Damn… have the times changed.

[Mark]

For some of us… it has been years since we’ve talked. For others, we run into each other on the Facebook group or whatever other platform someone managed to piece together a group of us on. For all of us… the world sure has changed a lot since “the good ol’ days”.

Let’s start things off right by stirring the pot.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen change in the world since then?

Keep it respectful, though. We’re all adults here with different lives. Remember that. No one needs to shit on anyone that isn’t asking for it.

 

[Crystal]

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen change in the world since then?

The rise of social media, the decline of social interaction and the loss of the "wild west" atmosphere of the old internet. It's a whole new world!

 

[Mark]

The rise of social media, the decline of social interaction and the loss of the "wild west" atmosphere of the old internet. It's a whole new world!

Social media disturbs me. I lurk more than anything. Alerting people of my every move, thought, or emotion is just too invasive for me. Seeing the way a large chunk of society is dependent on it for validation is probably the hardest part for me to understand… the one thing forums had that social media doesn’t is old-fashioned discourse. Walls and walls of text. None of that lazy “tldr;” bullshit unless we needed to get to the point… just healthy discussions where people with different views beat the shit out of each other with words until they found a common ground.

 

[Crystal]

Social media disturbs me. I lurk more than anything. Alerting people of my every move, thought, or emotion is just too invasive for me. Seeing the way a large chunk of society is dependent on it for validation is probably the hardest part for me to understand… the one thing forums had that social media doesn’t is old-fashioned discourse. Walls and walls of text. None of that lazy “tldr;” bullshit unless we needed to get to the point… just healthy discussions where people with different views beat the shit out of each other with words until they found a common ground.

100% agreed! We've totally lost that level of civil discourse in the online world because of social media. If it's not people shilling products as "influencers," it's people spreading the next meme, or a meaningless quote on a floral image, or copying one another doing the next big challenge. It's a true cancer, honestly, and I'm glad I never got that involved in it. Can't say the same for forums, though, been addicted to them for decades

 

[Holly]

Social media disturbs me. I lurk more than anything. Alerting people of my every move, thought, or emotion is just too invasive for me. Seeing the way a large chunk of society is dependent on it for validation is probably the hardest part for me to understand… the one thing forums had that social media doesn’t is old-fashioned discourse. Walls and walls of text. None of that lazy “tldr;” bullshit unless we needed to get to the point… just healthy discussions where people with different views beat the shit out of each other with words until they found a common ground.

Likewise. I've been uneasy about it since the MySpace days. It's interesting though, isn't it? Used to be that people prized their anonymity online. I've always been more of a 'lurker', even back during the forum days. If it wasn't for staying in touch with my family that's spread across many states I wouldn't be on social media at all.

 

[Crystal]

Likewise. I've been uneasy about it since the MySpace days. It's interesting though, isn't it? Used to be that people prized their anonymity online. I've always been more of a 'lurker', even back during the forum days. If it wasn't for staying in touch with my family that's spread across many states I wouldn't be on social media at all.

That is quite literally the only reason I have a Facebook account, for family. Otherwise it's useless to me, lol. I much prefer my anonymity to this day, couldn't stand the thought of shoving a camera in my face at every turn or pretending my life was somehow important because I put it on YouTube. A nice, simple, quiet life works for me.

 

[Mark]

100% agreed! We've totally lost that level of civil discourse in the online world because of social media. If it's not people shilling products as "influencers," it's people spreading the next meme, or a meaningless quote on a floral image, or copying one another doing the next big challenge. It's a true cancer, honestly, and I'm glad I never got that involved in it. Can't say the same for forums, though, been addicted to them for decades

Exactly… explain to me how all of us… as teenagers and young adults… were able to co-exist with so many different people with so many different backgrounds while things are so fucked now. Nowadays… you can’t be friends with someone that likes blue if you like red. The simple fact that GW was so diverse is what made it interesting, because it exposed us to different people without forcing your ideology or theirs on you. These days, you can’t do that shit. If someone gets the slightest hint that you’re different than them, you get ostracized. If you disagree with the majority? Get ready to get canceled.

 

[Mark]

Likewise. I've been uneasy about it since the MySpace days. It's interesting though, isn't it? Used to be that people prized their anonymity online. I've always been more of a 'lurker', even back during the forum days. If it wasn't for staying in touch with my family that's spread across many states I wouldn't be on social media at all.

I’ve remained that way. I caught a little flak after my last forum abruptly shuttered, but beyond that… nothing. Within the first few years of doing asset recovery, I had an individual locate me on social media and send threatening messages. I locked down my profile even more and minimized my online footprint. Not for my safety, for the safety of friends and family on my social media. It’s wild how doing something as simple as your job can end up in having someone look you up and try to start shit in your personal life.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Nowadays… you can’t be friends with someone that likes blue if you like red.

I hate this so much. I feel it's hypocritical to say things like "coexist" when the second politics get involved, you act like they're an evil that must be vanquished.

Everyone has to have a side that they need to take and if you don't align with them, you're wrong.

For instance, why do I have to feel attacked for preferring to drive over taking mass transit. I'm all fine with improving mass transit and we should, but why am I being villainized for wanting roads to be more efficiently designed so I can drive everywhere I want to go?

 

[Mark]

I hate this so much. I feel it's hypocritical to say things like "coexist" when the second politics get involved, you act like they're an evil that must be vanquished.

Everyone has to have a side that they need to take and if you don't align with them, you're wrong.

For instance, why do I have to feel attacked for preferring to drive over taking mass transit. I'm all fine with improving mass transit and we should, but why am I being villainized for wanting roads to be more efficiently designed so I can drive everywhere I want to go?

The way I’ve always seen it is like this… we co-exist with rocks and birds and fish. We LIVE with other humans. I grew up a minority in my city, imagine the shock when I started seeing white people in white cities talking about BLM. I sat there for a while like “wait a minute… what do these people know?” Same goes for basic politics… where I’m from, all the black people I know supported Trump. Turn on the news… totally different story. It makes you question everything, and makes me wonder who’s being lied to the most.

Don’t even get me started on infrastructure, though, brother… because let’s take a good look at Philadelphia and how they’re replacing two overpasses in two weeks time when we can’t even get a fucking pothole filled or a bridge spacer replaced just under an hour south on I-95 here in Baltimore.

 

[RedHotSun]

Everything I’ve read so far is spot on.

There’s so much that has changed, it’s almost hard to know where to begin. We aren’t a proud people anymore in this country, in terms of the United States. I miss when this country wasn’t so divided, and when every pastime and product wasn’t so politicized. I feel like the news used to be more informative rather than trying to sell me a stance.

Luckily, the world I walk around in every day is a lot different than the one I see on television.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Everything I’ve read so far is spot on.

There’s so much that has changed, it’s almost hard to know where to begin. We aren’t a proud people anymore in this country, in terms of the United States. I miss when this country wasn’t so divided, and when every pastime and product wasn’t so politicized. I feel like the news used to be more informative rather than trying to sell me a stance.

Luckily, the world I walk around in every day is a lot different than the one I see on television.

I've actively chosen to ignore/avoid the news. I think the most I get outside of sports and anime news is whatever RealLifeLore posts.

 

[Mark]

Everything I’ve read so far is spot on.

There’s so much that has changed, it’s almost hard to know where to begin. We aren’t a proud people anymore in this country, in terms of the United States. I miss when this country wasn’t so divided, and when every pastime and product wasn’t so politicized. I feel like the news used to be more informative rather than trying to sell me a stance.

Luckily, the world I walk around in every day is a lot different than the one I see on television.

It makes me miss the environment we “grew up” in at GW. Compare it to modern social media. If you didn’t like someone there… you call them out in the appropriate place and air out the grievances, then it’s over. You didn’t “cancel” people. You didn’t get a mob to run over their social profiles. If you met someone from another country, you didn’t wave a banner and talk shit unless it was in good fun. If you met someone of a different race, it didn’t matter because we were all blocks of text. If you met someone that had a different sexual preference as you, you didn’t give a shit because it wasn’t like you were having sex with them. Everyone was a piece of shit in someone’s eyes at some point, and we got over it. For a lot of us… it was our first encounters with people “different” than us, and I think that also played a role in how we reacted to different people compared to these days… because we all started off with the same common ground.

 

[Tom]

I would say that the implications of now being able to post in a forum on my mobile phone as compared to logging in on the big tower over the land line cutting off the house from phone calls just blows my mind…ooofta.

 

[Mark]

I would say that the implications of now being able to post in a forum on my mobile phone as compared to logging in on the big tower over the land line cutting off the house from phone calls just blows my mind…ooofta.

Right?! Have any of y’all seen that flood control thing? How about a server busy message?

 

[Crystal]

Exactly… explain to me how all of us… as teenagers and young adults… were able to co-exist with so many different people with so many different backgrounds while things are so fucked now. Nowadays… you can’t be friends with someone that likes blue if you like red. The simple fact that GW was so diverse is what made it interesting, because it exposed us to different people without forcing your ideology or theirs on you. These days, you can’t do that shit. If someone gets the slightest hint that you’re different than them, you get ostracized. If you disagree with the majority? Get ready to get canceled.

I loved that about GW! Someone was different than you? Ok, great, but Shep or Femshep?!? Choose a side! It was just enjoying the forum and getting on with it. You don't get that these days, we've lost the ability to just be different, for sure.

I’ve remained that way. I caught a little flak after my last forum abruptly shuttered, but beyond that… nothing. Within the first few years of doing asset recovery, I had an individual locate me on social media and send threatening messages. I locked down my profile even more and minimized my online footprint. Not for my safety, for the safety of friends and family on my social media. It’s wild how doing something as simple as your job can end up in having someone look you up and try to start shit in your personal life.

Safety first, for sure, it's so scary how easy it is to track people because of social media these days. Everyone just throws their lives on a profile and a few clicks later some stranger knows everything about you. Terrifying. I have the facebook account I posted with and that's it...and it shows how frequently I use the thing when it's under a name that hasn't been mine in some time!

I hate this so much. I feel it's hypocritical to say things like "coexist" when the second politics get involved, you act like they're an evil that must be vanquished.

Everyone has to have a side that they need to take and if you don't align with them, you're wrong.

A hot dog is not a sandwich! You monster!!!! How can you raise a child in a world thinking a hot dog was a sandwich?! Call protective services!!

Yeah, people do get worked up about anything at all, just to be seen to be passionate. It's a bit scary.

For instance, why do I have to feel attacked for preferring to drive over taking mass transit. I'm all fine with improving mass transit and we should, but why am I being villainized for wanting roads to be more efficiently designed so I can drive everywhere I want to go?

Absolutely, make mass transit amazing so fewer people are in my way on the highway

It makes me miss the environment we “grew up” in at GW. Compare it to modern social media. If you didn’t like someone there… you call them out in the appropriate place and air out the grievances, then it’s over. You didn’t “cancel” people. You didn’t get a mob to run over their social profiles. If you met someone from another country, you didn’t wave a banner and talk shit unless it was in good fun. If you met someone of a different race, it didn’t matter because we were all blocks of text. If you met someone that had a different sexual preference as you, you didn’t give a shit because it wasn’t like you were having sex with them. Everyone was a piece of shit in someone’s eyes at some point, and we got over it. For a lot of us… it was our first encounters with people “different” than us, and I think that also played a role in how we reacted to different people compared to these days… because we all started off with the same common ground.

True, but if you were a Mac and I was a PC? It's war!

I would say that the implications of now being able to post in a forum on my mobile phone as compared to logging in on the big tower over the land line cutting off the house from phone calls just blows my mind…ooofta.

...or having a phone that does more than just calling people, that actually accesses the internet at all! ...though I admit I do miss my second ever phone because I enjoyed playing snake.

Right?! Have any of y’all seen that flood control thing? How about a server busy message?

Ugh, that server message. Such a nuisance!

 

[Holly]

I do not miss the in-line advertisements. Those were so intrusive and worse than the server busy message.
On topic, I agree that the modern social media atmosphere is toxic. I've taken to avoiding the news and politics because it brings out the worst in people. There's too much to life to worry about if someone is team red or team blue.

 

[Mark]

I do not miss the in-line advertisements. Those were so intrusive and worse than the server busy message.
On topic, I agree that the modern social media atmosphere is toxic. I've taken to avoiding the news and politics because it brings out the worst in people. There's too much to life to worry about if someone is team red or team blue.

I will never go that far. I’m the arrogant asshole that chimes in that both sides are shitty and people need to vote out career politicians on both sides.

 

[Holly]

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Mark]

I couldn't agree more.

It’s disgusting, because our kids are gonna have to deal with so much shit because of all of this nonsense that’s going on now. A social worker is not going to be able to clean up Baltimore city’s crime problem. More gun laws aren’t going to stop criminals from committing crimes. Banning abortion in states isn’t doing anything but creating potential medical emergencies for women. Building a wall isn’t gonna solve the problems we already have here. Both sides got everything all twisted up.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

people need to vote out career politicians on both sides.

PA doesn't let me vote in primaries because they need me to align myself with either the Republican or Democrat parties.

So, I don't vote. I am scum to the rest of the country.

 

[A Slightly New Used Server]

PA doesn't let me vote in primaries because they need me to align myself with either the Republican or Democrat parties.

So, I don't vote. I am scum to the rest of the country.

Gotta love the weird primary systems we have:

Closed: You need to be registered for the party you want to vote in prior to the primary date
Semi-Closed: You need to be registered for the party you want to vote in, but can change your affiliation while voting
Semi-Open: If you're in a party, you vote for that primary. If you're not, you can choose on the day of without registering for that party
Open: You may vote in a single primary of your choosing, regardless of affiliation

 

[Mark]

PA doesn't let me vote in primaries because they need me to align myself with either the Republican or Democrat parties.

So, I don't vote. I am scum to the rest of the country.

I dunno, dude… Being in PA kinda defaults you to scummy, what with Fetterman and all that fun shit going on with that ordeal. I have a bunch of friends up there, and they all catch heat because of the political atmosphere. Y’all definitely have a weird state.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I dunno, dude… Being in PA kinda defaults you to scummy, what with Fetterman and all that fun shit going on with that ordeal. I have a bunch of friends up there, and they all catch heat because of the political atmosphere. Y’all definitely have a weird state.

Being a "resident" of PA is only a matter of convenience. I don't pay state taxes, and car registration is cheap as fuck. Plus, it would be a massive pain in the ass to change my state of residency every few years.

 

[Tom]

I dunno, dude… Being in PA kinda defaults you to scummy, what with Fetterman and all that fun shit going on with that ordeal. I have a bunch of friends up there, and they all catch heat because of the political atmosphere. Y’all definitely have a weird state.

Keep PA weird; oh wait, that’s Portland’s motto!

 

[Nebulous]

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen change in the world since then?

Since the mid-2000's? Hmm. I suppose everyone being a germophobe (because of the pandemic). Other than that its been the same shizz except the internet is faster and we watch stuff on-demand through streaming services these days instead of relying on cable tv. Oh yeah smart phones are pretty handy, better than those primitive cell phones we had back then.