Trilarion: This is no giveaway but also no vent, just an opinion. My impression is that the occurence of insults has increased and that the quality of the discussions suffers from it. This will or has already lead to the emigration of the more sensitive part of the crowd. And it should also result in less interesting discussions. I wouldn't like both.

I wonder how the number of customers of GOG relates to the number of active community members, if they both increase accordingly or not. And I wonder if maybe the number of active community memberts was even bigger at some point in history.

I think what has to be done is that everybody reduces a bit how important the own opinions are perceived as well as the eagerness to use insulting statements has to be reduced. Also stepping of peers in the obvious cases might do some good.

Thanks for the attentiion!

Trilarion: This is no giveaway but also no vent, just an opinion. My impression is that the occurence of insults has increased and that the quality of the discussions suffers from it. This will or has already lead to the emigration of the more sensitive part of the crowd. And it should also result in less interesting discussions. I wouldn't like both.

I wonder how the number of customers of GOG relates to the number of active community members, if they both increase accordingly or not. And I wonder if maybe the number of active community memberts was even bigger at some point in history.

I think what has to be done is that everybody reduces a bit how important the own opinions are perceived as well as the eagerness to use insulting statements has to be reduced. Also stepping of peers in the obvious cases might do some good.

Thanks for the attentiion!

nijuu: ...Are you sure your not thin skinned ?

lettmon: GOG forum is the nicest forum I have ever seen. Obviously you haven't visited much other forums if you think insulting here is bad xD

Trilarion: This is no giveaway but also no vent, just an opinion. My impression is that the occurence of insults has increased and that the quality of the discussions suffers from it. This will or has already lead to the emigration of the more sensitive part of the crowd. And it should also result in less interesting discussions. I wouldn't like both.

I wonder how the number of customers of GOG relates to the number of active community members, if they both increase accordingly or not. And I wonder if maybe the number of active community memberts was even bigger at some point in history.

I think what has to be done is that everybody reduces a bit how important the own opinions are perceived as well as the eagerness to use insulting statements has to be reduced. Also stepping of peers in the obvious cases might do some good.

Thanks for the attentiion!

stressthesky: I've read a lot on these forums, but I almost never participate in discussions. This is because this must be the calmest and most sedate place I've found on the internet, to the point where it's almost dull to discuss here because there's never any arguing.

jamyskis: That's not been my perception. I know certain people get called out on hypocrisy a fair bit, but these forums are on the whole pretty civil. If you want insults, you need look no further than the Steam community forums - pretty nasty place to be at the best of times, although with the sheer number of people coming in and going out of there, that's probably no wonder (nothing to do with Steam itself, before anyone brings that up).

Regarding that minority of cases where flamewars do flare up, there's one thing you have to consider. GOG is first and foremost about DRM-free. Classic games is essentially just a side effect of this, because these were the only properties that publishers were willing to risk going DRM-free on to begin with. Most sites now do classic releases.

Consequently, the GOG forums have essentially become a hub for people who want DRM freedom. If you don't agree with this, then there's always the Steam forums or Reddit. No harm, no foul. Heck, the GOG forums are a nice place to be even if you're fairly ambivalent about the whole DRM topic.

But coming in with the attitude of wanting to show all these "DRM-free hipsters" and "pirates" how they're being "unrealistic" and whatever else is akin to barging into a church and screaming that God doesn't exist. This is a gathering of people who have an interest in DRM-free, so people shouldn't wonder if people react with a certain degree of hostility to having their views ridiculed.

If I've been hostile to anyone here in the past, it's because (a) I don't appreciate being dictated to regarding what I do with my own stuff and (b) I don't appreciate my views being ridiculed. Objectively criticised, sure, and I've had some interesting discussions with people on various topics here, but not put down simply for not conforming to the norm, which is what the likes of SimonG have been notorious for doing in the past.

The wonderful thing about the GOG forums is that we have such a diversity of views. Not everything is black and white. A few abide by a strict anti-DRM policy, others are very pro-Steam/Origin/Uplay. The majority sit somewhere in the middle.

monkeydelarge: Steam "community", ahahhaahaha. Comparing this forum to the Steam forums is like comparing Disneyland to Somalia.