Before we get started here, I just want to point out that I am NOT a staff member, nor am I trying to act like I am. I'm just a LSPDFR community member giving his opinion.

So a few months ago, I posted an article that I wrote titled "Please take the time to read this". In it, I discussed how a lot of people can be a bit "selfish" on here and that LSPDFR was lacking in the community values department. I will say, I've noticed a positive change. But I'm not here to praise said change. At least not in this article.

The focus of this article is on some of the "stuff" going on here lately that I don't exactly think is making this place better. So buckle up and enjoy this rant.

The first (and WORST) thing I have noticed in the community is that everyone flips out when someone else isn't credited, or someone converts a car or part without permission, or a texture is edited without permission, etc. In all honesty, it's immature. LSPDFR is a mod for a video game. This isn't a corporate world (at least it shouldn't be). Selling mods is ridiculous. Paying for mods is arguably worse, especially when you get mad after people criticize your decision. Posting pictures in the gallery of that model you just bought makes you a loser braggart (isn't there a rule against this?). And finally, complaining about someone not crediting or editing something you made is childish. I'll admit, I have sent people messages because they've edited textures I've made. And I regret doing that. The guy clearly wasn't the best at editing textures, and I probably crushed his hopes and dreams by asking for him to taking it down. From this point on, I encourage people to use and edit my work as they see fit. Seriously, feel free to edit my stuff and use it.

Now, the above isn't necessarily okay to do. If you release it, it's actually pretty illegal, unless you have permission. I'm not saying that it's alright to take people's stuff and reuse it. Credits are pretty important, too. All I'm saying is that if you make and release something, especially a DEV part, don't be the plagiarism police. Sometimes, it's good to give and not ask for anything in return. 

Back to the gist. We (mod makers) often forget that we are making stuff for a video game. More often, we forget the reason we are taking the time to make mods. I have two reasons: to improve the game for myself, and to improve the game for someone else. It's selfish and selfless. I think there's a good balance present. Like everyone else that uploads a mod, I hope that it's popular. However, I try not to check to see how many downloads I've gotten every 10 minutes. That's a bit over the top if you ask me. If people like it, great! If not, I'll try again in a few weeks. If someone does better than me, I don't attack their file with poor reviews and picky comments. I download that $#*% and try it myself! 

Now lets say I upload a file and it's popular. Then I see in the gallery that someone has edited it and is showing off their creation. Should I say something? If it's not positive, then now. Let it be. If they upload without permission, I may send them a short PM, but that's really it. I'm not losing sleep over a glorified PNG. And neither should anyone else. These wars that I have seen in comment sections are pathetic. People need to get over themselves. If that happens, I bet we'll see a friendlier community.

So I'm going to wrap this up with some tips for members, whether you are an uploader or not. If you consider using these, thanks. If not, whatever.

1. Be nice to everyone.
2. If someone sends you a PM/comments with a question, at least point them toward the answer if you don't want to tell them directly.
3. Upload for the benefit of others, not for the benefit of yourself.
4. Don't be the guy who stops someone from giving to the community (no matter how rubbish their file is).
5. Help others with constructive criticism and reviews. Don't say something like "nice try lol".
6. If you have talents, use them.
7. Stand up for other members.
8. Pay attention to the rules and guidelines.
9. Don't brag.
10. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

If as little as a quarter of the community stays by half of these, there will be visible improvement.

I just want to thank you for reading. I hope I've given you a new perspective.

-HBengtson

Completely agree.

Thank you for your feedback. Most of this is already covered by our Community Guidelines and I can understand a lot of your frustration, of course. Crediting however is quite important. If someone has uploaded something that you made, and you don't want this file to remain up, you can report it. Sending a PM to someone to take it down is not something we encourage, even if it is your own file. We moderators gladly handle any such dispute. We're here to help. If you're unsure what is covered by the Community Guidelines, look no further than here: http://www.lcpdfr.com/guideline-hub/

I suddenlly feel better about posting my shitty impala texture in the gallery. 

I also agree. Forum.Emergency-Planet.com is going through many of the same issues, but that has lead to almost a complete standstill with modding and I do not want to see that here. While I think crediting is important, I don't think it is for the users to take into their own hands. If somebody stole your stuff, report it and let the mod staff handle it. If you really want to do something, lock your models. When it comes down it with textures, it kinda sucks to suck. I'm guilty of it, although I haven't released any textures. But seeing comments in the gallary over customized or edited skins that are for personal use, that is too far and that is immature.