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Jesse Price said:...referring to a user named Joseph Bailey41, who posted a full list of all the insults (which I referred to earlier as a "collection of work") that a late forum member had written here on the board.

🤦

mellowscout33 said:It’s tacky how things turned out here. I haven't been dragging him, and nobody even mentioned his handle. I don't see where the issue lies; one could have offered condolences anonymously. However, you all opened a thread dedicated to him and ended up spamming everything under the sun. Technically speaking, those of you who claimed to "care" about him are the ones who blew this out of proportion. Not me.

The thread really should have been deleted the moment it was created, which was a mistake by the moderator. It seems she simply wasn't equipped for the situation and didn't anticipate how quickly the topic would spiral. My assumption was that users would offer a polite and dignified farewell to a former colleague, as some have done.

Unfortunately, even threads like this aren't immune to trolling, bickering, insults, and profanity. We saw this recently on the 'Religion' board when a long-time user and former moderator passed away. After just a few posts, the thread devolved into a total brawl. Despite deleting posts and issuing bans, the fighting wouldn't stop, forcing the moderator to finally lock the thread. At least that situation reached a conclusion.

This particular story, however, is far from over...

The user being constantly mentioned here isn't the only person who has passed away since this forum was established. Occasionally, someone revives an old thread—say, in 'Spirituality'—and I see five or six names of forum members who are long gone.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Since you're picking at me, I find that insistence on protecting a deceased person's privacy to be a sign of mental deficiency. When Lastman passed, no one objected to revealing his identity, which allowed us to pay our respects like decent people. Besides, he was quite the provocateur himself. Even more so than most.

Times have changed, and clearly, that kind of decency is no longer possible, as evidenced by the thread for the late Shady on 'Religion.' If Lastman were to pass away TODAY, the exact same thing would happen. People would argue in his thread, insult the deceased, and eventually, the moderator would have to shut it down. If there is a thread for Lastman active today without such chaos, it's only because the veteran users have already forgotten him, and the new users don't even know who he was or care to find out.

mistybison said:Times have changed, and it’s pretty clear that kind of thing just doesn't fly anymore—something we saw firsthand with the thread dedicated to the late Shady over on the religion board. If Lastman had passed away TODAY, the exact same thing would happen. People would tear into his memorial thread, insult his memory, and eventually, the mods would just shut the whole thing down. If there’s any thread about Lastman active right now without all that drama, it’s only because the old-timers who actually knew him have moved on, and the new crowd doesn't even know who he was or care to find out.

I didn't follow Shady's thread. And honestly, I doubt anyone from the old guard has forgotten Lastman.

So, to summarize... are you suggesting the Philosophy board needs stricter moderation?

mistybison, there are countless religions, faiths, and ideologies out there. It is pointless to engage with topics filled with fanatics who are convinced their specific god or creed is the only truth. Whether it's ancient Sumerian myths or modern cults, stay far away from religion and spirituality.

mellowscout33 said:mistybison, there are countless different religions, belief systems, and ideologies out there. It honestly feels pointless to even dive into topics like this because you just end up dealing with fanatics who are absolutely convinced their specific religion or god is the only right one—whether it's ancient Sumerian stuff or whatever else. Personally, I try to stay as far away from religion and spirituality as possible. 🥲

I'm with you on that.

Grace Edwards92 said:I haven't been keeping up with Shady's thread. Honestly, I doubt anyone from the old crowd has forgotten Lastman.

Lastman is ancient history by now. It really shouldn't be used as fuel for any new arguments.

For instance, Shady (I believe he went by the name Kudum) was active on this board right up until his passing after an illness. The debates people had with him over on the religion subforum remain vivid in everyone's minds, and back then, those topics could easily spark heated confrontations among users.

Times have changed. This forum simply isn't what it used to be.

mistybison said:Lastan is ancient history at this point... You can't really use him as a reason to start a fight anymore.

For instance, Shady (I think he went by Kudum) was posting on this forum right up until the very end, even while he was sick. The arguments people used to have with him over on 'religion' sites are still burned into everyone's minds, and those old debates could easily be used as fuel for people to settle old scores today.

Times have changed, though. This forum just isn't what it used to be.

Man, yeah, I remember him. He was a real piece of work. May he rest in peace.

Grace Edwards92 said:To summarize... are you suggesting that Philosophy needs stricter moderation?

Personally, I believe that specific sub-forum—and even this entire site—cannot be saved. 😁 While steelridge58 does his best, the regulars in "Philosophy" are a tough mix of highly intelligent yet difficult personalities, making engagement quite challenging. New users rarely join, and even the veterans eventually grow weary of reading the same people discuss the exact same topics over and over again. 🤷

People are constantly searching for a magic formula to bring this community back to its former glory, but I suspect those days are long gone. Forums are kept alive by longtime members who visit out of habit and a sense of belonging, but even their engagement is beginning to fade.

🤷

mistybison said:If you ask me, this subforum—honestly, even this entire site—can't be saved. 😁 steelridge58 is doing his absolute best, but the regulars over in 'Philosophy' are a tough crowd to crack. They're smart, sure, but they have such intense personalities that it makes things incredibly difficult. We rarely see any new blood, and eventually, even the old-timers get bored reading the same people talk about the exact same topics over and over again, so... 🤷

People are always looking for some magic formula to bring this place back to its "glory days," but I really think those days are behind us. Forums are kept alive by the long-time members who stick around out of habit or a sense of community, but even they start to burn out.

🤷

Personally, I’d give her someone a bit more hard-nosed to help out when things get messy. Maybe Sigmund and/or Oštrić. Someone needs to keep things in line.

mellowscout33 said:mistybison, there are countless religions, beliefs, and ideologies out there. It is simply not worth engaging with topics filled with fanatics who are convinced their specific god or faith is the only truth—whether it's Sumerian myths or anything else. I suggest staying as far away from religion and spirituality as possible. 🥲

We veteran members still remember how things used to be on the forums. We recall times when the 'Religion' section (and the 'Spirituality' subforum that later split off) hosted heated debates without anyone facing bans or warnings, even though most of us were actually friends in real life. Disagreeing on ideas or being opponents in a discussion didn't spill over into our personal friendships.

Today's users don't seem to grasp this. They fail to realize that you can disagree with someone's ideas while still maintaining a good relationship. Times have certainly changed...

mistybison said:Those of us who have been around since the early days remember how things used to work on this forum. We remember when the 'Religion' section (and even back when 'Spirituality' was still part of it) would host these incredibly heated debates without anyone getting slapped with a ban or a warning. Despite the intense arguments, most of us were actually friends behind the scenes. Just because we disagreed on certain ideas didn't mean we had to take it personally or turn against one another in our private lives.

The users here today just don't seem to get it. They don't realize that you can clash over ideologies while still maintaining mutual respect and friendship. Times have definitely changed...

Ah. The golden age of obscure internet culture.

mistybison said:Where should the smart people on this forum actually be hanging out? 🤔

Starting a rebellion is honestly the easy part. 😁

Do you actually have any specific ideas on how we could make this forum better?

Well, I’ve already thrown one out there. We need moderators who actually have the guts to call out the total nonsense coming from the clowns, the bluemasons, the juice boxes, and the lemons. They can go peddle their garbage somewhere else.

Grace Edwards92 said:Look, I’ll give you a real suggestion. Let the moderators create a specific sub-forum for people who hold certain niche views—you know, those folks who think they're special. They can go sell their nonsense somewhere else.

What you're really asking for is an echo chamber where everyone agrees with your ideology. If the owner wants that, then by all means, build it. It doesn't bother me one way or the other. However, such a space won't reflect how society actually works because it shuts down any meaningful debate on current issues. Eventually, you'll find it incredibly dull. It's hard to find a constant stream of new users who share your exact mindset, and without people to challenge your ideas, you'll likely get bored and end up hunting for conversation in other sections anyway.😁

mistybison said:So you're basically looking for a subforum where everyone just shares your exact same ideology.

Not really. I just want a space where people actually act reasonably. Think of it more like a "safe space" for actual logic.

Grace Edwards92 said:There, now you know one. How do you think I feel when someone who can't even wrap their head around who I am tells me they'd love to meet up? And they say it multiple times, in different places? And it all happens without anyone getting banned?

I'm angry. That's it.

🤣

Poor thing. 😢

Anyone who doesn't know you would pay a high price to find out. Anyone tired of spending a few days dealing with the topics you clutter this place with knows that you invite forum users to a physical confrontation more often than you'd invite them for coffee. Wiki knows. Alyosh knows. druid knows. And many, many others know.

Not to mention the people who have messaged my inbox after witnessing arguments just like this one, complaining about being led on, emotional manipulation, and sudden ghosting once you've gotten what you wanted. Some figured out who they were dealing with a long time ago, some have used you up, and some are still holding onto hope. You know exactly who I'm talking about, and you know exactly what you're doing.

How do you think I know about your old username? How do you think I know your name? Honestly, this isn't even really about you; it's just that I know how much you live for this kind of nonsense.
This probably feels better to you than any therapy session, and I'm sure you'll have a better complexion and more energy over the next few days. Maybe even your husband will have some luck after all these years. Don't mention it, Judo.

As for that date request, you can dream. But go ahead, keep lying—I want to see how far down you can sink.

I’m honestly pretty blindsided by this post.
Mainly because our whole discussion up until now felt so friendly and balanced, didn't it?
As for this whole critique of the moderation, I can't say I agree with it, mostly because it seems to me like the moderator is actually putting in the work and shouldn't be targeted like this.

Sandra Wells66 said:Honestly, this post caught me completely off guard.

Welcome to the philosophy department.😁>

Jesse Price said:How do you think I figured out your old username? Or how I even know your actual name?

Give my best to your cousin and tell him I'm still waiting on that photo he promised me.

bluemason3 said:Welcome to the world of philosophy 😁

haha
Yeah
Thanks

🤦 I'll just close the thread and then wipe everything clean...