Personally, I think the last "generation" of IIN users were more accepting, understandable, and not clouded by emotion.
It seems now that the siteis made up of trolls, emotion>logic people, underage, unaccepting, arrogant, and a very small connection of people that are the opposite of the other things listed.
I used to respect people in the form that I would always listen to what they have to say, always look at my notifications, and if someone wanted to contact me, they could. Now, I just lack the respect to do it most of the time. I think it happened when I realized that people on here don't realize that just because something is offensive, doesn't make it incapable of being true. A line was definetly crossed for respect when I was in a debate with someone, and their whole point was proven wrong due to the definition of what we were debating about "from a dictionary" showed that what they thought it was, was incorrect. They argued against it, regardless of it being shown in the dictionary, every disctionary, that their definition was wrong. I asked to prove me wrong, and they basically said no (obviously they couldn't), but ofcourse, "they just didn't want to".
The over emotional that seems to be beating logic up in a lot of users heads is getting unbarable.
I do little tests with the community here, and it just shows them to be over emotional. I will make two stories, both with the same situation, one with the main point I am making, and another with a different subject, yet the exact same situation (so that emotion isn't involved). Ofcourse, the one that people could find offensive was "Wrong to think", not right, stupid of me to think", yet the other story, with the exact same situation, just lacking the part that makes people emotional, they said the complete opposite...
I honestly don't blame the older users for leaving, I can understand why.
Do you think it's normal for someone that has been here a long time is losing respect for the community due to the new generation of IIN users?
Is it normal?
It seems now that the siteis made up of trolls, emotion>logic people, underage, unaccepting, arrogant, and a very small connection of people that are the opposite of the other things listed.
I used to respect people in the form that I would always listen to what they have to say, always look at my notifications, and if someone wanted to contact me, they could. Now, I just lack the respect to do it most of the time. I think it happened when I realized that people on here don't realize that just because something is offensive, doesn't make it incapable of being true. A line was definetly crossed for respect when I was in a debate with someone, and their whole point was proven wrong due to the definition of what we were debating about "from a dictionary" showed that what they thought it was, was incorrect. They argued against it, regardless of it being shown in the dictionary, every disctionary, that their definition was wrong. I asked to prove me wrong, and they basically said no (obviously they couldn't), but ofcourse, "they just didn't want to".
The over emotional that seems to be beating logic up in a lot of users heads is getting unbarable.
I do little tests with the community here, and it just shows them to be over emotional. I will make two stories, both with the same situation, one with the main point I am making, and another with a different subject, yet the exact same situation (so that emotion isn't involved). Ofcourse, the one that people could find offensive was "Wrong to think", not right, stupid of me to think", yet the other story, with the exact same situation, just lacking the part that makes people emotional, they said the complete opposite...
I honestly don't blame the older users for leaving, I can understand why.
Do you think it's normal for someone that has been here a long time is losing respect for the community due to the new generation of IIN users?
Is it normal?
Also, may I ask where the cut off point for "older generation" is? I'm sure you think I fall into the category of being overly emotional and unnacepting, etc., but I think I've been here long enough not to be considered "new generation". So, maybe it's just that your attitude towards the site has changed over time, rather than it being completely due to the people. Just a possibility.
But I have to ask, why do you think certain things are offensive? And if they are offensive, then why are you so surprised that they provoke an emotional reaction? Yes, I can understand why having that would hinder any chance of an unbiased debate, but it's still worth thinking about why these things are offensive to people.
I haven't been around as long as some (two years next month, if you count lurk-time) but I've definitely been part of more than one "generation".
Because I took a break from IIN, I have a distinct cut-off and recognise the people who arrived in my absence. In my time on IIN, I don't remember a period when so many people that I genuinely like arrived at the same time. I actually think IIN is better now than I ever remember it (and that's saying something, because I'm as sentimental for the past as anyone). I personally find it much more difficult being on the site than I used to but I still recognise the wealth of great people I share the site with.
I think it's hard to be on the site if your name has been known for a while or if you've got a strong opinion about something or you've pissed someone off, but it's like life isn't it? It's not always easy.
For the record, I think we spend a lot less time discussing things seriously than we used to. It's more of a joke now. I'm part of that but mainly I'm just going along with it because it's the prevailing wind. I like the serious discussions too.
http://isitnormal.com/poll/is-it-normal-voiceaccent-comparison-129262/
I forgot to say it at the time but I really hoped you were going to join in with it.
That's not to say we should all clam up and be cyborgs but....everything its sphere and time.
But that's a distraction. I agree with you. I'm honestly forlorn that IIN has become a haven to the emotionally decrepit, where we hide behind emoticons and LOLs. I try not to read it as it's only gonna make me mad but some of them are so short that to look at them is to read them.
I counsel patience and be proactive. Post serious discussions and mature comments.
People are always willing to complain about how dark it is, but few ever go looking for the firewood and make a fire. And light is most effective when it's darkest.
It sounds to me like you may be the one being overly emotional in your response to this community though, allowing differing opinions to get under your skin.
Of course words have the power to persuade. If you word a story in an emotional way, empathic people that humans are, we're likely to side with the 'character' that evokes the most empathy / sympathy from us. If you word it indifferently, without emotion involved, it simply becomes an exercise in rationality and logic. Even you, OP, have no doubt been guilty on occasion of exactly the same contradictory but very human response, though I'm sure you'd be loathed to admit it.
I personally haven't noticed much change in the year or so I've been here. You have little waves of new users; different cliques, extremists, trolls, sexists, the clever people, the emotionally balanced people etc. I think the IIN community is one that isn't constant, save for a few firm regulars - it's in constant fluctuation, but at the same time it demonstrates just how predictable we all are as people, in so much as, despite the new heads popping up, it all feels like the same thing over and over. The same questions, the same responses, the same debates and conflicts of personality.
I thought this post was by ItDuz but I'm realising my OP-dar isn't as accurate as it once was.
The point of this website is for the poster to gain other people's opinions on a situation. Many of us have made it about our political agendas, many of us have made it about more personal matters, about making friends, about fitting in, and many of us have just gotten way too sensitive and should probably take a break to get their heads together.
I'd hate to be so blunt about it, but in essence, this is the price you pay when you go onto a largely anonymous website and "speak your mind". The fact is that you're not the only person that is ALLOWED to speak your mind, you're not the only person that has valid opinions (regardless of whether or not you think others have valid opinions) and most importantly, your opinions are *not* the most important issue on this site. Because it's about helping others solve their problems and satisfy their curiosities, not helping you further an agenda. That is the purpose of this site, and if you're using the site for purposes that are not what it is intended for, then you're not going to get the results you're hoping for.
I'm not going to apologize for giving my opinion, ie. doing what this site is set up to do. You don't have to agree with it and I don't have to agree with yours. I'm not going to say that you don't have every right to complain... and complain... and complain... and complain... as you've been doing, but if you don't like other people's opinions and you can't handle other people disagreeing with you, no matter how "stupid" or "emotional" you dismiss their opinions to be (and I'm sure many of them see your opinions in the same light), then, to put quite simply... you're in the wrong place.
Despite what some people say about everything being made up around here , I think there is a lot of genuine questions and advice and that's cool .
The smart/arses that do hang around and run everything down well - I mean how f'n lifeless bored would you have to be to even bother which pretty well sums them up so.