Reader comments -- ahh, yes, the juicy goodness following a meaty post. [1.Local] ducks past the swinging doors to see what readers have been chatting about in the back room over the past week.

The story's not over 'til [1.Local] has picked it to bits and pieces ... So what did the local denizens have to say about the world of WoW during the first half of the year? In fact, the [1.Local] scene itself became the news back in June, as [1.Local]: The epic rap battle comment war edition hit readers' screens: "Players disagree over Blizzard's upcoming badge changes. Rap battle ensues. Site is left terrified and confused."

epsilon343: Ahh yes, the rap battle. Nothing like mad rhymes to cool off tempers.

Higher on Killchrono's list of memories, though, was all the commotion about scamming: Aaah, I remember that run of articles about scamming. The best (and simultaneously worst) part about them were the numerous comments by phishers and scammers who tried to justify their actions by saying non-security savvy people deserved to get hacked and how they were 'doing them a favour' by showing them how stupid they were. A testament to how deplorable and vile malicious scammers truly are.

	Ear ye, ear ye Nothing stirs up the comments like a conversation on gender issues, and Noblegarden: Sexy or Sexist? was no different. Choline: Oh, I remember the Noblegarden controversy. I laughed it off, personally, and got really irate when people wouldn't stop talking about it. I love bunny ears! :3 Al: If you became irate, then you didn't laugh it off. Especially if you became irate that people had a different perspective on it then you. Choline: Perhaps I wasn't clear: I laughed off the achievement itself. I became irate when the complaining started. The points that were brought up in the discussion were valid and made for great food-for-thought. People frothing at the mouth because of a dispellable two-minute buff ... that was a little extreme.
	Big news, big scandals, big conversations April was evidently a Big Important News kind of month at WoW.com, beginning with what's become known as the Martin Fury scandal. Meethan: I have to say and remember, this was probably the most shocking month of WoW.com's history. I mean BRK (sniff), Martin fury which is my favorite WoW.com story ever, Sacco's inside look on Activision-Blizzard was just a wake up call that was sorely needed, and of course the PETA rally. Such amazing, sad, eye-opening shockers. Literaltruth: I think my favourite thing about these posts isn't the old posts themselves but going back and looking at the comments. All the people taking it for absolute gospel that the next expansion pack was going to be about the Maelstrom. The people who are basically treated like idiots for thinking it could be the Emerald Dream by the people who knew for 100% definite it was going to be the Maelstrom (who would later, ironically, be shown to be just as wrong as the ED people). The people quoting that post on Allakhazam giving the complete map of the future expansion as though it were gospel when we now know the guy admitted it was a hoax. Pandaren, Goblins as a neutral faction, Undermine as the new Dalaran ... the speculation that somehow becomes morphed into "a given fact" in later months. Also, the Martin Fury thing was good -- but much better was the link in that post that referred back to a much earlier story about the 'lock on Aman'Thul trying to scam free epic flight and getting pwned by a GM on the forums. RIP BRK'S Blog. My main was a hunter at this time. I've levelled a pally (who was my main for a while) and now a shaman ... if BRK was still around, I would probably still be playing the hunter. I've not found a blog as fun or informative as BRK's for any class in WoW since then ... It really made playing a hunter feel great. RogueJedi86: It's a shame on the Martin Fury scandal. Blizzard never admitted fault for their GM giving a GM item to a player, and Blizzard pretended it never happened. I wish they'd have spoken on it and at least admitted they screwed up. Instead they deleted all posts about Martin Fury and pretended nothing happened. Faar: Like bollocks it was Blizzard's fault. If you go to the bank and deposit $536 into your account and then check your balance later and find out that $536,000 was actually deposited, is your first reaction then the bank gave you a free bonus for no reason whatsoever and that you're at liberty to spend that cash any way you like, or that someone screwed up and you're not really supposed to have that extra money? If you still can't wrangle your stupid-ass head around the fact the dude himself was responsible for getting himself banned, the Martin Fury even says "cheater" in its tooltip. Sheesh, how more clearer than that can it get?
	A real game-changer When druid columnist Allison Robert posted Shifting Perspectives: Tanks, Wrath, and crushing blows, "I was grimly expecting to get crucified by commenters for this piece. I was not definitely not expecting it to get the reaction it did or a visit from Ghostcrawler." Rhabella: I am still amazed at just how good the crushing blow article was. Tanks have changed a lot since its original post, but we still know there are overhauls headed our way with regard to block specifically in Cataclysm. Since Sarth 3D, tanks have been bandaged over and over, and I wonder if they have taken that approach because they knew an overhaul was necessary come Cataclysm as early as Sarth 3D. That wasn't just a post for March, or the year -- that was, IMO, the defining post of all of this expansion and at least partly responsible for the tanking changes headed our way the next time we all stand in line to purchase Cataclysm.
	Change is ... hard With New Year's resolutions right around the corner, it's helpful to remember that sometime the smallest habits prove the most difficult to change -- like avoiding water when you're riding your land mount. Nick: After playing WoW for four years, I still subconsciously avoid water while mounted. MusedMoose: Ditto. I almost always expect to be dismounted as soon as my mount goes under, even today. Oteo: Same here, or when I jump over water but am just short of getting past the deep end ... There's always that "Damn it!!" moment before I realize they changed it. Tyr: I do as well, but only because it slows me down so much (depending on how big the body of water is). For example, that little stretch of water from Grom'gol to the pace with the level 40 raptors: I still try to wall-jump it with alts instead of swim through it, even though it's probably slower (being impossible now, and such) ...
	Rocketing back in time Sometimes our readers get so enthusiastic about certain changes in the game that they get a little ahead of themselves ... Eddy: No rocket bear? Bubsa: Wasn't aware 3.3 hit in January. Gessilea: Rocket bear is so awesome it rockets back in time to become the best story of all time.

Before we leave you for the week, we'd like to raise our glasses in a toast to reader Geninn of EU Eonar, who submitted the artwork at the top of this week's [1.Local]. "It might be a bit too shiny and sparkly," he wrote, "but I'm sending it just in case you find it appropriate for an article."

"Too shiny and sparkly"? During the holidays?! Nonsense! In fact, we'd love something else shiny and sparkly for next week's July-December 2009 wrap-up. If you've got WoW-related artwork you think would make a great [1.Local] header next week (or any other week, for that matter), shoot it over to me at lisa (at) wow (dot) com. Bonus points if you can come up with something festive that doesn't include the traditional fireworks-over-the-city shot. (We'll leave that one for the Around Azeroth crew.) Please include [1.Local] artwork in the subject line, so your submission doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Until next week!

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Ha, caughtcha looking! Hey, don't scroll away -- come join the conversation on these and other posts around the WoW.com community. We'll see you around in [1.Local]

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