You've got a forum here for registered players to vent steam. Bitchfest. What gives? Isn't that just a big old gateway for role-players to flame-war each other?

It can be. We realize this and understand that it might occur. But we swear to whatever you believe, or don't believe in, this isn't our intention nor what we hope will happen. We're actually hoping that all of you are, if not adults, mature individuals that understand humans bash-heads regularly on an almost daily basis. Some are more polite at it than others, some decide not to let it be aired in public, and others will go right to the source of their problem and want to hammer it out completely. 

Since M.E. is a collection of humans, role-playing, why not offer a forum where problems, difficulties, gripes and issues can be aired and ironed out? 

Can we not, as adults, agree to disagree with one another but have a lively discussion without it turning into open season bbq on on another? M.E. certainly hopes so, thus the reasoning behind offering such a potentially explosive forum.

Yeah, right. It'll just be for staff or regular members to gripe and use. All the rest of us will get our stuff deleted, edited, or moved.

NO!

Absolutely not. M.E. does not believe in editing threads within that forum unless it is blatant spam. 

What if I find someone's response to what I posted in Bitchfest personally offensive? 

• Tell them, tell them why you found it offensive, and ask them if that was their intention. Nine times out of ten they probably really didn't mean it that way.
• Just as when we role-play and we keep out of character and in character seperate, try to seperate your emotions and self from the topic. The topic is not you. A good debate or discussion subject shouldn't, at the very least, be totally directed at a sole person but a subject at hand. And even if they DO call you out--don't make it personal. Keep yourself calm and cool, because that'll just make you look that much more like a kick ass rp ninja of sweetness.
  

What if I recognize the scenerio they're talking about, even if my/my character's name isn't mentioned?

What if you do? Do we discourage your right to defend yourself or explain? Hells no. M.E. is all about communication, it would really look dumb on us if we discouraged it, don't you think?

So it's all right if I post a thread saying that elf_fu is a knuckle-fingered fartprincess?

If I've been a knuckle-fingered fartprincess, I sincerely hope someone would tell me about it in a way that points out why, how, and doesn't make me feel like a two year old caught with fingers up my nose, right? There's a way to point out someone's making a mistake, and then there's a way not to do it.

"you suck monkey poop," is not as good as, "I feel as if your scene in the tavern last night wasn't very fair to other players. Here's why I think so:"

However, keep in mind that if you do call me a knuckle-fingered fartprincess I may call you a drunken-fingered pillowpirate in return!

The single most important thing to keep in mind, hands down, is this: if you're going to dish it out, be prepared that someone else may want to dish it out right back. That's a chance you'll have to be willing and ready to take. 

So I can totally post this persons personal e-mail, phone number, address that's been harrassing me for weeks?

No! As it states in our Terms of Use, the sharing of personal out of character information regardless of the reason is the one thing that is strictly prohibited without express, written proof and permission from the player involved! Don't do this; we will eat your liver without fava beans as a side dish!

 Okay, I'm still confused? What CAN I post in bitchfest?

• Ever been IM'ed by that horse-guy? You know the one, that hangs out in the M.T. and IM's EVERYONE? Go ahead and bitch about that.
  
• Had a really super crazy person I.M. you, frustrate you, and want to tear out your hair? Tell us.
• Had a great S.L. and found it crashing in around your ears because the players were: immature, never online, disappeared, not taking it seriously, taking it too seriously, went nuts, started talking in tongues, tried a new experimental role-playing style in numbers? Share it!
• Confounded, confused, flustered and just not understanding why someone would role-play something/do something in character? A-o.k. with us.
• Bad experiences with groups.
• Room encounters that made the hairs on the back of your neck raise.
• Character concepts that made you start to stare at the monitor and drool.
• S.N's of the really ridiculously insane. Like: That guy/girl that I.M'ed you to role play a scene with their character, a bucket of angry snapping turtles, whip cream and vanilla frosting--ridiculous. 
• And these are just a few examples...
  

What CAN'T I post in bitchfest?

• Standard forum stuff: no porn, spamming links to other sites.
  
• Personal, out of character information about another player without permission, regardless of how nuts/bad you think the person is. If in doubt? Censor the names out, please. Even better is to just not use names if possible. 
• Off topic bitching. Let's rail about role-play.

Well, I hope that clarifys some of your confusion about the Bitchfest forum, thanks for readin' and happy venting! :D