The IRC bans with channel #Outlaw are splitting the community and really just driving a wedge between sympathizers and people for the bans. Conversation is actually more active in #Outlaws than #Compendium in my experience. Then again I don't even know why I'm typing this since the admin considers me an idiot with zero influence.
Are you saying that we should either get rid of #outlaws or undo the IRC bans, but not have both? Personally, I think this "wedge" and the sympathizers is just the natural result of banning someone who has friends. Naturally, they'll speak up in favor of their friend, even when it's a closed case sort of deal, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ban someone just because they have lots of friends on the site or their friends try really hard to get them unbanned. The only reason this outcry didn't reach a peak until just now was because the full effect of the CE leak ban didn't set in until just now, so everyone suddenly feels what it means to have a friend banned.
As for the activity levels in the chat room, do we even really want three quarters of the activity to be the same 2 or 3 people who always happen to be there? Should the reason people join the channel be so they can chat specifically with Laith and teaflower about cocks and underage girls or stupid older brothers and sisters, or about not having anything to eat? I don't think so.
The real purpose of the IRC channel is simply to give site members a means to chit chat with each other about little things that would just spam up the forums or to collaborate in real time. It's to keep people from doing what Shadow D Darkman used to do and sit around all day posting 30-40 one-line responses to every new post and topic. There doesn't have to be a ton of crazy bullshit going on all the time just to accomplish that, just enough people to say hi and maybe strike up a short conversation with.
But hell, it didn't even exist more than a few months ago, and may not exist more than another year or so.
Also, what's with all the passive aggressive bullshit? If you have something to say, then say it and stick to it. Quit with this, "But it won't matter because the person in charge won't listen" or "I'd probably get banned for saying" bullshit and just say what you want to say. Do so in a public forum like this one if a private chat doesn't have an effect, and then judge the persuasive value of your argument on the result.
And if you want to complain about someone blowing you off, then address it frankly.
