Communal speaking patterns
polycounter
I've noticed that reading comments from users online is a slightly different experience then what it was in the past. Which should come as no surprise, things change, and the internet has grown a lot just in the last decade, in terms of user base, technology, and monetization.
I'd like to spark a topic and hear from a community that's centered around conversations. I think that forum members immerse themselves in conversations much more than most.
What do you see as new or different about the speaking patterns and behavior online?
Replies
i wasn't on the internet hardly at all before 2017. What's different?
Way, waaaaay more self censorship these days. The blunt way people used to talk on the internet is something I really miss.
Yep. That's been a huge change and it's not just the internet.
There are some good sides to it - eg. we should endeavour to be respectful when we communicate.
There are some downsides too -eg. Getting to the point is a lot harder if you have to worry about offending someone
I remember those days. Polycount used to be a lot more freewheeling like that.
Sure it used to be "easier", at least for some people. But there's this thing called systemic bias.
Once you step outside the old way of doing things, and actually see all the embedded misogyny, homophobia, and racism, well you just can't unsee it anymore.
Personally I'd rather be a bit inconvenienced than to continue to reject & harm all the people who never fit into the old way, and just had to put up with all the bullshit all the time.
Fuck going back to that. DEI is a good thing, and it's been way too long time coming.
But hey, that's mostly an American thing, and a personal pet peeve.
Speaking as a Polycount moderator I won't force my values on others here.
It's best to let you all communicate how ever you like, as long as you're not overly abusive. :)
I know I censor myself quite a lot more lately, mostly to mine and everyone else's benefit :P
That said, even though the internet has changed, I think polycount remains one of the few places on the internet you can have an actual intellectual debate with someone, compared to social media platforms that mostly degrade into "me right, you idiot" nowadays.
Edit: oh i am somewhat being "forced" to self censor, or id let it rip, but it seems everyone is on the carebears montra, which isn't bad.
good old days of polycount, probably why some people resurrect old threads to see all the cat convo's b.s.ing and straight up "playful" insults, awe glad i(we) at least experienced those days, good time, good times, i remember.
Labels, people that can't wait to direct your speech, sitting there waiting to flag for nearly any comments made, or looking to find something to condemn someone for, shadow banning, i hear about some silent muting so not everyone will see things posted (that one is not really habit based).
i feel a strong lack of conversation overall, if i had to say anything, really muted environment of textual typing rather than, what a friend would say to a friend in a normal irl setting. More to the point less drawn out intellectual posts. (tldr based becoming more welcomed)
very, very, short comments/interaction. Good thread, nice, okay, good bye, as examples. (did i do this right?)