I Fucking Hate BB.Occult
Yeah, I do.
Well, not completely. It certainly has some redeeming qualities. Any place that is full of flame-oriented condescendingly intelligent people will create some awesome discussions, even if you do have to sort through the piss and shit to get to the points raised.
But for the most part, the people that post are, for the majority, moral vacuums with a penchant for acting holier-than-thou for reasons I can't quite fathom. Most of them have little in the way that I'd define as an ethical system (or at least nothing with any sense of rigour) yet are so completely convinced of their "right-ness". I mean, I wish I could at least understand what they were "right" about. I might feel a bit better about the whole thing.
But instead, it seems like thinly veiled contempt for anyone not in their little "circle". Just a slightly more well articulated form of the shit that we all complained about in others in high school.
Wow, let's just give ourselves a hand. We created a new exclusive, patronising club. Just this one has ourselves at the center. And we can defend our opinions with more intelligence, although not much substance.
Comments
You know, I really agree with you on this one. I really only pay close attention to the "funny" posts, or the first two or three posts in any interesting news/issue-related thread. After that point, it almost invariably spirals off into the crap that you speak of.
Unfortunately, the most gods-awful posts have a tendency to drag me in to them, in the vain hope that I can try and repair the situation. Woe be to my naïveté.
Sometimes, I wonder why I still run it.
Posted by: Tim | November 19, 2004 1:03 PM
...it's the internet. Has there ever been an internet forum that's been both frequently-used -and- not (insert all of Chris' slagging here)? I mean, what's the net supposed to be if not a sewer-crawl looking for swallowed gold?
What's that, you say? A moderate learned discussion group? A source of impartial information? An advertising brochure? A place to run around as a busty wood elf? I think not. :>
Posted by: Greenstorm | November 19, 2004 2:02 PM
Heh. :)
Posted by: Kurrs | November 19, 2004 2:17 PM
While your wit dost slay, Erin, bb-dot-occult had days where it served a lot better as a springboard for discussion, or at least intelligent debate. I remember when the Garou arguments were actually worth reading, rather than US Network News-type slagging.
Posted by: Tim | November 19, 2004 2:53 PM
Well, yes, Tim, they do all have their moments. I remember when administrative discussions on topmudsites were excellent, for instance. I think what happens is that a forum starts and then begins the transition period from 'a group of friends who started it and all agree with each other' to 'a group of bored internet people who don't have much in common except too much free time'. If you keep them closed and really, really bar entry they will stay okay, but of course none of the people on those forums ever let me in.
Posted by: Greenstorm | November 19, 2004 3:15 PM
You know.... THIS is what Ruth was talking about her impression of the board and Tim at least was like WHA??? So perhaps the board needs a little more in the ranting section to it's members ;).
Posted by: Ty | November 20, 2004 1:43 AM
It's gotten soooo much worse than when Ruth said that. The board is exclusive, anyone who can't handle the monstrous stench can't enter. Hasn't solved the problem.
Posted by: Kurrs | November 20, 2004 2:36 AM
That's why I left. I hate to see good people act like jerks, but that board seemed to bring out the worst in everyone who posted there, myself included. And I got really upset by some of the thigs that people said there, even if they weren't directed at me. And I saw the hidden forums as a way to increase that exclusivity (even if they did have useful administrative functions for the most part), so it was the final straw for me.
There's enough shit to deal with in the world without having to see your friends tear a strip off of eachother every day. I know leaving may not have been the best course of action, but I was going through a lot of stuff then and didn't need the extra horrible in my life.
And, to be very honest, I think that you are one of the key people who perpetuates the holier-than-thou attitude on the board. Maybe you think that it's okay for you to behave that way because you actually ARE right, but you aren't alone in feeling that way, and it makes everyone else fight like their back is up against a wall.
If people there could honestly practice tolerance for other opinions and be seen to actually accept people for who they are (even if that reqires an exaggerated effort rather than just not flaming them) I think that things there might change. Until then, welcome to your very own personalized flame war (with golden moments every now and again).
I don't mean to critise you, and I don't think that you are worse than the others there. Someone has to start the change, and if it's not you, maybe it will be someone who reads this. As I'm sure you know, you have a much more diverse readership than you might have originally expected.
I too wish that everyone there could act like the wonderful and intelligent, and yes, sometimes even caring, people that I know they can be.
Posted by: Antiopa | November 20, 2004 10:36 AM
I happen to agree with all of you. Scary I know. I still love the forum, I just do what tim does. Read the first few posts, if it starts to get ugly I just stop reading. I used to try and put in an opinion or try and clarify an issue, but now I stay away from the controversy. Well as much as I can. Its hard to keep my mouth shut, working on that.
Posted by: persephone | November 20, 2004 11:14 AM