The Metaverse is coming

[jingle.boy]

Metadepression?

[Zydar]

Metabolism?

[hefdaddy42]

I literally don't understand a single word in this thread.

Show of hands?  Who is surprised?

Nothing?

[jingle.boy]

I literally don't understand a single word in this thread.

Show of hands?  Who is surprised?

Nothing?

[ReaPsTA]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

The hugbox that is modern society needs to end. The longer we put this off the higher likelihood it breaks in some black swan event with serious consequences.

I dealt with actual bullying in school and I was around for the old internet before it became a cesspool of language policing. The two things are not at all the same and have somehow become conflated. What makes bullying bullying is that you can't turn it off or get away from it. Most of what happens on the internet - you have that option.

[cramx3]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

The hugbox that is modern society needs to end. The longer we put this off the higher likelihood it breaks in some black swan event with serious consequences.

I dealt with actual bullying in school and I was around for the old internet before it became a cesspool of language policing. The two things are not at all the same and have somehow become conflated. What makes bullying bullying is that you can't turn it off or get away from it. Most of what happens on the internet - you have that option.

Not sure I completely agree with that although mostly it's probably true (the bolded).  A lot of bullying online has found a way to the real life.  Things like swatting are sadly real.

I don't know exactly how this happened, but I posted a Call of Duty tiktok and someone commented telling me my age. (I think to make fun of me as a 37 year old making gaming tiktoks  )  Someone random, don't know this person at all.  People can figure out who you are if they are invested and if they are hardcore bullying, then they are invested and may go further than one may think to get to you.  It's sad really, but also reality.  I could totally see bullying in the metaverse translate to something outside of the metaverse. 

[Stadler]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

Could it have the opposite effect? Maybe everyone will finally be able to find that group that provides that acceptance. I'm not suggesting that'll be the case. Just exploring.

It could be; I would hope so, since that would be a perfect outcome.  Maybe I'm cynical at this point, but it seems that it's only part of the answer to find a group to be accepted by; there's always the interface between the various groups.  We - humans - don't seem very good at the "live and let live" approach to things. 

[Stadler]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

What happens when someone is bullied in the metaverse?

I think, as a parent to two kids who have been bullied both in school and having it spill over to online, it's like anything else.  They withdraw, they get reticent about putting themselves in the line of fire anymore, their self-confidence (already fragile in this world) takes a beating, they start to show signs of anxiety and depression and, in some cases, more specific issues (my daughter had a form of PTSD) and they find alternate ways of coping (one, eating, one weed/drinking).

See, the society the environment evolves to the metaverse, but the brain doesn't.  Our emotions, our responses don't get turned off when we go online.

[cramx3]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

What happens when someone is bullied in the metaverse?

I think, as a parent to two kids who have been bullied both in school and having it spill over to online, it's like anything else.  They withdraw, they get reticent about putting themselves in the line of fire anymore, their self-confidence (already fragile in this world) takes a beating, they start to show signs of anxiety and depression and, in some cases, more specific issues (my daughter had a form of PTSD) and they find alternate ways of coping (one, eating, one weed/drinking).

See, the society the environment evolves to the metaverse, but the brain doesn't.  Our emotions, our responses don't get turned off when we go online.

Yeah, I can see that, I was asking though more so from inside the metaverse. Like would the metaverse not allow bullying?  Would it be censored?  If someone punched you, would you feel it?  If someone made fun of your (not real) appearance, is that still bullying? If the idea is to make everything all happy and positive in the metaverse, I wonder how you control the bad apples because I can guarantee you that there will be people trolling inside it. (I could even see myself being a huge troll in the metaverse)

[Chino]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

What happens when someone is bullied in the metaverse?

I think, as a parent to two kids who have been bullied both in school and having it spill over to online, it's like anything else.  They withdraw, they get reticent about putting themselves in the line of fire anymore, their self-confidence (already fragile in this world) takes a beating, they start to show signs of anxiety and depression and, in some cases, more specific issues (my daughter had a form of PTSD) and they find alternate ways of coping (one, eating, one weed/drinking).

See, the society the environment evolves to the metaverse, but the brain doesn't.  Our emotions, our responses don't get turned off when we go online.

Yeah, I can see that, I was asking though more so from inside the metaverse. Like would the metaverse not allow bullying?  Would it be censored?  If someone punched you, would you feel it?  If someone made fun of your (not real) appearance, is that still bullying? If the idea is to make everything all happy and positive in the metaverse, I wonder how you control the bad apples because I can guarantee you that there will be people trolling inside it. (I could even see myself being a huge troll in the metaverse)

It'd be entirely dependent on where in the/what metaverse you're in. If we have a number of verses like we do internet forums, then I'm sure some places will be more tolerant than others. There will certainly be bans and the forfeiting of digital properly.

[Stadler]

Extremely interested in this topic. I could discuss it for hours. I fear it could eventually become a primary existence where this alternate reality becomes its own reality and serves to further blurthe line between reality, surreality, truth and fiction. I guaguarantee  you we're headed into unpredictable and uncharted waters.

With potentially tragic downsides.  I'm very adamant, as some of you know, that we - Americans - suffer from a crippling insecurity that is now pervading almost all aspects of our lives.  We need validation CONSTANTLY, whether it's in the form of our news casts, our politicians, the "Likes" we get on social media, the lane we choose on the highway... you name it, there's a component in our society where people have this need - this strong NEED - to be affirmed of their position.   

I think VR has the potential to not only fan the flames of that fire, but outright pour gasoline on it.  Just imagine some of the problems we have so far, stemming from people's failure to feel "accepted" and how that might balloon in a virtual world where there is more illusion of control.

What happens when someone is bullied in the metaverse?

I think, as a parent to two kids who have been bullied both in school and having it spill over to online, it's like anything else.  They withdraw, they get reticent about putting themselves in the line of fire anymore, their self-confidence (already fragile in this world) takes a beating, they start to show signs of anxiety and depression and, in some cases, more specific issues (my daughter had a form of PTSD) and they find alternate ways of coping (one, eating, one weed/drinking).

See, the society the environment evolves to the metaverse, but the brain doesn't.  Our emotions, our responses don't get turned off when we go online.

Yeah, I can see that, I was asking though more so from inside the metaverse. Like would the metaverse not allow bullying?  Would it be censored?  If someone punched you, would you feel it?  If someone made fun of your (not real) appearance, is that still bullying? If the idea is to make everything all happy and positive in the metaverse, I wonder how you control the bad apples because I can guarantee you that there will be people trolling inside it. (I could even see myself being a huge troll in the metaverse)

And that's where I was sort of going with my comment about the "illusion of control".   You're going to be creating more and more of these mini-fiefdoms, where you have a moderator of sorts setting the rules.  I can't see any other way of creating it; SOMEONE has to create that virtual world, and there will either be rules around it or not. The more rules that exist, the more chances someone is going to rebel and create their own little fiefdoms with their own sets of rules.   

I mean this nicely, but imagine a world ruled by forums, or at least the general structure of forums.

[cramx3]

Yeah, I totally get what both of you are saying. 

[ReaPsTA]

Not sure I completely agree with that although mostly it's probably true (the bolded).  A lot of bullying online has found a way to the real life.  Things like swatting are sadly real.

I don't know exactly how this happened, but I posted a Call of Duty tiktok and someone commented telling me my age. (I think to make fun of me as a 37 year old making gaming tiktoks  )  Someone random, don't know this person at all.  People can figure out who you are if they are invested and if they are hardcore bullying, then they are invested and may go further than one may think to get to you.  It's sad really, but also reality.  I could totally see bullying in the metaverse translate to something outside of the metaverse.

I agree completely with your point about online bullying spilling over into the real world.

(If you want to be cynical, you could argue that society polices online-only speech so severely to distract from the fact it doesn't have any serious answer for swatting or using online communication as an extension of real world harassments)

And ignore the haters. Make your TikToks.

And that's where I was sort of going with my comment about the "illusion of control".   You're going to be creating more and more of these mini-fiefdoms, where you have a moderator of sorts setting the rules.  I can't see any other way of creating it; SOMEONE has to create that virtual world, and there will either be rules around it or not. The more rules that exist, the more chances someone is going to rebel and create their own little fiefdoms with their own sets of rules.   

I mean this nicely, but imagine a world ruled by forums, or at least the general structure of forums.

I actually think this is a better way of running and doing things. Centralization has failed as a societal model. It allows those with the most will to power to get what they want at the expense of people who want to live normal lives. Yes, if you allow smaller, independent fiefdoms to exist, you will get some that are very bad. But in cyberspace, unlike the real world, you can press the logoff button and find a new one.

In the internet forum days, you could take any interest you wanted and really drill down into it and build a community. Now everything's just a gray soup of input.

[Stadler]

Not sure I completely agree with that although mostly it's probably true (the bolded).  A lot of bullying online has found a way to the real life.  Things like swatting are sadly real.

I don't know exactly how this happened, but I posted a Call of Duty tiktok and someone commented telling me my age. (I think to make fun of me as a 37 year old making gaming tiktoks  )  Someone random, don't know this person at all.  People can figure out who you are if they are invested and if they are hardcore bullying, then they are invested and may go further than one may think to get to you.  It's sad really, but also reality.  I could totally see bullying in the metaverse translate to something outside of the metaverse.

I agree completely with your point about online bullying spilling over into the real world.

(If you want to be cynical, you could argue that society polices online-only speech so severely to distract from the fact it doesn't have any serious answer for swatting or using online communication as an extension of real world harassments)

And ignore the haters. Make your TikToks.

And that's where I was sort of going with my comment about the "illusion of control".   You're going to be creating more and more of these mini-fiefdoms, where you have a moderator of sorts setting the rules.  I can't see any other way of creating it; SOMEONE has to create that virtual world, and there will either be rules around it or not. The more rules that exist, the more chances someone is going to rebel and create their own little fiefdoms with their own sets of rules.   

I mean this nicely, but imagine a world ruled by forums, or at least the general structure of forums.

I actually think this is a better way of running and doing things. Centralization has failed as a societal model. It allows those with the most will to power to get what they want at the expense of people who want to live normal lives. Yes, if you allow smaller, independent fiefdoms to exist, you will get some that are very bad. But in cyberspace, unlike the real world, you can press the logoff button and find a new one.

In the internet forum days, you could take any interest you wanted and really drill down into it and build a community. Now everything's just a gray soup of input.

But there's two problems with that.  One, we DON'T just "log off"; human nature is to stamp out that which we disagree with or disavow.   And two, that just exacerbates the problems we face.  The insecurity of being rejected from the "in-group".  The development of other "in-groups", and, by definition, "out-groups".  That exacerbates the divisiveness and gives rise to even more bigotry, partisanship, and hate.   

And we haven't even begun to discuss how all this gets monetized.  And it WILL get monetized.

[ReaPsTA]

But there's two problems with that.  One, we DON'T just "log off"; human nature is to stamp out that which we disagree with or disavow.   And two, that just exacerbates the problems we face.  The insecurity of being rejected from the "in-group".  The development of other "in-groups", and, by definition, "out-groups".  That exacerbates the divisiveness and gives rise to even more bigotry, partisanship, and hate.   

And we haven't even begun to discuss how all this gets monetized.  And it WILL get monetized.

 - Re the first point: I'm not following the step-by-step progression of what you're suggesting. Do you have an example?

 - In-groups and out-groups have existed and will exist forever. I don't think giving people more alternatives where they can fit in and find their place is a bad thing. Looking at how modern society is playing out, what seems to exacerbate in-group/out-group problems is when some monolithic ingroup is able to impose itself on a less powerful outgroup or collection of outgroups.

If you look at music fandoms, yes there is a lot of petty debate between them. But it gives more people a potential home. Those smaller fandoms result in artists that are more responsive to the fandom, and those artists compete with each other to make better music.

Contrast with pop music. While great pop music was and still is made, on the whole it's all just algorithmic marketing. Taking trends and sanding off anything interesting. Paramore isn't bad, but do you think Haley Williams is jumping into the stands to fight her fans?

I know you're a big fan of debate and this is really the same issue. Debates can be nasty and filled with bad ideas, but putting that stuff out in the open and parsing through it is necessary to the process of getting past it. That parsing process is also how good ideas refine themselves. Whether it's music, culture, or technology, everything has to go through this process.

[Stadler]

It might help to know that I feel like some of this smaller "in-group creation" is emotional running; instead of doing the hard work of fitting in, we have more and more people just taking the easy way out and creating an ever-smaller group.  If we take it to the logical extreme, there will be 7.3 billion "in-groups" (and by definition, 7.299,999 out-groups).

[ReaPsTA]

It might help to know that I feel like some of this smaller "in-group creation" is emotional running; instead of doing the hard work of fitting in, we have more and more people just taking the easy way out and creating an ever-smaller group.  If we take it to the logical extreme, there will be 7.3 billion "in-groups" (and by definition, 7.299,999 out-groups).

If this is the case then please god the libertarian utopia can't get here fast enough.

[Herrick]

I literally don't understand a single word in this thread.

Same here. It has something to do with Facebook & Instagram which I haven't used since 2016.

[ReaPsTA]

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1490897218974355461 < Snowdon on Metaverse. 100% agree if this is what their product is shaping up to be it will fail.

[Cool Chris]

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1490897218974355461 < Snowdon on Metaverse. 100% agree if this is what their product is shaping up to be it will fail.

Nobody wants to opt-in to an endless PTA meeting, Mark.

 

[DoctorAction]

I'm also not on any social media platforms. This forum is the closest I get.

I was on Facebook and Twitter (the former years ago and the latter a couple of times more recently) but realised that this stuff sucks so much time and attention from the rest of my existence, even when trying to use Twitter just as a news feed. I never enjoyed FB so dropping that was easier. I found it was perpetuating relationships that should have naturally withered, which felt odd, and not contributing anything to ones I still have. People are, in the main (definitely including me in this) are not naturally great journalists/columnists and so are not entertaining. The way people think they ought to project on FB is so false/altered that I found it entirely off-putting. Don't get me started on LinkedIn. All the artifice of FB with work bullshit sauce poured all over it...

So I have no interest in Meta at all, and I've not spoken to anyone who has any interest in it either. I know people with VR headsets who game with them sometimes but that's not the same as wanting to do social media in it.

My hope is that people will begin to turn away from screen media in general. There's a point when we realise that our compulsion to stare into our devices is too strong and detrimental to our lives. I hope that the tide
generally will recede somewhat.

I suspect I'm in the minority but also wouldn't be surprised if others felt similar things to me, even if they're on these platforms.

I've only heard people snort about Meta, never say anything positive about the prospect.

[Stadler]

I don't mean you, Doctor, but as a general comment...  if all the people that said they're not on Facebook were actually not on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg would be shilling that spray that makes your screen door into a boat.   Again, not anyone here, I get it, there ARE some that aren't on.  But in my experience, the lure is just too great.  There's too much immediate, deep satisfaction from throwing your selfie where you kinda think you look a little fat, but some dork from Illinois replies with "Honey, u look FINE!"  There's too much intellectual reinforcement to the quippy tweet about tRump that gets a "Yeah! Throw 'em ALL in jail!"* that is too self-affirming. We're largely addicted to it now and I can't imagine really, actually, ripping that bandaid off.  It'll be the worst hangover anyone has ever seen.




* Not even three years removed from similar tweets castigating "The Orange One" from making the same claims against Hillary; again, it's not the actual position it's the way you're pointing in today's partisan, divisive political arena.

[DoctorAction]

It's a sharp observation regarding the buy-in. Removing myself from it was more difficult than I made it out to be, as I knew it meant I would likely never again communicate with a dozen or so people I cared for. I enjoyed the likes, sure, but we didn't really have a current relationship. It was a weird, suspended middle ground between "we used to hang out" and "we've drifted apart" and that social purgatory made me sad, to be honest.

I don't know if there are a lot of people pretending not to be on FB, though. Among my friends, everyone is on there bar 2 or 3 outliers, and the ones that use it don't express frustration or ennui like I did. They seem happy enough with it.

When you throw in the giving away of very personal data, the societal damage that is done by nefarious political advertising, the echo chambers, the inevitable tendency to compare oneself ... phew!  I feel so much lighter without it.

I'm rarely confident about anything and never feel remotely equipped to give out lifestyle tips but, along with doing some regular physical activity, it's a choice I feel I personally have benefitted from enormously.

[cramx3]

https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1490897218974355461 < Snowdon on Metaverse. 100% agree if this is what their product is shaping up to be it will fail.

Yeah, the current version of the metaverses that are out there are not interesting at all IMO. 

in other news... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10479875/Facebooks-metaverse-creates-personal-bubble-avatars-reports-rampant-harassment.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus

Within 60 seconds of joining - I was verbally and sexually harassed,' one user wrote in a blog of her experience.

If you've ever played an online multiplayer video game, you know this all too well 

[WilliamMunny]

I'm also not on any social media platforms. This forum is the closest I get.

Yeah, someone cracked back at me about my claims that I do not partake in social media, citing this forum

I suppose the difference, as far as I see it, is that this forum is anoymous. No one here knows my name, where I live, or has seen (or will ever see) any pictures of my life. That, to me, is a clear difference than what Facebook/Twitter/IG provide.

I'm not necessarily defending myself (because I truly do not care what anyone thinks on this matter), but I wanted to clarify as I failed to quantify 'social media' in my original post.

[cramx3]

You can be anonymous on all social media platforms

[WilliamMunny]

You can be anonymous on all social media platforms

Touche

[DoctorAction]

I'm also not on any social media platforms. This forum is the closest I get.

Yeah, someone cracked back at me about my claims that I do not partake in social media, citing this forum

I suppose the difference, as far as I see it, is that this forum is anoymous. No one here knows my name, where I live, or has seen (or will ever see) any pictures of my life. That, to me, is a clear difference than what Facebook/Twitter/IG provide.

I'm not necessarily defending myself (because I truly do not care what anyone thinks on this matter), but I wanted to clarify as I failed to quantify 'social media' in my original post.

It feels different to FB, Twitter, as far as I'm concerned. Not sure why. This forum is nice, though, as was the Spock's Beard one back in the day, but others can be nasty. I remember the offical Ooeth forum was v unpleasant right up until it got closed down.

Being anonymous on Facebook seems counter to the point of it.

I didn't actually post on Twitter last time I was on it. I tried to use it as a news feed but the heat of conversation is too high for me.

[Stadler]

I'm also not on any social media platforms. This forum is the closest I get.

Yeah, someone cracked back at me about my claims that I do not partake in social media, citing this forum

I suppose the difference, as far as I see it, is that this forum is anoymous. No one here knows my name, where I live, or has seen (or will ever see) any pictures of my life. That, to me, is a clear difference than what Facebook/Twitter/IG provide.

I'm not necessarily defending myself (because I truly do not care what anyone thinks on this matter), but I wanted to clarify as I failed to quantify 'social media' in my original post.

Call me in denial, but I don't consider this "social media" in that same sense of the word/phrase.  There are no likes here, none of you fuckers is at all interested in bolstering my ego or self-image , and while it's open for the world to see, it's not PREDICATED on the world seeing it.

[WilliamMunny]

I'm also not on any social media platforms. This forum is the closest I get.

Yeah, someone cracked back at me about my claims that I do not partake in social media, citing this forum

I suppose the difference, as far as I see it, is that this forum is anoymous. No one here knows my name, where I live, or has seen (or will ever see) any pictures of my life. That, to me, is a clear difference than what Facebook/Twitter/IG provide.

I'm not necessarily defending myself (because I truly do not care what anyone thinks on this matter), but I wanted to clarify as I failed to quantify 'social media' in my original post.

Call me in denial, but I don't consider this "social media" in that same sense of the word/phrase.  There are no likes here, none of you fuckers is at all interested in bolstering my ego or self-image , and while it's open for the world to see, it's not PREDICATED on the world seeing it.

I'm with you here—if anything, this forum (and other's like it) allow for a level of discourse that is simply not found on other platforms. Ideas brought forth can, and will be challenged, but (and here is the key difference), I have actually witnessed opinions and positions evolve and change over the course of a thread. I sincerely doubt the same exists on twitter in any sort of widespread form.

[cramx3]

I don't consider the forum social media either, but has some similarities. 

[hefdaddy42]

The forum was here before social media. 

It may well be here after social media.

[jammindude]

Suave dropping 40 memes a week ALONE makes Facebook worth it. 

[ReaPsTA]

The forum was here before social media. 

It may well be here after social media.

The year is 2055. No one knows who started the great burning, only that the entire world was engulfed.

The last of humanity lives in underground bunkers. Holding onto any shred of will to live they can find.

The great gatherings on cyberspace are mostly a distant memory. But in one lonely corner, a message appears.

"Kevin Moore or Jordan Rudess?"

[jammindude]

The forum was here before social media. 

It may well be here after social media.

The year is 2055. No one knows who started the great burning, only that the entire world was enguled.

The last of humanity lives in underground bunkers. Holding onto any shred of will to live they can find.

The great gatherings on cyberspace are mostly a distance memory. But in one lonely corner, a message appears.

"Kevin Moore or Jordan Rudess?"