Alright, real talk. 

Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Alright, real talk. 

Alright, real talk. 

So I've been poking around and I found something in the Submitted By section that I do NOT want to see. I have seen at least three instances of bottomed threads. 

Really? Are we really doing that again? 

Okay, let's pretend you're in the Inkwell and you click on a thread for an RP idea or something. You decide that the RP idea isn't your thing. Maybe it's even, in your opinion, a bad/lame/cringy idea. What do you do? 

The correct answer is... YOU CLICK "BACK TO INKWELL" AND YOU SIMPLY DO NOT INTERACT WITH THE THREAD! You let people who are interested participate in it and have fun! You do not have to partake in it or even acknowledge the thread's existence! Such is the magic of a thread-based forum like the Chatterbox. It allows for pretty easy control of your own consumption of content — and controlling your own consumption of content is your responsibility anyway. There is absolutely no reason to bottom threads with ideas you don't like. Crazy idea, right?

Bottoming threads is saying to the thread creator not even "I don't like your ideas" but "I think that you should not have a platform for your ideas, I think that no one should partake in or help you develop these ideas, I think that your ideas shouldn't be seen." This is, quite frankly, horrible. The Chatterbox is a public forum for people ages around 9-14 (with some people outside that age range but that's the main target audience I'm pretty sure) to have fun and grow as writers and readers. The act of bottoming a thread, and the message that comes with it, is antithetical to such an environment. It's a form of cringe culture, and it's mean, spiteful, and hateful. 

I do not want to say that anyone on the Chatterbox is necessarily a mean, spiteful, or hateful person — I don't believe that at all. However, the act is certainly all those things, and good people can do bad things sometimes. All this post is intended to do is to bring this issue out and to remind the CB community that this kind of behavior is not okay. If you have bottomed threads recently and are reading this, please simply don't do it again — it is the behavior I am condemning, not the people who have made a mistake. And let's face it, we're kids — we make mistakes and act like jerks sometimes. It's okay! Just realize that the behavior is wrong and move on. <3 I am not going to fight hate with hate. 

This post got long-winded, but I think this is important. 

 

Thank you, Somebody. We agree.

Admin

submitted by Somebody, age Who Cares, Abandoned Secret HQ
(January 10, 2018 - 4:55 pm)

back to the Down to Earth

Agreed. Thank you for stating so. If you don't agree with a thread, nobody is forcing you to post on it.

submitted by LilyPad
(January 10, 2018 - 10:37 pm)
submitted by Top!
(January 10, 2018 - 10:38 pm)
submitted by LilyTOP, To the top!
(January 10, 2018 - 10:42 pm)

Thanks for this, Somebody— I think we needed a reminder and I couldn't have said it better myself. It's important to remember that everyone on CB is a real person, with ideas and lives and feelings that can be hurt. Though it is easy to forget when interacting with others through keyboards and pixels, it's important to be considerate and treat others with the same respect that you would show them were you having a conversation in person. This goes for everywhere online, not just the CB.

That said, we are kids, like Somebody mentioned, and kids make mistakes and they learn from them. If you've done something like this, it's okay— you're not a bad person. Take the opportunity to realize that what you did wasn't cool and don't repeat it.

Anyway, this is getting long, so valete, amici, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

submitted by Abigail S., age 13, Nose in a Book
(January 10, 2018 - 11:02 pm)

I agree. However. Sometimes we bottom threads on accident. I don't know if that was the case with the ones you saw, and it might not be, but I think we need to remember that IT IS A COMPUTER GLITCH THAT DOES THIS. 

If people are purposely bottoming threads, then I completely agree.  

submitted by Kitten
(January 10, 2018 - 11:54 pm)

I agree wholeheartedly with what Kitten said. 

submitted by Silverwaxwing
(January 11, 2018 - 11:32 am)

Kitten, some people who are aware of that glitch do use it to purposely bottom threads...it happened recently with one of my threads. Someone left a message saying that it...well, frankly, they left a message saying that my thread shouldn't exist in a slightly rude manner, then promptly bottomed it.

 

submitted by Icy ❄Kitten
(January 11, 2018 - 1:20 pm)

Hiya, Somebody! You might remember me as the rude, immature eleven-year-old that wasn't afraid to rudely state her opinions on everything and--yeah, I'll stop now.

I just wanted to drop by and say that I'm completely against this. People have left messages saying that things will "never work" and made assumptions before. A small assumption can lead someone to purposely and maliciously bottoming a thread, and-- ❄deep breath❄

What I'm trying to say is:

Hear, hear! ;) 

 

submitted by Icy, age 13..., The Forest
(January 11, 2018 - 1:32 pm)

Thank you, Somebody. That was insightful and knowledge-spreading. I'm glad that you are sending the messege that the act of doing hurtful things like that is bad, but the people who are doing it aren't necessarily bad. It's a fine line to walk between pointing things out and insulting people, and you've walked really well!  I know that if I had tried to post something like that, I would have probably iinsulted a lot of people without meaning to =*).

I'm just saying that I totally agree with you! And.... that this post has gotten a lot longer than it should have to say that, and that maybe I came off as talking down to you.... yes, my social life is full of "Oh crap did I just offend him/her?" Welp, that's all I wanted to say. 

submitted by Chinchilla
(January 11, 2018 - 3:14 pm)

Completely, totally, agree with everything that has just been said.

submitted by Leafpool, age Finite, This side of reality
(January 11, 2018 - 4:10 pm)

Thank you for saying this Somebody-it means a lot to everyone. I agree with what everyone has said on here. 

Good to see you back for a bit! *Hugs* 

submitted by Joan B. of Arc, age 15, Camelot
(January 11, 2018 - 8:24 pm)

Yes, I realize that. I think what I was saying when I posted that comment was that not ALL instances of bottoming threads are purposeful. Some are, and I completely agree that those are horrible.

submitted by Kitten@Icy
(January 12, 2018 - 3:02 pm)

Just wanna say, I agree with all said here. 

submitted by coyotedomino, age 14, the Wood, Omnieverse
(January 13, 2018 - 9:52 pm)

I sometimes bottom my own threads intentionally so i can top them so they can't be bottomed anymore...but only with threads that I created.

submitted by Somebody
(January 14, 2018 - 9:43 am)

I'm so glad you brought this up. I think it's easy to get carried away when all people can see is a username next to what you post. Remember that behind all those other usernames are people just like you. <3

submitted by Fidelity
(January 15, 2018 - 1:37 pm)