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Forums - Gaming - Are Video Game Forums Radicalizing?

GribbleGrunger on 10 August 2015

Perhaps one thing we can all do (and I know it's quite difficult at times) is ignore posters who are clearly just dropping a bomb in a thread with a blunt and deliberately inflammatory statement and just talk around them as if they don't exist. Without response, some of these people may stop, and even if they continue without address, the mods will be able to spot them a mile away and deal with it.



 

The PS5 Exists. 


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Lawlight on 10 August 2015
Kelzus said:

I think people with extreme opinions just congregate together on websites, like IGN and GameFAQs etc because that's where all of the other cultists hang out. As for here, my opinions haven't really changed at all since I started coming here, other people don't really influence it, though it can be changed if people make sense obviously. Here I don't really post anything "controversial" because the mods are so strict, I usually just laugh at people and move on, whereas on another website I'd reply to them. It doesn't seem worth it here for some reason, idk why

Sorry but this is not true. GameFAQS for example has a lot of boards and the post quality varies a lot from board to board.

I think "mainstream" message boards like imdb or neogaf are far more radicalizing as you cannot post anything that's not PC.



Lawlight on 10 August 2015
RolStoppable said:

I've become more radical in my opinions and becoming this radical is the reason why I admit it. After all, it's what people who drift towards an extreme usually do.

Seriously though, forums are merely a catalyst. They can bring out the worst of people and suck them into a hivemind, but whether or not that happens and remains a continual state of mind depends on the individual. How much of a breeding ground for extreme opinions any given forum is depends on how it is moderated. In the specific case of VGC, there are much more people who mellowed down over the years rather than doubled down on their initial beliefs.

My biggest belief is that a stupid person should be called an idiot. That's why I have done it twice in the last 24 hours.

If it was on VGChartz, I hope you were modded for that.



Kotastic on 10 August 2015

For me, not really. I just made a thread to see people's opinions on what artstyle they prefer over Smash 4 and Brawl. Despite the overwhelming agreement that Smash 4 has the better artstyle, it has not changed my opinion one bit that Brawl looks better to me. Oh and I don't shove my opinion towards other people nor do I stretch it so for the sake of attention.



alternine on 10 August 2015
pbroy said:

I used to feel like my body is burning when people troll whatever. So I defend the underdog, even if I don't really like them. Just to make them bitches feel grounded. Now I find myself trolling things before trolls can troll, to take their fun away. I befriend fanboys so they feel loved too and get sad when they get banned. I make sarcastic comments and some people don't get it. Then they flame me, and I love it. I also like to fish for replies, good or bad and then i defend points that dont make sense and make them sound like they do. Something is wrong with me. Maybe its the fact that I've become bored of videogames and this forum has become a game to me. 😢

Thats pretty damn sad man.



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ReimTime on 10 August 2015
Lawlight said:
RolStoppable said:

I've become more radical in my opinions and becoming this radical is the reason why I admit it. After all, it's what people who drift towards an extreme usually do.

Seriously though, forums are merely a catalyst. They can bring out the worst of people and suck them into a hivemind, but whether or not that happens and remains a continual state of mind depends on the individual. How much of a breeding ground for extreme opinions any given forum is depends on how it is moderated. In the specific case of VGC, there are much more people who mellowed down over the years rather than doubled down on their initial beliefs.

My biggest belief is that a stupid person should be called an idiot. That's why I have done it twice in the last 24 hours.

If it was on VGChartz, I hope you were modded for that.

It's all about how you use the word and whom against you use it. Circumstances and context are key. Intent is the largest factor



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Lawlight on 10 August 2015
ReimTime said:
Lawlight said:
RolStoppable said:

I've become more radical in my opinions and becoming this radical is the reason why I admit it. After all, it's what people who drift towards an extreme usually do.

Seriously though, forums are merely a catalyst. They can bring out the worst of people and suck them into a hivemind, but whether or not that happens and remains a continual state of mind depends on the individual. How much of a breeding ground for extreme opinions any given forum is depends on how it is moderated. In the specific case of VGC, there are much more people who mellowed down over the years rather than doubled down on their initial beliefs.

My biggest belief is that a stupid person should be called an idiot. That's why I have done it twice in the last 24 hours.

If it was on VGChartz, I hope you were modded for that.

It's all about how you use the word and whom against you use it. Circumstances and context are key. Intent is the largest factor

Unless it's in a joking manner, calling someone an idiot is flaming.



o_O.Q on 10 August 2015

"extreme" is a subjective word in this... i've seen people be called extreme simply for having an opinion that could be associated with a particular political side even though they didn't wear the label

groups of people tend to guide individual people down the path of accepting and then promoting whatever that group's purpose is... its not exclusive to video games or videogame forums

we are all subject to it in our daily lives and we perpetuate it onto those around us who do not fit into our group

if you have a wii you're going to want other people to get one if you enjoy it

if you think a certain way of life is the right way you will tend to want to project that on others around you etc

the word "radicalise" is a silly buzzward created to marginalise people that are not included in a particular world view so that a hegelian dialectic can be created

you versus them good versus bad



ReimTime on 10 August 2015
Lawlight said:
ReimTime said:

It's all about how you use the word and whom against you use it. Circumstances and context are key. Intent is the largest factor

Unless it's in a joking manner, calling someone an idiot is flaming

This would be a boring place if every chirp resulted in a ban. That's why I carry a thesaurus with me at all times.



#1 Amb-ass-ador

gergroy on 10 August 2015

Meh, I have always been a pretty open minded person. I think I may have been a bit more biased on different things when I first started here, but I have mellowed quite a bit during my time here. Of course, that probably has a lot more to do with my actions in real life then my posting on here...