Has SU's function changed?

[Astroruss]

You know, I've been posting and moderating and participating on this forum for many years now, and one thing i've noticed is how SU has changed.

I don't mean having topics and boards rearranged or new management or troll policies or whatever. I mean that the focus of this forum has changed, almost without us seeing it.

We've gone from being a social support forum for anxiety stricken and shyness hindering outcastes branded as 'weirdos' and 'oddballs' to a big happy forum for fun and interaction and discussions of friendliness!

I mean, many of you people are among my closest friends that I've known for several years now. I look forward to coming to this website everyday and reading and posting here.

[CharlotteGirl]

I don't know what it was like here originally, but just to compare, this forum does look very different in most ways really from a much bigger one where i post. Apart from the board layout being otherwise (and the non-free vbulletin), there is a large amount of grimmish/negative posting about shyness. Of Course that exists here as well, but perhaps you're right it's not the overwhelming focus anymore. A handful of their posters have sadly comitted suicide over the years, apparently due to social phobia. Of course they do have specific positive sections. Sometimes the more downbeat stuff really infects their off-topic side as well, of course by no means always!


There surely is'nt enough activity here to support their popular games room for puzzle threads etc, the same perhaps applies to having an equally viable irc chatroom. Another distinct lack here is a meetups section, but people seem to be so geographically spread out, and anyone who does want organised meets presumably knows where to go anyway.


Another vaguely interesting difference is that the terms social anxiety/phobia are constantly used there, to emphasise
the (arguable?) difference from troublesome shyness. Here shyness seems to be the dominant term.


Overall as you said anyway, this forum is very good at what it does.

[Astrodog]

I agree, this is the one place on the internet where I can log on and talk share and discuss matters of relevance to me without being treated like a second class citizen, or worse, a dumb animal.

I mean I've voted in the last three elections and paid a lot in taxes and they still look at me wierd when I show up for jury duty.