[quote=Dervish]
Off topic, but Spam has been often a place where reasonable and intelligent discussions can and often did occur. I always saw it as a place to socialize without having to worry about being crude or playing nice with people; you can actually call them out on stupid shit. Plus, no stigma about going off topic in the off topic section.Although, looking at it now, I can defintely see where people are coming from by comparing it to high school and other such immature places. I mainly stick around, hoping it gets better and some of the old mainstays return, but I'm starting to think they have the right idea by bowing out of going there.I suppose I need to accept that like people, communities change, and not always for the better.Anyways, back on topic. Didn't think that needed its own thread.
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It'd basically be a thread going "I don't like this! Let's complain!" any how. :P

As for Intelligent conversations. I've seen that claimed many times, each time I said "Ok, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Let's test it and have one" and without fail the reaction was "Gosh! Why are you trying to be smart! Go to off topic for that! Get out of here, you're boring!" so I've stopped giving those claims credit. Though maybe this is just a case of the fact it was me, and spam had already put me in the Nerd/Geek cliche of their community, so seeing me as someone lower they were pre-disposed to be immature towards me, while with some who has a more popular status they might actually be a bit more mature/respectful with.

But if the community only treat's specific people with maturity and respect, and the requirement isn't based on Intelligence or good argument but rather how fun or cool they see you to be then it just simply is not a good environment to be having intelligent conversations in, cause you are using an unintelligent method to discriminate on viewpoints and opinions. Also, I've seen people call people out for being stupid, I've done it before, I've seen Jorick do it many times. Brovo's done it also. Dark Wind basically does the same thing, but care's too much about being respectful and civil all the time to actually truly/bluntly to do it, bless his soul. :P I've also seen it from others before whose names I either can't think of at the time or don't know cause I'd memorize them by their profile pic.