3 years later... what happened?

[Snownine]

snap

snip

snyp

snop

snup

All of you guys feel this way??
Holy crap what did I miss?
I get pretty seldom quoted from anything but I usually scroll through a lot of the material in threads and I don't find people more (passive) aggressive than before......

Well I just finished Batman Arkham City so I now have a degree in fighting bad stuff, I'll take care of this!!

Spoiler: Keep Calm

For me, I'm probably burned out and I've seen two sets of users I knew quite well come and go in three years. All of the posters who used to post good stuff, people like Root of All Evil and SimuLord, have gone or gotten less active and I'm just seeing more and more people around who I want to punch through the monitor. Admittedly yes, not everyone here is like that, there's a few cool guys around and they post now and then but really, the rate of people I want to punch out-weights the people I don't at this point. Plus, as Zhukov said, you can hardly post anything without someone getting in your face about it and saying you're wrong. I know, it's the Internet blah blah blah but still, you used to be able to post something and not have someone get on your case about it.

But on the plus side, everyone who's posted in this thread appear to be cool guys so yay for the cool guys thread.
If I'm cool. Which I'm probably not. <_<

Do you happen to know what happened to SimuLord? I took a long hiatus and when I came back he and several other of the more well known members of the community were gone.

 

[kasperbbs]

A lot actually, most of the shows that i used to watch here have disappeared and others have gotten stale. As for forums.. Well, at least the number of pony posts have declined.

 

[Sassafrass]

snap

snip

snyp

snop

snup

All of you guys feel this way??
Holy crap what did I miss?
I get pretty seldom quoted from anything but I usually scroll through a lot of the material in threads and I don't find people more (passive) aggressive than before......

Well I just finished Batman Arkham City so I now have a degree in fighting bad stuff, I'll take care of this!!

Spoiler: Keep Calm

For me, I'm probably burned out and I've seen two sets of users I knew quite well come and go in three years. All of the posters who used to post good stuff, people like Root of All Evil and SimuLord, have gone or gotten less active and I'm just seeing more and more people around who I want to punch through the monitor. Admittedly yes, not everyone here is like that, there's a few cool guys around and they post now and then but really, the rate of people I want to punch out-weights the people I don't at this point. Plus, as Zhukov said, you can hardly post anything without someone getting in your face about it and saying you're wrong. I know, it's the Internet blah blah blah but still, you used to be able to post something and not have someone get on your case about it.

But on the plus side, everyone who's posted in this thread appear to be cool guys so yay for the cool guys thread.
If I'm cool. Which I'm probably not. <_<

Do you happen to know what happened to SimuLord? I took a long hiatus and when I came back he and several other of the more well known members of the community were gone.

He pretty much just went "I'm done.", said goodbye in one of his posts and just left. Didn't make a thread, didn't make a fuss, just said in one of his posts he was going and he went. I think he still logs on now and then but doesn't post.

 

[unindexedsearchengine]

The 2008-2009 community was probably the escapist at its healthiest. It has utterly devolved since then.

Ouch? generalization much? And people are surprised at all the hostility.

 

[FEichinger]

This thread sure turned into nostalgia quite fast ...

Well, congrats, OP.

And, holy shit I just realized I'm actually an Escapist oldie now ... When did that happen?

 

[CrystalShadow]

Eh, hostility huh

New here. The hostility I've seen so far defies logic. People will get in your face, even if you agreed with something they said.

Interesting that some people seem to have noticed a change in that regard. To me, it feels much the same as it always has, but then I got so burned out on certain topics about a year or two ago that I stopped paying attention to the forums.

I have a low tolerance for that stuff anyway though, but the Escapist forums always used to be a lot more polite than several others I've had the misfortune of dealing with...

Polite I guess just translates to less outright insults and swearing though I guess.
Some things never change.

I guess I should congratulate the OP on their badge or something though. XD - I've been here marginally longer it seems, but I don't post much.

It alway kind of scares me to learn how long I've had certain accounts. This one is going on 4 years old now, but there's another forum elsewhere online that I went back to a while ago, and my account from 2001 still exists there.

Needless to say, posting there actually made me one of the longest-running members around, which is a weird experience. It's also weird to see someone else that I actually remember from the early days, since that place seemed to have mostly been taken over by newer members.

4 years is a long time on the net. Let alone 12...

 

[Beffudled Sheep_v1legacy]

Not understanding the people complaining about change. I've been here since '08 and the forums are the same except for the less draconian moderation. The forums always were full of passive-aggressive pricks and general snootiness... People need to remove the nostalgia filters from their memory search...

OT:Congrats

 

[Lionsfan]

Biggest problem I really see is that nobody blatantly flames. Instead they just act like a passive aggressive dickweed and think that making a snarky or sarcastic remark is a suitable substitute for an actual argument. The forums haven't gotten angrier, it's just that certain individuals have learned that being snarky and writing essay-long posts tends to have the mods look the other way.

It's why I've just been sticking in the roleplaying section for fun. And that section seems to have shrunk recently to just a handful of users.

I and other people have said something along those lines. With the whole "don't be a jerk thing", sure it takes away the blatant name calling, but that just makes everybody passive aggressive and negative feelings tend to simmer longer than if we all called each other fucktards once in a while.

It doesn't even have to be name calling, it's just that everybody is afraid to say something rude for fear it'll bring Mod Wrath down.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

can somone tell me what it is?

It just seems that lately, hostilities and vitriol here have been pretty bad.

I mean, I can't create a thread thesedays without boatloads of passive-aggressive snark, no matter what the topic.
And I can't make a post, no matter how innocuous, without getting an inbox full of angry quotes.

That's how my time is here, pretty much. I can't for the life of me remember where from, but I remember people talking about how they love to see their inbox light up. Honestly...I don't. I've gotten to the point I like being able to post and not have people respond to me because whenever my inbox does light up, my first thought is "Great, who do I have to ignore or defend myself from, next?"

 

[scorptatious]

Cool, I just got my landmark badge a little while ago.

But yeah, I sorta agree that it does feel like the forums have changed a little for the worse. But hey, now I try to avoid certain threads in favor of other ones.

 

[Latinidiot]

I think that the Forums used to be a tad more whimsical. The serious discussions and vitriol were always there, there was just more contrast. I think it's because there used to be a time when gaming news was less eventful. Less corporate schandals, less 'sellouts', and well, generally easier to be happy.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

I feel the forums have changed a lot on here. Especially since late 2011. I used to frequent this site all the time, post a lot and generally spend a good deal of time here.

Nowadays I can't stand a majority of this sites users and their attitude towards things.

This is also how I feel.
I pretty much come here out of habit and I spend most my time in one user group nowadays. More fun, less hassle.

I know dem feels.

I don't know what happened to the forums in the last 6 months, but I don't like it.

I can't even put my finger on it, something just changed for the worse.

I get what you mean; I've only been posting since mid-2012 but I've been lurking here since late 2010, and I've noticed that the people on here are getting more and more argumentative; not many of them appreciate having fun while discussing a subject, it seems.

 

[Nieroshai]

I think the soul-crushing misery train has long since jumped the shark in this thread...

I really haven't had an unpleasant experience here on the site, so take my naivety with a grain of salt

And just remember: No matter how bad things get, they can ALWAYS get worse!... If that helps at all >.>

It never does to say something doesn't happen just because you haven't experienced it.
...
Don't dwell on that, or this'll be sent to Politics and Religion. What I mean to say is, there's plenty of shit to wade through here. Mod wrath here is nothing like I've known on other forums, its automation lets people with careful wording get away with being dicks while some get swatted for (barely) low-content posts. There's a lot of unpleasantness to go around, it just hides in the grass to bite you when it feels like it.

 

[Nieroshai]

can somone tell me what it is?

It just seems that lately, hostilities and vitriol here have been pretty bad.

I mean, I can't create a thread thesedays without boatloads of passive-aggressive snark, no matter what the topic.
And I can't make a post, no matter how innocuous, without getting an inbox full of angry quotes.

That's how my time is here, pretty much. I can't for the life of me remember where from, but I remember people talking about how they love to see their inbox light up. Honestly...I don't. I've gotten to the point I like being able to post and not have people respond to me because whenever my inbox does light up, my first thought is "Great, who do I have to ignore or defend myself from, next?"

A lot of this comes from threads with political or philosophical implications, right? Sadly, few can discuss worldviews without pulling out daggers and insisting only theirs is acceptable.

 

[Irridium]

Oh hey, I have that badge too. Since... about a month ago I think.

And yeah, I'm going to agree with what others have said. This place feels hostile as all hell. However, I can't remember if it was always like this or if it changed or if I just started noticing it more.

It seems like you can't talk about anything without someone getting all venomous in your face. No matter the subject, someone with an agenda will charge in and start slinging turds in every direction. They may well be passive-aggresive turds or carefully aimed turds because the slinger wishes to avoid mod wrath, but they're still turds. Apparently nobody knows how to disagree with some or criticise a thing without being, well... a mean-spirited arsehole about it.

At this point I should probably mention that I'm guilty of this too. I've pissed on a few parades for no good reason. Although after seeing how obnoxious it is I've stopped.

Also, I'm trying to be less hostile in general. Although I still tend to break out the sarcasm more than neccesary. It can feel a bit pointless trying to hold yourself above the nastiness. It kinda rubs off.

Basically what he said. I'm much less active because the cynicism and hostility is just ridiculous. There was always some snark and cynicism, but back then there weren't so many people so it wasn't so pronounced. Now there's lots of people, and... yeah. They seem to have adopted the snarky cynicism of old. Same crap, only more people throwin' it around.

Also as Sassafrass said, I've seen quite a few users who've become friends come and go. Still talk to them, but they're not that active here anymore. If they're even active at all. Kind of puts a damper on things. Though I do still keep in touch with quite a few. Just not here.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

A lot of this comes from threads with political or philosophical implications, right? Sadly, few can discuss worldviews without pulling out daggers and insisting only theirs is acceptable.

Typically, yes. But not always. It could happen anywhere, your opinion means squat because it's always wrong. Doesn't matter who you are or what you say, unless your a mod or staff member. I've got friends who used to mess around here, but they've all since quit and occasionally remind me that this place has an utterly shit community. Now, I try not to be quite the misathropist I used to be, but with the passing of time, it's much more difficult to defend against their reminders...

 

[Pink Gregory]

The atmosphere on the escapist is just a little... l33t for me now. It's somehow a sorry cross between "two mainstream" and too "pompous".

'Pompous' I can understand. Mainstream however...I have to ask, what?

 

[crepesack]

The 2008-2009 community was probably the escapist at its healthiest. It has utterly devolved since then.

Ouch? generalization much? And people are surprised at all the hostility.

It is a simple fact that there was stricter moderation in 2008 than there is today. As such the forum community was much healthier. This is a black and white situation.