The Problem With PD is This (serious thread, not stupid attempt at sarcasm):

[notathing]

Honestly, I like the vast majority of the people here. But there are basically two people who make it unpleasant enough that I wonder why I waste my fucking time.

just tell them to piss off and then whip them in the face with your ballsack

I try, but then they get all upset that a chick has nuts.

then tell them to suck dem nuts

[East Coast Hustle]

I wasn't very eloquent about trying to present this idea before, so instead of trying to cut through 20+ pages of idiocy to revive the first thread I started on the topic, I'm making this shiny new one. I'd really like everyone's feedback on this, provided it's thoughtful rather than some lame attempt at a snarky one-liner.

I think the problem is that for whatever reason, PD has become less a place where people trade ideas and thoughts about what's going on in the world around them, how their interactions with the world around them effect themselves and others, and how we might be able to harness and/or direct that and more about presenting everything from a personal and purely self-centered framework.

IOW, we used to bitch about our jobs/politicians/etc. and apply these gripes to a larger framework or use them to build to an overarching point about something besides ourselves, now we just bitch about our jobs/politicians/etc. BECAUSE of how it effects us. It's one thing to occasionally interject an interesting or amusing purely personal story into the dialogue. It reminds us that we're some bizarre permutation of a tribe and that we're here to help each other progress and build. But when that kind of dialogue overtakes everything else and becomes the FOCUS of the site, we've really literally become nothing more than "facebook for weirdos". The foundation of this site is the desire to understand the processes that rule our environment well enough to be able to use them for our own ends (even if we have wildly differing ends amongst ourtselves), not the desire to know what you and your boyfriend did last night or what petty personal tribulations you are going through on a daily basis. I apologize if that's not what some of you want out of PD.com, but you are free to discuss all of those things amongst yourselves via PM, or IRC, or, you know, some other forum that's meant for that sort of thing. I used to think that unfettered growth of this site was to be desired for its own sake, now I realize that was just ego talking for me and that really this place might be better off (in the context of it's original stated purpose) being smaller and leaner. I don't know what can be done to impose this, and I'm not certain that I should even attempt to impose anything here anymore, but I want everyone to be very clear about what my problem is, at the very least.

Problem isn't fluff, or narcissism, or heavy-handedness, or any of that shit.

There are three problems:

1.  Each of us, almost all of us, have gotten fat, stupid, and lazy.  We recognized the BIP, so we think we beat it (welcome to your new cell, same as the old cell).  We've put on filters because it's easier than thinking, and we all shout and bellow, but never fucking listen.  We - as a group - cannot even read anymore.  We SEE the words, and we may even KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, but we don't really LISTEN, because we've already decided we know everyfuckingthing and anything we don't know is just commentary.

2.  This isn't facebook for weirdos, it's facebook for REALLY FUCKING HUGE EGOS.  Yeah, I include myself in that.  It's not about discordianism now, it's about "Who's Who on PD".  It's about whining that your posts aren't appreciated, 60 seconds after you shit all over someone else's thread.  It's about screeching incessantly that you're an authority on something.  It's about ME ME ME ME ME.

3.  We've gotten so lazy being mad that we've forgotten how to have fun.  Also, this place is starting to resemble the hell scene from JTHM.  Everyone is desperate to BE SEEN BEING SOMEBODY (whether or not they're really like that makes no difference).  I can only speak for myself, but I'm a little sick and fucking tired of people insisting that people recognize how cool they are, or how they're a fucking expert on one subject or another, or how they're TOO IMPORTANT TO HAVE ANY FUCKING FUN, because it's BENEATH THEIR DIGNITY.  Likewise, in the threads that ARE serious, SHOW A LITTLE COMMON SENSE and DON'T ASSUME THAT YOUR WIT WILL BE FOUND FUNNY BY SOMEONE WHO SPENT AN HOUR OR SO THINKING UP AND WRITING A RANT.

It's really fucking simple, people.  Show a little consideration, stop worrying about your status/image/expertise so fucking much, and loosen up a bit.

And someone smack Enki.  No, fucking serious here.

Holy fuck yes to all of that.

[NotPublished]

I think you should put that post into OP ~ It'll get lost and hopefully it will be refered to in the future

[East Coast Hustle]

Fuck it. After I quoted that I read the rest of the thread, which consisted of about 4 more serious and topical replies (which were all well thought out and appreciated, even if I didn't necessarily agree with all of them) and 4 more pages of inanity and threadjacking. My giveafuck-o-meter is starting to fail on me.

[the last yatto]

changing the litterbox is important you know

[Dimocritus]

I read the whole thing. It was refreshing. I think the inanity started simply because someone finally made a statement they could get behind, and there's no need to continue being all gray.

Anyway, I think Dok nailed it on all three points (even the egos, and I think that applies to more people than one would think). Let's stop taking ourselves so seriously and have a good time, then we'll naturally get quality out-put. Things take time ECH, and I don't think you've given it enough. That is simply my opinion. But can we stop talking about this shit now? I want to do something.

[The Android]

New forum.  Different and new names.  Get to work.

Rinse, repeat.

[LMNO]

Before you hit the post button, ask yourself, "If this was my thread, would this be the sort of post I'd like to have someone make?"  Are you making things more fun for everyone, or just showing how witty you are?  If you're reading a serious thread, did you actually READ it, before writing a response?

I think this needs to be printed out and pasted onto evertone's monitor.  Fluff for the fluff god, content for the content god, wit for the wit god.

Mixing and matching is like wearing stripes and plaid: Outlandish.

[Kai]

I skimmed this thread (posting anyway) cause I don't have the time to read it thoroughly, I've been spending all that time writing stuff to put up in OKM, and IRL stuff that /leads/ to stuff I put up in OKM.

So, I'm just gonna assume that if anyone around here has any problems, those problems have nothing to do with me.

[LMNO]

So, I'm just gonna assume that if anyone around here has any problems, those problems have nothing to do with me.

[Doktor Howl]

I almost hate to say it, but I think that a lot of people's problem with me is that I am a girl and I post a bunch of girl emotional crap, but I am also like a guy and I post a lot of guy aggressive crap. Where it would be funny coming from a guy, it is not funny coming from a girl, and then a lot of guys feel comfortable labeling me slutty/desperate/whatever, simply because they are not comfortable accepting the combination of sentimental/dicktastic coming from a female.

At this point though I am kind of ready to ditch this place because I feel like I have IRL connections to most of the people I care about and could jettison the ones I don't, and enough people here seem not willing to put up with me I'm not seeing much reason to stick around.

don't go 

i like your female presence 

Honestly, I like the vast majority of the people here. But there are basically two people who make it unpleasant enough that I wonder why I waste my fucking time.

Stay please.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

I'm to the point of not fighting any of it anymore.  I said earlier and I hold to it.  People will just stop posting.  Who has already left and we've been bickering and pissing too much to notice?

Some of us aren't missed when we walk away for a few days, weeks, months.  

If you don't like the fluff, as Dok said. DON'T CLICK ON IT!!!  If there is a real problem with someone specific, then direct the issue with them and let's be done with it.

I just don't want other people to walk away and not come back.  Because I'll really miss Hoops!!!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I almost hate to say it, but I think that a lot of people's problem with me is that I am a girl and I post a bunch of girl emotional crap, but I am also like a guy and I post a lot of guy aggressive crap. Where it would be funny coming from a guy, it is not funny coming from a girl, and then a lot of guys feel comfortable labeling me slutty/desperate/whatever, simply because they are not comfortable accepting the combination of sentimental/dicktastic coming from a female.

At this point though I am kind of ready to ditch this place because I feel like I have IRL connections to most of the people I care about and could jettison the ones I don't, and enough people here seem not willing to put up with me I'm not seeing much reason to stick around.

don't go  

i like your female presence  

Honestly, I like the vast majority of the people here. But there are basically two people who make it unpleasant enough that I wonder why I waste my fucking time.

Stay please.

I probably will, if only because they want me to leave and my stupid pride won't let me slink off and lick my wounds.

Also, and you didn't catch me admitting it, I like most of these motherfuckers here, whether they like me or not.

[Dimocritus]

Yeah, stay. For some reason, (not sure why, really) I sort of look at you as like the "board mom." Let's not make this house a broken home.

[LMNO]

Yeah, stay. For some reason, (not sure why, really) I sort of look at you as like the "board mom."

uh...



Never mind.