Posted by: Skibur
Do you think that the community and moderators encourage or discourage older members from being active in the community and why?I think it's a natural reaction to being a part of a community for so long, and making that community be a part of your regular lifestyle. That last bit there is important.
As soon as people hit the 4 year mark, I've noticed that they start to lose their real drive to be a part of a community. Unless they have a real stake in it. I think that's what my problem was back around that 4-year mark. I had no real investment in the site other than my smexy title, the thousands of wtfiswebcammvp PMs, my quick-replies (which were honestly just a result of sheer boredom and refreshing the forums until something popped up) and my general love of seeing what the community were up to and commenting on it.
After I took over the Community Carnages for a while, I invested more into that than I think was obvious at face-value. When they were cut down, I felt like I had no reason to be a part of the community anymore, because I'd mistaken investment for participation, and so began my slow descent into frustration and hatred to this site. I had made it such a habit and daily routine for myself that it was surprisingly hard to get out of.
Of course, I don't think the dolts helped my case much.
I took a couple months to concentrate on what was important in my life, and when I came back here, I found that I could be so much more chill and just post now and again.
I don't think that the community as a whole appreciates or disapproves of long-term site commitment. I don't think that it's a general consensus that anyone who stands out for being here for a long time is to be loved or hated, explicitly. I actually think for the most part that nobody cares, because I sure as hell know I don't care how long anyone else has been here for.
As for the moderators, I think they react appropriately to how the members behave. A lot of it will be judgement calls, but really the whole point of them is to look after the forums and make sure that nothing inappropriate is goin' awn. So if a member is acting out or doing something against the rules, even lightly, it's up to them to respond.
If older community members are getting irate and doing things that they didn't when they were younger bnetters.
Take for example my reaction to the dolts who were looking for a reaction. I defended myself, called them a name, I got in trouble. In my younger bnet days, I knew that that would be taking the bait, but in my self-acclaimed "prime" I was under the impression my voice was important and that I was able to use the forums publicly to fight my battles.
So in a long sort of way, I think you bring about your own problems, and if you think everyone else is out to get you, it's very likely the problem is your own.