When you first came to the FPL, why did you come here?

I'm sure we can all answer this question in the same manner. "Because it looked fun."

But over time... modivations change. Sure, the FPL still continues to be fun to a certain extent, but some people stick around for other reasons. Maybe they like to stay around for the interesting stories and characters. Maybe they like the creative enviroment and have seen that the interaction with other writers has helped their own skills. Or maybe they simply enjoy their fellow players' company and stick around for the sake of friendship.

In the end... all of those reasons still lead back to that initial idea. The FPL is fun.

For most of us at least.

In recent times, though, I get the feeling that not everyone feels this way. The recent post on the Fight Analysis board is an example. There was a debate over the morality of writing villainous characters. Some people insisted that in writing a villainous character and describing their acts, they are condoning violence and evil, whether it be directing or indirectly.

Quite frankly, this notion really pissed me off.

The very idea that people insist that morality is at play in the FPL, especially to the extent that these people insisted, just disturbs me. This is just a GAME. Nothing more. Nothing less. The moment you start thinking it is anything more than that... don't you think the game starts to lose its appeal? The more you take it seriously, and the more you impose such "real life" concerns upon it, doesn't it begin to cease being fun?

Doesn't such behavior basically... ruin the purpose of the FPL?

This is just one example of what I'm talking about. In general, though, the problem is seriousness. Some people just take the FPL too seriously. They cease to take the FPL as it is and insist on turning it into something that it isn't. I think I speak for most of the FPLers out there when I say we come here not to wallow in such seriousness, but to escape from it. We dont' come here to perpeptuate our worries and our prejudices and our problems, but to avoid them as best as we can. Yet some people insist on bringing such issues into the FPL.

To them I have to ask "Why?"

Why bring in exactly what most of us wish to avoid? Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of this site? Doesn't that just make things around here not... fun?

I think it does.

So to those of you that do take the FPL seriously... step back and ask yourself "Why am I here?" Hopefully you'll respond by saing "Because its fun."