Where have all the craic/ bit of a laugh threads gone?

20-02-2022 10:22am #1

I tend to avoid the more serious threads on boards in general as they usually turn narky and argumentative rather than reasoned debate but when scrolling for something light-hearted or interesting I can't seem to find anything like that anymore. Le sigh.

Is boards just an angry place nowadays or can we make boards great again?

#MBGA 🧢 🤓

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 10:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058233890/where-have-all-the-craic-bit-of-a-laugh-threads-gone

Its very much for people who conform... bit like myself...

Trigger Happy · 20-02-2022 10:43am

Those fun threads went the way of the fun posters. Present company excluded.

GIMP · 20-02-2022 10:55am

It's very much like how no comedy is being produced on tv anymore. Everyone is too concerned at offending someone else. Sattire and comedy are dead.

20-02-2022 10:57am

Maybe I just enjoyed boards more years ago and I'm just imagining it but I feel as if there was a lot of fun threads getting traffic regularly or even the most random threads were made funny or interesting by the input of funny or interesting posters.

Dunno, maybe it's a case of rose tinted glasses but I don't think so.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 11:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662404#Comment_118662404

There appears to be little cliques and the come together when one of them is challenged...

20-02-2022 11:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662402#Comment_118662402

Ain't that the truth......it must be very hard for comedy writers now days......most doors are closed/ there's v little avenues left.

Classics such as 'it ain't half hot mum' or Alf Garnett wouldn't make it past the first step with today's PC

Amadan Dubh · 20-02-2022 11:15am

Boards is no longer full of self-deprecating, meme lovers. Too many folks who take the internet too seriously on it.

While it got a bad rep for a while, it would be nice to see an Atari Jaguar thrown into the first page of replies in a thread on immigration, to lighten the mood. Let's all remember;

3c9.jpg

20-02-2022 11:17am

Maybe we could start a revolution to make boards great again. 🤔✊🤓

https://giphy.com/gifs/robin-williams-moviegif-moviequote-f56Z2mFv6ipLa

Gant21 · 20-02-2022 11:22am

It’s those council houses sorry social houses

EmmetSpiceland · 20-02-2022 11:26am

Setting a definite boundary between the “Current Affairs” forum and AH would be a great start.

There are far too many contentious threads acting as a “staging post” for the angry oddballs, malcontents, SF voters, weirdos, bigots and the other CA “types” to infect this lighthearted, and irreverent, forum.

A lot of them are easily spotted by the prison bars over their “avatar” but a number of them do manage to fly under the radar, spiting their deranged bile and hatred wherever they can and constantly moaning about the WOKE (all caps).

breezy1985 · 20-02-2022 11:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662402#Comment_118662402

This post is exactly why there are no fun threads.

Because some clown will come in and try drag every thread down a culture wars hole by crying about the "woke".

Even a thread about a soccer player booting a cat up the hole is actually about the culture war.

And of course all these stupid thread then us bating to stay on top of the trending que so when you log on looking for fun you won't find it easy.

20-02-2022 12:26pm

Why can't we all just get along..... 🤭

https://youtu.be/MPMmC0UAnj0

BattleCorp1 · 20-02-2022 1:55pm

It's overmodded now.

Can't even comment on many threads such as "Someone Unusual You Fancy" etc.

dxhound2005 · 20-02-2022 2:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662404#Comment_118662404

You only joined in April 2021. So you missed the boat by not contributing to those fun threads years ago.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 2:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663146#Comment_118663146

It seems to me the mods have a personal interest in topics they are mods of... not a good balance...

Brussels Sprout · 20-02-2022 2:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662404#Comment_118662404

I know exactly what you mean. I think it's indicative of a trend across the entire internet. In the beginning it was fun and informative. Nowadays it's angry and divisive. Twitter and Facebook are gone the same way.

I have noticed that there are a lot more American style culture war threads in After Hours now. Even if someone starts a thread about something else within the first 10 posts someone responds and tries to twist the most innocent of threads into their preferred narrative. It's exhausting.

I'm not sure of the demographics of this site but I presume, like most internet forums, it skews male and since boards has ben around for twenty years there are probably a lot of middle-aged posters. As a result I think the balance is very much towards people complaining about how things in life aren't the way they used be. Reading that kind of stuff is very draining - not fun at all. It'd be nice if there was some dedicated forum where people could complain about how they think modern life is rubbish and leave the rest of the site free of that incessant griping.

breezy1985 · 20-02-2022 3:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663146#Comment_118663146

How would you know you only joined in October 🤣

20-02-2022 3:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663198#Comment_118663198

Not sure if you're serious but I thought it would be obvious I'm around a lot longer than that.

dxhound2005 · 20-02-2022 3:05pm

Not as a contributor, and you only have 66 posts. Like I say, you missed the opportunity to join in the Fun Threads.

20-02-2022 3:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663531#Comment_118663531

Surely you're not that unaware that you don't understand there's loads of re-regs on this site 🤭

BattleCorp1 · 20-02-2022 3:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663506#Comment_118663506

I'm around a long time. Forgot my password and couldn't get access to my old account so I had to open up another account. First BattleCorp and now BattleCorp1.

Dakota Dan · 20-02-2022 3:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058233890/where-have-all-the-craic-bit-of-a-laugh-threads-gone

Same with a lot of other forums eg. Peoples republic of cork langers forum was hillarious in the start now it’s just full of langers.

breezy1985 · 20-02-2022 3:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663678#Comment_118663678

I've thought of starting mine again as profiles can pick up a bit of baggage. I've had loopers following me around threads ranting.

growleaves · 20-02-2022 3:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663779#Comment_118663779

Hope you are 'Flag'-ing them to mods because that is creepy.

EmmetSpiceland · 20-02-2022 3:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663779#Comment_118663779

Know the feeling, B. I’d have a bit of a “fan club”, myself. Angry lads following me around from thread to thread.

Some will even make these, weird, vague “broadsides” in threads I’d hardly be active in. There are some weird lads with lots of “issues” out there.

My advice would be to ignore these kooks and keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t let the bullies win.

BaywatchHQ · 20-02-2022 4:10pm

I used this forum around 8-9 years ago and it was a **** show of trolling then. It seems that there is no youth crowd joining here, I was the youngest member back then and 8 years on I still seem to be the youngest.

20-02-2022 4:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663208#Comment_118663208

I don't take the moderation too serious. Most are sound and don't get involved with moderation unless they really have to and even then they do so in a non condescending or provocative manner but I do agree there are some that don't really act respectful themselves and there doesn't seem to be anyone reigning them in which leads to users thinking the moderation isn't done in a fair manner on this site.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 4:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663506#Comment_118663506

Maybe from Russia... came on the boat last week...

20-02-2022 4:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663146#Comment_118663146

It's undermodded in some cases. Politics threads are pure dumpster fires with very clear issues that I can't mention that the mods refuse to address.

On the other hand you have a couple of sock puppets and a couple of other people who will point out when something is woke and about 5 other posters presumably have alerts set for that word so they can come in and be superior and **** all over them and say there's no such thing as whatever that person mentioned. Few posts back and forth, between the two "sides" and the thread is dead before page 2.

EmmetSpiceland · 20-02-2022 4:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663146#Comment_118663146

To be fair, B, that thread was ruined by, self appointed, “mullahs” who would, aggressively, criticise any submission to the point someone would want to be 300lbs, in weight, and have a toe growing out of their forehead for them to be considered “unusual”.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664036#Comment_118664036

The mods here remind me of people in a call center... list of questions... tick boxes etc... one said to me recently... maybe the site not for me... i never take them seriously... sometimes its great fun...

20-02-2022 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664080#Comment_118664080

Ah you can't tar them all with the same brush either. In any walk of life you'll always get some that aren't up to the job but like I said, most are sound and trying their best to moderate a mixed bag of people.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 5:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664156#Comment_118664156

You are the person who put the question in on the running of the forum... looks yo me like you not know what you at... i dod not tar anyone i say what i see and each situation separate...

Tell me how · 20-02-2022 5:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662404#Comment_118662404

Definitely agree with this. There were frequently threads that went on for several days or weeks that I would read months later because they were of particular interest or were entertaining to do so.

Why is this no longer the case? I think there is an overwhelming aura of bitterness and acrimony around some of the busier forums and that simply has pushed people away.

What's mostly left are those who are comfortable in that environment. Most of the media threads, TV shows/radio shows etc are just cesspits of negativity. I read the first page of the Late Late Show thread on Friday and clicked out of it shaking my head.

Boards itself hasn't helped itself, the changeover saw a massive drop off in posters for a period (not sure it has returned) and the absolutely shambolic fiasco that was, and continues to be, the management and engagement of mods and the ensuing application of moderation since then has meant that that necessary function for a welcoming and pleasant site pretty much vanished.

There has been no attempt to foster entertaining conversations or topics and while that wasn't necessarily the case previously, it wasn't needed so much then. There was a thread in PI a couple months ago about a guy who was thinking of asking out a colleague and the thread was busy and entertaining as people gave their opinions and their own experiences from having been in similar situations. When the poster said that they had asked her out and she said yes, over 40 people thanked the post and almost immediately a mod shut down the thread saying that the poster had gotten the advice they came for and so there was no point to the thread.

Fair enough, a prolonged discussion at that point in PI probably wouldn't have been the place for it but I thought that was a perfect opportunity to move the thread to AH given the interest and engagement on the topic. They could have redacted the name of the OP by all accounts, or made it more anonymous in other ways and directed posters to the new thread but instead it was shut down and all that interest just disappeared.

Most of the threads that get anything between 200 and 500 posts in less than week are those on contentious topics which typically aren't any fun whatsoever to read or even take part in. There are a number of threads that when you see them on the front page you get a spark interest but then you see they have been started by someone who starts frequent threads and you know that the first post won't really have anything more than what is in the thread title and the first 10 posts will be remonstrating with the for doing that and that that will probably be the end of the thread.

20-02-2022 5:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664169#Comment_118664169

I didn't put any question forward about running of the site. It was a general question about not as much craic threads. That would be more to do with user input I would say.

It was you and somebody else who brought up moderation and you said mods as if talking about all of them.

To be honest you seemed to take issue with what I said there very quickly and turn argumentative so maybe that mod that said the site isn't for you was right. 🤔🤭

20-02-2022 5:13pm

Certain people make it their business to report any post they deem to be offensive, being offended on behalf of everyone else.

Then the mods are either too busy or too lazy to investigate so they automatically delete and warn whatever posts are reported.

20-02-2022 5:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664199#Comment_118664199

I'd say you're right there and a bit of that goes on.

breezy1985 · 20-02-2022 5:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664186#Comment_118664186

There are an awful awful lot of fake stories pop up on PI and on the legal and various road forums.

They all have the same massively long fanciful situations and once questioned the story starts to change very fast. Always asked by first time posters.

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 5:20pm

People can say as they please... you ask a question and when you do not like the answer you try to turn it around...

Tell us what exact question you meant in OP as you seem to have lost your way...

The mods run the forum... so what do you think is wrong... i know what i think is wrong...

maestroamado · 20-02-2022 5:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664199#Comment_118664199

One of them more or less said this to me that certain people were unhappy with a few questions i was asking... they did investigate as they were able to tell me the number of posts i made on the topic which means it was checked..

olestoepoke · 20-02-2022 5:24pm

Threads start well then inevitably race or gender is mentioned then they spiral into far left and far right gobshites taking pot shots at each other. Between that and everyone walking around offended by everything.