Is the community of this forum changing for bad or am I just getting old?

[Deleted]

I'll try to be as short as possible. I joined MMO Champion in 2011 as a forum poster. As I you can see, I have a considerable number of posts, not countless, but still quite a few.

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I do remember that years ago when people didn't agree on something, they'd either say why or not post anymore. Sure once in a while there was a random person attacking another but people mostly ignored them and they gave up. Besides that, we had actual news here in General Off-Topic and things we talked about, from someone's relationship problems to things like artificial intelligence.
We had moderate amounts of writing in the OP that many people read, not everyone, but many did. Most didn't continue reading the replies, but people read the OP at least.

Nowadays it seems people just go in circle-jerks when they disagree on topics, resulting to insults or making the arguments of the other person sound like they're literally Hitler through misinterpretation. And the issue is that many others jump in the fold to fight one another as the argument progresses. I won't give examples as I don't want to attack someone, if you've been in some topics you'd know what I'm talking about.
People just read the title of the thread and comment on that even if the OP has like 5-10 lines at most. And now it's not just a few, it's many that do this.
The threads we're swarmed with are usually some scandal news just like on the mainstream media where there's not much to discuss, it's just dishing hatred towards a group or another. I'm talking about things like "gun owner's pet iguana shot him" or "someone does something stupid and dies" or "some random person on a blog said we should live in internment camps". I tried to give fictional titles, but let's be honest, they're not far from the truth.
And people fall for these threads. Heck, I'll admit, I fell for some. But then I started to wonder what's there to discuss sometimes? Nothing, we just get 20 people agreeing on something and someone disagreeing and then they start going into a circle jerk. And those scandal threads remain on the front page despite there being nothing to discuss truly.
I do hope people responding won't read just the question title or just say "I read till you said X and it was stupid" as it would really connect with the problem and I'm still hoping I'm wrong and I'm just seeing things wrong.

As I said, maybe I remember things wrong, but I remember that when I joined 5 years ago it wasn't like that. What do you think?

[Independent voter]

My memory is short but at least in Off-Topic it was much more left leaning than it is today, if you posted something conservative they'd ban you cause they thought your ideas so alien that you were trolling. Today there are more viewpoints which is good but it leads to more arguing.

[Deleted]

I do remember that years ago when people didn't agree on something, they'd either say why or not post anymore

Yeah, that never existed here, nor pretty much anywhere else on the internet. Also, this isn't my first account here, if you're looking at my join date.

[Sevyvia]

Mods generally can't (or just aren't) power-tripping as much as would happen in the past. Infractions aren't handed out for nothing, or for disagreeing with the mod.

A broader spectrum of opinion is represented generally.

These are both positive things, though of course, if you belonged to the previously prevalent set of opinions, and as such enjoyed mod backing, the site would seem to have gotten "worse."

[mcnally86]

A combination of factors to be sure, but you are getting older. To test this, I suggest you go back and read your old posts. Like one every 100. Really dip back into those threads, read what you were saying, read what other people were saying. It is quite the trip. I bet you do not feel the same way about things as you did then. Heck, I can even do this with posts Imade yesterday. Blood sugar really screws with my opinions, or the ability to let stuff go.

[GennGreymane]

Eh, its about the same.

[Taeldorian]

Well as someone else said, over time more viewpoints were developed from people, which leads to more arguments, or more agreements. It can go either way.

[Cyberowl]

I feel the same way.

The constant spam of SJW threads by people who think SJWs are people who call them out when they are behaving like assholes (it's especially funny because they themselves create some echo chamber safe zone trigger free space), Vyxn crying wolf, Drumpf supporters like Hooked, Orlong Taft etc. who just come in threads to say "Damn Trump rocked that debate!" when all he did was throw some tantrum and those avatar/signature weebs from Scandinavia/Eastern Europe who go full Nazi in the refugee crisis threads and the "gay agenda" tinfoil hats/gay bashers like this one Romanian dude. And don't forget the "It's a x thread!" threads.

Of course that's heavy generalizing on my side and not everyone with for example an anime avatar is behaving like that...but damn, there are plenty.

I know I'm far from being constructive many times and I however agree that there is some heavy mod bias here and I'm getting away with things other posters wouldn't.

[PC2]

I would say the migrant crisis has had the biggest effect on turning people away from the left. When people can't even support the sovereign state borders they were born into without being called a Nazi fascist xenophobe bigot, there isn't much of a debate to be had there.

[Cyberowl]

I would say the migrant crisis has had the biggest effect on turning people away from the left. When people can't even support the sovereign state borders they were born into without being called a Nazi fascist xenophobe bigot, there isn't much of a debate to be had there.

There is a line between people against immigration and people who cheer when refugees drown and want to shoot them at the borders. A line some people here jump rope with.

I agree with the reasoning though, it took a major shift right.

[Sky High]

I stopped giving a shit if I change people's opinions a while ago. really I think it's just the election cycle and it's got everyone in a tizzy. I hope this is the last time American poltics domiantes this forum, rather go in circles about how awful those Dreanei are.

[Fawkess]

I stopped giving a shit if I change people's opinions a while ago. really I think it's just the election cycle and it's got everyone in a tizzy. I hope this is the last time American poltics domiantes this forum, rather go in circles about how awful those Dreanei are.

The best part is when the discussion of Draenei overshadows what the thread was suppose to be about

[Kraenen]

Maybe during the last year or so it's gone veering to the right, I'm not sure what caused the influx. But apparently prior to that, and prior to my time it was sort of right-wing rednecks talking about beer and trucks.

[Deleted]

It's always been like that. Don't fool yourself. I remember back when I first made an account here all the way back in '09 I knew this place was full of trolls and I wanted to troll too.

What has changed, is that the community as a whole has become more conservative. And that's no surprise, seeing as how you can observe the same phenomenon in the real world.

[Deleted]

Nope. Same as ever. As soon as you post an opinion thread, you get 75% veiled trolls that aren't trolly enough to get banned, and 25% actual contributing comments.

[mcnally86]

It's always been like that. Don't fool yourself. I remember back when I first made an account here all the way back in '09 I knew this place was full of trolls and I wanted to troll too.

What has changed, is that the community as a whole has become more conservative. And that's no surprise, seeing as how you can observe the same phenomenon in the real world.

As people get old they do tend to get more conservative. They get supplanted by the next generation with their new ideas. Then they get set in their ways and it takes their children to shake things up again. The world is a snake chasing its tail but we do see advancements in humans rights and welfare over all. So I guess conservatives loose, because eventually they die.

[Tailswipe]

My memory is short but at least in Off-Topic it was much more left leaning than it is today, if you posted something conservative they'd ban you cause they thought your ideas so alien that you were trolling. Today there are more viewpoints which is good but it leads to more arguing.

This pretty much. People used to get trolling infractions for bringing up any concept that did not fit into the liberal world view (99% of them from one mod in particular).

[Deleted]

As people get old they do tend to get more conservative. They get supplanted by the next generation with their new ideas. Then they get set in their ways and it takes their children to shake things up again. The world is a snake chasing its tail but we do see advancements in humans rights and welfare over all. So I guess conservatives loose, because eventually they die.

Plenty of young fellas at those Trump rallies.

And hey I'm only 22.

[Wells]

As I said, maybe I remember things wrong, but I remember that when I joined 5 years ago it wasn't like that. What do you think?

Its gone sharply down hill.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe during the last year or so it's gone veering to the right, I'm not sure what caused the influx. But apparently prior to that, and prior to my time it was sort of right-wing rednecks talking about beer and trucks.

I don't think that its been so much a veer to the right and more that most of the better liberal posters gave up the shitshow a while back.

[PC2]

As people get old they do tend to get more conservative. They get supplanted by the next generation with their new ideas. Then they get set in their ways and it takes their children to shake things up again. The world is a snake chasing its tail but we do see advancements in humans rights and welfare over all. So I guess conservatives loose, because eventually they die.

Increasing well-being is due to technology and more countries undergoing modernization.

Liberal human right advances in the West like gay marriage was a positive, but in the grand scheme they play a small role in making contemporary civilization prosperous.