Whale Child
Silk Kanishk
It's the exact opposite in fact. Threads about people exist because they want to quit.
"I want to quit because there isn't enough prior attention given to me so I'm going to leave despite that I'm fully/have a sense of awareness that there will be a thread created of my absence thus will signal a return that I'm actually 'wanted.'"*
Still calling for attention. The only difference, at least from what I'm trying to understand in your argument, is the when the thread is created during the process of the player leaving; either before or after.
If not, then I don't get it.
You said, "I've seen so many cases of people wanting to quit and many a time it's due to a feeling of neglect and estrangement from the community." I'm interpreting that as 'a person isn't satisfied with what the community has given/offered them.' Then you said, "It only makes sense then that there should be a shoutout from the community to show that they are cared for." Last time I checked a community isn't a ringlet of friends. Not only that, but just because a person is leaving does not mean that said person suddenly gains the privileges to undermine what is defined as spam. If so, and by the looks of it - it apparently is, never was I aware that by becoming part of the z!F community you then have to take up the responsibility to fix or condone someone's 'I feel neglected' problems.
How can anyone know for certain that a thread will be created about them if they leave? No matter how popular anyone is, can they for sure know that a thread will be created for them?
And I'll admit I'm in error for saying that the people who leave were doing so because they felt neglected. In fact, neither you nor I can deduce their reasons for leaving.
For example. The first of such threads was for an anonymous user who gave gifts to everyone saying he/she was leaving. There have been several threads in the past in the z!f over anon gifts and this was no different(with no complaints against them might I add). In this case, the user was unknown and din't intend on being found out. It was only through a lot of search the giftees eventually found out it was Dandeliondart who was leaving and since the revelation occured within that thread, so too did further discussion on it including attempts to bring it back.
Next it was Miya who posted on her status section that she's thinking of quitting. Being my friend, I immediately meeboed her and asked her what was wrong. She said she just had lost interest and felt like she'd done everything there is to do in the game. Others who saw her status quickly came to the forum and started a thread where they could together appeal to her not to quit. Did she say she's thinking of quitting just to get attention? Better yet? Should people not even be allowed to comment on their statuses what they're feeling? (When that's exactly what the status bar is for). Or should people leave without any notice or any goodbyes? Just leave the people who you spent so much time with and shared so many experiences with. Can you humanize that?