^This is the only place I go on the internet, so I don't have your grounds for comparison, Joecoolyo. But I thought it might be some grounds for self-congratulation that people on this site were able to have a discussion of the Zoe Quinn incident that evidently shut down multiple other gaming sites. I myself didn't fully understand that thread; it seems like you need more knowledge of the game-design world than I possess to really follow what's going on. But still, we're past 10 pages without crashing over it, as the rest of the gaming world seems to have done.
Yeah, that's why I said it hasn't completely changed, but there is a new air to things. It's not very big mind you, but it does worry me a bit, considering I've called this place internet home for 6 years.
I think we probably differ by a pretty small degree. If someone says something outright snotty with no redeeming value at all I'm in favor of blasting them. But If someone has a snappy comeback to something I say that usually makes me smile more than it makes me angry.
I don't mind snappy comebacks, or funny posts; in fact I campaigned hard for their return with the merging of the Tavern and Chamber. What irks me is the mean-spirited ones, that specifically target either segments of posters, or their views, in such a way as to elicit anger. It almost borders on trolling, as much as I dislike that word.
I think respect is the key to all of this. If we as a community hold respect for one another, and their views (no matter how much you disagree with them, or vis-versa), jabs will be jokes between friends, instead of snark between enemies. And I hope this develops again, or returns, so I won't have to avoid threads due to the toxicity or vitriol displayed.
EDIT:
I think you're looking at the past of OT with rose-tinted lenses, Joe.
I was thinking about that, maybe I am viewing the past by selectivity remember the good over the bad. In which case my arguments don't have much ground. If it's wrong, then it's wrong. But I remember the place being just a bit nicer than it is currently.
Indeed, one of the big things that motivated the moderator crack down a few years ago was to combat precisely that.
Yes, and the issue with that was the idea that this sort of thing could be moderated into existence, or, a revolution from above. I also argued back then that it was an issue only the community itself could solve. Since without a community, CFCOT doesn't exist. If we want to rid the OT of meanness, or bring back quality posting (which was the big topic back then) it's something we have to do ourselves through our own contributions. Changes can only come from the community, they cannot be forced onto it by an authority figure.
