Has Era had an impact in your life?

[Rad Bandolar]

This is my first stop whenever I need a laundry list of things that are wrong with media that I enjoy.

On a serious note, this is a good place to get perspectives from people that I usually don't encounter in daily life.

 

[Jafku1]

no.

 

[Fulminator]

it gives me an outlet to talk about certain things with some cool people that none of my irl friends are particularly interested, so I would say yes, it has had somewhat of a positive impact on my life.

downside is i waste way too much time on here just endlessly refreshing lol, but if it wasn;t Era it would be reddit or something else

e: wouldn't say it has changed me much as a person though

 

[iAmPossum]

This place in small dose is fine.

 

[Clay]

They are biased in favor of "no".

Click to shrink...

How so? Seems like a clear distinction between "Yes - positive impact, yes - negative impact, and no - no impact." I don't see how the wording would lead anyone on to pick any one option over the other two either.

They certainly get the point across, we don't need to hold Era polls up to the same standards as a poll whose results are going to published in a peer-reviewed journal or something.

Personally I think Era (and GAF) have probably made me a worse person, but I don't really care too much. I don't know anyone IRL who's really into games, or media in general for that matter. Most of my family and friends aren't interested in discussing much of anything critically, so forums feel like the only way I can talk about games with other people who are more passionate about them.

But while it can be fun posting here is also a pretty clear waste of time. It's easily the least productive thing I do regularly, and it can be disappointing to consider the number of books I could have read or skills I could have picked up in the time I've spent posting and lurking.

I'm overall happy with where I am in life though and don't feel the need to over-analyze how I spent every hour of every day though, so here I am.

 

[Lua]

It didnt changed me, but honestly this place isn't good. It's better than gamefaqs or any dump of racism like 4chan, because it bans the shitheads, but it still doesn't mean it is good. Any discussion is full of people attacking each other in the most basic and sarcastic way possible that won't get them banned, and since most of people can say how they actually feel about said game/company(because they would get outed) there's always this passive-agressive feel to every discussion.

Not to talk about thread clickbait titles and inflamatory generalizations that some try to pass as a joke, because they know it's going to make people mad and bring it more attention. It's a good place for getting news, however, so i'll still use it. I probably should avoid posting tho.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

Actually before everything went off the rails GAF is the place that influenced me the most, it really pushed me Left politically and socially. Many of those voices are here on Era too

 

[Bruceleeroy]

Lol no

 

[Bad Advice]

It certainly exposes me to topics that I wouldn't encounter otherwise. That's the main reason I visit this site, for those rather niche topics. But I wouldn't say it has changed me.

 

[Ultimate Bear Cub]

I have no idea. I still feel like the same person, but I have learned about a lot of topics I wasn't aware of. This forum is the most I have bothered to participate in after years of lurking. I think that even though there can be some negative subjects talked about in the OT, the fact that it is being spoken out at least is healthy.

Most people just want to be heard and understood. If they are clumsy about getting their meaning across I want to make the effort to understand it and listen. I can put up with some caustic language. Wanting to change for the better is a worthwhile process, albeit a messy one.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

God no, but it did solidify that I would never want to interact with most people on this site in real life lol.

 

[Notaskwid]

Im a Bernie bro now

 

[Baphomet]

Lol no, this place is just a form, nothing more.

 

[leafcutter]

I'm not on here enough for it to affect me at all, but I get what people are saying about it increasing their anxiety. OT is pretty negative a lot of the time.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

Outside of major game announcements/current events, this place is fucking dead to me.

 

[Deleted member 25606]

Me personally? Not much change though I think the forums existence is a positive, it's nice to have a place to shitpost and talk about games and comics without the racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other nasty phobia's and ism's that seem almost mandatory for most other forums or outlets for these sort of interests.

 

[Doober]

I wouldn't say I'm a worse person, but if I'm not careful to stick to VERY light topics this place can quickly put me in some kind of mood.

There's an underlying toxicity that permeates the forum and I often leave it with more negative thoughts than what I came with.

 

[How About No]

.

 

[shaneo632]

It's definitely made me think more about the effect what I say/do has on other people, like the more harmful context of "harmless" jokes and so on.

 

[TheFurizzlyBear]

I would say yes. I pay much more attention to politics now due to off-topic discussions of them. I also have a much better understanding of the issues minorities deal with day to day due to those who chose to share on this forum.

 

[Vilix]

Because of this forum I can no longer taste vanilla or see the Lexus color Desert Twilight Magenta. 😞

 

[collige]

I went vegan as a result of a thread in OT and there's been lots of helpful stuff posted in gaming side such as the AI uscaling thread. Hip-hop Era is cool too.

So yeah.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Often quite negative. OT Era can give the impression life is just doom and gloom and there's no point in trying to live a nice Life or make things better.

Click to shrink...

Meh, I just keep in mind that misery loves company and don't let that shit get to me. Get out in the world and do your best. That's all any of us can do.

 

[The Vathlonian]

Pretty much. The dog piling here, and the seemingly completely random moderating here makes some discussions very dangerous if you don't want to get jumped on or banned.

Click to shrink...

This. You can say something that may be factually wrong and people will automatically assume you had malicious intent and either jump all over you or ostracize you completely. It's a never-ending game of gotcha and it can be depressing as fuck when trying to connect with people online.

 

[TissueBox]

HAY, WAIT

No forum is 'just a forum'!!

It's by definition a community, a place of discourse, the pub, the watercooler, a place to unwind or see what's up!! To sh*t on friends, to lurk, to wallow in self hatred, to see the hottest topic or to be dumb together where no one (actually, everyone xD) is looking..!

SO, maybe Era is just Era... but if you log on to a forum as a regular, then that forum is a part of your life in at least a small way. Either to mock and laugh at, to belong in and engage with, or to figuratively rain curses down on before an epic ban hammer. Forums, social platforms, chaotic conference calls, whether you know it or not, you are drawn to it because it accessorizes your life wall, baby. Some people find family, solace, guidance in forums. Others, an outlet. Some people are indoctrinated into debilitating subcultures. They can do a lot of good, a lot of bad, a lot of neutral, but do, they indeed do, sometimes deliberately, sometimes inadvertently. Thus is the power of compartmentalized vox populi.

...also actually had no reason to post this but there's no blog function DUDE!

Latez.

(That said, if you are breaking keyboards from flame wars or arguments online, then yes -- this is just a forum. :p)

 

[TheGhost]

This place has made me hate my PlayStation, Star Wars and Marvel. Which should not even be possible but seeing the fan boyism just ruins shit for me. Not everyone is like that but enough are where it's embarrassing to see anything those 3 things produce put on a pedestal.

 

[siteseer]

it's a good place to keep up with news and stuff. but moderation is heavy handed, i find myself steering clear of threads that are 'controversial.' not such a bad thing though since i am spending less time just browsing like some kind of grazing cattle.

 

[Noctis]

Lol no. The place is fine for a quick read here and there.

here for the news, it's quick and efficient.

 

[Baphomet]

HAY, WAIT

No forum is 'just a forum'!!

It's by definition a community, a place of discourse, the pub, the watercooler, a place to unwind or see what's up!! To sh*t on friends, to lurk, to wallow in self hatred, to see the hottest topic or to be dumb together where no one (actually, everyone xD) is looking..!

SO, maybe Era is just Era... but if you log on to a forum as a regular, then that forum is a part of your life in at least a small way. Either to mock and laugh at, to belong in and engage with, or to figuratively rain curses down on before an epic ban hammer. Forums, social platforms, chaotic conference calls, whether you know it or not, you are drawn to it because it accessorizes your life wall, baby. Some people find family, solace, guidance in forums. Others, an outlet. Some people are indoctrinated into debilitating subcultures. They can do a lot of good, a lot of bad, a lot of neutral, but do, they indeed do, sometimes deliberately, sometimes inadvertently. Thus is the power of compartmentalized vox populi.

...also actually had no reason to post this but there's no blog function DUDE!

Latez.

(That said, if you are breaking keyboards from flame wars or arguments online, then yes -- this is just a forum. :p)

Click to shrink...

Every forum is just a forum :P

 

[Akronis]

definitely made some life-long friends here

 

[Ashlette]

Wut? Two are yes (one positive, one negative), and one no.

Click to shrink...

How so? Seems like a clear distinction between "Yes - positive impact, yes - negative impact, and no - no impact." I don't see how the wording would lead anyone on to pick any one option over the other two either.

They certainly get the point across, we don't need to hold Era polls up to the same standards as a poll whose results are going to published in a peer-reviewed journal or something.

Personally I think Era (and GAF) have probably made me a worse person, but I don't really care too much. I don't know anyone IRL whose really into games, or media in general for that matter. Most of my family and friends aren't interested in discussing much of anything critically, so forums feel like the only way I can talk about games.

But while it can be fun posting here is also a pretty clear waste of time. It's easily the least productive thing I do regularly, and it can be disappointing to consider the number of books I could have read or skills I could have picked up in the time I've spent posting and lurking.

I'm overall happy with where I am in life though and don't feel the need to over-analyze how I spent every hour of every day though, so here I am.

Click to shrink...

DreFu - you are right. Didn't see that options were actually "yes positive", "no", and "yes negative". I messed that up.

But the "yes positive" option's wording still bugs me. "Yes" and "Yes, I think" convey two different messages.

Clay - I understand. Ultimately it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Samanosuke Akechi]

Nah. This is like one of the most depressing places to be online.

 

[Deleted member 46414]

The majority of people are so negative about everything. I check a few posts for news but this place really isnt healthy.

 

[KennyL]

More often than not I end up with bad mood after visiting here. I can't blame them, it's reflection of general mood of the world.

 

[gogosox82]

Not really. I enjoy this place but i don't think I've changed much since joining.

 

[Ciao]

Made me hate anything "gamer" related.

 

[Mariachi507]

I'm actually more cynical than I was on the last forum. Plus I have more issues with authority now. Aside from that I'm the same. Gaf helped me to be a better person so maybe it's because I went through a transformer there first, so I didn't need to on here?

Or something is causing a disconnect for me on this site.

I'll just blame Trump.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

It's a good news aggregate but the only thing I'd say it's actually taught me is how much it must suck to be a video game community manager.

 

[EJS]

I use it as a news source and I interact with some people I think to have the same interests as me. I'll also post in some gaming posts too.

The Off Topic section can be a really bad place. I've grown to dislike it; I usually hide it.

 

[Ryaaan14]

Why is that? Do you no longer like video games?

Click to shrink...

Toxic fanaticism and just shitty attitudes towards the industry in general. I play like one or two video games tops now. Not blaming it all on Era but it's definitely a huge contributor.

 

[Deleted member 179]

The echo chamber of it has made me a better person. Constantly surrounded by R fanatics who think minorities dont do enough to improve themselves, and that universal healthcare is bad, etc. Having a place like this that refuses to listen to those views, and is an echo chamber of the right thing, makes the days a lil easier.

 

[mhayes86]

If anything it has provided perspective on some things. Otherwise, not really.

 

[dark_prinny]

No, but I've learned quite a few things, meet nice people and laugh my ass off several times. Love the place.

 

[Deleted member 4262]

Not really. This place is basically a nicer version of GAF, which was my go-to source for gaming news.

 

[MouldyK]

This place peaked with this thread:

I found a baby...something [rat?]. Help! (Update: Despite best efforts, now passed away)

Necessary update: Even though Powerhouse passed away, I'm never going to forget this week. Life can be amazing, or cruel, or treacherous, or unpredictable, but if I hadn't picked up that little baby and taken him home, I never would have known what I was capable of when it came to caring for...

www.resetera.com

Now it's just:

how can people go to nightclubs when they know the kitchen and bathroom need to be cleaned?

The stove, dishes, and refrigerator need scrubbing The toilet and bathtub need to be sanitized.

www.resetera.com

 

[Matsukaze]

Aside from a few really cool OTs and some informative news articles, ERA is just a neat time-waster.

I try to focus my attention on the cool and friendly people on ERA rather than the miserable sadsacks who also congregate here.

 

[Sly Chimera]

I def try to cheer up more people in my daily life after seeing how absolutely depressing some people are on here.

 

[Seirith]

Toxic fanaticism and just shitty attitudes towards the industry in general. I play like one or two video games tops now. Not blaming it all on Era but it's definitely a huge contributor.

Click to shrink...

Then why don't you just play games and stay away from anything negative? I mean if you no longer have intrest in playing games fine but ignore fanaticism and shitty attitudes and just have fun playing games.

 

[Deleted member 42055]

Better person insofar as it has increased my love and knowledge for more types of music

 

[Deleted member 41520]

also I've learned from reading certain posts on things like LGBT and pondering how I come across in conversation, and also posting dumb shit on those and being rightfully corrected.

Click to shrink...

Invaluable for this imo

But overall, now harm than good. As brilliant as it is