What is the future of these forums?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > What is the future of these forums?

mystes: May 31, 2006

Insanitylad posted:

I've been away from the forums for quite a long time but never forgot spending way too much of my teen years here. . . has there been any kind of vision or communication from the new site owners? Any plans to breathe new life into the site? There are still active threads from years ago...hell there is a thread in ask/tell with over 30000 replies. How is anyone supposed to catch up and be a part of the conversation in something like that?

It seems like nothing has really changed since lowtax sold the site. What gives? Or am I just out of touch and missing everything?

Are you aware of why lowtax sold the site? If you are, why would you expect that the intent of the current owner would be to change it?

# ¿ Apr 30, 2023 01:53

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 21, 2024 12:17

mystes: May 31, 2006

Collateral posted:

I bought my son an account, telling him was a funny place with lots of useful information and friendly people. He lasted about a month, I think, after the 3rd dogpile, by "allies" he told me it was just too hostile. Trying to have any kind of conversation is a minefield. Saying nothing and keeping your own council is a winning strategy, even in places where you have personal experience, because you will get screamed at or stalked.

I really think the culture war has broken a lot of minds here.

Structurally, it's fine though.

I do wonder how many previous posters just lurk now, that haven't moved on, who still read the forums out of habit.

That means your son is too well adjusted to be a goon so you should probably disown him

# ¿ Feb 4, 2024 05:33

mystes: May 31, 2006

What if Collateral's son is literally the reincarnation of hitler?

I just made that up but it's not going to stop me from writing a 2 million word forums headcanon fantasy series about it called Collateral Damage.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2024 17:28

mystes: May 31, 2006

Earwicker posted:

what are non-dog whistle usages of that phrase that apply to the context/situation in which it was used? somehow i doubt collateral's son was stirring up arguments about cultural tensions within the 19th century german catholic community.

it is a context dependent phrase. like yes it is indeed a broad general term, but when someone is using it to talk about all the "broken minds here" that sounds a lot more like the right wing dog whistle usage

I had the same gut reaction to Collateral's use of the word "culture war". But I also don't think that normal people who aren't terminally online broken brain leftist would think that way or immediately jump that to conclusion.

So I don't know what to say except that I would never recommend that someone I knew in real life join the forums under any circumstances and buying your son an account seems like borderline child abuse

# ¿ Feb 4, 2024 17:51

mystes: May 31, 2006

Earwicker posted:

has anyone accused Collateral (or anyone) of racism? i really dont see that.

lol

it's very surprising that we don't get many new users here these days

# ¿ Feb 4, 2024 18:00

mystes: May 31, 2006

Earwicker posted:

let me put it this way

yes a lot of goons are unfriendly, extremely online, oversensitve etc and yes there are certain parts of this forum where if you say the wrong thing people will jump down your throat

but that only explains it happening once. seems pretty easy to take that and learn to lurk more and figure out where you fit in, if anywhere. but if someone is getting "dogpiled" multiple times within a month that sounds more like they are intentionally stirring poo poo up because again, it's really not that hard to avoid conflict here, there are many chill discussions about various subjects where no one gets heated

It is very easy to know how to avoid conflict here if you have been posting here for 20 years. New users tend to be dogpiled simply for having recent reg dates and that's before you consider stuff like knowing that if you use the word "culture war" people are going to decide you're a nazi.

The forums are incredibly insular and toxic to new users, which is why they are going to die with the current users as we get older.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2024 18:13

mystes: May 31, 2006

Collateral posted:

After speaking to my son about the dogpiles (my term, not his) only one was on him, about the username. The others were what he observed in subjects he has an interest in, that's my fault for misunderstanding, he has made less than 10 posts total. The timeframe was 2 weeks.

Considering the general responses being that he must have been guilty of something and my post is now the thread subject, I regret bringing it up tbh, it was an example of something that had happened (and we have all seen something similar) regarding the forums and its current nature. I didn't want it to become the subject itself, he would be horrified and probably deservedly shout at me.

I should have told him to lurk more and use the forums for information only, but why would he bother, such information is readily available elsewhere. He now views the forum as an angry old persons place, which I find sad.

Back to the thread topic though:

Engagement in any subject feels like it getting harder and harder to do, even as a 10 year + poster, without unintentionally distressing someone, leading to less interest in making the effort. That is probably a me thing and I should probably just move on, but I genuinely enjoy these forums and the vast majority of posters/posts/threads and tend to avoid the obviously contentious ones. This isn't my first post on this, and I don't want to be a one-note poster, so I will make it my last on the subject.

Again, if this has distressed anyone, I apologise.

I think it's good that you mentioned it because while I'm not saying it necessarily needs to change or anything, it's good for goons to at least be aware that this is how the forums come off to potential new users.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2024 17:29

mystes: May 31, 2006

SpelledBackwards posted:

I think it would be good if we had a cheap annual subscription of $5-$10 to help defray operating costs,, but it would lead to even faster forum death cuz only a tiny fraction of current users would bother or deem it worth it to pay.

Luckily the forums have secured a lucrative sponsorship deal from schizophrenia

# ¿ Feb 11, 2024 07:19

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 21, 2024 12:17

mystes: May 31, 2006

Some other forum software has a way to view all recent posts in all threads, and on SA it would probably theoretically be useful to have that for each subforum, at least for the subforums that get fewer posts than gbs and ask/tell

# ¿ Feb 12, 2024 21:22

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > What is the future of these forums?