paladin181: You're under the mistaken impression that they want to engage people at all. Even well meaning engagement like mine often degenerates into name-calling and pointless argument.

The entire point of those is to NOT engage the overly extreme political types because engagement is what those want. They revel in the attention. And tryingbbto explain to them why you don't like it leads to them doubling down on rhetoric with a religious fervor. You can't argue it with them because logic doesn't matter. Salient pojjnts don't matter. Just that they're right and the rest of the world is too blind and full of sheep to realize that "they" are taking away your freedom or "they" are oppressing you and taking your rights away. You can't reason with reglious level fear mongering. So rather than edify people who will refuse to see things from your point of view, or even entertain that their point could be perceived as incorrect, they elect to silently show their displeasure and move on.

tinyE: NOBODY and I mean NOBODY is going to believe this, but I have not negged one post since this thread started, and I have even upped a few, including one from GameRager. Shit, I didn't even neg the conspiracy one blaming me for everything. :D I laughed at, I felt pity for the poster, but I didn't neg it!

Clearly the end is near!
Cats and dogs living together!
BEHOLD THE APOCALYPSE!

and again, I changed my avatar to a totally non political one, but this fucking forum take so long for those changes to happen. The new one is going to piss off people in Boston, but tough shit. :D

tinyE: NOBODY and I mean NOBODY is going to believe this, but I have not negged one post since this thread

AB2012: I've seen it before in other gaming forums where a lot of people tend to play video games as a break or respite from the world, also see gaming forums the same way. This is why some gaming / tech site forums have a special "Politics" sub-forum separate from the General one - it's not to encourage more political talk, but rather they use it as a 'dumping ground' for those who just can't stop talking about politics on every forum anyway, that's more easily filterable for everyone else.

kai2: IMHO voting on reputation is only relevant as a way for GOG to "enlist" users to take up moderation's under-staffing slack. It was obviously meant to alert GOG's small moderation staff to flashpoints -- harassment, bullying, and consistent anti-community behavior -- but probably was never meant to denote simple disagreements or differences of opinion. But -- in most cases I've seen (and in my experience) -- that's exactly how it's predominantly being used.

As I see it, GOG should make contacting a mod regarding harassment, bullying, and "destructive" behavior much easier (maybe a button for mod review?), but any problem should be directly between a mod the focus of the complaint (unless moderation sees a need for public understanding of the situation), and certainly not in a reputation system.

Personally, the reputation system has made me ambivalent toward sharing anything on this board. When I share a personal post and watch my reputation slide, it saps all interest in continuing.

GameRager: I've actually been....GASP....UPVOTING his good/constructive/funny posts. Maybe that'll teach him to enjoy his negarep while it lasts. o.0

Braggadar: I myself don't particularly like the general forum getting involved in politics for this very reason: everywhere else is bloody saturated with this discussion.

Gaming is for me an escape from my poor health and the lunacy that the rest of the real world bombards me with everywhere else.

While I thought that this forum would be a good place to discuss games I found that it really isn't too much different from other forums (save the rare tighter-knit communities out there).


A thread here or there can be generally ignored, it's when the general discussions have several going at once (and repeatedly get resurrected weekly) that got to me, which is why I've avoided this forum more this year than last. SJW / Anti-SJW I don't give a s**t.

Both sides have extremes that serve only to ruin the mood for everyone else.

Tauto: And the result is..........being down voted. Maybe,next time keep it in the dome of silence:)

GameRager: You upvoted me? I wonder which post caught your eye as worthy of an upvote.....maybe it was the one with the link above? :\

And avatars don't auto update when changed automatically? That seems odd.

GameRager: 1. Maybe but as you said as well: If one can avoid it or ignore it why get upset(as some others do)?

Also one could define almost anything current as political if they altered their own definition enough....what do you count as political, if I may ask? Gov't stuff or social politics as well & other stuff?

2. It is for me as well, which is why it sucks that lately social politics is being shoved into so much media lately to push some points over others.

3. It is better than steam forums sometimes gets, though, to be fair.

4. If there are even 5-7 threads that still is dwarfed by the amount of other threads here(which must be around a few thousand now)...most of which are non-political and about gaming/media/etc.

5. Agreed, but the more rational ones have some good points and if they keep to their own threads it cna be alright for everyone.

GameRager: I doubt he's doing it(if he is even involved) all by himself. Also he seems to be not trying to get into any sort of arguments with me usually so there's that.

Also lol...except for posts 39, 58, and one other all old posts here by me have been downrated.....they either must hate me with a blinding passion or are just out to troll while not seeing what a waste of time it really is. I mean, what do they expect to gain out of it? I have shown I have no intent to pack up and leave because of the downvoting so why do it? :\

Tauto: Who cares,who is doing it as they are just gutless snakes hiding in the dark on the other side of the world in their safe little dunny.

GameRager: Isn't a dunny a bathroom/toilet? They're hiding in their toilets...is that what you're trying to say? That seem like an odd choice of words....just saying.

(Your point is good though)