I'd definitely agree that uncon timers on official are WAY too short.

The way I see it, It makes sense as you're simply adding more rags to the wrapping. IIRC they're the only items in the game you can repair to Pristine

Further on your point about “Not being able to share thoughts with others”

Quick correction: I believe the crafting recipe should require 3 long sticks, not 4. Perhaps a "Collector kit" similar to the existing "Fence kits" etc could be used to lay the base for this

I also feel like the Chickens have been VERY loud this patch

Also having the same issue, Tried to join both Community and official servers, same result