Unless you want chlamydia I wouldn't advise it

Chlamydia was the name of the female archer I won Titan Quest with. True. :D

It's not just a case of serial downreppers though. It's people who think that their opinions/thoughts/beliefs are superior to everyone else's and can't fathom why anyone wouldn't think the way they do.

I always got a vibe from some, NOT ALL but some, that seem to think by downrepping they can curve your behavior. I know for a fact some people think that by constantly downrepping me I will eventually give up and stop being an obnoxious asshole.

Apart from that, yeah your point is right on and it frustrates me when I ask why I got hit for something and they respond "Isn't it obvious?" Well no, it's not so obvious. Excuse me for considering the possibility that an opinion you disagree with doesn't automatically make that opinion offensive.

Saying "i disagree with this" is one thing, saying " i disagree with this therefore the people here suck" seems to me to be siginifcantly different. You sure you want to talk aboput hostility ?

You jumped at the opportunity to throw in the air umbrella "community" accusations of radicalism and generalized suckage based on a reasoning completely devoid of objectivity, or honesty, when it comes to the bullshit relation you tried to establish between steam related content and summary downvotes. I adressed that lack of objectivity and honesty as i always do, bluntly, to the point and without the need to drag masses of silent and/or absent people to back me up.

Last time i checked, just like you, i too have the right to adress that which rubs me the wrong way and this new fad where whenever half a dozen people disagree on some bullshit and go at it this way or that way inevitably leads to the conclusion that "the community here sucks" does rub me the wrong way. Now as I'm not very happy about this development, what do you suggest I do, shut up about it? Or should i perhaps veiledly imply that should i leave at some point it will be your fault ? Again, you sure you want to talk about hostility ?

You want suggestions ? I have just the one. Complain about whatever it is you feel you have to complain about but do try to at least do it with a modicum ammount of objectivity and honesty.

And where the heck did I say 'people here suck'? For someone so objective you sure like to put words into my mouth. I said I don't feel comfortable around here anymore, and that I do think community as a whole has degraded over time. Did I say people here suck, or anything along those lines? Nope, not really. I don't tend to accuse individuals because they're usually not responsible for the actions of the whole, which often gets directed by vocal minority.

And have I ever told you that you're wrong to do that? Stop making assumptions, I'll gladly talk about this with you. I think I've made my point on why do I think the community has degraded, I don't think I'm getting anywhere near the level of hostility you can often get around here. Yes, I will be sarcastic at places, especially when I'm not saying anything aimed at a specific individual. I'd say from how light-hearted I tend to be you of all people would learn to take what I say with a grain of salt since we've been around together from the start and all that.

No, I won't. Most of the time, I'm not trying to pass anything I say as objective, and when I do, it's when a sufficient amount of people came to a general consensus on an issue - and I'm sorry, such consensus doesn't work when talking about self, be it individual or a group. From what I've seen around here, I feel the reason for OP's downrating was fairly irrational hate of Steam trading cards. That's my honest opinion. You want subjectivity on an issue of social behaviour, well, you sure as heck aren't going to get it from me.

I disagree because to me the community isn't just the two guys now bickering over brands of socks on a more regular basis than what they used to and the downrepping foolery that may or may not ensue, the community is xyem and Ian and all the other guys arounds oozing generosity , it's the people down in the 500+ specifics talking about games, it's Wishbone's wisdom, it's DrIstvaan's niceness, it's 227's helpfulness, it's your game reviews almost always salted with very generous portions of forgivness, and i could go on forever, all of that IS the community.

So basically, i disagree, you say degraded, i say different. Everything that made this community great it's still here inspite the things that are now new and are apparently causing you frustration. This however was to be expected with growth. You'll need to adjust, i guess, because things will never be as they were, communities are dynamic entities, troublesome as that realization may be.

I just noticed after all this time the two people having the biggest fight in here are five star and four star. If everyone downrepped every post they made for a month you wouldn't even notice. :D

^^This. What`s your truth ain`t necessary my truth! There`s a difference that some doesn`t seem to understand.

Of course people have different opinion, but a few attacks the person instead, and/or get offended by virtually nothing. I did however almost downrepped you once (in the royal baby thread), when you said something about "fuch you" and what not. Then I asked myself; "what`s gotten into him. Is he unstable or just fed up and just needed to blow off some steam" (no pun intended :P). It`s better to get it out too early then too late (yelling or shooting at people.)

And what do I know - you could both unstable for all I know. OCD/Tourets/ADHD/Senile/Mad scientist :P
But unless you directly attack someone verbally again and again or anything really hatefully, and mean it - then I would downrepp you. See, now you know where I stand. You can basically joke about almost anything for all I care ;)

But it`s wrong to persecute a person. i.e. follow that person based on one/few threads. UN48:

"This reaffirmed the dignity and worth of all human beings no matter what a person’s race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. "

Maybe we Europeans are getting fascistically again... or just remaining passive aggressive :P

(Hmm... and I just realized I might often be in the latter category...)

Now I don`t wanna get into if it`s degraded or not, however, this forum, agora is about us all. ALL members equals this community, whether it`s bad or good.

There will always be someone that is targeted for some reason, but, the problem doesn`t go away just by scrubbing it under the carpet. But hey, you disagree, fine.

And yes, everything changes. As is should. Move along.

Sigh....