It makes no difference to me for the simple reason that I seldom look at where posts are unless I make a new thread myself. I just check unread posts and new replies and read the interesting stuff. I use about the same method on every forum I go to, so personally I wonder at this seemingly large outcry from many members. Well, it's a welcome change to debating about abortion, evolution, politics and religion. If anything this somehow reminds me of a certain Python classic...
(...)
-What?
-Shut your festering gob, you tit! Your type really makes me puke, you vacuous, coffee-nosed, maloderous, pervert!!!
-Look, I CAME HERE FOR AN ARGUMENT, I'm not going to just stand...!!
-OH, oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse.
-Oh, I see, well, that explains it.
So, why don't we expand the GenDisc section to an "Argument Clinic" containing Arguments, Abuse, Headbanging and Complaints?
Arguments would contain the stuff where people actually use the generally accepted means of arguing; abuse would include the flamefests and insultory remains of old topics. Headbainging would be the second home of those who are willing to talk about things that usually turn into threads so full of failures of argumentation that the frustration becomes tangible wall to which bang their heads, and Complaints would be the home of... this kind of stuff.
I never had any problem with the old layout for the exact same reasons I don't really mind the new layout to one or another direction... But I do understand that this is, and has never been, not first and foremost a general discussion forum. A general discussion section is good to have, but this is originally pretty specialized forum/community revolving around FS2, FS2_Open, their mods and upgrades, space gaming, gaming and other stuff in about that order of importance. Splitting the off topic to multiple threads is debatable, but doesn't really matter to me however it'll settle out.
Another thing I don't really understand is the amount of attention some (not all) people point on post counts. If there was some reliable way to convert that into signal to noise ratio, that would be better indicator, but as that is subjective I would rather leave it out of messages entirely. If someone has so big interest on their own (or others') post counts, they can check them from user stats.
...
Btw, political correctness can be a source of endless hilarity or agony, depending on the point of view. I choose the former just because it's usually easier to laugh at things that to rant about them. Ranting can be satisfying as well, but I tend to use it as last resort if I can't find anything laughable at matters.
Poll
