I guess I'll toss my two cents in. Sorry my thoughts are kind of disjointed. I feel like what I have to say would just be echoing what a few others have said already, and so I'm just kind of running through this point by point in my head.
I honestly didn't realize the forum was having any real sort of problem. It just didn't really occur to me, honestly. I come here because it's an already established community I can come to and participate in, and discuss pop culture and life with the same group of nerds I've been interacting with for years.
So it didn't really register that we're not getting as many new users as would be ideal. I just don't think about this place in those terms.
As far as what we can do to keep more members, you guys are probably right that we could tone down our antics and reign in our insults, because as you say, people unfamiliar with our ways may not get that these are jokes, not meant to be taken seriously. But honestly? I feel like you'll keep more users, but it'll be a bland, dull, place to be. Those antics and that attitude are what draw me here, and if we all have to start censoring ourselves to the point that we can't crack jokes at eachother, I know I'm not the only one here who wouldn't stick around. There's nothing wrong with a community like that, a sort Suburban yuppy paradise but for the internet. Those are out there. But look who's here, and look at the community we have; we turned it into this because this is how we like it. If we didn't, we'd leave.
Like I said, it's an established community, and I don't know about you guys, but for me my friendships, and even my family, are built solidly around what to the outsider may seem like meanspirited jokes. This to me is the best kind of relationship to have with someone.
I don't think I have reported a single person here, ever. Someone would have to make a legitimately racist, sexist, threatening or otherwise hateful post that I couldn't immediately tell was a joke. And if that is happening and the group that you guys are calling "acidic" or "venomous" or whatever synonym you're using are all being serious with everything they say, well then I guess I'm blissfully ignorant, cause I just laugh at it.
In the end, I think I can boil it down to:
If we wanted to be something different than what we are now, we would be already.
I honestly didn't realize the forum was having any real sort of problem. It just didn't really occur to me, honestly. I come here because it's an already established community I can come to and participate in, and discuss pop culture and life with the same group of nerds I've been interacting with for years.
So it didn't really register that we're not getting as many new users as would be ideal. I just don't think about this place in those terms.
As far as what we can do to keep more members, you guys are probably right that we could tone down our antics and reign in our insults, because as you say, people unfamiliar with our ways may not get that these are jokes, not meant to be taken seriously. But honestly? I feel like you'll keep more users, but it'll be a bland, dull, place to be. Those antics and that attitude are what draw me here, and if we all have to start censoring ourselves to the point that we can't crack jokes at eachother, I know I'm not the only one here who wouldn't stick around. There's nothing wrong with a community like that, a sort Suburban yuppy paradise but for the internet. Those are out there. But look who's here, and look at the community we have; we turned it into this because this is how we like it. If we didn't, we'd leave.
Like I said, it's an established community, and I don't know about you guys, but for me my friendships, and even my family, are built solidly around what to the outsider may seem like meanspirited jokes. This to me is the best kind of relationship to have with someone.
I don't think I have reported a single person here, ever. Someone would have to make a legitimately racist, sexist, threatening or otherwise hateful post that I couldn't immediately tell was a joke. And if that is happening and the group that you guys are calling "acidic" or "venomous" or whatever synonym you're using are all being serious with everything they say, well then I guess I'm blissfully ignorant, cause I just laugh at it.
In the end, I think I can boil it down to:
If we wanted to be something different than what we are now, we would be already.
