Posted By: DoctorGonzo
... I'd like to believe that for a time, I had my finger on the pulse of this board, especially LA. Conversation was vibrant, trolling was at a minimum, and even the shilling had a more robust, genuine flavor to it.
Big Papasan was spot on in his comment, the people in charge of TER now, aren't really concerned with the minimal activity on the boards, what with it being concentrated almost entirely from North American membership. In fact, with the change in focus shifting to a Eurocentric audience, the majority of online users now aren't even bothering with anything but the ads and the reviews.
I do not pass judgement on TER's business decisions here, I merely express how I see it.
With that in mind, the caliber of conversation deteriorated, as the lowest common denominator became lower and lower. With no real moderating, trolls proliferated, and people got fed up and left, or went into shadow lurker mode. Count me among the occasional generic lurkers.
There does seem to be a general rudeness to the newer generation of hobbyists, and even providers. But maybe what I, an aging hippie rock n roller ardent seeker of the Pleasures of the Flesh interprets as rude, is really just the arrogant hubris of youth, and I should just stick to being myself, getting stoned and getting laid by beautiful women who recognize a fun guy when they meet him. Cheers!