The Forum Effect

[Panic Supreme]

First of all, hello!  My name is Jason.  Long time lurker here. 

In my time on various band forums, I've developed a theory about what I like to call the Forum Effect (I know, I know – I'm so melodramatic, aren't I?).  And my time  reading threads here has enhanced that theory, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.

The theory is basically this: on a forum, some members pretend to agree with the majority opinion just to fit in. 

For example, Iron Maiden.  I spent some time on the Iron Maiden Fan Club forum, and over there, it's pretty commonly believed that X Factor and Virtual XI are the band's two weakest albums.  And a couple times there, I saw a new member join who initially seemed to really like those two albums.  One member in particular seemed to actually prefer Blaze Bayley over Bruce Dickinson, at first.  But just a few days later, I saw him posting in a different thread belittling Blaze, X, and XI, as if he had changed his opinion when he saw how the forum felt about those albums.  Now, maybe his opinion really did change that quickly – I'm not saying that's not a possibility – but it sure did get me wondering. 

More relevant, Systematic Chaos.  Since I've been here, I've seen mostly unanimous dislike for the album, with just a few individuals trying to defend it.  And you know, that's fine – it's not exactly my favorite Dream theater album either.  I'm not saying people aren't entitled to hate on the CD if they don't like it.  But here's the thing: I look on Wikipedia, and I see the professional ratings for the album, and I read the professional reviews, and I see that the album was really received pretty positively.  Which doesn't necessarily mean that the album is GOOD, I know, but it does mean that the DTF's consensus opinion does not accurately represent the opinion of the entire fanbase.  I can't help but wonder if some people who really like the album end up criticizing it anyway, just because they see that as a popular thing to do here. 

Or, take A Change of Seasons.  In my time here reading threads, I think I've seen perhaps five people say anything negative about that song, and everything else has been positive.  And not just positive, but gushingly positive.  It seems like half the people on the forum consider it their favorite song, and most of the other half have it somewhere in their top 10 favorites.  And maybe the song really is just that good – so fantastic that five people here dislike it, and everyone else loves it.  But seeing such universal praise for a song, it makes me wonder if some people claim to love it just because they think it would be uncool to do otherwise.  Like, pretend some new member thought A Change of Seasons was really boring for some reason.  And he went to vote in ariich's DT Song Ratings 2011 thread, and he was going to give ACOS a 5.  But when he got there, he saw that practically everyone else gave it a 10.  So maybe this new member gives it a 9, just to avoid being challenged, just to fit it. 

For my part, I think the title track of Octavarium is overrated, Trial of Tears pretty boring, and Scenes from a Memory a generally pretty weak album.  I also like Forsaken, Panic Attack, A Rite of Passage, and Never Enough, and I love – yes, you read that right, love – Prophets of War.  From what I've seen, it would be fair to call these opinions 'controversial.' 

Now, I'm not here to debate my opinions.  They're just examples.  It all just makes me wonder whether there aren't people out there with these and other controversial opinions, stifling their own opinions to try and fit in on the forum. 

Does it really matter?  No, not really.  But maybe it does skew the consensus opinion a little bit.  I mentioned ariich's song ratings thread earlier.  When I look at the results of that thread, I find myself genuinely shocked by the rankings of some of the songs.  And I just can't help but wonder: would those results look any different if everyone was completely honest and independent about their own opinions?  Are some people being influenced by the votes of other members, leading them to vote similarly? 

So, my theory, in a nutshell: in trying to fit in and earn respect, some members end up expressing opinions that aren't really theirs.  Therefore, some of the popular opinions on this forum may not be as unanimous as they seem. 

Or maybe I'm completely wrong.  Maybe Dream Theater just has a very cohesive fanbase with some very unanimous opinions.  I don't know, of course.  It's just food for thought. 

Any thoughts?

[Zook]

The sad truth is that respect earned because of music taste is a big part of this forum and others, but I don't think your theory applies here.

[Infinite Cactus]

Sir, you and I are going to get along very well. For we share several key opnions. I tend to agree with the forum effect though. Sure there are those who actually hate Systematic Chaos. But I'm sure some of those who mildly dislike it would be prone to ragging on it harder to fit in. Just like the opposite effect, being a hipster about it, also happens. For example, if the majority hates You Not Me, some will say its their top 10 just to be controversial. And while there are certainly some who might enjoy it that much, you can almost always tell when someone's hating to be cool or liking to be cool.

[bosk1]

Maybe Dream Theater just has a very cohesive fanbase with some very unanimous opinions.  I don't know, of course.  It's just food for thought.  

I think if you spend enough time here and really pay attention to who likes or dislikes whatever, you'll find that while there are some issues where there is a fairly overwhelming majority opinion, on most issues relating to DT music, opinions are all over the place.  I would say the opinions expressed on this board about DT's music are about as diverse as you could reasonably expect.

[7StringedBeast]

I don't think a Change of Seasons is that great of a song.  It's kinda just OK to me.  So there 

[darkshot]

I disagree, I would say there's plenty of disagreement here on whether people like or dislike each and every album.  Every time I see a top 10 album list, there's endless debate about "Why do you like album A over album B? Whats wrong with you?"  I think its healthy for the forum to be this way, as long as it doesn't go too far.  If everyone agreed then we'd have nothing to talk about.  

I have seen other music forums where your theory holds up however, but usually for not prog bands.

PS: I never visited the Iron Maiden forum once in my life and I could never stand listening to Blaze.  I don't mind Systematic Chaos although its not in my top 5 DT albums.  I think A Change of Seasons is fantastic from the first moment I heard it.  I enjoy Octavarium, Trial of tears is great, Scenes from a Memory is my favorite album,  I dislike Forsaken generally, I enjoy Panic Attack, I don't really enjoy A Rite of Passage or Never Enough.  And I also don't really like Prophets of war.    The great thing about DT is that everyone has different favorite songs and we all still like the same band.

[WildeSilas]

I have no problem stating that I find ACOS and Trail of Tears two of the most boring DT songs ever recorded, that SFAM is not even in my top 3 fav DT albums, or that FII is (and that DS was the perfect key player for DT as a prog band). I also like YNM and CM, though I disliked SC as an album before I discovered this forum. In fact, I joined this forum because I was so frustrated over how bad I thought SC and BCSL were, and discovered that many others felt the same way.

[stryker]

I disagree, I would say there's plenty of disagreement here on whether people like or dislike each and every album.  Every time I see a top 10 album list, there's endless debate about "Why do you like album A over album B? Whats wrong with you?"  I think its healthy for the forum to be this way, as long as it doesn't go too far.  If everyone agreed then we'd have nothing to talk about.  

This!

[bosk1]

In fact, I joined this forum because I was so frustrated over how bad I thought SC and BCSL were, and discovered that on a forum of about 4,500 members, nine others felt the same way.

Glad you could find a home.

[yorost]

For example, Iron Maiden.  I spent some time on the Iron Maiden Fan Club forum, and over there, it's pretty commonly believed that X Factor and Virtual XI are the band's two weakest albums.  And a couple times there, I saw a new member join who initially seemed to really like those two albums.  One member in particular seemed to actually prefer Blaze Bayley over Bruce Dickinson, at first.  But just a few days later, I saw him posting in a different thread belittling Blaze, X, and XI, as if he had changed his opinion when he saw how the forum felt about those albums.  Now, maybe his opinion really did change that quickly – I'm not saying that's not a possibility – but it sure did get me wondering. 

I could never stand Iron Maiden forums long because of how they just didn't accept people with opinions not fitting the common thought.  Maybe they're better now, but Maiden forums used to be some of the most closed minded, nasty music forums I would visit.  ...and they were relentless about it.

[Perpetual Change]

I have no problem stating that I find ACOS and Trail of Tears two of the most boring DT songs ever recorded, that SFAM is not even in my top 3 fav DT albums, or that FII is (and that DS was the perfect key player for DT as a prog band). I also like YNM and CM, though I disliked SC as an album before I discovered this forum. In fact, I joined this forum because I was so frustrated over how bad I thought SC and BCSL were, and discovered that many others felt the same way.

Really? My first thought when listening to SC was, "Man, this is awesome!" and then I talked to a friend who was a DT fan who really disagreed, and then I logged back into this place 

[robwebster]

I don't think a Change of Seasons is that great of a song.  It's kinda just OK to me.  So there 

Agreed, but always shied away from expressing it with any particular conviction 'cause of the aforementioned effect.  I like it! It's a seven out of ten, easily. But seven-out-of-tens aren't exactly uncommon in the DT catalogue. I'd rather listen to Pull Me Under, for instance. It's got loads of emotion but it's one of the last songs that's ever gonna get stuck in my head.

So yeah, I think there's some validity! I don't entirely shy away from controversial opinions - I love getting stuck in - but I'll often bump indifference up to "quite like," for the sake of avoiding a headache. Lines in the Sand I'm thoroughly indifferent to - honestly, some good bits, but about a five out of ten - but I sort of tend away from harping on about it.

I do think fan consensus is governed by consensus, rather than tradition and taste-makers, though. I also think that the consensus on the message board is very different to the consensus among people who go to the shows, though. That's not due to any kind of trendiness, that's just because a lot of the people spoddy enough to spend their time on message boards are gonna be the ones who are horrendously analytical, and also the kind of people who stick about for ages - therefore, among internet fans, the older stuff is more often than not going to be the stuff that's passed everyone's QC or else they wouldn't be here.

[yorost]

Consensus is not what you're talking about.  Consensus is an absolute vote of agreement after a majority is achieved for the greater good.  It's an acceptance by differing opinions to support what they do not agree with, that makes no sense in opinions about music.

[Hayden]

The forum effect most certainly exists, yes, because I've seen it, well... take effect before. Most often, I've seen it on video game forums, where one game in a particular series is openly hated by a few of the more outspoken members of the forum - an opinion which slowly spreads to everyone within that forum to the point where the game is eventually dubbed 'terrible' or the 'single weakest point in the series', or something along those lines. I'm sure a similar thing also happens with music (I'm only really guessing here, though, as I haven't spent much time in the past on music forums).

However, like Zook said earlier, I don't think the theory is really all that applicable on this forum. Yes, admittedly, I've only been posting here for a day (), but already I've seen a ton of conflicting opinions and discussion over differences in each others' preferences. Heck, even in this very thread, I've already been shown how greatly the opinions differ from member to member. I don't exactly know why that is... Perhaps it's because the forum effect only occurs in forums filled with people who want to fit it, whereas, this is a prog forum; if you're a fan of prog rock in the first place, you're obviously not the kind who gets too worked up over acceptance or the idea of 'fitting in'.

Oh, and for the record, I love "Panic Attack", love "A Rite of Passage" even more, like "Prophets of War", like "Never Enough" a whole lot, like "Trial of Tears" (though not hugely), am indifferent towards "Forsaken", and I find 'Systematic Chaos' to be a much more enjoyable album than 'Awake'.

[PS Head]

Panic Supreme....youve started something here and i think you'll ruffle quite a few feathers....but welcome anyway.

I,for one,think your talking bollocks when it comes to this forum and your theory.I think the vast majority of DT forum users are intelligent enough to have their own opinion,and not follow each other around like lost sheep.

I love the proggy side of DT far more than their heavier side and never been afraid to say it.....and i cant stand Iron Maiden

[Hayden]

Oh, and also, as for Iron Maiden, I actually really like the 'Virtual XI' and 'X Factor' albums, I consider the latest four releases to be absolute masterpieces, and I think that 'Number of the Beast' is perhaps their worst album, and one of the most overrated albums in metal history.

I,for one,think your talking bollocks[...]

What about his talking bollocks?

[Perpetual Change]

A Change of Seasons isn't that great. However, A Change of Seasons 2000 = 

[KevShmev]

I think opinions can often be all over the map regarding individual Dream Theater songs because their fans do not come from one musical background.

Generally speaking, Iron Maiden fans are usually ones who are fans of metal.

Yes fans are usually ones who are fans of prog.

etc.

With DT, you have some fans who are prog fanatics, some who are metal heads, some who are rock fans, etc.  When you have that diverse of a fanbase, opinions tend to be all over the map.

And remember that this is generally speaking, so don't flip out if you are one of the exceptions.

[robwebster]

Consensus is not what you're talking about.  Consensus is an absolute vote of agreement after a majority is achieved for the greater good.  It's an acceptance by differing opinions to support what they do not agree with, that makes no sense in opinions about music.

No, I'm pretty sure I am thinking of consensus. It's generally accepted that ACoS, for instance, is one of their best songs - I'd definitely describe that as consensus. Not everyone agrees, and not everyone has to, but it's generally accepted to be the case.

On top of that, I'm sure lots of people tend not to parp too loudly about certain opinions so as not to upset the consensus. I don't mind speaking my mind, but I don't really have much to justify my indifference to Lines in the Sand, for instance, I just don't like it, so I do tend to rank it up a little bit. I'm also less likely to rank Awake drop dead zero than I might otherwise be, simply due to diplomacy. There's an element of skew towards the fan consensus, and I think that's inevitable in any culture, but the consensus is the consensus simply 'cause it's the consensus - I don't think it's as problematic as Panic Supreme suggests.

[Panic Supreme]

For the record, I don't intend to reply to everyone or debate anything.  My goal isn't to prove my theory, just to express it and see what people think.  Certainly not here to start any trouble, I assure you.  In fact, my initial goal was not to reply here at all, just to let other people discuss it.  But I had to post, because I had to respond to this:

Consensus is not what you're talking about.  Consensus is an absolute vote of agreement after a majority is achieved for the greater good.  It's an acceptance by differing opinions to support what they do not agree with, that makes no sense in opinions about music.

I just went and grabbed my dictionary because I wanted to make sure I was using the word correctly.  "Con-sen-sus: n. A collective opinion; general agreement"  That's all it says.  I'm sure your version is correct in strict usage, but consensus doesn't have to refer to absolutes.

Oh, and also, thanks to those have welcomed me, and thank you all for replying!

EDIT: Oh, and robwebster went and beat me to it anyway. 

[j]

More relevant, Systematic Chaos.  Since I've been here, I've seen mostly unanimous dislike for the album, with just a few individuals trying to defend it.  And you know, that's fine – it's not exactly my favorite Dream theater album either.  I'm not saying people aren't entitled to hate on the CD if they don't like it.  But here's the thing: I look on Wikipedia, and I see the professional ratings for the album, and I read the professional reviews, and I see that the album was really received pretty positively.  Which doesn't necessarily mean that the album is GOOD, I know, but it does mean that the DTF's consensus opinion does not accurately represent the opinion of the entire fanbase.

There are a billion instances where the "professional" reception of an album does not reflect the overall fan reception.  Not that that implies that DTF is a representative sample of the whole DT fanbase either.

For my part, I think the title track of Octavarium is overrated, Trial of Tears pretty boring, and Scenes from a Memory a generally pretty weak album.  I also like Forsaken, Panic Attack, A Rite of Passage, and Never Enough, and I love – yes, you read that right, love – Prophets of War.  From what I've seen, it would be fair to call these opinions 'controversial.' 

Those opinions might be unusual for this forum, but that doesn't lend support to your theory by itself.  I even agree with you on a couple of them!

Does it really matter?  No, not really.  But maybe it does skew the consensus opinion a little bit.  I mentioned ariich's song ratings thread earlier.  When I look at the results of that thread, I find myself genuinely shocked by the rankings of some of the songs.  And I just can't help but wonder: would those results look any different if everyone was completely honest and independent about their own opinions?  Are some people being influenced by the votes of other members, leading them to vote similarly?

If anything, I thought those were all over the map.  Even if not, every band (and a lot of other forms of media for that matter) has certain songs, albums, etc that tend to be GENERALLY more liked than others.  This phenomenon far predates the internet.

Could it have something to do with people conforming because they hope to be accepted?  Maybe.  But IMO it's no more likely than somebody adopting a very unusual opinion just for the sake of standing out or being "unique".

So, my theory, in a nutshell: in trying to fit in and earn respect, some members end up expressing opinions that aren't really theirs.  Therefore, some of the popular opinions on this forum may not be as unanimous as they seem. 

I suppose people do this in groups in the real world, but I never thought about it taking place on the internet, just because it seems so ridiculous.  I'd say it's a possibility, but I don't see any evidence to support or discredit it either way.

And welcome!

-J

[yorost]

Consensus is not what you're talking about.  Consensus is an absolute vote of agreement after a majority is achieved for the greater good.  It's an acceptance by differing opinions to support what they do not agree with, that makes no sense in opinions about music.

No, I'm pretty sure I am thinking of consensus. It's generally accepted that ACoS, for instance, is one of their best songs - I'd definitely describe that as consensus. Not everyone agrees, and not everyone has to, but it's generally accepted to be the case.

On top of that, I'm sure lots of people tend not to parp too loudly about certain opinions so as not to upset the consensus. I don't mind speaking my mind, but I don't really have much to justify my indifference to Lines in the Sand, for instance, I just don't like it, so I do tend to rank it up a little bit. I'm also less likely to rank Awake drop dead zero than I might otherwise be, simply due to diplomacy. There's an element of skew towards the fan consensus, and I think that's inevitable in any culture, but the consensus is the consensus simply 'cause it's the consensus - I don't think it's as problematic as Panic Supreme suggests.

Consensus is used commonly to mean majority, which makes it a pointless word.  It supposed to be a majority with any dissenting opinions putting support behind the majority in a show of solidarity, which differentiates it from majority.

Majortiy is weaker than Consensus is weaker than Unanimity.

[robwebster]

med me, and thank you all for
EDIT: Oh, and robwebster went and beat me to it anyway. 

I'm a fast man

Incidentally, the gulf between the internet reaction and critical acclaim is something I've kiiiind of addressed before. Critical acclaim and public acclaim are completely different things, and public acclaim and fan acclaim different once again. Worth pointing out that the fans on a message board don't necessarily love what they're talking about more than the public do, they're just more passionate about it - and that works in both directions.

Consensus is used commonly to mean majority, which makes it a pointless word.  It supposed to be a majority with any dissenting opinions putting support behind the majority in a show of solidarity, which differentiates it from majority.

Majortiy is weaker than Consensus is weaker than Unanimity.

Honestly, I promise you - it's consensus. That's precisely what we're expressing with the word. To the letter.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I think that doesn't apply that much here (to the OP). Most people here love A Change of Seasons? Sure, because most of us think it's a great song. People here aren't scared of speaking their minds on things DT they don't like. Out of 4500, 9 hate SC and Black Clouds as much as you do? I recommend you to read a bit further in here, because the number might be a little higher than you think  The reason this forum has discussion going on is because of differing opinions. It's not like our purpose of existing is to make some ass-licking or talk about how BADASS MP's new projects are.

[Panic Supreme]

Out of 4500, 9 hate SC and Black Clouds as much as you do? 

... Wait, what?  Sorry, confused.  I didn't say I hate Systematic Chaos, I didn't mention Black Clouds at all, and I have no idea where 9 and 4,500 came from.

[yorost]

med me, and thank you all for
EDIT: Oh, and robwebster went and beat me to it anyway.  

I'm a fast man

Incidentally, the gulf between the internet reaction and critical acclaim is something I've kiiiind of addressed before. Critical acclaim and public acclaim are completely different things, and public acclaim and fan acclaim different once again. Worth pointing out that the fans on a message board don't necessarily love what they're talking about more than the public do, they're just more passionate about it - and that works in both directions.

Consensus is used commonly to mean majority, which makes it a pointless word.  It supposed to be a majority with any dissenting opinions putting support behind the majority in a show of solidarity, which differentiates it from majority.

Majortiy is weaker than Consensus is weaker than Unanimity.

Honestly, I promise you - it's consensus. That's precisely what we're expressing with the word. To the letter.

I understand how consensus is commonly used, I just don't like those uses since I think it is weak and is a secondary definition.  Look at your MW link you'll see the primary definition is "general agreement" with a b part of the first to be most(weaker usage of first definition).  General is defined as the whole or meaning every member, so the primary definition is everyone comes to agreement.  The seconda definition is solidarity of opinion, which also emphasizes everyone coming together and not leaving dissenters to hang.

Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_decision-making

It has references if you want them.

[IdoSC]

I love – yes, you read that right, love – Prophets of War.

Me too. Otherwise, I vaguely read it and I quite disagree. I might read it further and state my opinion later, but the underline would be that my opinion about DT's songs is not affected by the forum, despite the undeniable existence of some similarities.

[Dynia]

Your theory is certainly true to some extent. It is inevitable that one's opinion is more or less influenced by other people.

I've seen something proving it on a local DT forum: After On The Backs of Angels was released, people started discussing it. At first, a VERY small amount of people who were new to the forum had posted some rather positive opinions, but after that, a few long-time users said that they actually hate the song. Basically, they criticized  everything about the new track. After those few posts no one posted a positive opinion on the song and it became one of the most unloved DT tracks there.

That was pretty ridiculous to me as they actually criticized stuff that i can not imagine being considered as bad: the production, MM's drum play...

I don't think DTF influences its users opinions so much, because they seem mixed in case of On The Backs Of Angels - some people love it, some dislike it really much, but most of the people consider it to be a good/very good DT song, and it doesn't seem strange to me as I loved OTBOA the first time i heard it.

[Jirpo]

Maybe Dream Theater just has a very cohesive fanbase with some very unanimous opinions.  I don't know, of course.  It's just food for thought.  

I think if you spend enough time here and really pay attention to who likes or dislikes whatever, you'll find that while there are some issues where there is a fairly overwhelming majority opinion, on most issues relating to DT music, opinions are all over the place.  I would say the opinions expressed on this board about DT's music are about as diverse as you could reasonably expect.

I would like to disagree with this. I also go on a Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden forum, and the opinions for best song and album (particularly on the Sabbath forum) are pretty much random. Seriously, its not rare to see any possible album at any point on a persons list. Now that may be because Sabbath have a much more "even" discography in terms of quality, I don't know. But you almost never see someone here with I&W or Awake as their least favourite albums, or SC/WDADU as their favourite. Just a comment

[ZirconBlue]

I understand how consensus is commonly used, I just don't like those uses since I think it is weak and is a secondary definition.  Look at your MW link you'll see the primary definition is "general agreement" with a b part of the first to be most(weaker usage of first definition).  General is defined as the whole or meaning every member, so the primary definition is everyone comes to agreement.

At first I thought you were using a weird definition of "consensus".  Now, I see that it's your definition of "general" that's weird.   

[DJay32]

I would like to say that the OP completely voiced a lot of my opinions of DTF. I've been lurking here for a couple years, and at least in these recent years, there has been what I like to call a "mainstream Dream Theater fan." I didn't realize it might have been to fit in instead of just everyone having similar opinions.

My definition of the "mainstream Dream Theater fan" is basically someone who puts Images & Words, Awake, Metropolis, pt. 2 and "A Change of Seasons" very highly, and then puts Systematic Chaos and other recent albums much lower. But when I think about it, that definition actually applies more to just a "mainstream hipster." xD Always putting the earlier work higher than the recent stuff, always. Not saying any of the DTF are hipsters; that was just a random observation I noticed about my definition. But then again, I imagine a lot of you (and myself) are prog fans, which is a type of hipster. But that's not an insult, don't take offense! D:

And TC, I may be one of those people you mentioned who defended Systematic Chaos and criticized "A Change of Seasons." I know I certainly criticize Metropolis, pt. 2 a lot. But I'll admit, the Forum Effect hits me too. I don't like criticizing Metropolis beyond the ridiculous ending, but ever since joining here and seeing endless praise for it, I've wound up finding many more faults with it.

Also, last note: I think there needs to be more people on this forum who adore "The Dark Eternal Night" as much as I do. Not necessarily the verses, either (but I love those!), but that instrumental section! Oh my god, it's like technical jazz making love to the best parts of progressive rock. Same with The Reckoning on "In the Presence of Enemies." I love that movement. .w.

[ReaPsTA]

Re: OP

What you're calling The "Forum Effect" is a part of real life.  Let's say we meet in real life somehow:

Panic "Oh, aren't you ReaPsTA from DTF?"
ReaP "Yeah.  It's cool seeing someone from the forum in the real world."
Panic "I know, right?  I'm really excited to see the band live but no one I know really cares."
ReaP "Hah, no kidding."
Panic "What track from the new album are you excited to see?"
ReaP "Probably Breaking All Illusions.  It's a really long song with Myung lyrics.  Trial of Tears is one of my favorite DT songs ever, so I hope it's like that."
Panic "I dunno, I think it's kind of boring."
ReaP "Oh..."

Like, see how being negative just makes things lame?  Same here.  I could complain about Beyond This Life and Endless Sacrifice having bad instrumental sections here all the time, but that would gain me or anyone else... what exactly?  By trying not to be super opinionated and abrasive all the time, we're showing this thing that I hear is called empathy toward our fellow users.  And this ultimately helps us enjoy our corner of the internet as much as possible.

[yorost]

I understand how consensus is commonly used, I just don't like those uses since I think it is weak and is a secondary definition.  Look at your MW link you'll see the primary definition is "general agreement" with a b part of the first to be most(weaker usage of first definition).  General is defined as the whole or meaning every member, so the primary definition is everyone comes to agreement.

At first I thought you were using a weird definition of "consensus".  Now, I see that it's your definition of "general" that's weird.   

The top 4 primary definitions from MW relate the word to whole, everybody, no exceptions, etc.  Only deeper definitions of the word relate it to most, majority, etc.

[jsem]

I voice my opinions when I can. I think people should be more open about them, like in the controversy thread in GMD.. it's fun.

[IdoSC]

Maybe Dream Theater just has a very cohesive fanbase with some very unanimous opinions.  I don't know, of course.  It's just food for thought.  

I think if you spend enough time here and really pay attention to who likes or dislikes whatever, you'll find that while there are some issues where there is a fairly overwhelming majority opinion, on most issues relating to DT music, opinions are all over the place.  I would say the opinions expressed on this board about DT's music are about as diverse as you could reasonably expect.

This, really. We all agree X could be better or Y is great, but if you look carefully at things like the top 50 songs thread...