This hasn't been an easy decision to make, but it is, unfortunately, a necessary one: I am officially stepping down as a moderator on Top MUD Sites and ending participation in these discussions, which have followed an increasingly strident and hateful downward spiral.

It's been demoralizing, watching as a community site that started out as rather collaborative descended first into battles among the biggest egos (and I regret to confess my own guilt in that), and then all the hyenas came out to snap up the scraps that remained. These gladiatorial-style debates make for interesting theater, perhaps, but they don't build community. And the harping and trolling we see these days, largely unchecked, isn't even interesting theater: It's like rubbernecking to watch a road accident.

I'll continue to post news and special announcements about our games at jointhesaga.com, but I have no interest in participating in what passes for intelligent discourse around here of late. The occasional MUD of the Day posts will end here too, although I may work on a more in-depth version of that project elsewhere in the near future.

Thanks to Synozeer for providing Top MUD Sites as a venue of advertising for the community. And to all the TMSers who read these boards: Good luck with your games, whether you run them or just play them.