There’s a general rule of thumb that’s known by most community professionals:
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Less than 10% of all players will ever even look at your forums or owned channels
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Of that 10%, less than 10% will ever be an active participant in the conversation on these owned channels
It’s important to understand that this in no way diminishes the usefulness of community discussion hubs (like forums). Forums serve as a microcosm of the larger OW community, representing viewpoints from many different segments of players; casual, what we call “Core Players”, competitive players, representation from marginalized groups such as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+, the list goes on.
Like I said previously in other threads, the current state and sentiment of the boards is our responsibility, and improving the general tone and tenor of dialog here is one of my top current priorities.
To be clear: as a community professional, I have a responsibility to both the development team and the players to ensure that any conversation we’re facilitating is productive and as free from hostility as possible. While I understand the sentiment that we should “rise above” vitriol and toxic comments, I will not knowingly put developers in a situation where they could be exposed to high amounts of toxicity that ultimately ends up muddying the original message and conversation, just as I would not knowingly impose such a conversation upon any of you.
I think most of you know this about me, but I love the Overwatch community. This game has held a special place for me since before launch. It’s a game I play regularly with my kids, and like many of you, it’s where I spend time with friends and loved ones. I believe that the OW community is an amazing, supportive, and passionate group of players. Players who want to feel better informed about the development of the game they love so much.
As a Community Manager, I’ve spent my career managing the rigors of player sentiment and conversation. I understand the toll that this works takes on the mental health and well being of those who spend any amount of time interfacing directly with community.