Why is abusive, negative content allowed?

@atmasphere wrote: " Just for the record, most forums don’t allow free speech as stated in their guidelines when you agree to their terms and conditions to be on the forum." 

Excellent point and thanks for reminding me! 

Duke

DeKay started an ironic April Fools Day thread titled,  "Who are your favorite A'gon posters?", nominating Kenjit and Millercarbon right up front.  Over half the responders didn't get it, and posted serious responses.  

Part of learning to read this forum is identifying the posters likely to impart useful (or at least interesting) information, and the ones you would set up to send to your trash folder automatically, if that were an option.  

IT IS CALLED FREE SPEECH . . . DEVELOP A THICKER SKIN, AND IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR IDEOLOGY OR “POLITICALLY INCORRECT” COMMENT -- DEBATE IT! STOP BEING SUCH A WOOSE AND DEVELOP A PAIR!

@russmaleartist  Since you've not been reading what preceeded your post, in fact there isn't 'FREE SPEECH' here or on almost any forum. The forums are on a website that is owned by someone and you have to abide by their posting rules, and those rules do not allow for unlimited free speech.


Trolling, as in the case of the topic of this thread, is the sort of thing that many forums do not allow.

"But make no mistake about it: the overall quality of the discourse in this forum has slowly degraded in the past two years or so (to the point of generating threads like this)".

I've been a member since 2003. After lurking for a while I chimed in as a newby with a question about whether cables really made a difference and, if so, why. What followed was a spirited debate among sincere, passionate hobbyists--some with strong technical backgrounds, others with years of experience swapping gear and experiences with others. The conversation never got personal, egos were restrained, ideas and opinions welcomed or politely rebutted. The thread went on for so long and went so far over my head that one of the participants, a cable manufacturer, sent me a 1M pair of ICs to try and keep so I could decide for myself. 

Subsequent posts followed a similar pattern. No judgement, ridicule or attitude directed at my inquiries or at others who made honest, gracious efforts to help educate and elevate the hobby. What has happened here is merely a reflection of what is going on across society. Narcissism, cruelty, egotism, and attitude reign supreme. I rarely read or post anymore--in the last few years the balance has tipped from occasional disappointment in the direction of certain threads to a nearly uniform pattern--post, torch, retaliate, repeat. The number of threads that offer enlightenment are few and far between. Many are just posturing and scoring points. Not sure what the answer is but if I were new to the site I would hesitate to join the fray. Too bad since most people predict this hobby is going to die and forums like these have the potential to attract new enthusiasts and expand interest. If only......