Difference in Off Topic Forum 10 years ago versus today...

This came up in a mod conversation not long ago. Curious, I went to the wayback machine and looked at OT posts from 2010-11-12-13.


What I found was the topics weren't all that much different from the ones today. What WAS different is that when you have 4000+ active members online at a time, the discussions were more varied, less repetitive...and perhaps for that reason, more interesting.


We did have a few memorable threads about climate change and environmental issues and other social issues of the day. There were disagreements but they seldom were personal...and if they went over the line they were removed by mods.


So many names i knew who have moved on, stopped working online or have passed on.

A lack of new blood will do that. We all know each other well and have already had all the typical arguments. Without new blood to create unease, we don't really have much to argue about.

That is because whenever Climate change showed up Sal and Yukon also showed up, and Whateverpedia of course and others.

Some have died and some have left, the "Old-Fart" (l think that was his nickname) was hilarious even when he was drunk, and posted here.

These days more are concerned about other things and couldn't be bothered arguing to prove a point, especially when any point won will be forgotten in time, so wasting time is more accurate.

Let them be and wait for mass media to play catch up is all anyone can do.

I have learned that one through posting on other forums and observation.

I also think it reflects the numbers. Forum, overall, not as active, and the many management changes since the sale, well, turned many away.

But at one time, and I will paraphrase the great Laverne (of Lavern and Shirley) who said something like:

"As long as Lenny and Squiggy stay in the basement, they can bang on their drums all day (with apologies to Todd Rundgren)".

It is when they come up to main forums, we must groan and bear it.

GordonJ

It doesn't appear to me that people are any less polarized in their beliefs today than they were 10 years ago. But a forum was a popular online place to go then to air your views.

Nowadays most people seem to prefer to vent on social media, even though few, if any, of those platforms are conducive to intelligent or in-depth discussion.

Gotta love Ahf Tahpic till its squirt of rejuvinatin' juices splashes all ovah your face like you bein' licked by a puppy!

Here is where affable, downhome animosities masquerade as barely concealed wit.

Plus also, we don't gotta save nowan, dispense life-changin' secrets, or make any kinda sense beyond jus' goofin' around like hapless goofers.

It's like the ultimate Fairy Gahdmothah showed up an' asked you what do you wish for?

An' then she fixed it forya real cheap on a daily basis.

"Leave Nirvana to the experts," she said. "All you guys need is a safe space to bicker, cuss, boast -- an' make dick jokes like ants make hills."

tbh no idea 'bout 10 years ago bcs Prinno B circa 2012 was a vastly diffrent creacher ... totally untainted by the wince factor of a Fearo pun ... utterly unimpressed by the incisiveness of a Rifflepops barb ... massively unaware of the life savin' value of corners in a world of Circumference Doom romp ... but I concur how we all seen changes along the way.

*sniff*

Aw ... I gettin' all sentimental now musself.

*sob*

They say your childhood days are the happiest days of your life ... but what 'bout your Ahf Tahpic days?

*honk*

Years from now, when we all incarcerated in sum alien hellhole as bots sniff our husk of a planet for raw materials an' nootrients, we gonna look one anothah in the eye an' smile real heartsy 'bout the bonhomiesy communion we felt real deep here on Ahf Tahpic.

We may even name carbonized scraps of junk aftah one anothah as the scream of destruction from beyond our confines blasts more of our previous lives into oblivion.

"Remembah Yukon?"

"Aw yeah! Yukon! Way to go!"

"Thing is, my ear jus' fell off, an' I wanna pay tribyoot to the guy because we ain't done him yet. We gaht 265 rustin' Coke cans called Alan, 26 bent paperclips bcs that Theriot guy, plus also the rat keeps showin' at random we called Alex or sumthin' -- so I would wanna call my rotted ear Yukon bcs kudos to the guy."

"Can't we just eat it?"

"K. Pass me the spoon."

"Which one? Dan, Claude or Lanfear?"

"Actschwlly, can I have the Dan an' the Claude please? If'n I turn 'em wrong way around, I can use 'em as chahpsticks."

Hey discrat: Great question.
: )

As much as I love Posting here ― and all you Warriors ― I think in the past several months or so The Forum has kind of become a lot less "popular" ― and maybe even going into "self-destruct mode". At around the Takeover, many Popular Warriors left ... And although we're still a great Community, it seems like the same People posting (etc.) whereas before it was more "diverse".

Just my 2C

New blood here. It was cool to see some of the old guard talk about the culture and progression of the forum. Brings me back to the golden age of forums back in the early 2000's.

I suppose this is my hello as well, so, awkward hello.

Hey Joshua and Artkantos welcome to the OT Forum where we always have a wild and crazy time lol

I also might add that for me at least I honestly cannot think of anyone on here that I really do not enjoy hanging out with. Everyone seems pretty cool and that's a good thing ! ( something that was not the case 10 years ago)

Well, I don't think I ever said anything here that was religious, but the definition of social and political things vary quite a bit, and are getting even broader even in the past few months. I wasn't the first to bring them up, though I did discuss a couple things. For a long while I was the #1 poster, and a couple people seemed to think I even owned the site, though I quickly told them I didn't.

ALSO, roughly about 10 years ago someone hijacked my account and did things like setup advertising on it. I NEVER did any such thing. After that event, I quickly created a weird password that is relatively hard to hack conventionally and is only used HERE. When it was hacked it was probably a person that had access to my then low security password on other sites. I never used it on high security sites, and most would be impossible to simply guess, or use a dictionary attack, and none are pure numeric.

Anyway, after some backlash from the posts, I figured it was better to just leave, and I only came back to look at some things about 2 times, and left like one message. This is perhaps the third time I came back. Ironically, I was cleaning up my password/site list, and just figured I would check this again.

Even some of the questions some US senators asked at some confirmation hearings, that a person might ask a toddler, and a toddler would be able to easily answer, and a parent would have no objection to a person asking, could today cause a storm of arguments. THEY LITERALLY BECAME INTERNATIONAL NEWS! I won't say an example, or even the best one, as I don't want to start an argument. Even a few months ago, it might not have been a problem for anyone. NOW, a lot of people would get VERY angry, at least in the US. Even Putin remarked about it and had a nice laugh. It never bugged HIM.

But yeah, the last paragraph is an example of the type of thought that has to be considered today, just for things to SEEM civil! It is sad.

It seems this forum has an interesting history which I am always down for. I will mostly be post technical questions on here and trying to answer questions if I can. As a junior data analyst, I am sure I can offer a few bits of knowledge.

As for politics/non-marketing aspects, I will probably keep a low profile. I did use my name for this forum, so I might as well keep it somewhat professional haha.

Cheers guys.

"Never get into a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent." - Somebody

"Life is short. Pick your battles, wisely." - Big Frank

Dan -



I'm not sure that's quite what Claude meant - but I commend you on the positive spin....

You know eating a Twinkie and typing is always a bad idea.

Two guys with decreased patronage ishoos walk into a bar, havin' morphed from two guys with diminished patronage ishoos the week before thanks to sum definition warp makes what happens to 'em next even kinda more stoopid.

"So ... what we talkin' 'bout?"

"Whethah it is nobler in the mind to be decreased, diminished, or distracted?"

"Hey, I would wish only to kissya 'pon the neck, purely bcs I ain't nevah plannin' to be no srs vampire, but also figure ima make it to 2060 without plooral-stix soorjery."

Huh, as the bar ebbs an' flows with all mannah of guys ... plus also mebbe weirdsy pets ... the angels pullin' the halcoolholic firepowah descend always troo into echo-wishin' ears.

"Mebbe choose wan steada toleratin' haplessness of two. Evry gal's bra regime demands this as a way forward, less'n it the beach or Memory Lapse Stoopido Kinda Hour."

It is as if we may cavort into the fyoochah spunkin' out on comment all whimsystuffsy, or the Caaahsmahs itself forms our lips into shapes before we even heard the sounds.

My view?

Gotta wondah jus' how many people livin' in Memphis cain't actschwlly spell Memphis.

Or Honolulu.

Likle there is a crossovah or nuthin'.

Anyways, I had the oddest feelin' earliah 'bout Christmas.

As crystalized salt of heat rose from my boobies to tease mirage of HORIZON an' PLANNIT from muh gaze bcs I was sunbathin' ...

aw, yeah ... them SEEZNYOOL PELICANS hurre kinda imminent in alla our dreams.

Nuthin' nevah stays still, I guess.

Despite heartened proddin', enthoosiastic thwappin', or no-holds-barred spanko till'n the heavens are lofted from their idleness by all kindsa immodesty sublime.

My opinion...

one of the biggest differences between 10 years ago and today is that 10 years ago we were in the middle of webinars and courses that promised great wealth. It was an internet boom age.

Tons of newcomers came on board. They were all over internet marketing and FB with dreams of a brighter future. Simple concepts that could make millions almost overnight (they thought).

Now, here we are 10 years later and almost all of those that came in search of wealth have moved on. They discovered the only ones getting wealthy were the ones selling the courses.

Those that had been around for a while knew it wouldn't last long.

Most of those that were on fire are nowhere to be found.

Their websites are boarded up and they've moved on.

For most, I think we're sitting by waiting on the next cycle to hit...

I don't know man, I am in my 30's and just got into digital marketing and I already feel like I am out paced by the next generation. Our agency just started to invest in tik tok videos and every part of my soul retches in agony over the cringe that I feel when I 'participate'

Still though, better than the last jobs I had.

It's our coffee. It's different. And it's changing.