of hand should either be abandoned or brought to PMs.
As a side note, I think the new emotes (the "Meh" and "Eyes Up" ones) should go. They serve only as a tool for being passive-aggressive and don't do the forum any good. This note is mostly for @pjk, if he agrees with what I have to say.
I hope we can fix this, as it's become a great annoyance to me and I'm sure many others, and I apologize for my end of the debates.
There are a few people in particular at the center of this debate, and I'll admit that I'm one of them (one the side of "do what's fun"). We're all just trying to do what we think is best, but it's becoming a problem. I've been on the forum for 3 years now (and I've been stalking it for years before), and these kinds of things aren't what the forum is about. I won't go as far as to say it's toxic, but it's certainly something to be addressed, hence why I'm making this thread. Discussion is okay, and so is disagreeing. But what I've been seeing is worse than simple disagreements, and it has to stop.
So, what do I think we should do about it?
Debates about method-choosing should be strictly kept in the appropriate threads. For example, here is a CFOP vs Roux thread. Beginners asking which method they should use should be directed to the Beginner's Guide to Choosing a Speedsolving Method thread with no further discussion in the previous thread. Furthermore, one should not simply tell a beginner to use x method—it will spark another debate, which could dissuade the new user from asking questions in the future.
In addition, any arguments that seem to be getting out of hand should either be abandoned or brought to PMs.
As a side note, I think the new emotes (the "Meh" and "Eyes Up" ones) should go. They serve only as a tool for being passive-aggressive and don't do the forum any good. This note is mostly for @pjk, if he agrees with what I have to say.
I hope we can fix this, as it's become a great annoyance to me and I'm sure many others, and I apologize for my end of the debates.