Which, again, has less to do with the mocking and ridiculing than it does the gradual elimination of dissenting opinion via authority. You're making a mistake linking the two in an absolute sense.
In its heyday, this place was a goddamned soap opera, on an epic scale. Abuse, hookups, entertainment and discussion with science and philosophy as a focal point. We didn't need any bloody emoticons or likes. We knew who was who.
Why can't I edit a post beyond a certain point anymore? I noticed it the other day, something I said I wanted to alter slightly in case it was misconstrued. But I couldn't. I have to sit there and look at it and hope no one will pull me up on it.
Why. Because someone edited their post after a moderator response once? I'd put money on it.
All the best ingredients of reality TV, with the caveat being that those who were the lights and leaders, were some very, very intelligent people.
Basically, you had Big Brother prose TV, with the added bonus of being able to actually find some very interesting viewpoints, those which agreed with your own or otherwise.
Never make the mistake of assuming that there wasn't anything worth reading back then - there was more than there is now.
Never make the mistake of assuming that intellect isn't combative. It always has been. Arrogance goes with the territory.
I'm not talking about the kind of arrogance which assumes everyone has a right to an opinion. Not those who persevere because, as you intimated above, it's socially admirable to persevere in the face of adversity. It really isn't. You need to earn that. Not assume it.
I'm talking about the kind of arrogance which is able to adequately defend itself, a force in itself. Originality, ideas, and the ability to express them beyond simply saying "this is what I believe, and that's my right, so don't dis me, man".
The kind of arrogance which knows what a fly is... but over time became less and less able to swat it.
And the flies just bred, and bred, and bred, until it became just too hard to swat them anymore. Flies given licence and support by the administration.
Everyone entitled to an opinion.
The only concession I have to make with regard to current administration is that finding moderators capable of making intelligent decisions with regard to acceptability is a difficult prospect. It's a voluntary, untrained position, and unfortunately (more recently) has attracted those types one might find prevalent in the American police force in Baltimore. With some exceptions... there have been some moderators who were quite good at what they did.
I should point out that one or two of the moderators I have encountered in the past, even years ago, were not exactly what I'd deem friends. In fact, in most cases, they were the antithesis of anything I'd deem interesting or intelligent.
I even wrote a parody poem about one of them once.
At no point, though, did I ever have an issue with them moderating me when I'd overstepped the mark.
That only happened in recent times. With the Baltimore police types.
We were the soap opera, we were the entertainment, we were the life, and we knew it.
But they got rid of us. One by one.
And here you are now... bored. Looking for answers. But those who knew the answers are gone.
Chatter among yourselves about abuse and ad-hom. The only thing you'll ever need to understand that there are many things which make a rose beautiful, and among those things are its thorns. Breed those out, and it isn't a rose anymore.
Reap what you sow.
Nope.
