I'm here for the bizarre moderation style, which I at one point complained about. Having a single busy dev act as a nuclear option goes completely against common practice, particularly when the rules of conduct are pretty strict. Yet it works, somehow.
It's likely that I just enjoy passive aggression and cattyness, heh. Or that I like watching people forced to attack positions rather than people. "I was mistaken in this particular part of my argument" is still a rare bird, of course, but that *never* happens when people trade insults.
I guess the parts of GD that *aren't* the politics thread are okay too
But they really are, because they humanize people with gross political beliefs. That's not a reason to be merciful or a doormat to them, but it keeps the political discussion from being pure lofty theoreticals. There are lived experiences, perspectives to try to understand.
Anyway, I still miss being a part of the tgstation community. Everybody was rude, insincerely offensive to show emphasis, and really passionate about the game (or its development). The politics of choosing the headcoders and head-admins, and how those groups worked together and with the most vocal/passionate players (shitposters), was truly something. I didn't leave for any reason, I just got too busy.
I love Reddit mechanically, and it's a great source of useful posts, but I would never "join" the "community". Share a finding or comment on a game, sure, but never join an argument.
And 4chan is useful. Loud Whispers said it better than me, as freakin always
I particularly like the "civ4xg" thread on /vg/. *checks the current thread, cringes* Like, it's full of shitposting obviously. But after a while those become part of the atmosphere, an amusing clownshow over which gentlepeople of taste discuss actual matters of import. A discussion of ideal territory-claiming *looks* a lot more profound when its interlaced with Wiz as an anime girl eating your money.
It's very Shakespearean, that contrast