Have you ever thought about leaving TBT?

[-Blue-]

I don't think I ever posted in here unless replying to someone. I am sure a few or maybe more members would've wanted to see me gone a few years ago. Especially when New Horizon was new and some of my posts were expressing concern for the future of NH and AC. So I can definitely see why that would annoy others and they'd want me gone haha.

I have thought about leaving before and sometimes I have left for 4-6+ months, though I don't think anyone probably noticed since my activity can be a bit sporadic and I'm not one of the regulars here. I still come back though because it is a nice forum and I've met a lot of good members and friends here.

Still going on what others have mentioned above, I can definitely sense a bit of a clique dynamic, that almost feels close to high-school. I suspect the collectibles and some people's unhealthy obsession are a result of this. Which often times makes me feel like an outsider and like I don't belong because I just don't care for the collectibles like everyone else seems to do haha.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

Still going on what others have mentioned above, I can definitely sense a bit of a clique dynamic, that almost feels close to high-school. I suspect the collectibles and some people's unhealthy obsession are a result of this. Which often times makes me feel like an outsider and like I don't belong because I just don't care for the collectibles like everyone else seems to do haha.

The site has always been crazy about collectibles since the dawn of the New Leaf era. In fact, I remember when the IGB to TBT exchange rate went up quickly (not just because of inflation, but also because of the collectible craze). Granted, the vote tampering thing last Christmas was the worst the collectible craze has ever gotten to, but it’s always been pretty bad.

 

[Mr_Keroppi]

<3

 

[Nuguns]

<3

Yours Truly
- Mr_Keroppi I did one last happy bonus to some of my friends <3

one last hoppy bonus

 

[moonford]

I forgot I made this thread (probably a lot of others that I regret making).

I'm not sure why I made this thread either as it was 7 years ago but I suspect it was because I was thinking about leaving, maybe? I don't fully believe in leaving forums (or servers) anymore, at least not completely. I've barely used this website over the last few years and have only recently started using it again, mostly for transactional purposes but I did return for something. I'm not immersed in the community like I once was and I barely remember how to navigate the site now (lol) - I prefer just being able to lightly dip in and out because it's more reflective of my state of being these days.

Have a random spark of interest in Animal Crossing after a while of inactivity → have a little chat on here → make some TBT → spend it on copious amounts of NMT → be on my merry way. Kind of my activity formula at the moment. It works for me!

 

[Roxxy]

I am an unimportant spec This is a forum not a station. You don’t need to announce your departure. Yes, I have thought of leaving but friends made me rethink.

Now, I might go on little breaks as sometimes life gets too much. Leave forever? Idk. Leave my friends? Never. A few people will never get rid of me. Sorry not sorry love you guys

 

[xSuperMario64x]

Still going on what others have mentioned above, I can definitely sense a bit of a clique dynamic, that almost feels close to high-school. I suspect the collectibles and some people's unhealthy obsession are a result of this. Which often times makes me feel like an outsider and like I don't belong because I just don't care for the collectibles like everyone else seems to do haha.

for sure, and I feel this more as time goes on since I've really drifted away from the collectible market in the last year or two. that vibe really doesn't sit right with me at all, in more ways than one.

and I can't speak for everyone but I feel like I vibe with you hehe

 

[Dunquixote]

I don't think I ever posted in here unless replying to someone. I am sure a few or maybe more members would've wanted to see me gone a few years ago. Especially when New Horizon was new and some of my posts were expressing concern for the future of NH and AC. So I can definitely see why that would annoy others and they'd want me gone haha.

I have thought about leaving before and sometimes I have left for 4-6+ months, though I don't think anyone probably noticed since my activity can be a bit sporadic and I'm not one of the regulars here. I still come back though because it is a nice forum and I've met a lot of good members and friends here.

Still going on what others have mentioned above, I can definitely sense a bit of a clique dynamic, that almost feels close to high-school. I suspect the collectibles and some people's unhealthy obsession are a result of this. Which often times makes me feel like an outsider and like I don't belong because I just don't care for the collectibles like everyone else seems to do haha.

Late reply, but even though I have a lot of friends here, I still feel quite frequently out of place - when I post in general or talk in discord during events and get weird vibes; I agree that there are definitely cliques. It didn’t make me feel good getting five reactions when I said something during mario party about being bad at a mini game; yes i am not over this because this really hurt. I’m sorry you feel this way too. I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts and a lot of times felt the same way as you.

I want to start off by thanking every single member on this website for creating such a fun and loving community. I truly have loved every second of the forums! I hope to be back one day but today I have decided to leave, I thought it would be best to tell everyone so they don’t worry!

Spoiler: Sad 😞

Life has been extremely hard for me and I no longer feel like myself. I want to be positive and happy but… I don’t feel it often. Its all the pieces around me that are out of my control that have destroyed my passion for making videos, Fifth Harmony, Sanrio, coloring artwork, reading, origami, and even video games at times. I no longer look forward to my future and career. I feel empty at times. I wonder if I will ever have a single good friend in my life, if I will ever be happy. I want to take a break from everything and enjoy the last three weeks until school starts by reflecting on my life and accomplishments. I never thought I would get to this point, I stayed strong for years but its time for me to understand that you need to focus on yourself sometimes. Its hard to admit that everyone in your life has changed you but when people destroy you constantly it becomes too much. I know my grades will continue to flourish and my mind will heal overtime. Thank you everyone for everything, please do not worry and know I will continue dreaming of the smiles I once shared. I love you all so much for being the friends that were supposed to be in my life.

Yours Truly
- Mr_Keroppi I did one last happy bonus to some of my friends <3

Ah I’m so sorry to hear this. My messages on here and discord are always open to you if you ever need to talk. I hope you’ll feel better in time . Take as much time as you need; I hope you’ll be back soon but no pressure! Your health and well being is more important! Thank you for always sending me encouraging messages and positivity; it is always much appreciated especially since I struggle with depression.

 

[Suguri]

-snip-

I believe you're describing "mini-modding", which is when forum members act like mods even though they aren't mods. I remember one time I saw a thread that I noticed was a duplicate of another thread, and I made the mistake of telling that to the OP instead of reporting their thread silently, which led me to get a warning a few days later.

There's nothing wrong with helping each other, but sometimes there are situations that are better off being left to the higher-ups to take care of. I made the rule-breaking post with good intentions in mind and was admittedly startled when I saw the warning. However, that's not going to stop me from quitting TBT. If anything, the warning helped me to learn a lesson about forum etiquette.

 

[Dunquixote]

I believe you're describing "mini-modding", which is when forum members act like mods even though they aren't mods. I remember one time I saw a thread that I noticed was a duplicate of another thread, and I made the mistake of telling that to the OP instead of reporting their thread silently, which led me to get a warning a few days later.

There's nothing wrong with helping each other, but sometimes there are situations that are better off being left to the higher-ups to take care of. I made the rule-breaking post with good intentions in mind and was admittedly startled when I saw the warning. However, that's not going to stop me from quitting TBT. If anything, the warning helped me to learn a lesson about forum etiquette.

I know what I’m talking about since I’ve gotten reported and others have for redirecting people posting in the wrong thread. I’m not here to argue. I’m just stating my opinion. I’ll remove what i wrote though because I really don’t feel like arguing with anyone

Sorry if this comes across rude. Just explaining that I very well understand and yeah there was a time where I thought all the rules made sense. I’m not trying to cause a problem for anyone. Just was stating some things that have made me considered leaving. this is very minor but at the same time it adds up with other things. Like things that I’ve been holding in for years that I couldn’t go to anyone about.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

I believe you're describing "mini-modding", which is when forum members act like mods even though they aren't mods. I remember one time I saw a thread that I noticed was a duplicate of another thread, and I made the mistake of telling that to the OP instead of reporting their thread silently, which led me to get a warning a few days later.

There's nothing wrong with helping each other, but sometimes there are situations that are better off being left to the higher-ups to take care of. I made the rule-breaking post with good intentions in mind and was admittedly startled when I saw the warning. However, that's not going to stop me from quitting TBT. If anything, the warning helped me to learn a lesson about forum etiquette.

I don't want to derail the original intention of this thread, but I do believe that there have been times when people had a right to voice their concerns and they were shut down by mods.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

I actually thought of leaving this forum, not once, but twice. I even went off the forum for months each time I thought of leaving. And when I left, I thought I will never come back. But I did.

• I left in 2015 in response to some community issues. But I stayed on GameFAQs while I was off TBT. Due to the toxicity making me just as bad as them, I left and returned to TBT.
• I had a couple reasons to leave in 2020, but my main reason (which wasn’t stated) was because I was having a meltdown from failing a class from college. And one of the things I thought of doing in response to failing a required course was to leave this site. But after feeling so lonely for a long time, I came back, after 31 months.

 

[SkyKnight03]

GameFAQs is terrible. It's a good example of what a forum with little to no moderation looks like.

I had someone publicly put me on a list as a 'terrible poster'. He said that stating my opinions and leaving threads was pointless. That I wasn't making enough contributions. Same person was following me into every single thread trying to bait an argument. Someone else also called me an apologist after I said I was okay with a certain game issue.

I may not stay here forever. I'm never going back there though.

There's nothing like being tagged on notification and knowing it's verbal harassment before you even click it.

 

[Midoriya]

GameFAQs is terrible. It's a good example of what a forum with little to no moderation looks like.

I had someone publicly put me on a list as a 'terrible poster'. He said that stating my opinions and leaving threads was pointless. That I wasn't making enough contributions. Same person was following me into every single thread trying to bait an argument. Someone else also called me an apologist after I said I was okay with a certain game issue.

I may not stay here forever. I'm never going back there though.

There's nothing like being tagged on notification and knowing it's verbal harassment before you even click it.

I agree with this so much to be honest. The moderation and amazing events are what keep this forum running. I've been to a lot of forums in the past and they were way less than ideal, in exactly this way. On some of them I couldn't go one day without being attacked. At least with TBT there's the decency to know that people won't go after you because it would break forum rules, rules that are actually enforced. While TBT isn't perfect and I do have some issues with the site, it's at least the cream of the crop when it comes to forums these days.

 

[-Blue-]

for sure, and I feel this more as time goes on since I've really drifted away from the collectible market in the last year or two. that vibe really doesn't sit right with me at all, in more ways than one.

and I can't speak for everyone but I feel like I vibe with you hehe

Yeah I still do the events because I love the camaraderie, but the collectibles are just there for me lol. I'll buy one as a memory and then normally gift the others. I have a few that others gifted to me and those mean a lot to me not because of rarity, but because out of anyone here they gifted it to me and that means a lot to me. I will cherish those ones forever haha.

Late reply, but even though I have a lot of friends here, I still feel quite frequently out of place - when I post in general or talk in discord during events and get weird vibes; I agree that there are definitely cliques. It didn’t make me feel good getting five reactions when I said something during mario party about being bad at a mini game; yes i am not over this because this really hurt. I’m sorry you feel this way too. I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts and a lot of times felt the same way as you.

I think with discord emojis/reactions people just mindlessly click on them without thinking about it. It's almost like a chain reaction. I'm sorry that happened to you, but for what it is worth I enjoyed watching your Mario Party sessions, they were fun!

I agree with this so much to be honest. The moderation and amazing events are what keep this forum running. I've been to a lot of forums in the past and they were way less than ideal, in exactly this way. On some of them I couldn't go one day without being attacked. At least with TBT there's the decency to know that people won't go after you because it would break forum rules, rules that are actually enforced. While TBT isn't perfect and I do have some issues with the site, it's at least the cream of the crop when it comes to forums these days.

Plus tbt is the right amount of moderation. Some forums get a bit too gungho with the moderation where it feels like

Spoiler

And those strict forums are almost just as bad if not worst as understaffed forums.

 

[VernalLapin]

In 2021 I “left” for a while because of a very bad bout with OCD, but I’m glad I couldn’t delete everything (at least without mod help?) because I truly loved it here and still do. I ended up lurking again then coming back, like I did in the beginning lol

 

[SkyKnight03]

I agree with this so much to be honest. The moderation and amazing events are what keep this forum running. I've been to a lot of forums in the past and they were way less than ideal, in exactly this way. On some of them I couldn't go one day without being attacked. At least with TBT there's the decency to know that people won't go after you because it would break forum rules, rules that are actually enforced. While TBT isn't perfect and I do have some issues with the site, it's at least the cream of the crop when it comes to forums these days.

Ah of course! The community here is fine. I'm not into the events that much so I can't comment on the broader side of it. I'm not concerned with fitting in, so I can't comment on any cliquish nature either.

I do wish I could self govern a little. This is one of the only places I've seen online that doesn't have a self option to delete threads, nor do they take requests. (according to the staff contact board).

I get how it could be abused. But I think it's only natural to have certain topics or posts one might regret creating. Especially with a forum that sees old threads frequently bumped.

It's not like a huge deal breaker to me. Just a small take away from my short few months here of activity.

 

[Nunnafinga]

I've never thought about leaving The Bell Tree.This is a place you go to because you like being there and if you don't like it anymore,then you stop going.No need for any teary farewell posts or angry missives on your profile.Just leave.However,I get the feeling that TBT is thinking about leaving me.I've never seen such a low level of activity here.Very few people are still playing New Horizons and being an Animal Crossing themed website means that TBT is subject to the whims of all the gamers out there and New Horizons just didn't have the long legs New Leaf had.Nintendo followed up a great game with a game that was only good.I do see some other things here that are troubling.I was part of another online community a while back that slowly withered over the course of several years.I see some of the same things happening here.When the membership gets smaller most of the people left are a like-minded core that might come across as being cliquish to any potential new members.Less people also means fewer differing opinions,attitudes and ways of thinking.That makes things less interesting and less stimulating.I've also noticed that the moderators are less tolerant than they used to be.I don't know if this a change in philosophy or if it's because they have a smaller group of members to deal with which makes any perceived troublemakers and hooligans easier to spot.I'm not calling anyone out or blaming anyone but I do see these things happening here.Of course,if Nintendo really hits the next Animal Crossing game out of the park things can change rapidly.Here's hoping that it does.

 

[Sheando]

I can't imagine ever Leaving TBT, in the sense of deliberately quitting one day and never coming back. It's a forum, not a job--if I don't feel like logging in for a while, I just don't. I've been on here for ten years now. There have been years when I've been super active, checking in daily for months on end, and there have been other years when I would be occupied with real-life stresses and not think to sign in for weeks or months. Even if I personally decided to take a break from TBT, I don't think I'd conceptualize it as a hard and fast departure, just "I don't think logging in is a good idea for me right now--I'm going to take a break until coming back feels right, and if it never does, then I guess I'll slowly figure that out over time, and it will be okay."

Granted, I don't really have friends on here (saying that in an entirely neutral manner, I promise), so I imagine it feels different if you have a lot of PMs going or are part of communities that might notice your absence. I don't feel pressured to be around constantly or to participate in every single event. Sometimes I feel a bit envious of those who have managed to befriend other users, the ones who always get likes and support and positivity whenever they participate in something, but I'm sure that also translates to a sense of higher stakes when competing in something, stepping back from the forum for a bit, sharing an opinion, etc. There is absolutely something nice about feeling very anonymous on here for an entire decade.

 

[Yoshi155]

I probably have thought about it, but I don’t plan on doing it. There’s some toxicity on this site, but I feel like that’s a minority and most people are normal, and so I mostly enjoy using this site (which is clear since I barely play Animal Crossing games right now and yet I’m still here). But there are those times on this site when I feel… invisible… lol.