What if we split the Codex into two sites: RPG Codex + Political Codex?

[Lambach]

One thing I will say that I think has been missing from the conversation, is whether or not there's a desire / need for a political focused site with Codex rules in today's political climate.

There are few outlets in existence that allow open forums and discussions on political issues. Those that I'm aware of are usually video focused, with limited conversation options (no forums, only commenting on posted video content).

Others are so far left wing that even suggesting the Floyd case might get a not guilty verdict will get you banned for being a terrorist.

Such a forum would have news posts about politics. And allow people to discuss things without waiting 12 months as you do here.

I'd imagine in that case, that political discussion regarding games (oh no this game went woke) would still happen on the Codex. In the context of the game being discussed. But if you wanted to talk about the failing state of Swedenistan, or the second American Civil War, the Poldex would be the place to go.

Hot topics or issues like the Floyd trial could end up with their own forums dedicated to them, to avoid having one mega thread of x 1,000 posts to wade through.

Such a forum would gather attention and potentially have the chance to be larger than the Codex itself. With the Codex continuing to focus on the niche that is RPG games.

 

[Storyfag]

So this is what it has come to.

Yeah, a thread on the Codex that devolves into a discussion about homosexuality.

What an unforeseeable turn of events.

After having been visited by HHR no less. Who could have thunk.

 

[Atlantico]

4chan focuses more on game mechanics than this CIA honeypot have in years.

Perhaps you are right, the chan UI is so atrocious I can't really tell.

But the Codex a CIA honeypot,...? Well I never... considered... the CIA? Really?

I mean ... Shin Bet, perhaps probably. Definitely. But CIA? That would be uncharacteristically smart of them. They generally are just happy with vacuuming the internet in its entirety, live, and sifting through it with keywords.

It's the American way!

One thing I will say that I think has been missing from the conversation, is whether or not there's a desire / need for a political focused site with Codex rules in today's political climate.

The Urban Dictionary definition of the Codex from 2014. It's been a while like this.

The Codex also hates the RPG Watch which is actually the real place for sophisticated RPG discussion and not the Codex where you're more likely to find a racist or homophobic thread.

So, yeah. Whether or not there's a market for a "poldex", eh... intenet forums are a hard sell already. They're the IRC of the 2020s.

It's a minor miracle that the Codex even functions today. I think all the forums I used to frequent, and were quite large back in the 2000s, are just dead wasteland now.

The mainstream is on social media or Discord or Telegram, not forums. A "poldex" would therefore always be a niche website, even if it was comparatively popular among forums.

 

[Ranselknulf]

The Urban Dictionary definition of the Codex from 2014. It's been a while like this.

"The Codex also hates the RPG Watch which is actually the real place for sophisticated RPG discussion"

 

[Grim Monk]

One thing I will say that I think has been missing from the conversation, is whether or not there's a desire / need for a political focused site with Codex rules in today's political climate.

There are few outlets in existence that allow open forums and discussions on political issues. Those that I'm aware of are usually video focused, with limited conversation options (no forums, only commenting on posted video content).

.......................

Such a forum would gather attention and potentially have the chance to be larger than the Codex itself. With the Codex continuing to focus on the niche that is RPG games.

There are a bunch of such forums already in existence as well as reddit and twitter clones.

They are either small and out of the limelight or they are highly at risk off being smeared and attacked.

Possible Consequences of such Attacks:

• Being thrown off rented Server Space.
• Having Domain Register freeze the Site Name.
• Losing DDOS protection purchased from a third party Provider.
• Possible IRL Harassment and Legal Problems.
• Being evicted from rented office space.
• Being blacklisted by Advertising Networks.
  
• Being banned from using Payment Providers (Paypal, Stripe, Etc).
• Being banned from processing Credit and Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Etc).
• Having personal savings accounts in Banks shut down.

Those are not exaggerations but what has already happened to people in the past few years.
The only things that AFAIK have not happened (yet) are ISP and Electricity Company Shut offs...

that one forum wouldnt last 1 week without being deplatformed/shutted down. Making such a forum accessible by all on the clear net would be suicide

I disagree.

What I mentioned above can be countered but it takes dedicated work and personal sacrifice.

Being in political opposition is not a hobby but a full time job...

But I am worried the fact that the Administration barely engaged with people who asked about alternative ways to contribute money to support the Codex.
That is worryingly blasé attitude for the potential future operators of a Free Speech political site.

Also from "Rules of the Codex - Enhanced Edition, Director's Cut (2013)" Thread:

As much as possible, we don't really want the the NSA / FBI to shut us down.

And

Administrators do not appreciate real police rocking up at their real doorsteps to ask about bullshit that happened on an internet forum. It's all fun and games until someone has to go to a Police station to try and explain the Codex.

A dedicated Political Site seems to come in conflict with the above desire for personal peace and quiet from the Administration.
If one engages in serious enterprise one must be sufficiently prepared beforehand in order to not be blindsided by potential disasters.

Real life does not scale to ones level and has C&C, just like in a good CRPG...

I've been a dexer for a nearly decade.
I like reading opinions about video games and occasionally posting about stuff that interests me on the Codex.




I would not like to see that jeopardized due misconceptions about what it takes to openly host a highly visible platform for political criticism in the current sociopolitical atmosphere.
It is not a safe and easy way to make a quick buck from ad revenue and rake in donations...

 

[Ataraxia]

I mean it's just pathetic. You're 38 years old, you're married with kids, and these people act like you're a loser for not playing and discussing 25 games a year.

So, once you're 38 years old and married with kids, you should stop playing and discussing videogames and start to obsess pathologically about homosexuality? Got it.

Are you fucking kidding me? Because people didn't "obsess about it" starting 40 years ago to instead "live and let live" for 40 years straight without doing ANYTHING, THIS is where we are today:

Stop posting your gay fetish shit. Go to a gay forum or something. RPG Codex isn't a gay fetish site.

It's not?
Well, I'm sure it soon enough will be.

DU and the others already anticipated this in advance and ended up creating an official codex discord in return - Think about it: why did infinitron invited the gayest members of the codex to join the discord?

 

[Ranselknulf]

Spoiler

One thing I will say that I think has been missing from the conversation, is whether or not there's a desire / need for a political focused site with Codex rules in today's political climate.

There are few outlets in existence that allow open forums and discussions on political issues. Those that I'm aware of are usually video focused, with limited conversation options (no forums, only commenting on posted video content).

.......................

Such a forum would gather attention and potentially have the chance to be larger than the Codex itself. With the Codex continuing to focus on the niche that is RPG games.

There are a bunch of such forums already in existence as well as reddit and twitter clones.

They are either small and out of the limelight or they are highly at risk off being smeared and attacked.

Possible Consequences of such Attacks:

• Being thrown off rented Server Space.
• Having Domain Register freeze the Site Name.
• Losing DDOS protection purchased from a third party Provider.
• Possible IRL Harassment and Legal Problems.
• Being evicted from rented office space.
• Being blacklisted by Advertising Networks.
  
• Being banned from using Payment Providers (Paypal, Stripe, Etc).
• Being banned from processing Credit and Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Etc).
• Having personal savings accounts in Banks shut down.

Those are not exaggerations but what has already happened to people in the past few years.
The only things that AFAIK have not happened (yet) are ISP and Electricity Company Shut offs...

that one forum wouldnt last 1 week without being deplatformed/shutted down. Making such a forum accessible by all on the clear net would be suicide

I disagree.

What I mentioned above can be countered but it takes dedicated work and personal sacrifice.

Being in political opposition is not a hobby but a full time job...

But I am worried the fact that the Administration barely engaged with people who asked about alternative ways to contribute money to support the Codex.
That is worryingly blasé attitude for the potential future operators of a Free Speech political site.

Also from "Rules of the Codex - Enhanced Edition, Director's Cut (2013)" Thread:

As much as possible, we don't really want the the NSA / FBI to shut us down.

And

Administrators do not appreciate real police rocking up at their real doorsteps to ask about bullshit that happened on an internet forum. It's all fun and games until someone has to go to a Police station to try and explain the Codex.

A dedicated Political Site seems to come in conflict with the above desire for personal peace and quiet from the Administration.
If one engages in serious enterprise one must be sufficiently prepared beforehand in order to not be blindsided by potential disasters.

Real life does not scale to ones level and has C&C, just like in a good CRPG...

I've been a dexer for a nearly decade.
I like reading opinions about video games and occasionally posting about stuff that interests me on the Codex.




I would not like to see that jeopardized due misconceptions about what it takes to openly host a highly visible platform for political criticism in the current sociopolitical atmosphere.
It is not a safe and easy way to make a quick buck from ad revenue and rake in donations...

Nice summary of the main issue. I doubt the codex is prepared for a full-scale cyber-attack campaign. There are sites with millions of dollars and dozens of coders backing them for free that struggle to even remain online.

The saving grace of the codex is its big enough to have discussion, but small enough for the "mob" not to notice. Plus the discussions are somewhat hidden.

I wouldn't expect DU or anybody who runs this site to try and fight back against the stacked-odds if such a cyber-campaign was waged against the site. This is the main reason why I think a poldex would spell the end of the codex, because they wouldn't stop with just the "poldex," they'd find other stuff in the gaming discussions worthy of their wrath also.

 

[Percy]

If it comes to it, I feel like the Codex should die with dignity rather than mutilate itself like a tranny.

 

[Semiurge]

RPG Codex isn't a gay fetish site.

Lemme think, General Dicksuction, Codex Gayfield, Codex Pubic Library...

And Humanity has risen! as administrator.

"Bitches leave."

 

[Excommunicator]

Good idea in theory as long as

1. Gaming discussions didn't end up with trigger happy mods deleting and moving posts whenever someone made a slightly offtopic comment
   
2. There was still sufficient "freedom of speech" in the gaming part so that people can still have controversial opinions
   
3. There was a separate shoutbox on each site

You would probably need to have a shared userbase so people would get accounts on both, break a rule on one applies to the other, bannings apply to both forums etc

If it happens can we please get a proper tag system for threads and content on gaming part

 

[Sweeper]

Such a forum would gather attention and potentially have the chance to be larger than the Codex itself. With the Codex continuing to focus on the niche that is RPG games.

Of course. It's not a containment forum, it's something that will spark a global conservative revolution. It's totes a good thing, trust me guys.
If you go through with this, you'll be left with only commies discussing Disco Elysium. Is that what you want?

 

[Grim Monk]

This is the main reason why I think a poldex would spell the end of the codex, because they wouldn't stop with just the "poldex," they'd find other stuff in the gaming discussions worthy of their wrath also.

There is the simple problem of potential bans from payment processors, ad networks and credit cards providers after being smeared for being a "political extremist" site operator.

You won't get exceptions to raise money for your other websites with even if they are they are totally separate.
They would be accused of simply being fundraising fronts for previously banned activity.

Again there is ways to mitigate that, but...

From the Server Upgrade thread:

Sadly, we can't pay the server bills with crypto.

I would say that some self education on about fallback financial options and other people's experience might be advisable.

Its like getting the right gear and skills before going into a dangerous area where you might have to deal by high level enemies.

 

[Ranselknulf]

This is the main reason why I think a poldex would spell the end of the codex, because they wouldn't stop with just the "poldex," they'd find other stuff in the gaming discussions worthy of their wrath also.

There is the simple problem of potential bans from payment processors, ad networks and credit cards providers after being smeared for being a "political extremist" site operator.

You won't get exceptions to raise money for your other websites with even if they are they are totally separate.
They would be accused of simply being fundraising fronts for previously banned activity.

Again there is ways to mitigate that but...

From the Serve Upgrade thread:

Sadly, we can't pay the server bills with crypto.

I would say that some self education on about fallback financial options and other people's experience might be advisable.

Its like getting the right gear and skills before going into a dangerous area where you might have to deal by high level enemies.

Fair point, but expecting the codex to adopt a crypto-funding model in place of the current ad-revenue they receive isn't viable imo.

Full Disclosure: I'm not privy to the codex finances. I don't know if they have some "angel" supporting operations.

I can say this though, if it comes to the point where crypto funding of the codex is required, I doubt there will be advertisers on the codex which will affect the operational bottom line.

On top of this, most codexers are old-fags, I'm not sure how many are even familiar with using crypto to make donations. Ie.. set up wallet, transfer money, make payments (all without getting stolen from).

I think if the crypto-funding / hunker-down website model is chosen, the codex should at least perform a test run of crypto donations before swapping to a dual-website model.

Either way, it really comes down to the admins and DU's willingness to deal with the hassles of obfuscated money transfers and administrative/legal hassles of being canceled.

 

[Haba]

There are few outlets in existence that allow open forums and discussions on political issues. Those that I'm aware of are usually video focused, with limited conversation options (no forums, only commenting on posted video content).

Yes, with how polarized the entire world is those days, it is impossible to have an actual conversation. A circle jerk where people pat each other on the back is possible, but not true discussion with opposite points of view. There is only right and wrong.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" is long dead.

There are a ton of reasons for that, not limited to on-line troll factories and bots. I've been involved with a political site in the past, and generally I'd say it isn't worth it. Not with open registrations. And once you get any kind of main-stream attention, it all goes to hell.

The only way to run such a site is with complete anonymity. Otherwise you are risking your personal livelihood.

 

[Gregz]

This is the main reason why I think a poldex would spell the end of the codex, because they wouldn't stop with just the "poldex," they'd find other stuff in the gaming discussions worthy of their wrath also.

There is the simple problem of potential bans from payment processors, ad networks and credit cards providers after being smeared for being a "political extremist" site operator.

You won't get exceptions to raise money for your other websites with even if they are they are totally separate.
They would be accused of simply being fundraising fronts for previously banned activity.

Again there is ways to mitigate that but...

From the Serve Upgrade thread:

Sadly, we can't pay the server bills with crypto.

I would say that some self education on about fallback financial options and other people's experience might be advisable.

Its like getting the right gear and skills before going into a dangerous area where you might have to deal by high level enemies.

Fair point, but expecting the codex to adopt a crypto-funding model in place of the current ad-revenue they receive isn't viable imo.

Full Disclosure: I'm not privy to the codex finances. I don't know if they have some "angel" supporting operations.

I can say this though, if it comes to the point where crypto funding of the codex is required, I doubt there will be advertisers on the codex which will affect the operational bottom line.

On top of this, most codexers are old-fags, I'm not sure how many are even familiar with using crypto to make donations. Ie.. set up wallet, transfer money, make payments (all without getting stolen from).

I think if the crypto-funding / hunker-down website model is chosen, the codex should at least perform a test run of crypto donations before swapping to a dual-website model.

Either way, it really comes down to the admins and DU's willingness to deal with the hassles of obfuscated money transfers and administrative/legal hassles of being canceled.

Crypocurrency is the solution.

Monero is completely untraceable (fungible), and there is no way to know who donated, or what for. If server hosting requires payment in fiat, transferring the received crypto into fiat is perfectly doable, and no one will know where the money came from.

 

[Corvinus]

Yes, with how polarized the entire world is those days, it is impossible to have an actual conversation. A circle jerk where people pat each other on the back is possible, but not true discussion with opposite points of view. There is only right and wrong.

Well, if one side is all about making everything and I mean everything into a vehicle for their agenda, in such a way that everyone must agree with it completely or instantly become an enemy, there's no common understanding that can be reached through discussion is there?
By the way, the 'centrists' of today, who wants to meet halfway, are accepting of an agenda so vile that had they done so in the past it would have lead to their death, exile or incarceration, and for good reason.

As good as no culture in the history of makind would have accepted what is being presented as virtue today - for it is the definition of evil.

 

[Semiurge]

Crypto-currency? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with this world. You can't host a gaming themed website without harassment and potential prison sentences anymore if it has a dissenting political section? What the fuck has happened to respecting free speech.

 

[Grim Monk]

Crypto-currency? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with this world. You can't host a gaming themed website without harassment and potential prison sentences anymore if it has a dissenting political section? What the fuck has happened to respecting free speech.

Born too late to explore earth, born too early to explore the galaxy.

But born in time to finance a CRPG forum with Crypto-Currency...

Crypocurrency is the solution.

Monero is completely untraceable (fungible), and there is no way to know who donated, or what for. If server hosting requires payment in fiat, transferring the received crypto into fiat is perfectly doable, and no one will know where the money came from.

Would still be a need to have users educated about even basics stuff like "own your own wallet instead of just using exchanges."


Otherwise they will again be subject to the same extralegal tracking and arbitrary usage policing in spite of wanting to money in perfectly legal ways.

 

[Wunderbar]

Crypto-currency? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with this world. You can't host a gaming themed website without harassment and potential prison sentences anymore if it has a dissenting political section?

Gamers are most definitely the most oppressed group in our society

 

[Zibniyat]

I'd imagine in that case, that political discussion regarding games (oh no this game went woke) would still happen on the Codex.

This will not work. The extreme left, which is the ruling ideology today of the USA, the UK and Canada, even if it may seem otherwise, is absolutist in it approach and very "flexible" in defining what is supposedly wrong and right. Have we forgot the Warhorse Studios and Kingdom Come Deliverance? Like I already said, dare to question why is there this or that progressive idea within the game at all - and you are a mortal enemy.

https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/2018-02-20-kingdom-come-deliverance-review

Daniel Vavra's. He has been a vocal supporter of GamerGate and involved in antagonistic exchanges on Twitter (collected in a ResetEra thread). More recently, he wore the same T-shirt depicting an album cover by the band Burzum every day at Gamescom 2017 - a very visible time for him and his game. Burzum is the work of one man: Varg Vikernes, a convicted murderer and outspoken voice on racial purity and supremacy. He even identified as a Nazi for a while.

https://kotaku.com/kingdom-come-owes-its-popularity-to-realism-and-conserv-1823420208

It’s a medieval game that flaunts its lack of fantasy elements while remaining very much a traditional white male power fantasy.

https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/12/game...cing-3-and-fire-emblem-on-switch-7305167/amp/

He’s unashamed in his racism, and it’s clear the game comes from a source of deep rot.

I implore people to not buy the game, to boycott it. We have to show that people who hold such disgusting views should not be rewarded, and that games that come from such a rotten, anti-progressive stance don’t deserve to succeed.

Have you learned nothing from the past 5 years? You can't please these people so you might as well not even try, don't even engage them as they are a wasted effort.

Codex is relatively small and hence not really worth the effort, also its focus on games is what still keeps away most people who don't play games at all. "Poldex" on the other hand would get shut down pretty quick if it proved to be too successful.

 

[ScrotumBroth]

How about we leave the forum alone and just give Infinitron endorsements on his LinkedIn. Everyone's happy, no?

 

[Haba]

Well, if one side is all about making everything and I mean everything into a vehicle for their agenda, in such a way that everyone must agree with it completely or instantly become an enemy, there's no common understanding that can be reached through discussion is there?

And the same thing is happening in every facet of life.

But life tends to be more complex than simple left/right. People can have very diverse opinions about religion, economic policies, environmental issues etc. It used to be that you could agree with a representative from the opposing party on a specific topic while being in complete disagreement with him in other topics. Now such act is the most vile kind of betrayal and puts your very being into question. It is insane.

'round here we have six major-ish parties. Hard commies, soft commies, hard nazis, soft nazis, farmer centrists, greenpeace hippies etc. Yet the past 10-15 years were seeing the same binary polarization. No more compromises or discussion. Looking at the party founding principles, that shouldn't be possible!

While the left started this extreme demonstration, the opposing side is reacting in exactly same manner (though lacking the ability to cancel things as effectively).

It is almost like someone was orchestrating the whole thing for their own benefit...

And the same thing is happening at Codex. There are people who engage in life-long crusade about something they don't like (RTWP, story focus). Which is again insane. It is like going to chocolate lover's club meeting to say that chocolate looks and tastes like shit. And repeating that for years.

 

[Mustawd]

I like how all these politics posters Ive never heard of came out of their politics hole to vote and comment in this thread.

Let’s be honest, there’s already two rpgcodexes in this forum. Might as well make it official.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

It is almost like someone was orchestrating the whole thing for their own benefit...

It's doesn't need to be orchestrated. Once the left gained power to cancel people it's natural that the ones that grew in power are people who don't fear being cancelled. Like the far right.

 

[Haba]

It is almost like someone was orchestrating the whole thing for their own benefit...

It's doesn't need to be orchestrated. Once the left gained power to cancel people it's natural that the ones that grew in power are people who don't fear being cancelled. Like the far right.

It is really hard to say whether it is just stupidity or intentional malice.

I mean, we have conversations about "colonialism" in our universities. In a country that has never had any colonies, has been practically and literally enslaved and destitute until mid 1900. Or "white guilt". For race that was subject to cranial studies just a hundred years ago.

American cultural imperialism, imported by stupid ignorant people... or intentionally pushed forward to destabilise the Western civilization. Who knows. In any case, the way it happened feels very unnatural.