The Absolute State Of Off-Topic

So I decided to have a look through several pages of this place to see how well this forum is faring these days. Off-Topic is especially good at generating discussions over things people are passionate about, and it literally has the entire world as its potential subject matter (pretty much everything not connected to the game). So, wanna guess how many actually active threads there are on this forum nowadays i.e. threads that are ongoing (haven't been shuttered by GGG / still talking) and have 10+ pages of content?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6. Six!

Edit: ^This used to be seven, however upon inspection I found that the music thread was entirely comprised on just one guy posting links to various songs. Hence it's not being counted anymore.

2 of them are on the Coronavirus (there's actually two more, but the mods shut both of those down).

1 on music (no longer counted, see above for why)

1 on anime (the absolute champ of this forum, by a large margin).

1 on Wolcen (the only one to actually get anywhere).

1 Italian thread (for welcoming Italian players to the game).

And 1 for counting to 1 million (whose activity is also pretty unreliable).

That's it. That's what Off-Topic has come to in 2020. And even if you include smaller threads, the picture doesn't get much better. You'll see a lot of red dots next to threads, even just on Page 1. Most threads don't even get to page 2, and barely any struggle past 5. The activity level is just that low. For the most part, Off-Topic is the home of a handful of regulars (many of whom either don't seem to even be playing the game at all, or at least if they do, it must be only on Standard) who mostly keep this small handful of threads going. You see a lot of the same names here, often in the same threads.

In short, this forum is not doing well. As for why, feel free to speculate.

I play the game on Ps4... AnimePub was created for reasons I’ve already explained in other threads.

I’m considered a(N) the official troll, witch... Sometimes a white knight to moderators. But I get spanked, reprimanded as well behind closed doors. All I can say is you either adapt to the changes or simply just not post.

But I will tell you something, moderators are human like us... They want to keep their jobs. Like us they have bills to pay. I use to moderate it’s not easy. It’s mentally taxing... 3am in the morning drinking V listening to a fucking peacock mating call... eerie asss fuck. I digress...

I can and will unofficially say what moderators can’t say... but you’ll know. I’ll say this in the kindness way I can...

No one gives a shit... And those that do end up banned, probated etc... because it’s just a forum, and for some odd reason people get aggravated at a total perfect stranger. That fascinates me...

You assume lengthy back and forth discussions are more valuable than short and meaningful discussions?

Pithe, concise, relevant, topical. These are good words.

Taking 20 pages to make a point is generally not a sign of value.

"

solwitch wrote:

I play the game on Ps4... AnimePub was created for reasons I’ve already explained in other threads.

I’m considered a(N) the official troll, witch... Sometimes a white knight to moderators. But I get spanked, reprimanded as well behind closed doors. All I can say is you either adapt to the changes or simply just not post.

But I will tell you something, moderators are human like us... They want to keep their jobs. Like us they have bills to pay. I use to moderate it’s not easy. It’s mentally taxing... 3am in the morning drinking V listening to a fucking peacock mating call... eerie asss fuck. I digress...

I can and will unofficially say what moderators can’t say... but you’ll know. I’ll say this in the kindness way I can...

No one gives a shit... And those that do end up banned, probated etc... because it’s just a forum, and for some odd reason people get aggravated at a total perfect stranger. That fascinates me...

So this post is about the fact that Off-Topic seems to have a dearth of lively threads, and you decide to go on a spiel about the moderators, who weren't even mentioned in it? That fascinates me...

Anyway, the 'adaptations' you're talking about seems to be that the forum is steadily dying. Seems to run counter to what adaptation is supposed to achieve. 'No one gives a shit' indeed. To paraphrase Star Wars, "So this is how [society] dies? With [eerie silence]."

"

Exile009 wrote:

"

solwitch wrote:

I play the game on Ps4... AnimePub was created for reasons I’ve already explained in other threads.

I’m considered a(N) the official troll, witch... Sometimes a white knight to moderators. But I get spanked, reprimanded as well behind closed doors. All I can say is you either adapt to the changes or simply just not post.

But I will tell you something, moderators are human like us... They want to keep their jobs. Like us they have bills to pay. I use to moderate it’s not easy. It’s mentally taxing... 3am in the morning drinking V listening to a fucking peacock mating call... eerie asss fuck. I digress...

I can and will unofficially say what moderators can’t say... but you’ll know. I’ll say this in the kindness way I can...

No one gives a shit... And those that do end up banned, probated etc... because it’s just a forum, and for some odd reason people get aggravated at a total perfect stranger. That fascinates me...

So this post is about the fact that Off-Topic seems to have a dearth of lively threads, and you decide to go on a spiel about the moderators, who weren't even mentioned in it? That fascinates me...

Anyway, the 'adaptations' you're talking about seems to be that the forum is steadily dying. Seems to run counter to what adaptation is supposed to achieve. 'No one gives a shit' indeed. To paraphrase Star Wars, "So this is how [society] dies? With [eerie silence]."

There’s more to life than religion, politics etc... it’s called "going outside.’

The subforum is pretty much dead, agreed.

Mosts streamers also don't even check their official pm's on the site.

"

trixxar wrote:

You assume lengthy back and forth discussions are more valuable than short and meaningful discussions?

Pithe, concise, relevant, topical. These are good words.

Taking 20 pages to make a point is generally not a sign of value.

You're assuming all those other threads were meaningful. Based on what measure? I didn't comment on which threads were more meaningful and which less, merely which seemed to be surviving better.

Also no one said anyone took 20 pages to make a point. Pretty much everyone in those threads likely made their points in one post, rather other people then discussed said point (to agree, disagree, build on it, etc.), or made new points of their own.

Else you're going to have to explain how, say, the anime thread is lacking in meaning, and/or hasn't been able to make its point (whatever that is) in nearly two hundred pages. Are you implying it has practically no value? It's certainly gone on for long enough for your concept of what gives value to threads to have depreciated it into nothingness by now...

"

solwitch wrote:

There’s more to life than religion, politics etc... it’s called "going outside.’

Now you're mentioning some more things I never even suggested. All I did was present some data. If you think those things are the explanation for it, say so. But don't put those words into my mouth.

And if "going outside" is the solution, then why're you people even here? Why does this forum even exist? Why are the other threads I mentioned still carrying on? And if your comment was meant as an attack on me, then it'd apply even more strongly to a whole lot of other people here, who're more active on this forum than me, and certainly been on it for longer. Including, perhaps even yourself.

"

Exile009 wrote:

"

solwitch wrote:

There’s more to life than religion, politics etc... it’s called "going outside.’

Now you're mentioning some more things I never even suggested. All I did was present some data. If you think those things are the explanation for it, say so. But don't put those words into my mouth.

Also, if "going outside" is so great, then why're you people even here? Why does this forum even exist? Why are the other threads I mentioned still carrying on? And if your comment was meant as an attack on me, then it'd apply even more strongly to a whole lot of other people here, who're more active on this forum than me, and certainly been on it for longer. Including, perhaps even yourself.

You’re making this wayyyy too easy, I’m not going to be mean or make insults... You know I’ve been reading a lot of your posts. I’ll give you my opinion... again my opinion.

You seem to be looking for attention to an audience of veterans whom have seen it all. Every few months we get the one from 2013 that is burned out, decides to jump into the abyss, only to realize that this abyss is quite different... it has an ending.

Is there supposed to be a problem implied here?

People coming to the Path of Exile forums primarily to discuss Path of Exile seems fair enough.