hehe, yeah, I look back on my guilded days and still breathe a sigh of relief that I learned of A Better Way. I found the rewards of raiding came in far beneath the level of commitment required, so much so that I had to convince myself that just being able to run Kara or ZG was its own reward, and that it was OK that I should never expect to get any gear over the super-hardcore who'd been around for ages and knew everyone by first name on Vent. I was also encouraged to contribute to the guild bank but never allowed to grab stuff I needed in return (always, "ask an officer!" and then hope they remember to send it). And of course, when deadlines at work came up and I couldn't play for a couple weeks, something that happens every few months, meant that I was kicked for inactivity.

I'm sure that guilds with real-life friends or particularly cool people are OK. But in general, for me, guilds SUCK. My guild bank is mine, I get all the mad l3wt5, I don't have to show up if I don't wanna, and I don't have to help anyone. Entirely antisocial and much preferred. Woot.