What about the forums of today are core-reasons that you so dislike them? Evolution creates new characteristics, and surely one or some of them must be the real reason and not evolution itself.
Are you addressing me? I don't have any problem with any of this. In fact, I said almost the same thing you've just said:
That's certainly a sensible way to do things. Watching and waiting as opposed to jumping right in, I mean. And looking at the state of things in an objective sense is also sensible. But that doesn't change the fact that as long as there's contrast in content - remember the posts (were they in the sad thread? I can't remember) complaining about the apparent mathi-ness of the then-current discussions? - people will always feel that things are moving in the wrong direction.
People will always affect people, and in turn affect entire communities. Alternatively, there's no such thing as "devolution".
Aside: I think it would be foolish to suggest that there is a "reason" for the evolution of... well, anything, really. There's a percieved reason which is almost universally false, if that's what you mean.
I was only addressing you because it seemed like you were one of the people disillusioned by the current state of the forums.
I wasn't saying the reason for evolution, but rather that there is a reason for feeling unwelcome. Evolution happens, regardless of why. Evolution causes change in characteristics (among other things, but that's what I'm focusing on), and in a similar way, surely there must be some current characteristic that people take enough offense to to just ignore the forums entirely.
I think people have mentioned the silliness, but I would have rather them come on and restated it than go dredging it up myself. I may have to dredge it if that's what it takes, unless they really don't care to have anything to do with the forums. In which case there's no point in trying to make amends. =/